If you’re a woman struggling to lose weight, you are not alone. As women, we typically have a harder time losing and keeping weight off than men do. There are so many things going against us that it almost seems impossible at times. As a Personal Trainer and Certified Nutrition Specialist, I see this all the time. The key is to keep moving forward. Don’t give up on yourself!

#1 Improper Calorie & Nutrient Intake

>>>STARVATION<<<

Many women believe the best way to lose weight is through starvation. Starvation doesn’t always mean you aren’t consuming anything at all, you can also be in a state of starvation by drastically limiting your calorie and nutrient intake. This is a theme with many fad diets because it allows you to see quick results; however, these results don’t last. The longer we stay on a restrictive diet, the more damage it does to our metabolism. Think of the human body like a car; it has to have fuel to burn in order to run. Our bodies need food to burn to keep our metabolisms running. Not only that, after being deprived for so long, we eventually binge eat because we are literally starved. It’s important to fuel your body with the right foods and enough of them.

Tip: consume 3 small meals and 2-3 snacks each day as opposed to 3 big meals.

 

>>>OVER-EATING<<<

With our busy lifestyles, it’s so easy to make the poor food choices. We live in a fast food world. Lack of food preparation encourages these bad decisions. We find ourselves rushing out of the house, running through McDonald’s drive-thru for breakfast, then lunch at Wendy’s, then after work it’s too late and we’re too tired to cook so we pick up a pizza on the way home. Before we know it, we’ve doubled or even tripled the number of calories we should be taking in daily. Taking in an extra 100 calories a day can add 10 pounds a year! To put this in perspective, 1 can of Coke has 155 calories. Just by cutting out 1 Coke a day you can cut out more than 1,000 calories a week!

Tip: measure your food so you know exactly how many calories are in everything.

 

>>>NOT UNDERSTANDING HOW TO READ FOOD LABELS<<<

Many of us look at nutrition labels and have no idea what to look for. We get tricked by labels that say “Low-Sodium”, “Gluten-Free”, or “Low-Fat”. Companies make these claims, but they’re rarely accurate. It’s important to flip the product over and read the label on the back so you know exactly what is in it. A product may claim to be low-fat and still have 16 grams of fat. Or a sugar-free product may not have sugar but chemical substitutes instead. Learning how to read labels is important and will ultimately boost your metabolism and increase fat loss.

Tip: when looking at starchy carbs, if the amount of sugar is more than 20% of the total carb count, it has too much sugar.

 

#2 Wrong Kind of Exercise or No Exercise at All

As we age, our metabolisms start to slow down. Once we hit 40, we lose an average of 5% of our fat-burning metabolism each decade! Add limited or no exercise to a slowing metabolism and you’ll get weight gain. Choosing the right exercise program is key! Incorporating strength training into your routine will allow you to build the body’s natural fat-burner, lean muscle, while adding cardio will scorch fat. The combination of strength and cardio training is the ultimate solution to fat loss and metabolism repair.

Tip: MRT (metabolic resistance training) is the best way to build lean muscle and burn fat.

 

#3 Hormones

As women, we struggle with hormones. But did you know you can help regulate your hormones through diet and exercise? By learning how and what to eat and how to exercise, you can decrease hormones that cause hunger and increase those that work as appetite suppressants.

Tip: eat a diet rich in fruits and veggies, lean protein, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates.

 

#4 Time

We’re all too busy. We’ve got kids, jobs, husbands, hobbies, chores, and the list goes on. Don’t get so busy with life that you forget to take care of YOU. Your health is a priority. Make the time to prepare healthy meals and workout. You’ll have more energy, you’ll be able to think more clearly, your mood will be better, and you’ll have more confidence. The whole family will benefit from that!

Tip: think of your workout as an “appointment” with a set start and end time.

 

#5 Acceptance

In today’s society, obesity is accepted. We’ve made it okay to be overweight, in fact, it’s practically considered “normal”. Obesity isn’t just about the way we look it’s about premature aging, life threating diseases like heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer, and diabetes. Don’t accept it. It’s no one’s destiny to be overweight; obesity can be overcome with a healthier lifestyle.

Tip: fight sickness, disease, and cancer by choosing to live a healthier lifestyle.

 


 

If you’re determined to get in shape and healthy but need a little help, you’re in the right place!

Fit Bodies 4 Life has a phenomenal team of Elite Certified Nutrition Coaches as well as Certified Personal Trainers who are waiting to help someone like YOU!

We all have to start somewhere. You may think you’re too old to start, or too heavy, or maybe you’re about to give up on yourself. We help women like you every single day.

Now it’s YOUR TURN!

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