Single best exercise for weight loss for Women

This is a question we get very often especially from women: “What’s the best exercise for weight loss?” What can I do so that I get results fast and without the risk of putting the weight back? Is there a single exercise I can do at home and make me slim and fit? There are two answers to these questions and this is what we are going to explain below.

First let me say that this is not a new question for us. If you read most of the comments you will see that women are constantly looking for the best way to get fit. It is no coincidence that one year ago we published the post “Best Weight loss exercise for great results” which talks about the most efficient weight loss exercises. Basically the post gives more insight about the number of calories you can burn through stationary bike, elliptical trainer, step aerobics and running. These are certainly among the best weight loss exercises but this is not the complete answer for today’s question.  The complete answer has other parameters which are equally important to the calories burned by each exercise.

The best exercise for weight loss is the one you can do

What do we mean by this? The best exercise for weight loss for you is the one you enjoy doing. It doesn’t matter how many calories you will burn what it matters most is that you do it regularly and for a long time.  For example, you can burn approx. 600 calories per hour by doing step aerobics. This is great if you like doing aerobics, if you have the time to do aerobics and if you are physically fit to perform this type of exercise. Maybe step aerobics is the best exercise for weight loss but when it comes to you, this is not your best exercise. You may enjoy walking or running or any other form of cardio exercises and this is what is right for you. The 2 main reasons that most people fail to lose weight with exercise are:  boredom and injury. In other words they either get bored to do their workouts or they get injured because they attempted to perform a workout that does not fit into their body style and physical condition. How do you solve this problem?

Make a list of the exercises you like to do

So, as a first step make a list of the exercises you would like to do and find out how many calories you can burn for a 30 minute workout. Note: You can use our free diet and exercise planner to make your list.

Then once you have your list, identify which of the exercises you enjoy doing and select the one(s) that is more efficient in terms of calorie burning. For example, let us suppose that this is your list:

From the list above the best exercise is rope jumping with 430 calories per 30 minutes. Maybe you don’t like to do rope jumping but you enjoy dancing, water aerobics, swimming and running. If you only have 30 minutes per day to work out then running is your best exercise for weight loss since it is an exercise you enjoy doing, it is an exercise you can do constantly and it is the most efficient exercise in terms of calorie burning from the other exercises you would like to do.

What if I do exercises I like but get bored again?

It is normal that doing the same exercises over and over again will sometimes make you bored. The solution of this is to do cross training. By doing cross training you basically do different exercises instead of doing just one. This has a number of benefits: first you will not get bored, second you get better results (more calorie burning), third you exercise more muscles and fourth you avoid the risk of injury by moving the pressure to different joints.

You already have the list with your favorite exercises so why not choose 2-3 exercises and do them in terms. For example you can do swimming on Monday, running on Wednesday and finish your week on Friday with aerobics. In between you can do walking for 30 minutes (10 minutes in the morning, 10 minutes in the afternoon and 10 minutes at night). If you take this approach you will never get bored and you will get better and faster weight loss. You can also apply cross-training within your exercise sessions. For example do 10 minutes walking, 10 minutes running and 10 minutes aerobics instead of doing a single 30 minute session. Choose whatever suits you better and do it consistently for a number of weeks.

Learning how to exercise correctly is very important

It is not enough to exercise but you need to learn how to exercise correctly. For each exercise there is a good and a ‘bad’ way to do it. Doing it the wrong way will not give you the expected results and also you run the risk of getting injured. It is best to consult a professional trainer before starting any exercise or at least make sure that you have the right equipment (e.g. good running shoes, exercise mats etc) before starting your workout. We have outlined 10 fitness tips for women in a previous post that gives you guidelines on how to structure your workout.

Exercise is only part of the weight loss equation

Everybody knows that the best way to lose weight is by following a balanced diet and doing regular exercise. Exercise is a key part of the whole process that can help you lose weight faster but most importantly keep the weight off and never gain it back. Besides that, there many other tips you can follow for more solid results. You need to take care of your diet and lifestyle habits. We have gathered in a previous post 28 weight loss tips with exercise for getting the best results from your exercise sessions.

 The best exercise for weight loss for women is…

To sum up the best exercise for weight loss for women is the set of exercises you like doing consistently and for a long time without getting bored and can generate the best calorie burning results according to your lifestyle, body structure and physical condition. Finally, always remember that doing any exercise (even walking on a daily basis) is better than not doing any exercises at all.

