Losing weight is a process unique to each individual. The most important detail is to lose weight healthily, through exercise and a proper diet. According to the textbook "Essentials of Anatomy and Physiology," a healthy range is to lose 2 to 3 lbs. per week, allowing your metabolism to increase as you drop excess fat and build more muscle tone. The best ways to lose weight healthily include certain types of workouts and diets.
Strength Training
Strength training uses weights, dumbbells, weighted medicine balls or kettlebells to increase the intensity of your workout. Using weights allows you to burn intramuscular fat, or tone muscles, and burn fat. This type of exercising also increases your heart rate, which essentially burns more calories and fat overall during your workout. According to the textbook "Exercise Physiology: Energy, Nutrition and Human Performance," strength training should be done at least three times a week and the most effective type is to complete full-body, functional movements that work the whole body as one unit rather than isolating different muscle groups, which can mean longer, less effective workouts.
Interval Training
Interval training is a type of exercise which combines short bursts of high-intensity work with short periods of rest. The alternating between resting and working gets your heart rate to increase rapidly, then challenge your heart to return back to a resting heart rate quickly; the faster your heart rate stabilizes, the more fit your heart is. Interval training also causes your muscles to stay confused and to grow stronger through quick, explosive movements. Overall, interval workouts are shorter than noninterval exercise due to the high level of intense work you perform. An example of an interval cardio workout is to use the treadmill to sprint at a fast pace for 30 seconds, then jog or walk for 30 seconds, switching between sprinting and resting for at least 30 minutes.
High Protein Diet
In addition to working out consistently, you must maintain a good diet to lose weight healthily. Adopting a diet high in lean protein helps you lose weight through the rebuilding of muscles, which essentially leads to a higher metabolism. One muscle cell burns more calories at rest than one fat cell, so the more muscle you have, the higher your resting metabolic rate. High protein diets also keep you from burning muscle for energy and cause your body to use fat as an energy source.
References
- "Exercise Physiology: Energy, Nutrition and Human Performance"; William D. McArdle, Frank I. Katch, Victor L. Katch; 2006
- "Essentials of Anatomy and Physiology, Fifth Edition"; Tina Sanders, Valerie Scanlon; 2000
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