How to Lose Weight Without Getting Bulky

A well-rounded weight loss program includes eating right, performing cardiovascular exercise and strengthening you body with weight training. As you lose weight, you might fear that strength training will build large, bulky muscles and make it harder for you to achieve a lean figure. Fortunately, you can perform all the necessary exercises to stay healthy and avoid getting bulky.

Reduce your daily intake of sugar, fat and calories. To lose 1 lb. of weight, you need to lose 3,500 calories. Eating 250 to 500 calories less per day. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services states you should avoid foods with sugar in the first few ingredients and foods with more than 5 percent of the daily value of saturated fat 1.

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Eat foods that fuel your body and have nutrients. According to MyPyramid.gov, you should eat mostly whole grains, a variety of vegetables, fruits, calcium-rich foods and lean protein 3. When choosing what to eat, look for foods that are low-fat and fat-free.

Participate in 30 to 60 minutes of daily aerobic exercise. Aerobic exercise burns calories to help you shed body fat and lose weight. Activities such as basketball, tennis, running, cycling, rowing and step aerobics are all examples of aerobic exercise. Vary the intensity you work at, the exercise you perform and the time you exercise to continually challenge your body.

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Execute low-weight and high-repetition strength training two to three times a week. Low-weight and high repetition training allows you to build muscular endurance without building new muscle tissue and getting bulky. Target each major muscle group twice a week with one to three exercises, using two to four sets of 10 to 15 repetitions for each exercise. If the exercise feels too hard, use a lighter weight.