It is undeniable that losing weight is a difficult process, but it seems that women struggle more frequently with losing weight than males do. As you begin your weight loss journey, you may be excited about future results. It can be discouraging though to try your hardest to lose weight, only to not see any differences. Why is it more difficult for women to lose weight? On the other hand, is it merely a myth? Let’s investigate!

Reasons Why It’s Harder for Women to Lose Weight

Most women who are on the edge of giving up want to know the answer to this question. It is unfair, and it lacks encouragement for any woman beginning a weight loss program. We shall talk about the idea of weight loss in women in this article. We will also discuss whether women have a tougher time losing weight, as well as several strategies you might use to lose weight quickly, possibly at the same rate as males.

Several things are involved in this situation. As a woman, you may find it difficult to lose weight due to your lesser muscle mass, your obstinance may be ineffective, and the company you keep may tempt you to overeat.

Men need just as much support to maintain their health, as women do, make no mistake about that. With the right information, men and women can communicate effectively and support one another in maintaining a healthy weight.

Science backs up the belief held by women for a long time that males had an easier time losing weight.

Women have a higher risk factor for obesity

A Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine study found that being a woman alone increases the likelihood of being overweight. In comparison to men, American women are 3.3% more likely to be overweight and 3% more likely to be obese.

They get worse if you thought those stats were disturbing. The research also reveals:

• Compared to men, women are more likely to die from diseases associated with excess weight.
• Health issues in women start to show up at a lower BMI than in men.
• Compared to men, women are 6.6 times more likely to suffer from a weight-related ailment.

The causes center on anatomical and hormonal differences between men and women and go well beyond difficulties with diet and exercise.

For women, hormones constitute a significant obstacle to weight loss

Most people gain weight and lose muscle mass as they age. This modification does not affect how your body uses calories, which can make weight loss a challenge. Menopause presents a unique problem for women. Post-menopausal women are more prone to acquire weight than males in the same age group because of the decline in estrogen. Additionally, female hormones cause the body to store calories as fat, which is larger than lean muscle.

Metabolism

The metabolisms of men and women are different. Men have a higher resting metabolic rate because they have more lean muscle mass. You read correctly. Men burn more calories than women even when doing nothing because muscle burns more calories than fat.

Women also store fat differently, as if that were not enough. For women, it’s annoying how fat tends to accumulate in the harder-to-lose areas of the thighs, hips, and buttocks.

Emotion

According to a 2013 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, women tend to be more emotional eaters than males. It may sound cliché, but it’s real. In fact, the study’s justification involved much more than just reaching for a chocolate bar when under stress. Among the conclusions were:

• More women than men tend to eat healthily

Although it’s a good idea to keep your caloric intake under control, the study contends that stress, emotions, and other environmental factors weaken willpower. Emotional eating occurs more frequently among former or current dieters than among non-dieters.

Does this imply that women should give up on their diet plans? Not! It simply implies that having a support system and being mindful of any stressors that can cause emotional eating are smart ideas.

• Emotional eating causes people to eat unhealthy foods

Nobody picks up a bag of broccoli when they’re feeling down. Foods heavy in fat and sugar, such as cookies, cakes, and chocolate, are ideal for emotional eating.

• A difficult habit to break

According to the study, emotional eating is a “learned” behavior. This implies that the likelihood of anything happening again increases with frequency. As difficult as it might be to kick other habits like smoking, breaking this cycle can be difficult.

Weight Loss in Women

The fact that it takes so long to see results despite women’s best efforts to lose weight seems extremely unfair. Contrary to popular belief, it is not a myth that women lose weight more slowly than men do.

Compared to women of other ages, post-menopausal women have it even harder to lose weight. This is because they typically have a slower metabolism and less muscle, claims Medical News Today.

However, it is still true that women have a harder time maintaining their weight loss than men do. There are several explanations for why this is the case. They consist of:

Leaner muscle tissue is absent

Men often lose weight more quickly than women do because they have lean muscle. Your metabolism is influenced by your muscle mass. Medical News Today claims that muscular mass has a higher metabolic rate than fat. Therefore, more energy is required to maintain muscle mass. As a result, even while they are resting, men often burn more calories than women.

Decreased metabolism

As you reach more birthdays, your metabolism slows. Men typically have a higher metabolism than women do, even with this factor at play. Women have slow metabolisms for a variety of reasons. These include their sex and reduced muscle mass. Since men often have larger muscle mass, their basal metabolic rate is higher.

Menopause

In comparison to males of the same age, women going through menopause could find it more difficult to shed weight. Women frequently put on excess body fat during menopause and perimenopause, which is the time just before menopause.

One of the factors contributing to the weight increase is the decline in estrogen levels. The main female sex hormone is estrogen. Low concentrations do not directly contribute to weight gain. It does, however, cause more body and belly fat.

