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There is a phenomenon that happens over and over again. A woman and a man who are together realize they've enjoyed their afternoon snack a little too much, and watch the numbers on the scale slowly but surely climb. They decide to start a healthy diet to get rid of the extra pounds, and preferably lose weight quickly. Two months later, the man has lost several kilos and looks fit, while the woman is struggling to lose weight, despite eating chicken and salad! Does that sound familiar? The truth is that while losing weight is difficult, there are several factors that can make it extra challenging for women.
While being overweight can take a toll on your self-esteem and confidence, it's not just about how you look. In fact, it should be the least of your worries. Overweight/obesity contributes to premature aging and even death, by increasing the risk of developing life-threatening diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer.
It can be a touchy subject, but if you've got a little extra weight, it's time to take action to change it and find out what the best weight loss tips for women are. After all, reaching a healthy weight is important to protecting your health, both today and as you age.
Like many other overweight people, especially women, you may have tried time and time again to lose weight with little or no success. You may feel discouraged and wonder what's the point of even trying? But there are some important weight loss tips involved in women's weight loss that you may not know about – and knowing them can make a big difference.
Let's explore the most common reasons why women struggle to lose weight, along with the weight loss tips that will hopefully help you lose weight!
Take a walk through the grocery store, you will be inundated with foods that are "low fat", "healthy" chips and cookies, and diet sodas. You probably already know that if you want to lose weight, the first and most obvious step is to cut out processed foods and sweets. These healthier options can be just as bad.
Most of the time when you eat food that has been processed to a low fat content, other ingredients are added to make the food taste the same as it would if it had its natural fat content. These extra ingredients do not contribute to the nutrients that have been removed, so your body still ends up lacking the vital nutrients it needs. You usually end up eating more calories than you would have if you had only eaten the fatty product to begin with. Sugar is another culprit in healthy eating. "Good" foods like yogurt, salad dressings, and tomato sauces are often loaded with sugar, leading to more cravings, headaches, and other symptoms. This is also one of the reasons why you are struggling to lose weight.
Look through your fridge and pantry and find out what's in there. If most of your food is in boxes or bags, it's time to switch to a higher proportion of raw materials. Also read the labels. How much sugar is in your favorite can of pasta sauce? Does your bread contain lots of preservatives?
First, eliminate or cut down on all "fake" food (read: whole and semi-manufactured). If possible, choose real food (raw ingredients) instead. Among weight loss tips, this one is absolutely essential. That means an apple instead of apple juice, orange slices instead of any orange flavored food. If you're craving something good, skip the "low-fat" foods that are likely to leave you in a state where your body wants more, instead, have a bite so you can enjoy the food.
If you buy snacks and other convenience products like salad dressings; read the list of ingredients and the nutritional value on the package. Buy brands that are organic and free of pesticides and dyes. Skip the flavored version of foods like yogurt and add your own flavor with fresh fruit and honey. And when possible, make your own food. Spend a few hours each weekend preparing food that you can eat throughout the week, such as sauces, dressings and healthy on-the-go snacks .
Supplement your diet with a collagen powder with MCT fat to lose weight.
If you're spending hours in the gym but not seeing results, you're probably doing the wrong type of exercise. Women often focus on moderate-intensity cardio, such as jogging. And while that type of exercise is good for your heart, it's not as effective for weight loss—then it's time to up the intensity.
Fortunately, that doesn't mean you need to spend even more time working out. In fact, high intensity interval training (HIIT) training can be done for the same amount of time, while increasing results. The HIIT training time lasts about 20 minutes and combines intervals of super-intense training with slower recovery phases. This type of exercise has been shown to help people lose more fat when the workout is over, even though they burn fewer calories during the workout itself (because the workout is shorter) and also build muscle instead of breaking down muscle, as conventional cardio does.
If you are intimidated by the weights in the gym, you are also counteracting a desirable weight loss. Women often avoid strength training because of a fear that they will gain weight. That's a mistake, because strength training is what gives you those well-defined muscles - you have to become a professional bodybuilder to get anywhere close to "getting big". Another benefit of muscle is that it increases your metabolism, so trade your body fat (which doesn't increase your metabolism) for more muscle if you want to lose weight more easily.
