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Posts Tagged ‘Weight Loss For Women’

Why Does Weight Loss For Women Have To Be Different Than That For Men?

November 19th, 2009 AverageWeightForWomen No comments

Since women are biologically different from men, they have a different approach towards diet, weight loss, exercise and health matters.
Women on an average have a higher percentage of body fat as compared to men. This knowledge actually helps in defining weight loss goals and an appropriate exercise routine. Women should keep this natural difference in mind so that they can set more realistic weight loss goals for themselves without feeling guilty.
Women also experience hormonal changes that differ from those experienced by men. These changes often manifest themselves in the form of irregular menstrual cycles and other physiological changes.
For example, it was found that under extreme conditions such as starvation, women in concentration camps during the second world war frequently developed irregular menstrual cycles. Even female athletes who undergo vigorous training experience similar changes because they have a very low percentage of body fat.
The adverse effects of PMS (Premenstrual Syndrome) can be reduced by regulating fat intake in the diet and stabilizing blood sugar levels. Mood swings can often be alleviated by consuming adequate quantities of foods rich in soluble fiber like oats, apples and beans so that the blood sugar levels remain stable.
Combining fat with good amounts of protein and carbohydrates can help slow down the rise in blood sugar levels from the carbohydrate consumption. Try and avoid foods that are high in fat and sugars and instead consume more fruits and vegetables. Bananas and walnuts are excellent sources of soluble fiber.
Certain ailments such as arthritis and fibromyalgia are more common among women and food allergies can develop as a result of these health problems. Having a balanced nutritious diet and allergy tests can actually help in such cases. For example women who develop an allergy to cows milk can switch to rice beverages and those allergic to peanuts can avoid consuming foods that contain traces of nuts for awhile.
Women who suffer from rheumatic symptoms may sometimes develop an allergy to wheat. A gluten free diet and consuming wheat-free products can help in such cases.
During menopause, when women experience several hormonal changes and have fewer periods, consuming a low sodium diet can actually help lower the severity of any discomfort. Instead of using high quantities of salt while cooking, it can be substituted with herbs, lemon juice or garlic for flavoring. It is always recommended to consult an experienced physician regarding the adequate levels of sodium in your diet.
Older women should also try and reduce their intake of saturated fats. This is because with age, estrogen levels lower leading to reduced HDL cholesterol which are beneficial to the body. As a result, the LDL cholesterol levels will tend to rise and this can prove to be very harmful to the body.
Although statistics reveal that men in general have a higher risk of heart diseases as they grow older, most people are unaware that during menopause women are actually at an equal risk of having a heart attack as compared to men of similar age. Thus, it is important to avoid saturated and trans fats as they help to reduce those risks.
Since women are more prone to suffering from osteoporosis in old age, they can help reduce the risk of this disease by lowering the caffeine consumption in their diet. Lowering caffeine can help reduce the loss of calcium from the body. Moderate wine consumption is also considered beneficial for women because wine not only has lower calories compared to a lot of other beverages but it also contains anti-oxidants and other helpful compounds which are good for the body.
The key to good health is possessing the detailed knowledge about what foods are right for you depending on factors like gender and age so take the time to find out what constitutes a proper diet for you.

