Women and Weight Loss

While losing weight is important for both overweight men and women, there are certain things to look at in women, that don't necessarily apply to men. The body and make-up of a woman is slightly different than a man, so when it comes to weight loss, there are unique properties to take into consideration for women. Women have less muscle mass than men, so when at rest, we burn less fat than men do. Additionally, the difference in hormones in men and women cause women to increase fat storage, which is an essential part in the child-bearing process. So, if you are a woman looking to lose fat for the long run, take into consideration the following strategies that will assist in transforming your body into a healthier version. 

• Prioritize resistance training
• Against the common myth that women can become "too muscular", women actually do not contain enough testosterone and growth hormone for this to be physically possible. Resistance training has shown that it helps to increase lean muscle mass, which increases resting caloric expenditure, which makes this very important for women because we naturally have less lean mass than men.
• Utilize high intensity interval training
• Unlike low-intensity exercise, after a high intensity workout is over, the body continues to burn calories for a few hours. Also, hormones that are released during high intensity exercise are those that help to increase fat burn and metabolism and stick around in the bloodstream for up to 48 hours after the workout is over. While H.I.I.T workouts are great and have great benefits to the body, they should only be performed 1-3 days per week so that your body has enough time to recover. 
• Don't starve yourself
• Yes, calorie restriction can help with weight loss, but too much calorie restriction causes your body to think it needs to go into starvation mode and store any calories as fat. So, rather than starving yourself, eat portion-controlled meals with plenty of fruits, vegetables, lean proteins and limited amounts of sugar and alcohol. 
• Get rid of the scale
• A scale can tell you how much you weigh, but tells you nothing about your body composition. As you start to exercise, lift weight and change your lifestyle, the scale will not reflect your efforts. Especially for women, our weight fluctuates all the time based on where we are in our cycle and water retention. So, ditch the scale. You will know you are making progress based upon how you feel, your energy levels and how your clothes are fitting.