More importantly, however, strength training does wonders for your body. It helps make your bones stronger, which is important as our bones become weaker as we age, increasing the risk of osteoporosis. Strength training helps build muscle tissue, which helps you shed pounds all over your body, including the dreaded belly fat. It also reduces your risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
This is pretty easy to tell if you're working out right - you know what you're doing in the gym!
If HIIT training and weight training aren't part of your exercise routine, it's time to add them if your goal is to lose weight. Instead of just running or walking on the treadmill, combine this with high-intensity intervals followed by slowing down. For example, you can sprint at full power for 30 seconds, slow down and walk for two minutes, then pick up the pace and sprint again for 30 seconds. Continue this routine for 10 to 20 minutes.
For strength training, it may be good to start training with a personal trainer for a session or two, to familiarize yourself with dumbbells and what exercises you can do. You don't even need to use weights for weight loss, you can use your own body weight. The advantage is that you can train with your own body weight anywhere. Pilates and more vigorous yoga classes are also good options.
Life is about balance, and when it comes to keeping your body functioning properly, this couldn't be more true. Our body's hormones and other substances must be in balance for it to function properly.
Some of the most important hormones when it comes to weight and metabolism are the thyroid hormones T3 (triiodothyronine) and T4 (thyroxine).
The levels of these hormones can be caused by many different things. From a diet with too much or too little iodine, to toxicity from amalgam fillings, to an undiagnosed medical condition, the thyroid gland can produce too much or too little T4, affecting your metabolism.
If you suffer from too much T4 – Hyperthyroidism, you may experience these symptoms:
Too little T4 – Hypothyroidism, can cause the following symptoms:
If you experience one or more of these symptoms, you should check your values. This is most easily done at the doctor's with a simple blood test. If you do not get the help you need from your doctor, you can test your values privately at BLODKOLLEN . If these values differ, you can bring your medical record with you the next time you visit a doctor.
Instead of jumping right into medication, or in extreme cases surgery, first look at any nutritional deficiencies you may have that are contributing to an imbalance in your hormonal system, such as iodine or toxicity from things like amalgam fillings in your teeth.
It's not just the thyroid hormones that can affect your metabolism and weight. Cortisol, also known as the stress hormone, can block your attempts to lose weight. This hormone increases your appetite, makes you crave a lot of carbohydrates, and keeps the fat around your stomach, one of the reasons why you can't lose weight in this particular area.
While you can test your cortisol level in your blood, only you can determine your own innate stress level. Take the time to evaluate whether you are living in a constant (or near constant) state of stress. You may also notice this if you have increased anxiety, mood swings, difficulty sleeping, fatigue (including fatigue with inability to relax) and high blood pressure.
Apart from rising stress levels, other causes of cortisol imbalance can be the use of drugs such as hydrocortisone, anti-inflammatory drugs, nutritional deficiencies and hyperthyroidism.
The best way to lower your cortisol levels is to reduce stress. While it's easier said than done, weight loss tips like these mean you just take the time to put yourself and your health first. Practicing saying "no" to events and things you feel will lead to stress, schedule time for physical activity, take time for yourself - even just 5 minutes - to meditate or just do nothing and learn recognize when you feel extra tired and need a time out.
You can test your cortisol levels at BLODKOLLEN .
Do you take prescription drugs? They may be the reason why you cannot lose weight. Some medications can cause weight gain as a side effect, whether it's fluid retention, changes in appetite, or increased hormone levels. Among the main culprits are birth control pills, antidepressants, angiotensin receptor blockers and steroids.
If you are taking any of these prescription drugs and, despite your best efforts, are struggling to lose weight, it may be time to talk to your doctor.
If possible, enter your weight before you start using prescription drugs and weigh yourself again after two weeks. If you notice weight gain, it is easier to establish that this is possibly may depend on the drug.
