Ladies, ever put yourself on a diet at the same time as your man and he loses more in a week than you do in a month? I’ve got answers.
Guys, do you wonder what all the fuss, angst and drama is about your woman trying to lose weight? Can’t she just do like you do? Cut back and it all falls off? Yes, I’ve got your back too.
Women are 10 percent more likely to eat as a way to manage their stress than men.
Emotional times lead to emotional eating. You’re feeling anger, fear, boredom, sadness or loneliness and the hope is that the chocolate, cookie or pastry is going to make you feel better.
Eating to feel better doesn’t usually involve veggies or an apple. You’re going to go for sugar, carbs and a glass of wine. Any of these lead the body to release a fat cell fertilizer called insulin. The only way around that is to cut back.
Feeling stressed? Your body just produced a bunch of fat cells. That’s your body’s response to stress: to produce fat.
Most of the time our stress is a perceived situation, that if you took a step back or looked at it as you might with a friend, it’s just a story you’re telling yourself that could be seen in so many other ways.
Sure, depriving yourself of food, planning a detox or cleanse after the overindulgence of the holidays is one way to try to deal with your excess poundage, but there’s way more to it… hormones.
There are a bunch, but I want to talk about testosterone and estrogen, the typical male and female sex hormones. Having too much estrogen causes weight gain whether you’re a man or a woman. Dr. Mark Hyman brought up the point:
“Do you know how ranchers fatten steer before they go to market? They implant them with estrogen pellets.”
Estrogen stimulates fat cell growth and testosterone builds muscle. Muscle burns fat and calories faster. Men have 10 times more testosterone than women. Right there is why it’s typically easier for men to achieve weight loss than it is for women. More than 90% of women over age 45 suffer from low testosterone as it drops 50% between the ages of 20 and 40.
Too much sugar, carbs and alcohol – pretty much everyone’s diet right now – increases estrogen.
The Approach
We’ve got to look for what’s in balance or out of whack, clean up the diet and also look at the approach to weight loss.
When I work with clients, I’m looking at all that’s going on. Symptoms of hormonal imbalance, diet, gut health, exercise habits and their thought process and how someone goes about losing weight. They all factor into my recommendations and approach.
Typically I see that women want lists of things to do, like loads of things at once, then when they come back to see me again, they have maybe managed one and feel terrible about themselves. Men, on the other hand, don’t want to make changes. Don’t want to give up their booze or miss out on wing night with the lads and the game. Then when I tell them what to do, they come back having done it and more.
Here are three things to get you going on weight loss before you reach out for more specific help:
- Stop eating sugar, limit carbs and reduce alcohol for starters.
- Add flax to everything. It’s high in fibre and hormone balancing. Add two tablespoons to smoothies or sprinkle on food.
- You must exercise, there’s no way around it.
Reach out for a consultation or discovery call to talk about your personal goals and let’s get you there!