1200 calorie diet for women

Dieting is one of the ways to lose weight but from the questions we get from our readers it seems that many people do not know where to start. This is normal since the word ‘diet’ has been associated with deprivation and this keeps people away from even trying to control what they eat. As a result their weight is increasing and the problem becomes even more difficult to handle.

Our goal with this article is to give you an idea of a diet you can follow to lose weight quickly but at the same time healthy and without restricting any food group from your meals. The diet is easy to follow and will give you about 1200 calories per day. See below some common questions/answers about this diet.

How many pounds can you lose by following a 1200 calorie diet? This depends on your BMR and your daily calorie requirements. If for example you need 1500 calories per day to maintain your normal weight then by following this diet correctly for 1 month you can lose up to 2 ½ pounds. The logic is the following: You need 45,000 calories per month (1500 calories per day x 30 days) to maintain your normal weight. If you consume 36000 calories per month (1200 calories per day x 30 days) then you will save 9000 calories per month (45000 – 36000). Taking into account that 1 pound = 3500 calories, this means you will lose about 2 ½ pounds per month.

Is it safe? As a general rule you should always consult your doctor before making drastic changes to your diet. The average woman needs about 1500-1800 calories per day to maintain normal weight. The suggested diet is for about 1200 calories per day which is just 300 calories less than the average. You can also read how to lose 5 pounds quickly for more information on quick weight loss and calorie burning.

For how long should I follow this diet? A month is the shortest period you can follow this diet if you want to get fast results. Depending on your results you can choose to stay within the 1200 calories per day or gradually increase it to 1500 and 1800. This of course depends on your activity level, age and exercise.

Do I have to exercise? Yes. Dieting alone cannot help you lose weight and keep it off. We mentioned above that dieting is one of the ways to lose weight but you also need to exercise regularly in order to increase your metabolism, accelerate the fat burning process and convert the fat tissues into muscles. Cardio exercises for 3-4 times per week are sufficient for beginners.

How to you call this diet? This is an example of a balanced diet where you get to eat all kinds of foods but in moderate quantities. More attention is given to carbohydrates and protein and less to fat (but it is not eliminated completely).

What do I need to get started? You should first download and print the diet and read it carefully. Take note of the items that you do not have available and create your shopping list. Have a look at the recipes and make sure that you can prepare those meals using the correct ingredients in the proper portions. Once you have everything ready take a note of your weight (early in the morning) and start with the diet. Make sure that you do not break the diet rules very often and once per week take note of your weight and mark your progress.

Is this diet for women only? No. Both men and women can follow this diet but it will be easier for women to adjust to the proposed meals because it is closer to the recommended amount of calories they consume per day.

I still have questions, who can I contact? If you still have questions about the diet you can contact our team of experts at diet@weightlosshelpandtips.net

1200 calorie diet for women ( download as PDF )

Day 1

Breakfast: whole grain bar with yogurt and fruit

1 wholemeal cereal bar

1 / 2 yogurt, (Low fat 0% -2%)

1 fruit of your choice (apple, orange etc.)

Snack: Croissant with butter and honey or jam

1 / 2 butter croissants

1 teaspoon honey or jam

Lunch: Spaghetti with tomato sauce with peppers and mushrooms and salad

1 cup cooked pasta

3 tablespoons tomato sauce with peppers and mushrooms

2 cups salad of your choice

Snack: Half a sandwich with wholemeal bread, ham (pork or turkey), cream cheese, tomato and lettuce

1 slice whole wheat bread

1 / 2 slice of ham or ham turkey fillet

1 tablespoon cream cheese

1-2 slices tomato

1 leaf lettuce

Dinner: Peas with cheese, salad and bread

1 / 2 cup cooked peas

1 piece (30 g) cheese (feta cheese or yellow cheese, low fat or 2 tablespoons of cream cheese)

1 cup salad of your choice

1 slice whole wheat bread

Day 2

Breakfast: whole grain cereals with fruit and milk, bread, margarine and honey or jam

1 / 2 cup whole grain cereal with fruit

1 / 2 cup low-fat milk (1% -1.5%)

1 slice whole wheat bread

1 teaspoon margarine

1 teaspoon honey or jam

Snack: Half a sandwich with whole wheat bread, smoked salmon and cream cheese

1 slice whole wheat bread

1 thin slice (30gr.) smoked salmon

1 tablespoon cream cheese

Freshly ground pepper

Lunch: Chicken soup with cheese and salad

1 cup of chicken soup

1 piece (30 g) cheese (feta cheese or yellow cheese and low fat)

