Needless to say, women’s bodies are more complicated than our counterparts. I don’t think I need to convince any woman that this is true š.
Women are adept at multitasking, can create a human life, manage chronic cortisol levels with ease, and undergo multiple hormone transitions throughout their lifespan. What they donāt understand is these skills require a lot of energy and can make losing body fat extremely frustrating as we get older. As a Women’s Fitness Specialist, I plan to let women know the best way to lose body fat in this blog and gain the lean look with ease. No gimmicks, no tricks, just all natural resultsšŖ.
The good thing is that the basics of exercise and nutrition science are effective. The problem is that it takes consistency and dedication. Women who have full-time jobs and families have a difficult time fitting in a full day of work, children’s activities, housework, and also find time to take care of themselves. Unlike most fitness influencersā¦..we donāt all have the same 24 hours. Therefore we need to figure out how to fit it into OUR schedule for the plan to be successful.
We have all seen those reels that show women working out, wearing an infrared mask, drinking water from a Stanley in PJs, trying to fit in time to take care of themselves in a short period of time. These reels seem silly, but speaking from experience, I understand why women feel like they can’t make time for themselves. As women we have so much on our plates daily that it’s hard for us to make the time for ourselves. But, what if I told you that taking care of your body and achieving your health goals can be done in a shorter period of time? Ladies, you donāt have to feel like you have to fit in time for yourself all at once. You just have to put yourself on High Priority; just like you have your lists for everything else in your life š
Now letās talk hormones šš¼. Throughout a woman’s lifespan, they go through 4 major transitions: Puberty, Reproductive, Peri-Menopausal, and Menopause. Click this link to learn more from an expert, https://www.menopausenaturalsolutions.com/blog/female-hormone-lifecycle. Each of these transitions requires a woman to adjust to hormone fluctuations, which can cause mental, emotional, and physical changes. Later in life, this can correlate with unwanted body fat accumulation, and you need to start taking action. Living a healthy lifestyle can be preventative, so if you begin implementing healthy habits before the age of 40 then you won’t experience most negative side effects. If you are 40+, don’t think there’s no hope. You can start making changes to your daily habits to combat these natural hormonal changes. Are you ready to learn how? Let’s dive in!
Here are the basics of nutrition science. If you have the goal of losing unwanted body fat from hormonal changes, then you have to be in a daily caloric deficit. This means that you need to intake 500-1000 calories less than you burn to be on track to lose 1-2 lbs of pure body fat. None of my female clients really understand how many calories that actually takes. The most common mistake females make is significant caloric restriction. One would think that this would help them to lose body fat quicker, but in reality, it only packs more on. Survival mode at its finest! Your body is in a deficit, but it is not getting the nutrients it needs to flourish; therefore, it has to pack on more body fat to keep your body going.
Our bodies are marvelous machines that can figure out a way to keep us going by changing the fuel source, but this is why we can accumulate unwanted body fat. Depending on your current weight and your daily lifestyle, your total daily energy expenditure would be different from that of the woman sitting next to you. You have to follow a personalized nutrition plan that works with YOUR body in a sustainable caloric deficit but also gives you adequate protein, carbohydrates, and fats to help your body not gain more body fat. Nutrition doesn’t have to be complicated, but it does have to be personalized.
Now it’s time to talk about exercise. You don’t have to kill yourself in the gym to see results. First thing you need to do is to get rid of the all-or-nothing attitude. The tortoise wins the race when it comes to losing unwanted body fat. You just have to be consistent to see long-lasting results, and then continue to maintain your results for the rest of your life.
On a consistent basis, women need to complete two traditional strength training workouts and one high-intensity interval training workout per week. These workouts don’t need to be long either. Each workout should be 30-40 minutes at max. Long-duration, high-intensity workouts can actually increase body fat by increasing the amount of positive stress in your body. This increases cortisol in your body, then puts your body in overdrive, which increases your TDEE, and therefore, you now have to eat more calories to keep up this lifestyle or your body will accumulate more body fat. Your mind is blown, I know!
This is why losing body fat can be a complex process. Intense workouts and severe caloric restriction are the reason why. Again, remember the tortoise wins the race when it comes to body fat loss. Be consistent, and you will achieve long-lasting results.
Now that we have the basics covered, let’s put it together in a simple plan.
- Get a Personalized Nutrition Plan that is 500 calories less than you burn on a daily basis.
- Exercise 3 days a week at max, 2 days of traditional strength training, 1 day of HIIT. Figure out a time that helps you be consistent.
- Get 6-8 hours of sleep per night to help decrease cortisol
- Stay hydrated. Your urine color should be pale yellow or clear throughout the day
- Limit stress. Remember that you can’t control others, but you can control your reactions to protect your peace.
If this seems too complicated, I’m here to tell you that it’s a lot easier than you think. You need help putting together a plan. Click here, https://restoreyourbodyhealth.com/product/monthly-online-fitness-and-nutrition-coaching/, to purchase my monthly nutrition and fitness program to get some help from an expert with 14+ years of experience.
You can do this, girl!