Reducing size, not weight, quickly

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nxd10
nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
I am looking for advice on how to minimize bloating in someone is prone to it and asking if it is possible to lose any inches around the abdomen in a very short amount of time - 3 weeks. Obviously, healthy weight loss in that amount of time would be out of the question.

I am getting an award in a couple of weeks and my husband and I are flying overseas for the ceremony.

Problem:

My husband has to wear a white tie and full tails for the ceremony. He also needs to wear a suit the night before. We bought the tailcoat on ebay and it is okay, because it doesn't have to button and it fits fine (he looks gorgeous). We went to Goodwill yesterday and picked up - of all things - tuxedo pants and two regular pairs of pants that fit him. But his regular suit coat (he only has one) is tight. We could buy a new one but it seems a shame since he rarely wears suits and the one he owns is gorgeous.

He has serious problems with his guts (he had a few feet of them removed three years ago). If he does anything like drink beer or eat too much fat, he bloats like a balloon. I have never seen anyone else do anything like it. He can go from looking straight up and down (he's a tai chi instructor and quite muscley) to looking 9 months pregnant overnight.

1) Any thoughts on exercises to help with abs? He really is very strong in the arms and legs. I expect he has good ab muscles. But things specifically to minimize abdominal size?

2) My nightmare is that he's going to get there, bloat up from airplane food, and not be able to fit in his pants or jackets. Any ideas on minimizing things? The only two things we KNOW makes it bad are beer (deadly) and lots of fat. He can avoid both those things for the next few weeks. Other (healthy) suggestions?

Or just buy another suit?

Replies

  • k8ecakes
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    food that is high in fiber, dairy, and salt can make you bloat... he could try to minimize his intake of these foods, but his condition sounds pretty unpredictable. Seems like the best option would be to get a new suit.


    could you rent a suit for this occasion?
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
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    It's hard to rent a suit. Easier to rent a tux (and actually cheaper to buy through ebay or Goodwill than rent - he now owns two.)

    Goodwill may be the answer.

    He lives on fiber. Metamucil is his best friend. He is slowly getting better at logging (and has lost 14 pounds), but I wish he had started being consistent months ago.

    Special event or no special event, he'd just feel better if he were thinner.
  • dhakiyya
    dhakiyya Posts: 481 Member
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    peppermint tea, lemon and ginger tea

    if it's aeroplane food you're worried about, maybe he can take a packed lunch of things that he knows won't cause bloating and just skip the in flight meals. Plus a few snacks as well. Also most airliners are good at catering for special dietary needs, my younger daughter's allergic to a whole bunch of things, and we got custom meals for her last time we flew, i.e. we just told the airliner a meal that only contains things she's not allergic to, and they made it for her.
  • madisons_mummy
    madisons_mummy Posts: 169 Member
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    Do low carb! Every time I've done low carb I notice my stomach looks so much flatter within the first week :)
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
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    peppermint tea, lemon and ginger tea

    if it's aeroplane food you're worried about, maybe he can take a packed lunch of things that he knows won't cause bloating and just skip the in flight meals. Plus a few snacks as well. Also most airliners are good at catering for special dietary needs, my younger daughter's allergic to a whole bunch of things, and we got custom meals for her last time we flew, i.e. we just told the airliner a meal that only contains things she's not allergic to, and they made it for her.

    That's a good idea. He's also very sensitive to salt and the airplane food is also just very, very, very high cal.
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
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    Do low carb! Every time I've done low carb I notice my stomach looks so much flatter within the first week :)

    I've never tried that. He is certainly super sensitive to beer (liquid carbs). I will suggest that to him. He was SO bummed out when we had to go shopping. His pants size had upped 6" since we last went shopping, even though his weight was essentially the same.
  • kdeaux1959
    kdeaux1959 Posts: 2,675 Member
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    Sort of sounds like a medical issue. He could do ab workouts to tone the muscles beneath the fat layer BUT this will not address the bloating problem. Perhaps address this issue with his Dr.? You could also try the Salvation Army ... I bought a new suit there for like $10... Well worth it even for one instance (Of course I wear them a bit more regularly than that)...