4 WEIGHT LOSS TIPS FOR WOMEN

Did you know it’s harder for women to lose weight than men? Sadly and unfairly, it’s true. But with a few smart strategies, women can tip the scales in their favor with these 4 weight loss tips for women.

Understand Your Programming: The reason why women gain weight more easily and lose weight more slowly than men is largely biological. Long before the modern day (and before reliable birth control), nature designed women’s bodies to have and nurse babies every other year or so for most of their adult life, which takes a whole lot of calories. In ancient times, the ability to easily store fat and hold onto it was a critical part of making sure women’s bodies were up to the task. Men’s bodies, on the other hand, were designed to build muscle quickly so they could fulfill their role as hunters and warriors. While you can’t change this programming, understanding it can help you outsmart this ancient genetic code.

Stay On Top of It: It’s far better for women to take action when they have five or 10 pounds to lose than to wait until the numbers reach the double or triple digits. Why? If excess weight is allowed to accumulate and hang around too long, it can become your body’s new set point or weight that your body aims for. That’s why losing excess weight quickly after a pregnancy or other event is key the longer you wait, the harder it will be.

Control Your Food Intake: Because women’s bodies store fat more easily and lose it more slowly, it’s important to nip the process in the bud by aiming to keep the number of calories you eat and the number of calories you burn about equal each day. It takes literally just a few minutes to eat a 600-calorie hamburger, but it will take hours of exercise to burn it off, for example. If you aren’t planning an extended hike during the day you eat the hamburger, and the excess calories will go straight into fat stores. That’s why it’s better for women to not eat excess calories in the first place than to try to burn them off later.

Get Professional Help: The reality is losing weight is not an easy or simple thing to do. Women who want to lose weight safely, healthfully, and permanently should forget fad diets and turn to a medical professional who specializes in weight issues, like the ones at The Center for Medical Weight Loss. Physicians can rule out any medical cause of weight gain and, if needed, prescribe medications such as appetite suppressants or liquid diets to help. Behavioral counseling and body composition monitoring complete the picture and help ensure the best chances of success.

In short, women face special challenges when it comes to losing weight. But by following these weight loss tips for women, it is possible to not only lose the weight but to keep it off for good.