If weight loss is your goal and you're looking to incorporate exercise into your week, then setting a workout plan in place is a great place to start.

So we’ll start by saying that the best way to create a focused and effective weight loss workout plan is to work with a personal trainer to make sure you’re making the most of your exercise time and you have a plan that is tailored to your goals, needs and preferences.

The best workout routine to lose weight is very individual to everyone - this can depend on your fitness starting level, your goals, how long you can dedicate to exercise every week and so on.

HOW MUCH WEIGHT CAN YOU LOSE IN 6 WEEKS?

It’s important to lose weight carefully and safely. How much is safe for you to lose per week would be different from person to person. As a general guideline, 1-2 pounds a week is a realistic target. While you may want to achieve your weight loss goals quickly, it’s important to remember that faster results doesn’t necessarily mean better results. Make sure you’re providing your body with enough nutrients, rest, and sleep to keep you healthy and well (particularly if you’re exercising more than usual), and that your weight loss is safe and sustainable.

So try not to get caught up in the numbers, as weight can fluctuate throughout the day or week, and instead focus on working towards creating fantastic, healthy habits that will lead to a stronger, fitter, more confident you!

PAIR EXERCISE WITH A HEALTHIER DIET

While changing your exercise routine could help to increase your energy expenditure throughout the day, don’t forget that working on having a healthier diet is just as important too. It may be tempting to completely cut back on calories, but remember that over restricting your calorie intake could make it a lot harder to stick to your diet, and do more harm than good. Focus on making small changes that you can stick to, such as adding an extra portion of veg to your meal or swapping the regular soda with diet soda, rather than eliminating food groups or types of foods completely. Eating plenty of protein and nutrient-rich fruit and veg is a fantastic starting point.

Our top tips are to plan your meals ahead of time, try to eat more mindfully, be mindful of portion sizes and swap nutrient-lacking meals with healthier alternatives.

BEST SIX MONTH WEIGHT LOSS PLAN

Just to reiterate, the best workout weight loss plan will be very unique to your needs. We’ve included an example approach here, but feel free to tailor these to fit with your needs.

Over a week, we would recommend:

1. Including rest days in between workouts: You body needs time to recuperate from exercise and get stronger. Rest days are incredibly important for your body, particularly if it’s just getting used to exercise or if you’re seriously upping your efforts.
2. Featuring a mix of cardio and strength: By including both cardio and strength training in your plans, you’ll enjoy the benefits of increasing your energy expenditure and improving your aerobic abilities, while also building muscle - a combination of both that you’re likely to see best results.
3. Aiming for 30 - 90 minutes of movement a day: Try to incorporate movement throughout the day to get your body moving. How much you spend will depend on how much time is realistic to you. The main thing it to keep consistent throughout the week if you can and identify areas where you can change your habits to get you more physically active. For example, instead of taking the lift, taking the stairs. Getting up from your seat every hour to fill in a glass of water. All these little changes will add up over time. It doesn't always have to be about getting a workout in, going for a walk counts too. You could always follow a fitness class in the gym or lift some weights - find a way of moving your body in a way that you enjoy, and you'll be much more likely to stick to it.
4. Focus on getting better instead of being perfect: The idea here is to focus on doing better than your last workout, and this is particularly key if you’re sticking to set types of exercise each time you workout. So, if you’re running for half an hour on a Tuesday, the following Tuesday you can aim to run for 32 minutes, or run for 30 minutes at a faster speed or higher incline. If on a Thursday you’re completing 3 sets of 8 barbell reps, then after a few weeks if you find things are getting easier, you might want to increase to 3 sets of 10 reps, or stick to the same numbers but increase the weight. This is called progressive overload and helps to make progress as your body adapts to your training.

Just as an example, a weekly weight loss plan could look something like this:

• Monday: 30 minute run (Cardio)
• Tuesday: REST
• Wednesday: Full body strength training (Gym)
• Thursday: REST
• Friday: Full body strength training (Home)
• Saturday: REST
• Sunday: Yoga

Again, it's very much down to the individual how they approach their training. If you’d like to find out more about what types of exercise to include your plan, you can check out our articles including How Many Days Should I Workout To Lose Weight and Top Exercises for Fat Loss.