Pumping iron to more efficiently and effectively shed pounds? Is that possible?
Not only is it possible but I believe that weight training is as important for weight control as just about any other intervention you might consider.
Successful, permanent weight control comes from combining sensible good nutrition (i.e. healthy eating) with exercise. Constant "dieting" and starving yourself alone doesn't work - it actually results in loss of important lean muscle tissue (an important contributor to your metabolic rate), not fat, making you more prone to future weight gain.
Muscle fuels your metabolism and its presence is the key to weight loss. It is a very active tissue from a metabolic standpoint. The weight loss occurs not only from the weight lifting exercise session itself, as well as the "after-burn" but also, more importantly, the added muscle tissue on your frame allows you to burn more calories even at rest (and sleep) all day long!
Traditionally, most individuals, when they want to shed pounds, turn to more and more aerobic-based exercise. I think that is important as well, but it should not replace the need for weight training and strength building.
Thus, your exercise program for long term, permanent weight loss and control must include both cardiovascular or aerobic exercise and strength training. Keep the muscle, look great, and lose fat.
Don't pay too much attention to your scale weight; it can actually increase as you gain muscle which weighs more than fat. More importantly, take the mirror test. How do you look? Is your belt size decreasing? How do your clothes fit? You will know if you are on the right track.
This particular area has been the source of some heated debate and I refer you to a great debate on the matter from Fitness Management magazine.
In this debate, I clearly lean on the side of Dr. Wayne Westcott whose work in the field I truly admire. I also love his recent book Get Stronger, Feel Younger: The Cardio and Diet-Free Plan to Firm Up and Lose Fat which explores this matter in detail and provides a sensible program to tackle the weight control and weight loss issue.