1 cup salad of your choice

Snack: Cookie with yogurt

1 cookie

1 / 2 yogurt (0% -2%)

Dinner: Omelet with vegetables and ham and salad

1 egg

2 egg whites

1 / 2 cup vegetables of your choice

1 slice of ham or ham turkey fillet

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 cup salad of your choice

Day 3

Breakfast: Half a sandwich with wholemeal bread, ham (pork or turkey) and cottage cheese and milk

1 slice whole wheat bread

1 / 2 slice of ham or ham turkey fillet

2 tablespoons cottage cheese

1 cup low-fat milk (1% -1.5%)

Snack: Fruit

2 fruit of your choice

Lunch: Artichokes with potato, cheese and salad

3 / 4 cup artichokes

1 piece (30 g) cheese (feta cheese or yellow cheese and low fat)

1 cup salad of your choice

1 small boiled potato (125gr.)

Snack: Cream crackers with ham

2 cream Crackers

1 slice of ham or ham turkey fillet

Dinner: Fish soup (with rice) and bread

1 cup of soup (with rice)

2 slices whole wheat bread

Day 4

Breakfast: Cereal maize (corn flakes) with milk and fruit

1 / 2 cup corn cereal (corn flakes)

1 cup low-fat milk (1% -1.5%)

1 fruit of your choice

Snack: Croissant with butter and honey or jam

1 / 2 butter croissants

1 teaspoon honey or jam

Lunch: Fish soup (with rice) with bread and mayonnaise

1 cup of soup (with rice)

1 slice whole wheat bread

2 tablespoons light mayonnaise

Snack: Half a sandwich with wholemeal bread, ham (pork or turkey), cream cheese, tomato and lettuce

1 slice whole wheat bread

1 / 2 slice of ham or ham turkey fillet

1 tablespoon cream cheese

1-2 slices tomato

1 leaf lettuce

Dinner: Risotto with prawns and salad

1 / 2 cup cooked rice (3 tablespoons uncooked)

5 shrimp (large)

1 teaspoon olive oil

Fresh chives, parsley

2 cups salad of your choice

Day 5

Breakfast: whole grain cereals with fruit and milk, bread, margarine and honey or jam

1 / 2 cup whole grain cereal with fruit

1 / 2 cup low-fat milk (1% -1.5%)

1 slice whole wheat bread

1 teaspoon margarine

1 teaspoon honey or jam

Snack: Breadsticks with ham

2 breadsticks

1 slice of ham or ham turkey fillet

Lunch: salad with Giants

1 cup cooked beans

1 cup salad of your choice

Snack: Half a sandwich with whole wheat bread, smoked salmon and cream cheese

1 slice whole wheat bread

1 thin slice (30gr.) smoked salmon

1 tablespoon cream cheese

Freshly ground pepper

Dinner: Salad with pasta, tuna and mayonnaise

1 / 2 cup pasta (cooked)

1 / 2 cup chopped tomato

1 / 2 cup chopped bell peppers

80g. tuna in water

1 tablespoon light mayonnaise

1 teaspoon of mustard or ketchup

Fresh chives, basil

Day 6

Breakfast: Half a sandwich with wholemeal bread, ham (pork or turkey) and cottage cheese and milk

1 slice whole wheat bread

1 / 2 slice of ham or ham turkey fillet

2 tablespoons cottage cheese

1 cup low-fat milk (1% -1.5%)

Snack: Yogurt with fruit

1 / 2 yogurt (0% -2%)

1 fruit of your choice

Lunch: Fried Prawns with salad

10 shrimp

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 / 3 cup tomato juice

45gr. slice

1 cup salad of your choice

Snack: Half a sandwich with wholemeal bread, ham (pork or turkey), cream cheese, tomato and lettuce

1 slice whole wheat bread

1 / 2 slice of ham or ham turkey fillet

1 tablespoon cream cheese

1-2 slices tomato

1 leaf lettuce

Dinner: Pizza cheese and salad

1 slice of pizza with cheese

1 cup salad of your choice

Day 7

Breakfast: Cereal maize (corn flakes) with milk and fruit

1 / 2 cup corn cereal (corn flakes)

1 cup low-fat milk (1% -1.5%)

