There is a lot of information out there on how to lose weight.
Unfortunately, this information very often does not take into account our individual differences or our unique biology.
If you are someone who has a slow metabolism, then you will burn fewer calories than someone who has a very fast one. If you are someone who is very tall, then the amount you need to eat is different than it is for someone very short.
Even more extreme though are the differences between men and women and the strategies that work best for each. If you are female and you are trying to lose weight, then here are some tips that you might not have read before…
Lift Weights
The biggest tip that every woman should know when it comes to weight loss, is that they should try weightlifting or another form of ‘resistance’ training.
In other words, women should drop the over-reliance on cardio exercise and start lifting weights!
Many women worry about this because they think that they are going to get ‘too bulky’ and that the resultant look will be unattractive.
In reality though, it is actually very hard to become bulky and especially for a woman. What’s more likely is that added muscle mass will simply speed up your metabolism (muscle is what we call ‘metabolically active’) and that will allow you to burn fat at a faster rate.
In fact, this is one of the main reasons that men lose weight faster than women!
At the same time, lifting weight will help women to gain the right proportions, to tone up and to increase their tone and definition in order to get rid of things like cellulite. It will even increase the production of fat burning hormones!
The fastest way to get a more attractive body as a woman is to lift weights.
Consider Other Lifestyle Factors, Medications and Conditions
Hormones play a large role in fat burning and muscle mass and the biggest drivers here include testosterone and estrogen.
So, women are at a disadvantage already when it comes to burning fat but things get more complicated still when you consider the other factors involved: things like the menstrual cycle for instance which causes hormones to fluctuate at different times of the month.
More of an issue is the role of contraceptive medication which can cause weight gain or weight loss depending on how the body reacts.
Then there are conditions like polycystic ovaries which only affect women and like hypothyroidism which is more common for women. If you find it very difficult to lose weight, consult your doctor.
And make sure that you are eating well and getting all of your nutrients in order to support your body’s metabolic function and hormone balance.
Finally, note that these hormones also impact on emotional eating – which studies confirm to be a larger issue for women versus men. Keep this in mind and try to maintain your emotional state while avoiding temptation as far as you can.
