By Erin Kosanovich

One of the most frequently asked questions I receive is this: “Is there a best way to lose weight?”

The answer? It depends on you. Every individual responds differently to varied weight loss strategies. Simply, what works for one person may not have the same result for another.

My advice is to find a program that works for you. The program that works for you will be one that you enjoy. Fitness should always be fun and motivate you to continue to create the best you possible.

You don’t have to do endless hours on a treadmill and eat like a rabbit. I cannot remember the last time I actually ate a salad. Stick to clean foods with one ingredient on the label and avoid anything packaged or processed.

Shop the perimeter of the grocery store. As you look around, you will notice that this is where all the lean meats, fruits, vegetables, whole carbohydrates and bone-strengthening dairy are kept. Try to steer clear of those aisles if you can.

One of the best things I ever did for myself was learn to eat the right foods at the correct portion sizes for my physical needs multiple times a day. Eating several small meals, instead of three large ones, speeds up your metabolism and turns your body into a fat-fighting furnace.

I hate anything to do with plyometric-style workouts, so I refuse to do that style of workout. Box jumps and burpees? You can have them. But I know several people who love these workouts and thrive off them.

When it comes to the best way to work out, my suggestion is to find a program that excites you. Be sure to check in with yourself to be sure this is something that interests you. Be sure to incorporate activities you actually enjoy doing. If you enjoy bike riding, throw that in the mix for your cardio.

Let’s face it. If you do not enjoy what you are doing, are you really going to adopt it as a long-term lifestyle? I know I wouldn’t.

Be sure to incorporate a combination of cardiovascular and weight-bearing activities. Research shows that, pound-for-pound, weight-bearing workouts burn more calories than their non-weight bearing counterparts. But aerobic exercise burns more calories over time than strength training, due to rest periods during the lifting regimen.

It is important to combine both to ensure you fire up that fat-burning inferno and get the best of both worlds. Plus, it takes more energy to sustain muscle than it does fat, so the more muscle you have, the more fat you burn.

Yes ladies, get in that weight room. No, you will not get “bulky.” Physiologically our bodies are made with naturally leaner muscles and do not contain the testosterone that a male’s body has that allows them to grow those big beautiful muscles.

Erin Kosanovich began her fitness journey in 2011. Having lost more than 70 pounds through proper diet, exercise, and consistency, Erin now competes on stages nationwide with the National Physique Committee. Email her at EKosanovich@wtcsb.org.