1 fruit of your choice

Snack: Breadsticks

3 breadsticks

Lunch: Meat soups with bread and salad

1 cup consommé

1 slice whole wheat bread

1 cup salad of your choice

Snack: Croissant with butter and honey or jam

1 / 2 butter croissants

1 teaspoon honey or jam

Dinner: Half a sandwich with wholemeal bread, ham (pork or turkey), egg and cream cheese and salad

1 slice whole wheat bread

1 / 2 slice of ham or ham turkey fillet

1 egg (boiled or scrambled eggs without oil)

1 tablespoon cream cheese

2 cups salad of your choice

10 fitness tips for women

There are many fitness tips for women but not all of them work for every woman. In this post our fitness experts have gathered the 10 most important fitness tips for women that can give you optimum weight loss results in the fastest way possible.

Fitness tips for women – Introduction

So you bought the book, joined the club, and read the myriads of articles, tips, and advice pages. You have the diet arranged; however, majority of them say ‘for best weight loss results exercise’. If only it was that simple… Where do you start?

Well some of you may have already bought the gym membership or you are already killing yourself on the elliptical machine and you are nowhere near in looking like a Baywatch babe. What can you do?

Bellow I have listed 10 fitness tips to help you with the Baywatch body quest.

1. Consult a medical professional and the appropriate exercise/fitness professional.

Yeah, yeah, yeah… you heard it all before. No really. Exercise is actually a form of a stress response for the body. Everybody tells you that exercise is healthy and how many health benefits you will get from exercising. Yes you will but it also increases heart rate, breathing rate, blood pressure and a number of stress hormones take over your body. Don’t be a casualty. You do need to know if there is anything which could contradict any form of exercise so you can choose the best weight loss exercise or workout to suit your needs.

In addition to a medical professional, the appropriate fitness professional should be able to advise you on a workout, and show you the correct techniques for exercises. I am sure you want to enjoy it and skip heart attacks and injuries.

No pain no gain

The no pain no gain slogan is often used by the fitness fanatics. The body uses pain signals to warm you about something potentially harmful. Pain could be indicating that a specific load/exercise is too much for the body’s structures. There is the principle of overloading the muscles but this is done progressively and it doesn’t mean destroying them. Exercising through pain could lean to injuries or health complaints.

2. Pace yourself and work on your own level.

Maybe you have read about this super high intensity – fat burning army style workout and you want to try it out. No doubt you will get there, but if you never done any exercise in your life then be prepared to be hit by a tone a bricks. Your body is not used to work and as a result your muscles will ache, you will feel sick and maybe be able to only move your finger without being in pain.

The solution? Pace yourself through exercising. Start by walking around the block 2 – 3 times a day instead of running a marathon, or go swimming for 30min; basically do small and light workouts and build on them in time.

You may be thinking that you hardly burn any calories this way, but believe me you do. If your muscles are not used to be doing a lot, walking around the block is hard work for them. Moreover, working on your own level and ability will minimise the risk of injuries.

Every day fitness ideas

1. Why not take the kids to the garden or park and play an active game with them. Play with a ball or do some skipping. You will be spending some quality time with your family, have fun and exercise at the same time.

2. Try doing a couple of bicep curls while you are carrying the shopping bags to the car or a couple of squats while you putting the shopping in the cupboards *(make sure you are doing exercise activities in the correct technique and at your own level and ability).

3. If you have stairs in your house why not go up and down the stairs for a couple of times. It will not be that much different than using the elliptical machine in the gym.

3. Make everyday life activities work for you.

Whether it is time, money or convenience going to the gym, running or taking on a sport it is not possible for everybody. That doesn’t mean that you cannot exercise. Use everyday life activities to make up your daily workout. For example use the stairs instead of taking a lift, walk to the shops, walk to work or get off the bus one stop earlier and brisk walk the rest. If you look around your environment and everyday life you can find tones of activities which can be turned into an exercise opportunity.

Use some of the rest of the fitness tips for women (i.e. tips 4 & 7) in combination with your daily activities to get the most of it.

4.  Break the workout in 2 sessions.

Breaking the workout into 2 sessions per day can help in increasing your metabolism. In other words you could be potentially burning more calories. You don’t have to increase the amount of time or exercises you do in a day or do your usual workout twice. Just cut it in half and do one half in the morning and one half in the evening. For example if you go running for an hour a day, go 30min in the morning and 30min in the afternoon/evening.

If you do use the gym and going twice per day is not feasible then do a slightly shorter workout in the gym and go for a brisk walk for your 2^nd daily workout.

