Why it’s generally harder for women to lose weight than men 👫

I encounter this a lot with my clients, especially couples. A man appears to change very little in their diet and loses 3kg in a week, whilst a woman cuts carbs, cuts booze, workouts tonnes and gets a stomach bug and puts on 2 kg! Now obviously this is just a humorous example but it’s not actually that far from the truth. Men really do tend to respond faster than women when it comes to weight loss, so why is this?

Generally, men will burn more calories at rest than women due to them being taller, heavier and naturally more muscular. This means they will need to consume more calories to maintain their weight. It also means they can consume considerably more calories and still be in a calorie deficit. For example a 6ft man, weighing 95kg needs around 2,600 cals to maintain so anything below that is a deficit. In contrast a 5ft 6inch woman, weighing 67 kg needs approx 1800 cals to maintain and less to lose weight. That’s almost a 1000 cals difference and makes a huge difference when trying to accommodate your meals, snacks and then social stuff on top.

This is even harder if you’re a couple as you may be likely to eat similar things/portions so if you’re both eating around 1600 cals then the man will be at an even greater deficit so will lose weight much more rapidly.

Whilst it’s not possible to out exercise diet obviously there is also some impact from the amount of calories burnt and men will naturally burn more calories than women due to their height, weight and muscle mass.

Women may see higher fluctuations in weight too (which makes the process harder) as they can be more susceptible to fluid retention in response to stress and other hormones. In addition there are psychological reasons it’s harder for women. ‘Diet culture’ is so prevalent and affects women from a very young age. Most of my female clients have been on and off diets since they were teenagers to some degree. These repeated attempts at trying to find dietary success can completely fracture anyone’s mindset around their bodies and food. Whilst men do also face these struggles it’s not usually to the same extent.

What you can do about it?

Women can increase their chances of weight loss success by increasing muscle mass (which increases your BMR so you burn more calories at rest).

And whilst it is indeed harder for women to lose weight that doesn’t mean the law of thermodynamics don’t apply. If you are in a calorie deficit you will lose body fat and you may still be losing fat even if the scale doesn’t necessarily show it. So make sure you’re tracking accurately so you know you’re eating in a calorie deficit.

Work on any habits, thoughts and behaviours that may have held you back due to diet culture (e.g. move away from overly restrictive dieting or cutting out food groups).

Overall don’t give up! Use objective measures to keep track of progress beyond the scales and don’t worry if your other half or men in your life seem to be ‘doing better’ – it’s not better – it’s just different!

🤗

Xx

Trick or treat? ..🎃🍫

It’s pumpkin season and there’s a multitude of pumpkin spice snacks out there. Pumpkin is often promoted as a health food (pumpkin itself does indeed have many health benefits) and there are lots of snack bars out there that are marketed to imply that they are a “healthy” choice. This is a perfect example – this bar definitely looks like it’s a healthy choice. It’s got nuts and pumpkin seeds in it – great for good fats, vitamin A, and a host of other benefits.

So you might decide to reach for this rather than reaching for a pumpkin spice caramel chocolate square thinking it was a better choice. Well that may not always be the case.

It does contain a good range of nutrients (and fat and sugar) and is definitely a good snack to give you energy and keep you full and will cost you 202 cals. But you could actually have 2 of these chocolate caramel squares for fewer calories. So if you were trying to lose fat/weight and looking for a snack, then rather than reaching for a “healthy” snack bar when you don’t fancy it, you’d be better off just going for a snack you actually want – like the chocolates if that’s what you fancy. And if you do want the ‘healthy’ bars then be sure to read the labels carefully as some are extremely high in calories.

Ultimately, if you’re trying to lose fat or weight, it comes down to calories. So enjoy a balanced diet overall and just be mindful of the calories in what you’re having.

Happy Hallowe’en 🤗
xxx

‘Just a seasonal coffee and snack…’ ☕️ 🎃

At this time of year all the coffee shops bring out their range of seasonal coffees and snacks. Starbucks has its iconic pumpkin spice latte so if you’re out and about you may well decide to grab a quick seasonal drink and a snack to go with it.

This particular example is a medium Pumpkin spice Latte (with semi skimmed milk) and a small cake pop. You’d probably think this was a reasonable thing to have as a snack and you might realise it’s a few hundred calories but it can’t be that bad… It’s just a coffee and a little cake pop right?

On the other hand if you grabbed a sausage roll from Greggs you may be berating yourself for ‘being bad’.

In reality that seasonal coffee comes in at around 259 cals, and the cake pop is 172 cals. That’s a total of 431 cals. In comparison the sausage roll is a mere 329 cals! Whilst there’s absolutely nothing wrong with spending over 400 cals on coffee and a snack you may find that if you’re trying to watch your calories that you can’t accommodate that many cals for a snack. In addition if you don’t realise how many cals they are you are likely to go over calorie budget that day.

Knowledge is power so being aware of the calorie content of things, and also of our own perceptions of the things we consume is always a good thing. If you want the seasonal drink and snack – have it and enjoy it. If you wants sausage roll then go for it. Just be aware of the calories so you’re making an educated choice!

🤗

Xx

‘It’s only a couple of biscuits a day’…

A couple of biscuits with coffee or tea are a common staple of many homes and workplaces.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with it, biscuits on their own don’t make you fat, but if you’re having them by default, out of habit, on top of a diet which is already providing you with enough calories then you will gain fat (or fail to lose fat).

The issue with biscuits is that they’re so easy to munch through without even realising you’re doing it, it’s a quick few hundred cals you won’t even notice you’re having. You only need a deficit of 2-300 cals a day to see fat loss so that’s your potential deficit gone right there. Over the course of a month it’s a whopping 9,688 cals!

So, if you’re goal is fat loss, perhaps it’s worth just being a bit more mindful about those biscuits with your tea/coffee, or if you’re having them then log and count the calories and include them within your daily calorie goal! And if you are trying to cut calories then maybe those biscuits are an ‘easy’ cut to make.. just going for half the amount would save you over 4,500 cals…

Simple! Enjoy those biccies 🍪

OMG I’ve ruined my diet ?….. 🍦🍪

We all know the feeling, it’s mid afternoon, we’re a bit peckish but we’re ‘being good’ so don’t want to reach for a biscuit. Instead we grab a couple of slices of toast – nothing wrong with that right? It means we’re still on track with our ‘diet’ and all’s well….

But some days you may not have that will power… sun’s out, so you grab a cornetto out the freezer.. then have just one Jaffa cake… which becomes 2, 3, .. or maybe just one more – so that’s 4 and perhaps a final one… so you finally stop at 5! Now you’re wracked with guilt! How could you be so stupid? You’ve totally ruined your ‘diet’! Why don’t I have any self control you say to yourself?!

Hold on just one second! Perception is a wonderful thing… and it can also be a terrible thing. That toast that seems ‘ok’ may not be that much better. Two slices of sourdough toast with butter is up to 424 cals. That cornetto and 5 Jaffa cakes… a mere 384 cals! So neither is a great choice if you’re trying to stick to a particular calorie goal, but in most cases you’ll view the cornetto/Jaffa cake saga as a total disaster on the diet front, whilst probably overlooking the toast completely.

It pays to be aware of the calories in what you’re eating. That way you can choose with knowledge rather than your preconceived or conditioned ideas about what’s ‘bad’ or ‘good’. Being aware of the calories in different foods empowers you to make that choice and can help remove the guilt. Knowledge is power!

🤗
Xx