The best way to lose weight is to raise the body’s metabolism so that it burns calories or kilojoules more efficiently and reduce the amount of energy consumed from foods so that it is not stored as fat. Aerobic exercise and strength training are the most popular activities used to boost metabolism and calorie-burning. When done consistently in 30-minute intervals five days a week, such exercise can burn enough energy to eat away at long-stored fat deposits and turn them into fuel, according to fitness experts. Exercise not only burns calories and kilojoules during the activity, but for hours afterward. Using weights or resistance machines to build muscle can accelerate resting metabolism and physically provide the best way to lose weight, since studies show muscles burn more energy than other body tissue.
Grazing and eating frequent small meals are tactics used by some people to keep the metabolism steady in order to lose weight. The practice of eating small amounts consistently throughout the day rather than having three large meals at breakfast, lunch, and dinner is called grazing. Many who graze often eat meals consisting of 200 to 300 calories (836 KJ to 1255 KJ) every two to three hours. Others eat snacks with as few as 100 calories (418 KJ).
This eating style can result in having six to eight meals and snacks a day. Eating less often is not considered the best way to lose weight, because infrequent eating can cause the metabolism to lag between meals or even send the body into starvation mode, nutritionists claim. This is especially possible if the metabolism has been negatively affected by years of extreme weight loss and extreme weight gain. A body in starvation mode will not break down and release stored fat; instead, it will add more fat as a protective mechanism, according to weight loss studies.
Diet composition can affect calories or kilojoules stored and burned. Whole foods tend to leave eaters feeling full longer than processed foods and require more energy to digest. Dietitians believe eating whole vegetables and fruits, whether raw, lightly steamed, or cooked, is the best way to lose weight because in addition to nutrients, these foods offer fiber that can satiate the appetite and prevent overeating.
Consuming foods with added sugars like processed white sugar, dextrose, and high-fructose corn syrup is seen as an ineffective way to lose weight because sugar can trigger overeating, increase fat storage, and lead to other negative health effects. Some controversial studies suggest that high-fructose corn syrup, present in many frozen diet meals and treats, can make the body store fat more easily. Other reports debunk this theory, however.
One pound (0.45 Kg) of fat requires roughly 3,500 calories (14,644 KJ) to burn. Many dieters reduce food intake by 500 calories (2092 KJ) or more a day in order to lose at least a pound (0.45 Kg) a week. More active dieters strive to burn 500 calories (2092 KJ) a day through calisthenics, running, or walking in order to lose the same amount of weight. Advice about losing weight tends to be subjective since weight loss is dependent on each person’s particular body chemistry; therefore, the best way to lose weight will differ from individual to individual.