Moderate Exercising Promotes Increased Weight Loss in Women

November 14th, 2009 AverageWeightForWomen No comments

It seems that the advocates of moderate physical activity were right again- one does not need to over-strain one’s self to get results.
According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, moderate exercises, ranging from 10-15 minute aerobic workouts to simple walking, can reduce weight as much as heavy aerobic exercises.
The study itself focused on comparing the weight-loss effects of varying exercise regimens on healthy but overweight women. The test subjects had ages from between 21 years old to 45 years old.The test
In conjunction with the varying exercise regimens, the test subjects in the study were given diets that were calorie-reduced. The test ran for 3 weeks; the average calorie burning was from between 1,000 calories to 2,000 calories.
The effects were marvelous- not only were the women reporting extra energy and a better feeling over-all, but the women actually lost weight after 3 weeks.
The important thing about the test was that it did not require the test subjects to perform overly strenuous exercises. For the most part, the women either performed light, stationary exercises, while the others performed brisk walking.
For the longest time brisk walking has been advocated by both nonprofessionals and medical professionals for its effectiveness. Walking has also been advocated for its simplicity and flexibility in relation to busy work schedules.
One important factor in the experiment was how vigorousness was encouraged. If the exercises had been done vigorously, then the body responded well and lost weight.
What kind of success rate are we talking about here? The women who participated in the study actually lost from between 13 pounds to a whopping 20 pounds in less than a month.
Amazing? The results are so dumbfounding that anyone would think that it can’t be that easy. And yet it was- the women lost weight, and they didn’t really participate in any commercial weight loss program.
Which brings us to one crucial aspect of all human endeavor- common sense.Common sense and weight loss
You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to know that losing weight means giving up certain things. For example, “eating right” means having less meat, more fish and more vegetables.
There are only three things that can make us all overweight: sugar, carbohydrates and fat. Eat proper amounts of all of these, and you start losing weight, or at least you don’t gain any more.
As for the exercise, you simply have to do it everyday. If you can devote 3-4 hours a day watching television or sitting stationary in front of the computer surfing the Internet, then you can definitely allot 20 minutes of your daily time to exercising.
Another important factor here is enthusiasm. Let’s face it, losing weight is hard work. You will literally sweat it out, and yes, sometimes your muscles will throb.
Nonetheless, the pain should be nothing compared to your final reward of being physically fit and healthy.
That, plus the good looks that would result from having a slim body, should provide enough drive in your quest for weight loss and a healthier, more physically fit body.

Tips for Weight Loss in Women That Any Woman Can Use

November 7th, 2009 AverageWeightForWomen No comments

How many women do you know, including yourself that starts a diet with good intentions and a week or so into it things fall apart. Many of us become unsuccessful Yoyo dieters, jumping from one diet plan to another. There are many reasons why diets fail, regardless of what reason your last diet failed. I’m going to give you some great tips for weight loss in women that every woman can use.

1. Never start a diet or program without the buddy system. A buddy is an invaluable tool to your weight loss success. Your buddy will help to motivate you to keep to your goals. She will help talk you out of eating that hot fudge sundae. Plus you will have someone to take to the gym. Remember a buddy system is a joint venture; be there for your buddy too.

2. Start a weight loss journal or blog. This will help to show you where you make your diet mistakes. If you make a mistake just start over and try not to make the same one twice. This tip also allows for you to track your progress and see how close you are to your goals.

3. Don’t drink your calories. Anyone on a diet can attest to the fact that you have to watch what you eat but many of us forget to watch what we drink. Sugary drinks like soda can ruin a diet. The average amount of calories in a can of soda is 150. Even diet soda can ruin a diet as it has shown to increase cravings for sugary sweet foods. Remember, water is a girls best diet friend.

4. Anticipate cravings. Often women eat out of boredom or emotional stress. Instead of ruining your diets try to anticipate it and put up blockades. For instance try putting up sticky notes on cupboards and the refrigerators. Another great blockade is placing pictures of yourself when you where thinner and then one when you where heavier. This gives a before and after affect and may help motivate you.

5. Stay in a no fail zone. If you know that you succumb to anything chocolate, don’t bring it in the house. If you have children and a husband complaining let them know that eating healthy is good for the whole family and that no contraband will be allowed. It’s good to teach children to eat healthy young.

6. Get up and get moving. This aspect of weight loss in women is perhaps worse then not eating what we want. If you can’t get yourself to the gym find some other way to get in some exercise. Grab your buddy and go for a jog around the neighborhood. Go jump on the kid’s trampoline in the back yard, anything to get you up and moving.

7. Weigh in for you. Some of us need to see that we are on track to stay on track. Others need to only weigh in once a week to stay motivated. Weigh in for you, when it works for you.

8. Have faith and determination in you! The only one that can make this work is you. If you have faith in your ability and determination to see it through then you will be a success. Good Luck.

