I'll come straight out and say it, yes, it's a little harder for women to lose weight than men. But women, don't worry it’s nothing major. You are more than capable of looking and feeling exactly how you want. There’s just some things to look out for. But first, in science terms, here's why it's a little more difficult for women.
Women's fat cells release less fat into the bloodstream during exercise, which affects resting fuel (fat) oxidation to a greater degree in men than in women. On top of this, men naturally have more muscle mass, making them more efficient at burning calories even at rest.
No need to get any more sciency but long story short, while it may be harder for women, a little effort will overpower anything the science has to say.
Before we go further, let's talk about What Not To Do as a woman for weight loss.
It's no secret that women are drawn to aerobic exercise to look good. To make matters worse, they combine that with severe caloric restriction. This combination is a recipe for disaster. Once you start cutting out entire food groups off the jump... and substantially reduce your calorie intake for quicker weight loss, you are playing with fire. This approach leads to yo-yo dieting, the term for people who lose weight and then gain it back — often even more than before because of an unsustainable system. And even when they do get smaller for that short period, it doesn't look good. Any muscle they had is gone.
Now that we got that out of the way, here's what women should do for fat loss.
Incorporate 3 full body weight training sessions a week, daily low-intensity movement and slightly reducing calories. This is the quickest, simplest way for women to build a body that makes them feel as good as they look.
Women, just like men, should make big compound exercises like squats, deadlifts, and presses the cornerstone of their training program. The goal is to get strong in these movements while maintaining pristine form. Cut out the long duration 2-hour runs and spin classes 5 times a week. Instead, make it a priority to achieve as much low-intensity movement as possible. I sound like a broken record in my articles, but I can't vouch for enough for walking. The physical benefits are fantastic, but maybe the mental ones are more pronounced. Throw on some good tunes or a podcast you love, and walk.
For the food part, try reducing your calorie intake by only a few hundred. You might need to track your calories for a few weeks and slowly cut some out. As said earlier, doing too much too fast is the worst thing you can do. Extreme dieting usually leads to "Screw this," The next thing you know, you're devouring double bacon cheeseburgers that night.
Remember, tiny lifestyle changes always lead to better results. Major changes and trying a thousand things at once never work. We want to build a healthy lifestyle we can maintain for the long haul and not rely on quick fixes that have us bouncing around everywhere.
Final wrap up
Alright, ladies, losing weight may be a bit more difficult for certain factors. That said, this doesn't mean you can't get your dream body so you can walk around confident and feeling sexy. The above advice may sound too simple, but there is no need to overcomplicate things.
Hit the weights with a full body approach 3x per week and get stronger in compound movements. Slightly reduce calories. Plus, tons of low-intensity daily movement. Nothing drastic and over the top. Building a healthy body is about small changes until it becomes second nature. Start with the above, and you'll be pleased with the results.