Inadequate lifestyle choices and typical aging processes are other causes of weight gain during menopause. According to Medical News Today, most menopausal women tend to become less active, which lowers their metabolism.

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)

PCOS is a hormonal condition that affects women and causes infertility. Although it primarily affects women who are of childbearing age, it can last for years. It may be more difficult for women with PCOS to lose weight because they tend to carry additional weight.

In addition to being difficult to reduce, this weight is associated with a higher risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, and metabolic syndrome problems. It’s thought that reducing your body fat by 5% will help with PCOS symptoms.

The Best Weight Loss Strategy for Women

Given these factors, it would seem that women had it particularly hard to lose weight. However, that does not mean it can’t be done. Women can adopt a variety of practices to help with weight loss and maintaining a healthy weight despite these barriers. What they are these:

• Healthy Eating Habits

Naturally, proper eating is stressed in every other post on weight loss if you want to shed pounds. The majority of people, however, tend to interpret this idea to match their eating habits.

For instance, some individuals think that a healthy diet entails consuming more fruits and vegetables. Others might believe that eating healthy entails avoiding foods with processed sugars or carbs. Similar to how some people define healthy eating as getting the recommended number of calories each day,

Given the disparities in how women perceive healthy eating, it is not surprising that they have trouble losing excess weight. You must be aware that healthy eating focuses on eating a nutritious diet if you want to lose weight.

According to Medical News Today, a healthy diet emphasizes consuming nutrient-dense foods that are lower in calories. Typically, such a diet consists of:

• Several different vegetables
• Nuts, seeds, and soy products
• Lentils, such as peas and beans
• Avocados, fatty salmon, and olive oil
• Whole grains
• Whole fruits
• Dairy items

Such diets for women may aid in either accelerating fat loss or boosting metabolism. If you’re thinking about beginning a weight loss diet, sit down with your dietitian or nutritionist. When you have health issues like PCOS or diabetes, they will give you advice on the best diet plan.

• Exercising with resistance or weight

Your metabolism can be boosted and your body can burn more calories even when at rest, as was previously mentioned if you have more muscle mass. Women, therefore, need to focus on gaining more muscle mass. Weightlifting is one of the best exercises for assisting in this.

It is significant to remember that a variety of things affect how quickly your muscles grow. These comprise your genes, particular hormones, and body type. For instance, if you have a mesomorph body type, you might be able to gain muscle faster due to your muscular build. However, because of your straight frame, an ectomorph will probably take longer.

If you are thinking about beginning a resistance training program, you must get advice from a fitness professional. You can grow muscle by engaging in a variety of strength training exercises.

These activities include using free weights, resistance bands, stationary weight machines, and bodyweight exercises. Depending on your level of fitness and activity, your trainer will advise you on the best resistance program.

• Concentrate on Permanent Weight Loss

It is no secret that the majority of women want to lose weight quickly. Such quick fluctuations in weight, however, are not explained by healthy weight loss. You must be patient when trying to lose weight. Even months after beginning a weight loss program, most women still hold themselves responsible for slight changes on the scale.

It is useless to beat yourself up. Instead, it only encourages self-destructive behavior and makes you want to give up. If you want to successfully combat female weight gain over the long run, experts advise giving it a shot and developing the proper mindset.

Even if you have the correct attitude and are patient, the voyage won’t necessarily be trouble-free. There will undoubtedly be some setbacks, especially if your expectations were too high.

To stay on course for successful and long-term weight control, you will, however, always be inspired. Review your objectives once again and go back to the drawing board. We are all unique, thus your rate of weight loss will differ from that of your buddy or spouse. Set attainable objectives to keep you on track over the long term.

• Physical exercise

You must establish regular physical activity as a habit in addition to consuming healthy foods. Exercising or staying active every day can help you avoid gaining weight. You’ll want to go to the gym and participate in physical activity to avoid weight regain (gaining back the weight you’ve lost).

If you’re new to exercising, it’s common to feel intimidated. The important thing is to start moving your body in a way that feels natural to you and work your way up from there. Take a daily walk to start, then gradually pick up the pace and distance as you go. If you are a social person and spend a lot of time with friends or your partner, participating in activities with them can help you stay on track. There is a ton of online resources, including free videos and programs, if you’d prefer to work out at home.

Conclusion

Is weight loss more difficult for women? Unfortunately, yes. Weight loss can be difficult for women for a variety of reasons. These include menopause, PCOS, a slowed metabolism, and a decrease in lean muscle mass.

While this is the case, several techniques can help you lose weight successfully and permanently. These include maintaining a balanced diet, exercising with difficulty, and placing an emphasis on long-term success. These techniques will enable you to customize your routines so that you can keep a healthy weight. Stay motivated and don’t let difficulties stop you from achieving your goal!