Fat Loss For Women: 5 Ways To Ensure Easy Fat Loss For Women

October 30th, 2009 AverageWeightForWomen No comments

Ladies, if you have been trying various diets and failing at losing weight or keeping it off, try these five suggestions for easy fat loss. Ironically, the less you struggle, the easier itis to lose fat and keep it off.Try these tips and watch yourself shrink…effortlessly.
Five essential tips to ensure easy fat loss for women
Motivation: You won’t succeed at your weight loss goals if you do not have motivation. Motivation is a powerful, sustaining reason for you to continue to change your bad habits for good in order to lose fat. What is your motivation? For some women it is love. They use the love and support of the ones they are closest to and decide to lose fat in order to be a better mother or spouse. For other women, it might be the joy of fitting into a coveted dress. Still others use a recent health scare as motivation. What motivates you depends on you. Don’t try to use someone else’s motivation as your own. Find out what makes you feel deeply passionate. Use that as a motivation. It can be anything, including unusual motivators like charity. For example, some women pledge a certain amount for each pound they lose to their favorite charity. This is a very powerful motivator as it ties up with a higher purpose and gives the giver a sense of satisfaction as well as the joy of fat loss. No one particular motivator is better than another. The key is to find something that moves you and makes you feel passionate about. Channel that energy into becoming your motivation for weight loss. That way, whenever your old, bad habits come calling, you can remind yourself why you wanted to lose weight in the first place.
Learn to love food: It might come as a surprise but a large number of overweight women actually hate food. They hate how they are slaves to it and hate what it does to their bodies. They see food as the enemy. Some even view food as an unattainable lover that they alternatively love and hate. Remove yourself from this mentality. Try feeding yourself the best of everything. This might mean eating meals made out of completely fresh ingredients and healthy oils. Savor the flavors of the food before you. Try different vegetables, cheese, herbs and seasonings. You will start to feel better almost immediately. It might be surprising for some that a lot of overweight women are actually undernourished. Their bodies lack key vitamins and minerals to keep them from feeling healthy and alert. When you eat meals made out of fresh ingredients, you go a long way towards helping correct these imbalances. Your body will actually start craving these fresh meals. In fact, try this little experiment. For the next four or five days, only eat meals that have been prepared with fresh ingredients. On the five or sixth day, try eating one of your old favorite foods. I guarantee that it won’t taste as good. You might notice that it is too salty, greasy or too sweet. This can be a powerful experience when you realize that your old “addictors” are losing their hold on you.
Exercise moderately: This is a huge stumbling block for the average, sedentary woman who begins an exercise program. She tries too hard, too quickly and then gives up. Despite all the exercise videos advertized on television that you might be tempted to purchase, hold off on buying any new videos and try walking instead. Walk for as long as you are enjoy it. Just try to walk five days a week. That’s all you need to do to get started. Don’t worry about time or pace. Just get started. This will take away all the pressure of having to “perform” an exercise program and will get you in the habit of moving about. As your body changes, you will want more challenges and you can add more activities at that point. The point is to always listen to your body. This will ensure stress free, long term weight loss.
Don’t aim too high: This is a major cause of diet failure among women. They read about the latest celebrity dramatic weight loss (usually something ridiculous like 60 lbs in 2 months) and they want the same results. Don’t do this to yourself. These celebrities have powerful motivators (point one in this article) as well as trained chefs and fitness experts at their beck and call. The average women works a 40 hour week or longer, takes care of her family and helps out in her community. Acknowledge that difference in lifestyle and start making small changes everyday instead. For example, start eating more fruit and use mustard or ketchup instead of mayonnaise on your sandwich. These small changes everyday, coupled with the points above is all you need to do to shift your weight and start losing fat.
Measure yourself but not during this time: You know the time I am referring to. On average, a woman gains several temporary pounds just before her menstrual period. Unfortunately, this is also the time of the month when you are plagued by self defeating thoughts. Weighing yourself during this time will make you feel like a failure and will make you give up and revert back to your old habits. Even the most powerful motivators cannot work if you are feeling bloated and self-defeatist. Acknowledge this and promise not to weigh or measure yourself during this time. This way, you can get through your period and continue your good work on your fat loss goals instead of giving up.

