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Ways to Maximize Weight Loss

So you have decided to lose some weight. You start exercising and drastically cutting calories, hoping to quickly reduce your weight. Disappointed because you didn't lose as much weight in the time you wanted to, you give up and rebel by eating everything in sight. If this scenario sounds familiar, learning how to maximize your weight loss may help you lose weight and keep it off safely.

  1. High-Intensity Interval Training

    • Regular cardiovascular exercise is part of a healthy lifestyle. To use it to maximize weight loss, you can incorporate high-intensity intervals. Adding several bursts of high-intensity cardiovascular exercise into your normal cardio routine results in more calories burned, because you task your muscles more. Start with a three-minute light to moderate jog, and speed up to a 30- to 60-second sprint where you work at 85 percent of your maximum heart rate. Repeat these intervals over the duration of your cardiovascular workout. Aside from maximizing your caloric burn, high-intensity intervals add variety into your workout and improve your cardiovascular fitness.

    Strength Training

    • Strength training maximizes weight loss because it helps maintain and increase muscle tissue. Muscles stimulate your metabolism. They accelerate your metabolic rate during and long after your workout. The more muscles you have, the more fat you burn. The Mayo Clinic website recommends two to three strength training sessions per week. Use your body weight for resistance or weightlifting machines and free weights. Avoid strength training on consecutive days; give yourself a day of recovery in between each workout.

    Healthy Eating Habits

    • When you think of weight loss, you instantly think of dieting and depriving yourself of certain foods or food groups. Going on a fad diet may result in nutritional deficiencies and trigger the yo-yo dieting effect in which you toggle between losing and gaining weight. Losing weight and keeping it off and, therefore, maximizing your weight loss can be achieved by adjusting your eating habits and making healthier choices. Opt for complex carbohydrates such as oatmeal and whole-grain bread instead of simple carbs. Consume low-fat or nonfat dairy instead of full-fat dairy. Choose lean cuts of meat such as fish and turkey over the fatty cuts such as pork and beef.

    Sleep

    • Believe it or not, sleep can help maximize weight loss. When you sleep, muscle tissue that was tasked during the day is repaired and your energy is restored. Sleeping helps with fat metabolism and makes you more productive during the day. According to the National Sleep Foundation, sleep deprivation triggers cravings and may lead to weight gain. It recommends you get between seven and nine hours of sleep per night.

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