Weight loss is seen as a challenge by many, and it seems that it tends to weigh more on women! Well, it’s not a weight loss myth. You must have noticed that a woman and her partner can start their weight loss journey together. But the woman might find it harder to lose weight than the man. There are reasons why weight loss is more difficult for women than for men. But that doesn’t mean women don’t lose weight at all. They should stick to trying healthy weight loss tips.
Weight loss comes easily to some and with great difficulty to others. It turns out that women usually belong to the latter group. HealthShots reached out to Khushboo Jain Tibrewala, nutritionist, life coach and diabetes educator, to find out why women have a harder time losing weight than men.
Reasons Why Weight Loss Is Difficult For Women
1. The female body is designed to store more fat than men.
You might wonder why God would want women to store more fat than men. Indeed, we need extra fat for childbirth, hormone production as well as breastfeeding, says Tibrewala.
2. Emotions get in the way of the weight loss journey
Women, as we know, are the most emotional gender. With each rise and fall of emotions, your body undergoes a cascade of hormonal changes. This makes fat loss even more difficult.
3. Women have less muscle mass than men
Muscles are the active component of the body, and the higher the muscle mass, the more calories one can burn by default. Since women have less muscle mass than men, weight loss becomes a relatively slower process.
4. Women tend to have a lot more on their plate than men
The expert, who is the founder of The Health Pantry, notes that we can’t forget the social angle of it all. Women usually have a lot more to do as they manage work, home, family, children, social obligations and much more. Thus, they are more likely to seek out a convenient snack that might not be a healthy choice. They may even eat unhealthy foods when stressed or emotional.
Diet that women should follow for healthy weight loss
A diet is meant to be a simple eating routine that one can follow for years. So, a diet that will promote weight loss should focus on providing the right nutrients at the right time and in the right amount. This is a rule of principle that no one should lose sight of at any time, underlines the expert.
Each person has unique requirements and therefore needs a unique diet. But a simple format that most people can follow is:
• Start your day with a liter of lukewarm water.
• After 1 hour, drink a glass of celery, ginger and lime juice.
• For breakfast, boil sprouts or beans of your choice with a little seasoning as well as a tablespoon of sunflower seeds and a tablespoon of sesame seeds and half a citrus fruit.
• Mid-morning, drink black tea or matcha tea.
• For lunch, eat a small ragi roti, a cup of Amti (dal with kokum), a cup of cooked vegetables and a spoonful of pickle or plain chutney.
• In the evening, eat 2-3 brazil nuts with fruit or dhokla with coconut chutney or bhel with peanuts.
• For dinner, a palm-sized piece of tofu or fish or a cup of beans or two dal cheelas with a bowl of vegetables such as soup, salad or a traditional Indian-style sabzi will do.
• After dinner, drink a cup of ginger and chamomile tea.
Healthy exercises to lose weight
Resistance training is most important when it comes to healthy weight loss, says Tibrewala. You can do exercises without equipment as follows:
1. Squats – 20 reps
• Keep your feet about shoulder width apart
• Screw your feet into the ground and engage your core.
• Come down from your hips, push your hips back and make sure your knees don’t go past your toes.
• Descend as low as possible and hold your breath.
• Rise in foursome position.
2. Inchworm exercise – 15 reps
• To do the inchworm exercise, stand with your feet hip-width apart.
• Bend over from your waist, place your palms flat on the mat or floor and bend your knees as you do this.
• Now come out with your palms to enter a plank.
• Hold here for one breath and start walking towards your toes.
• Return to the initial position then repeat the steps.
3. High knees – 30 seconds
• Stand with your feet and hip width apart.
• With your hands at your sides in a running position, begin to lift your knees toward your chest so that your thighs are parallel to the ground, one knee at a time.
• If your body allows it, add a bounce to your ankle to mimic a point jog.
4. Jumping Jacks – 30 seconds
• Start with your feet hip-width apart and your hands at your sides.
• Now jump up to move your legs to a wide position and your hands above your head.
• Return to the starting position and repeat this operation as quickly as possible.
5. Crunches – 25 reps
• With your knees bent, lie down on the mat or floor.
• Place your palms under your hand and engage your core.
• Inhale deeply and then, as you exhale, raise your head and shoulder blades.
• Now bring your head down, inhale, then repeat the steps.