Correct Weight For Height: Maybe The Ideal Weight For Women Doesnâ??t Existâ?¦

Everywhere you turn thereâ??s this continuous chatter, going on, about the “ideal weight” for a woman. Some claim to know, or have, the solution, but, what does that mean? Technically, if the chart is your measuring stick, you can be overweight, and look gorgeous rocking your curves, or you can be just a smidge above your ideal weight, and spread like a sack of potatoes. If thatâ??s the case, then ladies what does it really mean to be the correct, or ideal, weight? There are several factors to take into account when determining what weight you should be:1. The correct weight for height. This is an easy one. Someone who is 5â??9″ is going to carry 163 poundsâ??the average weight for women in Americaâ??much better than someone who is only 4â??11″. Simple logic, of course, yet, so many women strive to attain to a certain number on the scale, ignoring this simple truth.At 5â??3″ and 163 pounds, the average woman could stand to lose about 30-ish pounds; the target weight is 128 pounds for that height. 2. The correct weight for your frame. Even formal weight charts for men and women split ideal weights into not only height, but small, medium and large frame sizes. This is the difference that people usually refer to as “petite” or “big-boned”. Women are built differently, and you have to take into account, realistically, how youâ??re built when considering your ideal weight.Again taking the average height for women, a small frame should be 111 to 124 pounds; medium frame: 121 to 135 pounds; and a large frame: 131 to 147 pounds.3. The correct weight per your body mass index (BMI).Your BMI helps you to weigh the health risk factor in your height/weight ratio. Again, itâ??s important to also look in the mirror and figure in your body frame as well. But more often these daysâ?? doctors and health experts are using BMI to help people take the scaleâ??s numbers out of the equation, and, instead, focus on the health aspect thatâ??s often forgotten when setting weight loss goals.There are four BMI categories:â?¢ A BMI if less than 19 means youâ??re underweight.â?¢ A BMI of 19-25 is the range you want to be in for normal weight.â?¢ If your BMI is between 25 and 30, youâ??re considered overweight.â?¢ More than 30 BMI is in the obese range, where you are at the greatest risk for weight-related health problems.The average woman, being 5â??3″ and 163 pounds, has a BMI of 28.9, and, because of that, is on the high end of overweightâ??leaning toward obesity.There are a variety of ways to determine what the correct weight for height is; they all do a good job of pointing toward the same basic result, which tells you if weight loss is necessary. However, the most important thing to take into account is how you feel about your body, and how you are going to go about achieving the happiness that you deserve.

Correct Weight For Height: Maybe The Ideal Weight For Women Doesnâ??t Existâ?¦

Everywhere you turn thereâ??s this continuous chatter, going on, about the “ideal weight” for a woman. Some claim to know, or have, the solution, but, what does that mean? Technically, if the chart is your measuring stick, you can be overweight, and look gorgeous rocking your curves, or you can be just a smidge above your ideal weight, and spread like a sack of potatoes. If thatâ??s the case, then ladies what does it really mean to be the correct, or ideal, weight? There are several factors to take into account when determining what weight you should be:1. The correct weight for height. This is an easy one. Someone who is 5â??9″ is going to carry 163 poundsâ??the average weight for women in Americaâ??much better than someone who is only 4â??11″. Simple logic, of course, yet, so many women strive to attain to a certain number on the scale, ignoring this simple truth.At 5â??3″ and 163 pounds, the average woman could stand to lose about 30-ish pounds; the target weight is 128 pounds for that height. 2. The correct weight for your frame. Even formal weight charts for men and women split ideal weights into not only height, but small, medium and large frame sizes. This is the difference that people usually refer to as “petite” or “big-boned”. Women are built differently, and you have to take into account, realistically, how youâ??re built when considering your ideal weight.Again taking the average height for women, a small frame should be 111 to 124 pounds; medium frame: 121 to 135 pounds; and a large frame: 131 to 147 pounds.3. The correct weight per your body mass index (BMI).Your BMI helps you to weigh the health risk factor in your height/weight ratio. Again, itâ??s important to also look in the mirror and figure in your body frame as well. But more often these daysâ?? doctors and health experts are using BMI to help people take the scaleâ??s numbers out of the equation, and, instead, focus on the health aspect thatâ??s often forgotten when setting weight loss goals.There are four BMI categories:â?¢ A BMI if less than 19 means youâ??re underweight.â?¢ A BMI of 19-25 is the range you want to be in for normal weight.â?¢ If your BMI is between 25 and 30, youâ??re considered overweight.â?¢ More than 30 BMI is in the obese range, where you are at the greatest risk for weight-related health problems.The average woman, being 5â??3″ and 163 pounds, has a BMI of 28.9, and, because of that, is on the high end of overweightâ??leaning toward obesity.There are a variety of ways to determine what the correct weight for height is; they all do a good job of pointing toward the same basic result, which tells you if weight loss is necessary. However, the most important thing to take into account is how you feel about your body, and how you are going to go about achieving the happiness that you deserve.