Successful weight loss is best achieved gradually. A number of programs promise rapid weight loss through drastic means, but these methods are likely to lead to equally rapid weight gain. To lose weight and keep it off, a healthy and well-balanced diet complimented by routine exercise must become parts of your everyday lifestyle.
Weight Loss Fundamentals
When losing weight, you should aim to lose fat as opposed to muscle. To burn one pound of fat, you must burn 3,500 calories. A 500-calorie reduction and 500 calories burned during exercise per day translates to a loss of approximately two pounds of fat per week. You should aim to lose no more than two pounds per week, as losing weight more rapidly makes you more likely to gain it back. Rapid weight loss slows the metabolism, thus allowing the body to store fat more easily.
Cardio Exercise
One of the most important components of successful weight loss is routine cardio exercise. Daily cardio for 30 minutes to an hour helps to raise your heart rate at a level that supports maximum calorie- and fat-burning potential. Furthermore, cardio exercise helps to strengthen and tone all of your major muscle groups, which helps to promote leanness and definition as you lose the weight. Exercises like running, kickboxing, jump roping and swimming can help you burn more than 500 calories per hour, making them ideal workouts for weight loss.
Weight Training
Weight training strengthens, tones and builds muscle, helps prevent age-related muscle loss and helps to burn calories and fat more efficiently. Furthermore, as you increase muscle strength by using resistance machines and free weights, you become better able to perform cardio exercises, which brings even greater physical gains. Weightlifting two to three times per week following cardio exercise is an effective way to help you reach and maintain your weight loss goals.
Diet
Weight loss and diet are inextricably linked. To lose weight, you must consume fewer calories than you burn each day. Although it is important to limit the daily number of calories you consume, it is also essential to eat enough to maintain an adequate level of energy throughout the day. In general, your diet should be replete with fruits and vegetables, rich in whole grains and lean proteins, and low in fats and cholesterol. Lastly, drink at least 64 ounces of water each day to promote muscle growth and prevent dehydration.
References
- MayoClinic; Exercise for Weight Loss --- Calories Burned in 1 Hour; Dec. 1, 2009
- MayoClinic; Water --- How Much Should You Drink Every Day?; April 17, 2010
- MayoClinic; Weight Training --- Improve Your Muscular Fitness; Feb. 12, 2011
- "Journal of Applied Physiology"; Anaerobic Capacity and Muscle Activation During Horizontal and Uphill Running; M. A. Sloniger, et al.; July 1997
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