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!

🤗

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday Tip: Volume Eating

August 27, 2024August 20, 2024 Dr Nancy P

Tuesday Tip: Volume Eating 😋

One of the key tips I give my clients revolves around volume eating. If you’re trying to lose weight then volume eating can be really beneficial. Volume eating is all about consuming larger quantities of low-calorie, high-volume foods such as vegetables, fruits and whole grains. It allows you to eat more food and feel fuller while maintaining a lower calorie intake.

Foods like fruit (berries, grapes, pineapples etc), salad (tomatoes, cucumber, peppers, lettuce, mushrooms etc), and vegetables (pumpkin, leafy greens, broccoli etc) have high water and fibre content. It adds volume to our meals without adding many calories. Another advantage of volume eating is it can often increase the micronutrient content of the diet. Usually (but not always) these high volume foods are nutrient-dense, meaning they are rich in vitamins and minerals which is beneficial for overall health.

Volume eating can potentially help in developing sustainable eating habits too. Restrictive diets can lead to feelings of deprivation, but volume eating encourages incorporating varied food sources and decent portion sizes, so can reduce some of this restriction

Ways to do this include making sure that for your main meals 50% of the plate is made up with these high volume foods. Ensure you’re also having whole grain , unrefined carbs too as they aid in satiety, muscle recovery and training performance /energy levels (and they’re tasty!).

For snacks consider adding fruit or salad to your snacks. So rather than just having 2 biscuits, have 2 biscuits and a large portion of berries, or instead of having a packet of crisps have a lower calorie crisp option and have some cucumber and carrot sticks with it etc. Zero calorie drinks also help to add volume – especially to snacks.

Happy Tuesday 🤗

Nutrition and Calorie Tips

How To Stay On Track At Summer BBQ’s

August 21, 2024August 12, 2024 Dr Nancy P

How To Stay On Track At Summer BBQ’s 🍗

It’s BBQ season! With lots of summer parties and BBQ’s it can be hard to stay on track with your goals. Here are some tips to help!

Eat before you go

If it’s more of a drinks and nibbles type event then eat before you go so you’re not starving and likely to stuff down whatever nibbles come your way. Equally if it’s a late afternoon BBQ don’t let yourself get too hungry before you go – have an early lunch or brunch so you are satiated and less likely to overeat later.

One piece of meat

There is no other meal really where you’d load up on chicken, burger, a sausage… maybe a lamb kebab … so why do we do it at BBQ’s? Treat it as a normal meal – one , maybe two pieces of meat max!

Watch the salads

Salads are great but if they’re loaded with dressing, sauces, avocado, potatoes, cheese etc then they’re also quite high calorie. That’s not a prob – but don’t kid yourself that they’re low cal!

Stay hydrated

Drinking water in between each alcoholic beverage can help keep you hydrated and save you some booze calories. Not getting too drunk will also help you make more sensible food choices too.

Don’t stand by the food table.

You are more likely to over eat if you’re hanging around the food table. Take your conversation and move it away so you’re not tempted to mindlessly snack.

Bank calories

As with any social event you can save some calories ahead of time. Don’t go too low in the preceding days but saving 100-200 cals for a few days will give you more to spend at the party.

Shift the focus

Instead of focusing on the food and drink focus on the company instead. You’ll remember the fun times with friends more than the burger you eat…

Have fun and don’t stress

If you do wake up the next day and you’re a little heavier don’t stress yourself out over it. Get right back on track. It’s most likely just water and a lot of glycogen. Stressing about it it’s just going to make things worse. Enjoy yourself.

🤗Xx

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday Tip: Consistency is key

August 20, 2024August 12, 2024 Dr Nancy P

Tuesday Tip: Consistency is key 😇

I say it all the time and I’m sure you find yourself saying it too – ‘I just need to be consistent…and then I’ll start seeing results’. But whilst that is undoubtedly true the issue lies in what we think of as ‘consistency’. Often we struggle with consistency because our expectations and perception of what consistency looks like aren’t realistic. We assume it means being 100% on our nutrition every day, smashing out 1-2 workouts every day hitting 10,000 steps daily, getting to bed early every day, and being 100% on it and motivated every single day.

But who can actually do that every day? I couldn’t! We’re all busy with work, families, social lives and many of us are already running on close to empty as it is. Trying to eat and workout like an Olympic athlete isn’t going to work. You don’t have time and you can’t sustain it . And this is why you feel like you’re failing – your expectations don’t match your capabilities. The better approach is to have a realistic, sustainable plan based on what you can manage.

A good way to do this – every Sunday (or any day that works for you) have a think about:

How many workouts you can realistically fit in and that you want to fit in that week? Maybe it’s 2 maybe it’s 4 … whatever is fine! Schedule them in.
Food wise could I keep it simple with the same basic breakfast and lunch for a few days? If so what do I need to get for that?
What social events/meals out do I need to plan ahead for?
How many steps did I manage last week? Could I do the same or slightly more this week (500 extra steps for example).
What small steps could you take this week to help reach your goal e.g. only drinking alcohol 2 nights instead of 4, swapping a heavy calorie snack for a lower calorie one etc

Focus on being consistent at things that you can actually fit into your life and you’ll find you’ll actually succeed.

Happy Tuesday 🤗xx

Nutrition and Calorie Tips

I’ve blown my diet.…

August 14, 2024August 5, 2024 Dr Nancy P

I’ve blown my diet.… 🫣

When you’re trying to lose weight we often conflate ‘healthy’ foods and automatically helpful for weight loss. With the weather warmer at the moment you may be craving an ice lolly or two. You may even have two or three and then find yourself feeling guilty for having succumbed to the craving and berate yourself for being really ‘bad’ and blowing your diet. Or you may think you’re being very virtuous and avoid the ice cream and have what is perceived to be a ‘healthy’ snack of organic cacao bites.

In reality in terms of calories they are almost the same. In fact the ‘unhealthy’ ice creams actually less fat and have slightly more protein (which can help you feel fuller for longer). The cacao bites do have less sugar and more micronutrients but that doesn’t mean the ice cream lollies are a bad option. Of course the ice cream lollies are high in sugar but sugar isn’t inherently bad either! In reality you’re unlikely to eat 3 ice lollies in one go anyway so you’d in fact be consuming even fewer calories!

Overall calories are what count if you’re trying to lose weight. You need to be in a calorie deficit to lose weight so in that scenario the ice lollies are the better option. Especially if you’re eating a balanced diet and getting protein and the other nutrients in your other meals.

Emotional well being is also important and depriving yourself of foods you enjoy and instead choosing the cacao bites under the misguided impression that it’s a healthier option or because it’s marketed as ‘a healthy snack’ isn’t good for long term sustainability or a healthy approach to food.

Personally I’d choose both on different days – and I’d include them in my calories. The cacao bites are a great snack option (as long as you’re aware of the calories) but on days like we’ve had lately an ice cream lolly or two is definitely required! 🍦 🤗