Many women like you turn to fad diets or starvation to lose weight quickly. Following these diets may create a change on the scale, but you are primarily getting rid of water and lean muscle mass.
Without adopting sound habits to support weight loss, you only waste your effort---pounds inevitably return. Make immediate changes in your diet and movement patterns to hasten your weight loss, but realize that making a long term commitment to exercise and eating will keep the pounds away.
Be patient, women tend to lose weight slower than do men because of hormones and metabolic differences. Just try to follow of my couple of advices:
• Write down everything you eat from today. Be sure to write down your feelings at the time of eating because women, more often than men, eat for emotional reasons--identifying emotional triggers and devising non-food related ways to cope will only help your efforts.
• Cut down on calories. Calorie reduction results in weight loss regardless of the macronutrient make-up of the diet. As a woman, aim for between 1200 and 1500 calories per day as a level appropriate to provide proper nutrition, but low enough to stimulate weight loss.
• Make every calorie count nutritionally. Fill most of your plate with green vegetables and accent with a 3 or 4 oz. serving of lean protein. Eat a serving whole grains with your breakfast and lunch, but skip them for dinner. Choose dark colored, water-filled vegetables like spinach, tomatoes and broccoli. Seek out protein with little saturated fat like skinless chicken or fish. Watch out for salad dressings which may be loaded with calories.
• Take control of your meals. Avoid restaurants because they inflate portion sizes and add lots of unhealthy ingredients to boost flavor. Do not try to match your husband or boyfriend's eating abilities--men can take in more calories because of body weight and metabolic differences. Cook healthy recipes at home and carry healthy snacks so you will not be tempted. Cut back on sodium, saturated fat and simple sugars to help reduce bloating, particularly during your period.
• Do not skip meals. Eat three meals consisting of roughly 300 to 400 calories and two small snacks of about 150 calories. Prevent binges by keeping healthy alternatives nearby. Try not to go more than four hours without a snack or meal.
• Add more movement to your day. Create a calorie deficit by burning more calories without spending hours at the gym. Take a walk during your lunch break, clean your own house, take the stairs or walk while you wait for your kids to finish their soccer practices and piano lessons.
• Exercise for at least 60 to 90 minutes for at least five days per week. Moderate intensity physical activities that raise your heart rate and make you break a sweat. Exercise in 10 minute increments if it is more manageable for you. Don't let the gym intimidate you--look for facilities catering to women or meet your girlfriends for a power walk instead of happy hour.
At last I want to say you that be aware of how life events affect your ability to lose weight. Keep your expectations in line with your age and the amount of weight you have to lose. Acknowledge that shifts in estrogen and inevitable slowing down of your metabolism will make weight loss more challenging as you reach menopause.
Remind yourself that baby weight took nine months to accumulate--it will take at least as long to come off.
