It is possible to lose a large amount of weight by carefully following a sound eating plan which emphasizes eating the right amount of healthy foods and reducing your caloric intake. Once you have your eating plan in place, perform exercises to burn excess fat and calories. Exercising three to five times a week will help you meet your weight-loss goal.
Swimming
Swimming is easy on your joints, but still offers you the opportunity to burn calories at an accelerated rate. According to the Mayo Clinic, you can burn 250 to 350 calories per half an hour of swimming laps, depending on your body weight. If you are reacquainting yourself with swimming laps, purchase a kickboard to help you feel comfortable in the water. Swim one lap with the kickboard, one lap using the breaststroke and then rest for 60 seconds. Alternate swimming laps in this manner until you are able to swim for 30 minutes without stopping. Swim using the freestyle and backstroke to work different muscle groups.
Jumping Rope
Jumping rope is not just for children. Football players and boxers both use jump ropes to improve their agility, speed and endurance. "Fitness" magazine states that jumping rope for 10 minutes can burn 135 calories. They recommend keeping your feet just slightly off the ground when you jump and using your wrists and arms to turn the rope instead of your shoulders. If you are lifting weights while losing weight, jump rope for 10 minutes, then do three repetitions of different weight-lifting exercises. This will work your cardiovascular system and develop your muscular strength at the same time.
Running
Running is one of the higher-calorie-burning workouts. Thirty minutes of running at a seven mph pace will burn approximately 350 calories, depending on your weight. If you have never run before, or have not run for a long time, slowly work from walking to running. Plan your route and run for two minutes and walk for eight minutes, alternating this pattern for 30 minutes. Slowly increase the time you run and decrease the time you walk until you are running the entire route. As you lose weight, running will become easier and more enjoyable. Run three to four times a week.
Racquetball
Racquetball is a fast-moving game involving all the major muscle groups in your body. Your arms and shoulders get a workout when you swing the racquet, you engage your abdominal muscles every time you hit or dive for the ball and your leg muscles are strengthened by the non-stop action. Racquetball courts are available in most gyms, community centers and on some outdoor playgrounds. You can practice by yourself or play with a partner or two for more fun. According to the California State Racquetball Association, you can burn 600 calories during an hour-long game.
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