WEIGHT LOSS: MORE CHALLENGING FOR WOMEN

"You didn't put it on overnight, so don't expect to lose it overnight - Just be patient with yourself."  

Women who have gone on a diet with men may have noticed an unsatisfactory result: Weight appears to fall off men while stubbornly remaining on women. 

Women, biologically, carry more fat than men, about 7–9% more body fat to be exact. So a woman with 25% body fat is just as fit as a man with 16% body fat. What must be understood is that having more fat does not imply being unhealthy. It's simply how evolution created women, and for good reason. Women typically have a more difficult time losing weight and inches than men. This is due, in part, to men having more lean muscle mass and a higher resting metabolic rate.

• Women, on the other hand, can even the odds to some extent with a little effort. Pick up some weights and start pumping to build more muscle and get your engine revving. Strength training at least twice a week will increase your muscle mass while decreasing your fat stores.

• Even today, women are primarily responsible for family meals. Menu planning, grocery shopping, and meal preparation take a lot of time, not to mention the extra temptation to nibble, taste, and eat more calories. Try to balance the workload and reduce temptations by involving your partner and/or children in the preparation of quick and healthy meals. 

• Determine your portion size through the Metabolic Balance Program, which is based on your body size, blood analysis, and the amount of muscle and fat you currently have. 

• Keeping a food diary allows you to keep track of what you eat and is a simple way to hold yourself accountable and make healthier choices. 

• Avoid fad diets, which can promote unhealthy eating habits and yo-yo dieting, both of which are harmful to long-term weight loss. You will benefit from a plan program. 

• After a workout, women's ghrelin (hunger hormone) levels rise, causing them to eat more. Because men do not experience this hormonal fluctuation, you should be mindful of your post-workout nutrition. 

• Having too much variety in your diet can confuse your satiety cues and cause you to overeat. So spice up your routine with some (delicious) monotony. 

• Metabolic balance program shall help to develop the traditional habit of sticking to the three meals a day. Which can be supplemented with a cup of tea /coffee in the evenings especially when feeling peckish. This program shall help to balance your hormones. Further, avoid ‘grazing turning into overeating’.

Written by: Ms. Seema Malik, Metabolic Balance Consultant, AktivHealth