For a long time, there has been a debate over whether it really is more difficult for women to lose bodyfat, than men. But scientific studies confirmed the answer to this question decades ago: Yes. When men and women follow the same weight loss program, almost all the men lose fat faster than almost all the women.
So why does this happen? It turns out, there are multiple reasons. Some are biological; some are behavioral.
Before we look at the details - and how you can make your own weight loss journey easier - let's be clear. Losing fat is one of the most difficult goals to achieve, regardless of which gender you are.
Here are some great ways that women can "level the playing field" and burn off fat just as fast as the boys.
Biggest Secret to Success
1) The biggest reason men can lose weight faster than women, can be summed up in one word: Muscle.
To begin with, the average man has more body muscle than the average woman. And science has proven, muscle burns more calories than fat.
Even when you're not exercising, it takes more calories to support a pound of muscle in your body, than a pound of body fat. Which leads to the surprising result, that men burn off more fat sitting on the couch watching TV, or even when they're sleeping!
What's a girl to do? Build more muscle, of course!
But women definitely don't want to "bulk up"; they want to get "toned" muscle. So you need to do a workout specifically made for a woman that will make you look toned, slim and sexy.
Which leads to the "flip side" of why men have a "muscle advantage" when it comes to losing fat fast. Because women worry about "bulking up", and because it looks so difficult, most women avoid the best type of workouts to burn fat: lifting weights. They either do cardio (which burns surprisingly little fat), or they use tiny "women's weights".
What's a girl to do? Start lifting, of course!
But you have to make sure you do the right kind of lifting. You have to do workouts that are custom-made specifically for a woman's body. (This could be, for instance, an at home workout for women - if you own the weight equipment.) And you have to do the right exercises, that target fat burning at female priorities.
(Yes, all of us with "thunder thighs" - we're targeting you for fat reduction!)
(Yes, all of us with wiggling loose fat on the back of our arms - we're targeting you for fat reduction!)
(Yes, all of us with "blubber butts" - we're targeting you for fat reduction!)
And you have to do the right number of sets. And the right number of reps. And the right amount of weight. And... it can get really complicated.
The solution? Use a workout program that keeps things simple. A program that gives you clear, video-based, expert instruction, on what to do to target each body zone for fast weight loss.
Other Success Secrets
2) The second reason it's more difficult for women to lose weight: Genetics.
There is an actual scientific term for the female body's tendency to shut down fat loss, when you hit a plateau and stop losing weight: Starvation Response. It happens when you follow a too-strict "low calorie" diet. The female body reacts by "thinking" that you, a cave-woman, are suffering through a period of starvation. And so, to keep you alive (and possibly, the baby developing inside you, as well) - your body goes into an emergency mode, where everything possible shuts down to conserve energy. Meaning, few calories burned; meaning, no fat loss.
To avoid this problem, you need to follow a nutrition plan, that keeps you eating healthy food and enough of it to avoid "starvation", while still losing weight. Meaning, No Fad Diets!
Plus, you need to make sure your body is getting enough protein, to recover and build muscle after your weightlifting workouts. (One easy way to do this, is to use weight loss protein shakes for women.)
3) The third reason women have a tougher battle with weight loss: Emotion.
There is an actual scientific study (2013), that confirms women are more "emotional" eaters than men. This means that women are more tempted by foods that are "bad" for losing weight: high-sugar, high-salt, etc.
And while both men & women occasionally blow their diets by "binge" eating, there's a significant difference in how they handle the guilt, emotionally. Men tend to simply "shrug their shoulders" and get back on track, the next day. And some go a step better - they increase the amount of exercise they do for the rest of that week.
Women, on the other hand, tend to get more upset and guilty about the binge. They react by adopting more extreme, emotion-based "solutions". That is, "solutions" that don't work, like: skipping meals (which triggers the starvation response discussed earlier), cutting daily calories to extreme lows (again, triggering starvation response), or the worst - trying one of the many, fad "cleanses".
