If you are overweight or just trying to shed a few pounds, getting the bulk off as quickly as possible is your main goal. Finding an effective and quick way to lose the weight can be accomplished by choosing something that you can work with long-term. Making healthy decisions about your weight loss can help keep the weight off longer without deprivation.
Exercise
Exercise is a fundamental part of an effective and quick weight loss. Exercise can help you lose weight faster than diet alone. The American College of Sports Medicine suggests that healthy adults should get up to 30 minutes of exercise daily five days a week. If you incorporate intense aerobic activity as well as strength training into your daily routine, you will see results quickly. Take into consideration your maximum target heart rate. To calculate, subtract your age from 220. At your target heart rate you are burning fat and calories while getting the most out of your workout. Examples of aerobic activity includes cross-country skiing, running, cycling, swimming and basketball. Strength training with weights or resistance bands builds and tones muscles. Different strength training exercises include squats, sit-ups, leg lifts, push-ups and bicep curls.
Diet
Following a healthy, low-fat diet is a safe and effective way to lose weight. Fad diets that restrict calories, carbohydrates or fruits can deplete vital nutrients and rob your body of what it needs to stay strong. Choosing foods from each of the five food groups will assure you are getting the right things to eat. Examples include lean proteins such as fish and chicken, whole grains including brown rice and wheat tortillas, vegetables including broccoli and carrots, fresh fruits and low-fat dairy products. Try to vary each meal with foods from each group. Eat fresh fruits and vegetables instead of high-sugar and processed snacks whenever you get hungry. Try to avoid excess salt and sodium as much as possible.
Benefits
Combining healthy eating and daily vigorous exercise will help you lose weight and feel better about how you look. There are other health benefits that come along with a healthy lifestyle and weight loss. You can help control your type 2 diabetes or prevent it from developing in some cases. Blood pressure levels will go down or regulate because you are eating non-processed foods and providing more oxygen-rich blood to your heart. A healthy diet and daily exercise can also reduce your risk for stroke, heart disease and liver problems.
Drawbacks
While you likely can't lose weight overnight, you can make choices each day that help with taking and keeping weight off. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend not losing more than two pounds a week in order to stay healthy. When you make a healthy diet and daily exercise a daily ritual, you are more likely to keep the weight off long-term. As you lose weight, you may notice that you have hanging skin in some locations such as under the arms, inner thighs and abdomen. You can target these areas by building muscle to eliminate the appearance of saggy skin.
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