Your body composition, or the ratio of fat-to-muscle tissue, is a better indicator of your health than just your weight. So whether you have a few pounds to lose or your weight is within a healthy range, you can lower your body fat percentage without losing muscle by exercising daily and monitoring your diet. Furthermore, toning your muscles through workouts will also help slow the loss of muscle mass that happens as you age, which in turn will keep your body fat percentage low. Ask your doctor before you make changes to your diet or exercise regimen.
Step 1
Perform 20- to 30-minute sessions of strengthening exercises two or three days a week. This will build your muscles and lower your body fat, as well as help you lower or control your weight. Warm up for five to 10 minutes by taking a brisk walk and stretching the muscles you will be working, then choose to use resistance tubing, free weights, a weight machine or just your body weight. Perform exercises that will tone and strengthen each of your major muscle groups, and select a resistance level or weight that allows you to do 12 repetitions per exercise before having to stop.
Step 2
Aim to lose 1 to 2 pounds a week if you are trying to drop excess weight. Eliminating body weight at a faster pace will not only require you to diet and exercise more strictly, but you also risk losing the pounds from muscle tissue instead of fat. A slow, steady loss helps ensure that the weight comes from fatty tissue and that you are developing healthy habits to help you maintain your new body.
Step 3
Do cardio exercises at a moderate pace for a total of 150 minutes or more a week. Work your way up to this pace and amount over the course of a few weeks or months if necessary. Ideally, you want to get in a workout most days of the week for about 30 minutes at a time, and preferably on the days when you do not do your strength-training exercises. Cardio activities include things like biking, jogging, swimming and dancing, and they will both burn excess fat and tone your muscles.
Step 4
Eat enough calories to give your body the nutrients it needs. Even if you want to lose weight, consuming less than a certain amount of calories per day can be harmful to your health, as well as cause you to lose muscle tissue instead of fat. In general, women should not eat less than 1,200 calories a day, and men should not go below 1,500, unless under the direct supervision of a health care provider.
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