I still feel a lot of women out there don’t have all the information they need in order to use the most effective strategies when it comes to reaching their goals in terms of health and fitness.
Not all women attend Personal Trainers so don’t have the added advantage of real life knowledge and experiences of efficient female fat loss. Following these three principles will help eliminate these mistakes.
- Incorporate some weight training ( don’t panic, it wont turn you into a muscle-bound freak!)
- Do some interval training, alternate intense bursts of effort with rest.
- Eat mainly whole foods. You can’t out-train a bad diet.
Mistake Number 1 – Eating a high carb diet all of the time
If you don’t exercise very much then your body doesn’t get a chance to burn off the carbs, especially if they are coming from poor quality food choices.
Solution? Reduce the amount of carbs (bread, rice, pasta etc) and replace with more protein (meat, fish ) and healthy fats (avocado, coconut oil, nuts). This will help improve metabolism.
If you eat 50-70% of your food from carbohydrates then reduce it to 40% and increase your protein to 25% and fat to 35%. Eat less carbs on the days you don’t exercise and increase a little on your workout days.
Mistake Number 2 – Eating a very low calorie diet
Eating less than 1200 calories a day can have a negative impact on fat loss. All the key fat burning hormones down regulate your metabolism to protect your fuel storage, meaning you’ll burn less calories.
Solution? Most people find that when they eat higher protein, lower carb, it naturally leads them to eat less without trying, as protein makes you feel fuller for longer.
Mistake Number 3 – Ignoring exercise
All the evidence is there. Research proves that the risk of breast cancer decreases by 25% among the most physically active women compared to the least active.
Solution? If you’re new to exercise, or have been doing the same workout for months or even years, don’t be afraid. You don’t need some complicated heavy lifting program or a crazy interval training schedule.
Keep it simple, start small and plan your exercises before you go into the gym, keeping your technique and movement patterns perfect before you start to left heavy weights. With intervals, start small and gradually build on that.
Mistake Number 4 – Avoiding dietary fat
If your cupboards or fridge are stockpiled with fat-free, low-fat, diet products then watch out! Fat is crucial for reproductive health in women.
It’s critical for creation of hormones and good hormone health and balance. Secondly, if you’re not eating fat, chances are you’re probably eating carbs, and we covered the problems with an all-the-time high carb diet.
Solution? Start adding a good fat into every meal. If your food choice already contains fat, for example fish, or eggs, then you’re all set. Just add a portion of vegetables or fruit and you’re in business. Alternatively, if you’re eating a lean meat, say chicken, then add some nuts, seeds or avocado for fat.
