There's more than one way to skin a cat, but not all ways are created equal. So it goes with getting rid of body fat. Many of us boil the issue down to one question: "How can I maximize efficiency and minimize time?" Multiple methods and exercises are to be considered in constructing any valuable fat loss workout, and some work better than others. Take a look at the 3 pillars of weight loss before setting up your own workout:

1.) Diet is Decisive

Diet may not be on your gym checklist. However, eating healthily and in proportion is near the most important part of any fat loss workout. While there may not be a "diet lift" at your local workout club, if you aren't eating right, all the time you spend lifting, doing cardio, or any other calorie-burning activity just won't matter.

There are two ways to approach diet: 'eat right and eat slight'. First, consume calories from all five food groups, and make sure the food is healthy - that means no fast food! Eating slight? Eat less than you normally would. The average person requires between 1500 and 2000 calories to energize a metabolism at rest. Eat 400 or 500 less calories each day, and your body will turn to fat stores for energy. In this way, fat slowly disappears.

2.) Weight Training Works

Lifting weights on a regular basis reduces fat in two ways. First, the strain and exertion that your body endures during a 50-minute weight lifting workout burns calories - when you breathe hard and sweat, it means your metabolism is elevated and is now using more calories to maintain activity. Second, muscles need calories to maintain their form. Essentially, even while you sit at your desk working, muscles are burning calories. So when you feel inactive, your muscles are anything but. And as an added bonus to the two ways you lose fat through toning muscles, you look better and better with each workout. Talking to a trainer at a gym is a good way to begin your own weight training regimen. Trained professionals can assist you in deciding upon the best workout for you.

3.) Cardio is Critical

Cardiovascular fat loss workouts, like running or walking, burn fat faster than any other exercise. There are two schools of thought in approaching cardio, and each is similarly effective - it just depends on what you prefer. A good cardio workout is either fast-paced, like running several miles, or slower and longer, like walking or hiking for an hour or more. Each increases the heart rate and causes your body to burn calories, slowly slimming your body.

If you rarely engage in cardio activities, a good way to begin is by walking for half an hour each day, and working up from there. As time goes by, walk longer, walk faster, and in the near future, you might just be jogging.

Come back to the original fat loss workout question: "How can I maximize efficiency and minimize time?" Diet figures in no matter what, and is of paramount importance in figuring your plan. Weight training, if you have three hours available each week, is simple and easy, and most certainly efficient. And not a single one of us doesn't have half an hour to walk each day. So start small, work bigger, and watch the fat melt away.