Best workout programs for weight loss and toning

You may feel tempted to follow a strict diet for faster results, but most health professionals suggest sticking to a slower weight-loss rate, per the Mayo Clinic. Losing weight slowly will also help ensure you keep as much muscle mass as possible. To create a sustainable calorie deficit, first track how many calories you're eating each day to maintain your current weight, aka your maintenance calories.

You can do this by tracking your food and weight across several weeks, using a food diary or app. Download the MyPlate app to do the job and help you track your intake , so you can stay focused and achieve your goals! Once you've figured out your maintenance calories, you can gradually limit your calorie intake to create a deficit.

You can safely cut about calories per day to lose about one pound each week, explains the Mayo Clinic. Replacing some of the processed foods in your diet is the easiest way to get in a deficit. Chips, sweetened beverages and sweets are high in calories but low in nutrients, leaving you hungry and craving more. Instead, focus on eating nutrient-dense foods, as they will help fuel your workouts and keep your muscles strong and lean. Fill your plate with plenty of veggies, whole grains, healthy fats and lean protein, such as chicken, fish, grass-fed beef, eggs, dairy and beans and legumes.

Mike Samuels. Mike Samuels started writing for his own fitness website and local publications in He graduated from Peter Symonds College in the UK with A Levels in law, business and sports science, and is a fully qualified personal trainer, sports massage therapist and corrective exercise specialist with accreditations from Premier Global International.

If your goal is to lose weight and tone up, you'll need to do both cardio and strength training at the gym. Most fat burners are formulated with ingredients such as caffeine, green tea, and soluble fibres, which are safe to take and proven to be effective. For more help with exercise and food plans on the go, weight loss tracker smartphone applications are a great option.

Most work as weight loss and food trackers. Through the apps, a person can track their daily food intake which is a great tool for those reducing their calorie count.

They can also use the apps for recipes, to chat with online community support groups and chat live with professionals. For example, Noom is an app with multiple functions. A user can track their food using the food database consisting of over 3. Another option for food tracking is the meal planning function which helps dieters plan their weekly meals. Users can also seek advice from health and fitness professionals as well as chat to like-minded dieters.

Noom offers a 7-day free trial for users to see if the app suits their needs. With various capabilities, users can maximise and sustain their weight loss journey through weight loss tracker apps. Ready-made plans are a great tool to get people started. But, to sustain the progress it can be helpful to add your twist to your plan.

This will make it more manageable depending on your lifestyle and preferences. For help with creating your plan, see below:.

After completing this four-week plan, you may want to add your preferences to make it sustainable. If you are seeking further weight loss or want to maintain your weight, there are a few simple steps. When it comes to deciding what workout you want to do, it should be something you will enjoy. Formulate your workout routine by focusing on what you enjoy and see results from.

Whether that be more fast pace cardio-based workouts or slower muscle training exercises, do what makes you feel good. Having a positive attitude towards your workout routine will encourage you to continue. Nutrition is just as important as exercise. As much as reducing calorie intake and restricting certain foods from your diet can encourage weight loss, it can also become dull.

It is important to enjoy what you eat to continue to eat it. Treat yourself from time to time. The best way to stay on track is to enjoy yourself and what you are doing. If you have been training intensely for weeks on end and feel burnt out, it is time to take a break.

Or, if you feel fatigued and unmotivated from restricting yourself to balanced meals, give yourself a day or two to regenerate energy and motivation. Setting goals and creating new habits is easier said than done. The main reason for giving up is often due to setting goals that are too big, unrealistic and usually unreachable. Thus, setting goals that are small and manageable is ideal. Setting small goals and achieving them is the same as creating new habits.

They go hand in hand. The feeling of accomplishment then encourages you to keep going and stick to these new habits. These few tips will help you set goals and ultimately, create new habits that will encourage and sustain your journey:. When you are losing weight, there is typically an end goal. This end goal is the bigger picture. To get there you need to create small steps and integrate these new but small habits into your daily lifestyle. Eventually, these small steps will lead to reaching your end goal.

Understanding what your bad habits are the only way to eliminate the negative attitudes out of your life. Tackling these bad habits and replacing them with new habits is what you need to set yourself up on a path to success. This part is made easier for you with the use of this four-week workout plan and nutrition guide.

Use this as your starting point and motivation to get going. Write it down wherever you can easily access it. Set yourself reminders.

Sticking to this every week will ensure results. Tracking your progress over these four-weeks will prove to you that you will succeed in reaching your weight loss aim. It will allow you to measure your development, reflect, and stick to your habits. To make this easy, use a weight loss tracking app to monitor your progress and track your habits. After sticking to your new habits and succeeding your small goals, it is time to reward yourself.

Small rewards are a great motivator. Beginning a weight loss journey can feel overwhelming. The first step to tackle is your first workout, day of balanced eating, and creating a plan. When you have overcome this obstacle, you are on the right track. This answer will vary from person to person.

It depends on a variety of factors from your current weight, metabolic rate, age, health condition, and physical state. Also by Jon-Erik Kawamoto. Thank you for signing up. Your information has been successfully processed!

I want content for Muscle and Fitness Promotions. Muscle and Fitness Hers Promotions. Follow us Facebook Twitter Youtube Pinterest. Play How to. Exercise 3 of 5. Exercise 4 of 5. Exercise 5 of 5. Exercise 6 of 5. Exercise 7 of 5. Exercise 8 of 5. Exercise 9 of 5. Exercise 10 of 5. Exercise 11 of 5.