Hugo L
Are you struggling to lose weight while your husband or boyfriend seems to drop pounds on command?
That can be a very frustrating feeling, to say the least. However, there are some things that you can do about it.
One of the first things you must do is stop comparing yourself to your significant other. Men are genetically engineered in a manner which optimizes their efforts to lose weight. Conversely, women are actually engineered in a manner that makes it difficult to shed those unwanted pounds.
According to fitness expert Bob Harper, there is somewhat of a double standard that presents a higher level of difficulty for the woman who is attempting to lose weight in comparison to men. Nevertheless, there are some steps that can be taken to help you lose weight fast.
Reasons Weight Loss is Harder for Women
There are a number of reasons why it is more difficult for women to reach their weight-loss goals. These are some of the most important ones:
- Lower metabolism – due to the fact that women have less muscle than men. Additionally, women’s body composition is composed of as much as 10 percent more body fat than men.
- Emotional eating. Women have a stronger proclivity to indulge in emotional eating. A study published by the Proceeding of the National Academy of Sciences revealed that men are able to manage food and hunger cravings more effectively than women. The assertion made here is that women are more vulnerable to their emotional urges.
- Exposure to food. With many women carrying the role of stay-at-home mom, or working from home, they have more of a prolonged exposure to food. Consequently, this leads to keeping their hand in the proverbial cookie jar throughout the day.
- Underlying health issues — such as hormone imbalances, hypothyroidism and type 2 diabetes are more prevalent in women. Each of these conditions has the capacity to negatively impact weight-loss efforts.
- Muscle mass. Men have more muscles than women. More muscle mass means a higher Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR).
Understanding what might be encumbering your efforts is the first step in developing a plan that will help you lose weight. The best way to lose weight fast for women is to engage those problematic areas first, so let’s look at what you can do about them.
Stimulate Metabolism by Increasing Eating Frequency
By reducing portion size and increasing the frequency at which you eat, you will stimulate your metabolism. When you eat on a frequent basis, your body will determine that energy is in ready supply, and it will begin to burn energy at a higher rate. However, you must ensure that more frequent meals don’t equate to more calories, so eat smaller meals than you normally would.
Remove Unhealthy Foods From Your Home
If you stay at home during the day it can be very tempting to have an extra snack or meal, especially if emotional eating is a problem for you. Easy access to foods will make you eat more no matter how disciplined you are, so what should you do?
The trick to avoiding this type of unnecessary calorie intake is by cleaning out your refrigerator and cupboards of any foods that are high in sugar content, especially anything with high fructose corn syrup in it. These types of foods trigger the pancreas to produce insulin, which creates insulin spikes, making it difficult for your body to access and burn fat.
Instead, you should fill your kitchen with healthy foods like green vegetables and fruit. The next time you go for a search of a snack in the kitchen, you will have only healthy options.
Identify Health Issues
If you have been maintaining a proper diet and are exercising on a regular basis, but you still find it extremely difficult to shed excess weight, you could be suffering from an underlying health issue – such as hypothyroidism, hormonal imbalances, the development of type 2 diabetes, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, and more.
Your physician will know what tests to run and what signs to look for. You should also conduct your own research, which will prepare you to provide the feedback that your doctor will need to quickly pinpoint the issue. Once the problem is identified, you can start the appropriate treatment. When your doctor thinks you are well enough, it’s time to burn fat. And this time it will be much easier!
Build Muscles
Incorporate a muscle building regimen into your existing workout plan. I know that you are probably thinking that you don’t want to look all muscular, but there is a distinct difference between building muscle and becoming a female body builder. You can add one to two pounds of muscle without it being noticeable. Don’t believe me? Look at Kim Kardashian.
By simply adding one pound of muscle you can burn an additional 50 calories per day just by it being there. When any extra-curricular physical activity is included, that number could increase to an extra 200 calories per day.
Final Words
Now you know why women generally speaking have a tougher time than men to lose weight. And now is a good time to tell you that exercising and eating healthy is the foundation for successful weight loss. No matter if you are a man or woman!
So regardless if you do the things we mentioned – eat more frequently, remove unhealthy foods, fix health issues and build more muscles – remember that you will ALWAYS benefit from regular exercise and a well-balanced diet.
