NOTE: 'Hilde vd Berg' is NOT a pen name. This is really my picture. So please do not copy or use this image without permission.
In 2016, a study published in the journal JAMA reveals that from 2005 to 2014, obesity levels for men have more or less stayed the same (no change), while those for women have steadily increased.
I know, it's not fair.
In my years of experience as a fitness professional, I know for a fact that women can be just as focused and determined as men in losing weight but somehow, it's just a bit more 'challenging' for women.
So if you've tried to lose weight before with little to no success, or have lost the weight you want but regained it all back again… I'm here to tell you it's not your fault.
More often than not, diets fail women (yes, it's your diet failing you, not you failing a diet!) because conventional weight loss guidelines DO NOT cater to female bodies.
Want to know what you've been doing wrong? Read on!
Reason #1: You've been focusing too much on ‘cutting calories’.
Cutting calories. This is the first thing you think of when losing weight, right? And more often than not, cutting calories means going for ‘healthier alternatives’.
Unfortunately, here's the thing… majority of today's HEALTH FOODS are crap. There, I said it. I know a lot of people will be angry at me but that's the simple truth in plain English.
When you're at your local supermarket, what happens? You're confronted with aisle after aisle of low-fat (or even non-fat), low-sugar, less-salt, ‘healthy foods’ such as pasta sauces, salad dressings, cookies, chips, fruit juices, and more!
Now, to lose weight, cutting out processed and sugary-laden foods is an obvious first step BUT… those ‘healthy alternatives’ staring at you at the supermarket can be just as bad too!
It's all marketing.
Food manufacturers KNOW that cutting out fat and sugar will make their foods taste ‘less appealing’. So what do they do? They dump in other ingredients so that the food tastes as close as possible to the original.
Sadly, those ‘extra ingredients’ don’t put back the nutrients that have been stripped away so you end up craving more. Why? Because despite the fact that you just ate, your body is still missing the essential nutrients it needs.
The result? You end up eating MORE calories than you would have if you'd just eaten the original product. Arghhh!
And what about traditionally ‘healthy foods’ like yogurt, fruit juices, energy bars, dried fruit, etc.? They are loaded with SUGAR.
Numerous studies show that sugar is actually the leading cause of bad cravings, hormonal imbalances, inflammation, headaches, mood swings, and of course weight gain.
Of course, there's a smart way to cut calories to lose weight… I'll cover that in a minute. But what's wonderful to know is that this smart way of cutting calories calls for NOTHING artificial, and does NOT cut off any food groups whatsoever.