One thing you need to be careful is not to overload your body too much. When doing 2 workouts it is easy to fall in the trap of adding more exercises or more time. Too much exercising can place a lot of stress in the body and you could be having the opposite results.

Fitness Tips for Women – 5 more tips

5. Do resistance exercise.

It is often advocated that people burn calories and fat with aerobic exercise and is better for weight loss. The idea is that during moderate intensity aerobic exercise the body burns a combination of glycogen (sugar) and fat whereas with resistance exercise the body burns mostly glycogen. However, studies indicate that in terms of post training results resistance exercise tends to increase metabolic rate and fat burning. One of the reasons is that resistance/weight training increases the body’s muscle mass which is one of the main factors of increasing metabolic rate during rest.

The effect of exercise in using fat and energy (and therefore aiding in weight loss) is not only in terms of how many calories we burn while we exercise but also how many calories we burn once we stopped. Therefore, for best results do add some resistance exercises in your workout.

One important fitness tip: Make sure you warm up. A 5-10min warm up with light aerobic exercises is fine. A lot of people use the treadmill or elliptical to warm up. Don’t skip the warm up and go straight into lifting weights as you could damage your muscles and incur injuries

6. Do resistance exercise first and aerobic exercise second.

We worked out above that it is good to add resistance exercises in your workout. Now plan your workout in that you start with the resistance part and finish with the aerobic exercise.

With resistance exercise the body will be using mostly glycogen (sugar stores) for energy. When coming to do the aerobic part most of the glycogen will have been used and therefore the body will be mobilising your fat stores to fuel the exercise. Needless to say you will be potentially be burning a lot more fat.

7. You burn what you eat.

A common conception used in advising people is eating carbs before exercise and protein after. The principle for that is that carbs will give you the energy to fuel the exercise and protein is beneficial for muscle building post exercise. Well if you are going to run a marathon you do need to be stocked up with your carbs as you will need the energy. However, for the average daily workout if you pack yourself before exercising with loads of carbs all you will be burning during exercise is sugar. Yes the post exercise fat burning effect does count as well, but if you want to optimise the fat you are using, then avoid overloading yourself with loads of carbs before exercising.

If your diet in general includes a moderate amount of carbohydrates anyway, then that should provide sufficient energy for exercise. Some studies also suggest supplementing with protein before exercise. This is suggested to aid in increasing muscle mass. However, I tend to say that if your diet includes a moderate amount of protein (see also protein diet tips) then that should be sufficient. In addition, not all protein supplements, powders, shake and so on are off good quality, and choosing the ‘best’ can be a mind field.

8. Have a coffee.

Coffee increases the sympathetic nervous activity in the body and in result it can increase the metabolic rate and fat mobilisation. Studies also suggest that it can improve performance during exercise. As a result having a cup of coffee before exercise could potentially help in burning more calories and quite importantly more fat. The intensity and kind of exercise will affect which fuel your body will use more off; look at fitness tips for women 6 and 9 as well.

Be aware: Stimulating the sympathetic nervous system also results in increasing heart rate and having a few stress hormones floating around. Exercise can have the same effect as mentioned earlier, so be aware. Do not drink too much coffee (or a very strong one) as what you don’t want is effects such as palpitations, anxiety etc. If you are sensitive to coffee or if you have any conditions (example high blood pressure) which may be made worst don’t use coffee or consult a medical professional before you do.

9. Alternate the intensity.

Alternating the intensity of exercise can help in using the different energy systems of the body and also different muscle fibres. Alternating the intensity means exercising in high intensity then low intensity then high again and so on. Example run fast for 5min then walk for 5min then run again etc.

The theory behind it is that you use mainly glycogen during high intensity then mobilizing fat as a fuel during low intensity. Some studies suggest that this exercise intensity alternation can increase the amount of fat you burn and potentially can increase the amount of calories you use.

10. Have a rest day.

Last but not least, have a rest once a week. How can rest optimise weight loss? Well muscles recuperate and grow (adapt to the overload of exercise) during rest. To be perfectly honest for all the structures and systems of the body (tendons, nerves, ligaments, cardiopulmonary etc) to adapt to exercise, need rest. If you overload the body and its structures with too much exercise you could potentially get the opposite result. In addition it would increase the risk of injuries and illness.

A day’s rest will help your body to recover and make any adaptations to exercise. This way you can enjoy all the benefits and gains of exercise which extend beyond than just losing weight.

