As a woman I understand the struggle to lose weight. Yes, even fitness instructors face challenges too! Being so in tune with my body is a blessing and curse. I notice when I'm retaining water, I notice when my body is out of alignment, and I notice when I've gained 2 lbs. The great thing about this is I can do something about it before it turns into a problem. When your job is to be in shape all of the time it's hard not to become obsessed.
Women face some unique challenges in getting the bathroom scale to budge. It’s important to understand your weight loss challenges.
Question: Are you getting enough sleep?
This one is super important. Fewer than 7 hours per night puts you at risk for daytime sleepiness.
This can add up to stubborn pounds, because a lack of sleep throws appetite hormones off and stimulates overeating.
Guess what the solution to this problem is? Channel your inner 16 year old and sleep in. Go to bed early. Makeover your bedroom until it resembles a veritable sleep-fantasy suite. Do whatever you need to do to get the recommended 7 to 8 hours a night. Especially if you're trying to lose weight.
Question: How much muscle do you have?
It's a fact of life. Women have more fat and less muscle. And that means we have a lower resting metabolic rates compared with men. Women burn fewer calories on a baseline level. Whether you want them or not our bodies are built to produce and nourish healthy babies. That means we hold onto fat stores much easier.
What can you do to help your body? Stay away from super-low-calorie diets! Doing so will only put you into starvation mode and make it harder for your body to burn calories and lose weight. I eat 5x throughout the day to keep my metabolism fired up. I also focus on strength training --I do cardio a few times a week for my heart but mainly I strength train. The more muscle you have the more calories you burn. Don't kill yourself with cardio.
