Exercising is an important part of a recommended weight loss program, along with a healthy, low-calorie diet. How long it takes to lose weight depends on how well you watch your calories, as well as how often and how intensely you work out. The Mayo Clinic recommends losing no more than 2 lbs. a week, so that should be your goal. Consult your health care professional before beginning any weight loss program.
Calories
When you talk about losing weight, you have to include calories, because the only way to lose weight is by expending more of them than you consume. Your body needs to burn 3,500 more calories than you consume to burn 1 lb. of fat. The Mayo Clinic recommends dropping 500 calories a day from your diet to start the weight-loss process. This adds up to 3,500 calories a week, which means you can lose 1 lb. in that time, even before exercise is considered. As you don't want to lose more than 2 lbs. a week, you can burn the other 3,500 calories by exercising.
Cardio Exercises
Exercises that increase your heart rate work the lungs and make you sweat -- they are the most effective calorie burners and include running or jogging. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends doing 60 to 90 minutes of cardio five to six days a week to lose weight. If you are just starting an exercise program, it's best to start slow by walking for 15 to 20 minutes at a time, then gradually working your way up to more vigorous activity. The goal should be to work at enough intensity that your heart rate increases and you build a sweat.
Strength Training
Strength training is recommended as part of a weight loss regimen. It won't burn as many calories as cardio exercise, but it will build muscle. Having toned muscle forces the body to take needed calories from fat, instead of the muscle, and burns more calories than fat overall, even when at rest. Strength training should be done at least two non-consecutive days a week and should work out all the major muscles of your body. To start, do one set of eight to 12 repetitions for each muscle. For example, do one set of exercises for the biceps, such as curls, and one set of exercise for the chest, such as bench presses. Once you have built up more strength, increase the number of sets up to three. Once you can do three sets, increase the amount of resistance or weight.
Considerations
Although the amount of recommended weight loss is no more than 2 lbs. a week, your doctor may prescribe a special very-low-calorie diet if you are obese, or if you just need to jump start your weight loss program. If this is the case, your doctor will also recommend an exercise regimen. This is the only circumstances in which you should lose more than 2 lbs. per week. Unless your doctor advises you otherwise, men should consume no fewer than 1,500 calories a day and women should stay above 1,200 a day.
Warnings
Avoid extreme exercise programs. Exercise programs that require working out for hours a day or seven days a week can lead to burn out. Some people give up exercise altogether when this happens, and actually gain weight once normal activities are resumed. The most effective weight loss happens gradually through a reasonable exercise regimen and sensible diet. Once you establish good habits, it is easier to keep the weight off in the long-term.
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