Follow the above 10 fitness tips for women and you are on your way to a healthier body and mind. See also weight loss tips for women for 12 more weight loss tips.

How to lose pregnancy weight?

We got the following question from a reader: How can I lose my post pregnancy weight? I gained 50 lbs during pregnancy and gone through a miscarriage. I want to lose my tummy fat but not my girls and need some tips to stay motivated.

Firstly with a pregnancy is natural to put on weight and some of it to be extra fat. Extra fat stored can be up to 2kg in a full term pregnancy (without overeating). The body stores the extra fat to make sure that there is adequate energy for the mother and the fetus. Due to the hormonal changes which take place and all the processes of a pregnancy there would be changes in your breasts and rest of your body such as water retention. Going through a miscarriage can be hard both emotionally and physically. I don’t know how long ago you had the miscarriage but if it was recent you will find that your body is still recuperating and recovering from it.

You mention that you would like to lose weight from your tummy but not from your ‘girls’. In very simple words breasts consist of glands, fibrous tissue and fat. Weight pregnancy and hormonal changes are amongst factors which influence their size. An increase in the size of your ‘girls’ could be a combination of those factors. With losing weight you will lose fat tissue from your girls, unfortunately there is not a way by which you can stop fat from being lost from a specific place. However, as some of the changes may be due to hormonal changes that have taken place in your body due to pregnancy and miscarriage, it may mean that they may keep to a larger size. There are some exercises you can do to condition the ‘chest’ muscles which can slightly give the impression of fuller breasts and also help to keep the ‘girls’ from going south. Moreover, some studies do suggest that the belly area is usually the first place to lose the fat.

Secondly, I would recommend you deal with ‘emotional eating’ as part of your attempt to lose weight. By following just a weight loss diet you may lose weight, but unless you tackle the root of your weight gain or you’re eating behavior, the cycle will keep on happening.

My first suggestion is to allow yourself to heal and recover from the miscarriage both emotionally and physically. Counseling or going in a support group can help to deal with the loss and the emotions of a miscarriage. You may have done this already, or you may have been offered the support you needed to get through the situation. As I am not aware if you have I am including it in my suggestions.

In terms of Weight loss Motivation

This is probably the point in which most people struggle. Regardless to what some diets may promise weight loss does not happen in the speed of light and is not easy. Understandably a lot of people get bored of monotonous diets, may not see radical results fast or lose momentum all together. What can you do?

1. Be realistic and prepared. Even if you starve yourself in the 1^st week you may lose some fat but it will mostly be water, glycogen (sugar store) and some protein. Also if you starve yourself your metabolism will slow down and your weight loss will decrease. Set you weight loss goals in a realistic level. In the 1^st week you may see some results but they may not be huge and you haven’t lost a great deal of fat. The body takes around 2 weeks to adapt fully to changes. Aim for 0.5 – 1kg max of weight loss per week.

If you start a weight loss plan expecting fast miracles or setting your targets too high you will be setting up yourself to fail.

2. Be positive. Start a weight loss plan thinking that you can do this. If you are starting thinking that I cannot keep my motivation and I will struggle then you will struggle as you have set your mind on that tune already.

3. Do you really want to lose weight and why? Have a long thought and debate with yourself if you really want to lose weight and the reasons why. Right those reasons down in a piece of paper. When in doubt read what you written to remind yourself why you are doing it. It will help you be strict with yourself as well.

4. Keep your diet varied. Don’t deprive yourself or go hungry. You can still have a treat or have interesting meals and lose weight. Some specific diets do offer variability. You could use ideas from such diets in terms of menus or as a basis. Such diets are the 17 day diet and the Dukan diet (see also quick weight loss diets). I would not recommend following a very low carbohydrate diet and very high protein at the level these diets recommend. However, they do consist of different phases and in some ways breaking a weight loss plan in small chunks can help with boredom and luck of motivation. You can take the principles and some menu ideas from the diets and adapt it according to what suits you.

See also: Weight loss motivation

In terms of Diet and Exercise

Aim for a higher protein – lower carb diet. An example of such diet is the zone diet or a modified Mediterranean diet. I find the ‘New high protein diet’ book by Dr Charles Clark and Maureen Clark quite good. It has a number of recipes and lists of foods for meals which you can choose from. If you are not a person to follow an organized diet to the letter the book can be quite useful. I got this book in the UK and it is fairly cheap but you should be able to find it through the internet if in a different country. This is a suggestion, as there are a number of high protein recipe books or recipe sites in the internet from which you can pick up meal ideas.

