Strength training for weight loss

In short, yes start lifting. For full guidance try some bodybuilding sites or books, maybe simplyshredded.com, New Rules of Lifting, something like that and be prepare to work for a few weeks before you see big results, these things take time.

Tell the trainers that as well as losing weight you want to build strength and try and retain as much muscle as possible during weight loss.

Your diet will be primarily the reason you lose weight. Cardio will burn some extra calories and so will strength training. So all three combined (diet, cardio and strength) is your best way to go.

I'm 210lb and only recently started lifting weight. My weight loss has not sped up, but I am noticing differences straight away!! After only around 5 gym sessions, my tummy feels like it doesn't hang as much, my arms feel tigher and more toned and pictures actually show a difference in my back fat, after just 5 sessions!

I'm still a long way to go but will definitely be doing plenty of weights and strength training to get the best results.

Another problem is that I live in India. Here the gym trainers are adamant that the weight lifting has little to do with weight loss. I am not sure if they will be able to guide me through strength training for weight loss. They just know how to bulk up muscles.

Weight lifting has so much benefits I don't know even there to start from. But yes, it has little to do with weight loss, as all exercising essentially does. Weight loss occurs when you/we spend more calories than we put in, and it does not matter whether you've spent those calories by exercising or you're just consuming under your maintenance and not exercising at all.


With that said - weight lifting changes your body, you become leaner, stronger, 'tighter', your bone density increases which is important for women and osteoporosis in menopause, AND - the more muscle you have, the more calories your body will burn (etc).

And there is no "strength training for weight loss", as you've put it. There is strength training, period. And it's awesome

So go ahead and work out, both cardio and weights, and you will see results and you will be amazed. And don't worry about gym trainers, they are going to show you around the gym, how the exercises are performed, but the rest is up to you.
And also, there are plenty of work out videos and pages on line, like these ones:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCulr-lJe8M6CcJTsxVGFoIw

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuY1W4AwhhgkB6rsJBtltUA

After years in the gym, I find them to be wonderfully refreshing, challenging and dynamic, and a big advantage is that you don't have to go to the gym, just get some fairly small weights and you can work out at home. Of course, start slow and work your way up. But this is just me and my preference, maybe you'll like going to the gym. Try different things and see what suits you the best.

Good luck!

I agree with what everyone has said so far! I have been at various weights my whole life, but the activity is what makes the difference. I have always been active, but when I started lifting last year, my body changed quickly and meaningfully. In addition, the activities I was participating in, as well as regular old everyday life, became much easier.