The best way to lose weight is aerobic exercise and dieting. Most strength training consists of anaerobic exercise. The anaerobic lactic acid energy system inside the muscle cells is where the muscle gets the energy to lift weights. The anaerobic energy system is far less efficient than the aerobic system, so that much more fuel is burned by anaerobic activity than is burned by doing the same amount of work aerobically. Metabolic rates can stay elevated hours after an anaerobic workout, while the metabolic rate drops along with the heart rate after an aerobic workout.
More fat is burned for a longer period of time by working out anaerobically.
Dieting does not work well because when you restrict the amount of calories consumed per day, your body reacts by lowering your metabolic rate so that less calories are needed, instead of burning more fat to make up for the lost calories. The best way to change your diet is to decrease the caloric intake in a wave-like pattern, so that your body does not adapt and more fat is burned. Another important thing to do is to eat six small meals a day instead of 3 larger ones. The reason behind this is that if you eat 3 meals a day, you get hungry and your body starts to lower your metabolic rate, which means that less fat is burned. If you eat 6 smaller meals, you don't get as hungry, and your body maintains a higher metabolic rate, meaning that you burn more fat.