However, if you are already taking medications and think they may inhibit weight loss, talk to your doctor about your options, and try to find an alternative that is not known to cause weight gain.
Do you hit the snooze button several times in the morning or spend too much time scrolling through your social media before going to bed? If you cut into your bedtime, you're not only yawning your way through the day, but also hampering your attempts to lose weight.
One study found that people who sleep between 3.5 and 5.5 hours per night consume almost 385 more calories the next day compared to those who sleep between 7 and 10 hours.
Sleep is essential for our bodies to repair and function properly. When you consistently don't get enough sleep, you increase your risk of gaining weight, but you also have a higher risk of chronic disease, anxiety, more irritability, and more.
Note what time you go to bed, and what time you wake up, as well as the quality of your sleep. If you're constantly sleeping under 7 hours, it's time to make a change.
Turn off all electronics an hour before bed, limit caffeine intake in the afternoon, make sure the bedroom is cool and dark, go to bed at the same time every day, schedule your exercise in the morning. You can also consider natural sleep aids to increase your ability to fall asleep and sleep peacefully. Or eat foods that increase your levels of the sleep hormone melatonin and the amino acid tryptophan (an amino acid that contributes to increased levels of melatonin.).
Foods for increased melatonin levels:
Bananas, cherries (of the morel variety), oatmeal, ginger, rice, tomatoes, barley, radishes, and red wine
Foods for increased tryptophan levels:
Dairy products, nuts, fish, chicken, turkey, beans, rice (brown, black, or red), eggs, sesame seeds, and sunflower seeds
After a long day at work, perhaps you unwind with a glass or two of wine? Or maybe you take out a big bowl of ice cream and eat it after a stressful day? This way of eating will likely hold you back from your weight loss goals.
When you eat to deal with your emotions, such as anxiety, stress, or for other reasons, you likely won't be eating carrot sticks and blueberries, but processed carbohydrates, and processed foods, and even alcohol. These calories will most likely make you gain weight, while avoiding dealing with stressful situations. It's more or less a lose-lose situation.
Think about the situations in which you crave unhealthy food. Are you stressed, distracted, bored, sad? You can eat with your feelings.
Paying attention to when you eat can be very helpful if you are an emotional eater. Check in with yourself to see if you are actually hungry or just avoiding some unpleasant feeling. If you are going to eat, sit down and give the food your full attention.
Healthy food is super tasty, but too much of a good thing is also possible. While food such as avocados and nuts are good for your health, they also contain quite a lot of fat. If you eat a lot of these foods, you may be consuming more calories than you realize.
Of course, on high-fat diets like a ketogenic diet, your meals will largely consist of fatty foods. What I am talking about is following a regular diet that is also filled with fatty foods.
If your diet is packed with healthy fats like eggs, avocados, and butter, and you're not following a low-carb, high-fat diet, you may be overdoing your fat intake.
If you already enjoy, and eat, high-fat foods along with protein, you may want to continue eating that way. A ketogenic diet (high in fat and protein) has been shown to be more effective in weight loss than a low-fat diet.
Could it be that you feel constantly bloated, your skin is dry, or your stomach constantly feels weird but you're just not sure why? Then you may have an allergy or intolerance/sensitivity to a certain type of food.
If you are allergic or sensitive/intolerant to a certain ingredient and continue to eat it, you will likely struggle to lose weight. The food triggers an inflammation, because the body fights against it. When you keep eating the same foods that make you sick, the inflammation continues, making you much more susceptible to extra pounds and other health problems.
If you have skin problems that do not seem to improve, indigestion or other problems, you may have a sensitivity/intolerance or allergy.
An elimination diet is a good way to see if you have an allergy or sensitivity/intolerance to a certain type of food. During an elimination, you avoid the most common foods that people are generally allergic to, such as eggs, soy, gluten, dairy and nuts.
After 30 days on the diet, slowly introduce the restricted foods – one at a time and only for a few days – to see how your body reacts. At this point, you can continue to avoid the ingredients you suspect you are sensitive to or see an allergy specialist/doctor for testing.
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