The mechanics of weight loss is simple; energy lost must be greater than energy gained. You gain energy from the various foods and other nutritional supplements you consume; you lose energy through regular everyday activities, even breathing. The problem is a body at rest or doing regular activities does not utilize most of the energy that is consumed from the average American diet. The result is weight gain. All that extra energy is converted to fat and stored for later use, the problem is, that fat will sit there and keep building up and it has nowhere to go. The solution, we need to get our bodies in a state of negative energy balance, increase our metabolism or decrease our food intake so that we lose more energy that we gain.
Basically, we want to increase how much work our body does, so exercise is key. Running, swimming, jogging or going to Gym for strength exercises are all ways in which you can increase your metabolism and reduce your weight. On another hand you can reduce the amount of food you consume; if you eat less this will also lead to a negative energy balance. Choosing healthier foods will make this route easier, switching from fatty to more protein based foods will enable your body to maintain a good energy balance and prevent any excess energy from being converted it unhealthy fat. Bear in mind that healthy weight loss will not come from one or the other alone, but a balance between the two. Only eating less and no exercise is very harmful and does not do much for healthy weight loss. After a point, your body will go into starvation mode and start feeding off muscle instead of fat resulting in undesirable weight loss. Exercise that results in weight loss without changing dietary habits will put too much strain on your body and the benefits will not be worth the pain and medical bills.
Balance is key, find the magic number that gives you the right amount of food and exercise. This will result in healthy weight loss that will be beneficial to you in the long run. Set realistic goals and spread them out across a moderate time frame in order to give your body a healthy head start. I would not recommend crash dieting or intermittent fasting as they tend to cause irreversible damage to your body. Yes they result in rapid weight loss but some of the side effects include ulcers, muscle loss and increased hunger that may cause you to eat more after you have completed them.
If you have problems sticking to a diet or exercise regime, consult a dietician or a trainer to help you reach your weight loss goal the healthy way. Many gyms have trainers that will help you design an exercise schedule that is right for you, they will also tell you what to eat and what to stay away from. Remember to always consult your doctor before you drastically change your diet or exercise habits.
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