The principles I usually suggest are:

1. Have a protein breakfast it will make you feel full for longer. If you can delay it as well by 30min can help in increasing fat burning. Examples of protein breakfasts: Scrambled eggs, bacon (not fried grilled) a slice of bread or cheese 2 crackers and avocado. Tuna with a bit of olive oil and lemon (or any seasoning you like but not mayonnaise/ketchup and avoid vegetable oils). It may sound like a lot of food but you will be surprised how much sugar and how many calories are hidden in a bowl of cereal. Plus with having carbs for breakfast you can get craving for sugar mid-day and so have snacks.

2. In general avoid takeaways, junk food, deep fried food and refined carbs (i.e. white bread, pasta, pastries sugars, and sweets), fizzy drinks and sugary hot drinks such as milky coffees and hot chocolates. In addition, avoid ready meals, margarine and hydrogenated oils such as vegetable oils and processed foods as they contain trans fats. Trans fat are not only fattening but also are harmful to health.

3. You can choose healthy snacks such as fruit, vegetable sticks, and dry fruit and nut instead of snack bars, crisps, cakes energy bars etc.

4. Eat loads of vegetables and salads with your meals. Example: instead of having a steak with potatoes/chips, have a steak with a nice sauce and salad + 1 slice of bread. This way you can reduce the calories you are eating, don’t feel hungry and is healthier. In terms of carbohydrate rich meals, if you can avoid them for majority of time do. If not then replace refined carbs with complex such as white pasta with whole meal, reduce the portion you are having and add vegetables or salad. Example: Instead of a big plate of pasta bolognaise with cheese, have 1/3 of a plate of whole meal pasta with bolognaise sauce and a big salad or vegetables with a bit of olive oil and seasoning/vinigraite.

5. Don’t skip meals. I would not recommend too many small meals through the day but also I would not recommend skipping meals either. Having 3 meals a day is a good place to be.

6. Reduce your calorie intake. Is not only what you eat but also how much you eat. In order to lose weight you must have energy deficiency. In simple words you should spend more calories than those you consume. This can happen by either reducing your calorie intake or increasing your calorie expenditure (for example with exercise) or both together. Women in average require around 1500 – 2000 calories. Reducing your calorie to around 1200 – 1500 should be within a healthy range. Calorie requirement and calorie expenditure does depend on physical activity, age, built among other factors, therefore do account for any physical activity etc. you may be doing when lowering your calories.

7. Exercises. Exercise does increase weight loss but also is good for health. As I mentioned earlier you could do a few chest exercises to boost your girls. Having an allover body workout for an hour a day, 5 days a week is always best, but is better to do the amount of exercise you feel happy with and suits your lifestyle. If all you want or can fit in your day is 20 min then that is better than none at all. If you don’t like doing standard exercises then you can do simple things such as walking instead of taking a bus, use the stairs instead of a lift, clean the house vigorously, go for a cycle, a run or a swim.

An idea is to join a class or an activity group. A group may provide you with the motivation to carry on with exercising and weight loss especially if you are achieving something new through the group. For example if you joined a swimming lessons group you could remain motivated in participating in the group by learning how to swim. What has been quite popular in recent years is pole dancing as part of exercising. Pole dancing can be very demanding for the body therefore you should be choosing a class which is appropriate for your own level and also exercise within your own abilities to avoid injuries. A class like that could be fun you can socialize and gain new skills and exercise at the same time. These are just examples as you should choose according to your personal likes and needs.

Before you take on any exercise or diet you should consult a medical professional especially if there are pre-existing health complaints.

The best way to keep the weight off for long term is to make these changes permanently. If you aim to get through the emotional eating pattern and change your whole behavior of eating then making healthy eating choices will be a lot easier. In addition, following a diet should not be just a remedy for a quick fix but making the changes in our lifestyle towards a healthier way. What I am saying is not that you should diet for the rest of your life. All I am suggesting is to change your food choices towards healthier choices, don’t overeat beyond to what your body needs and keep physically active. This way you are less likely to put on the weight again and decrease health risks, Everybody’s weight can fluctuate in their life time for a number of reasons, and we all go through days of junk food, or that bit extra. Having a general healthy diet your body does get conditioned to want a healthy diet and not too much of the junk food.

I hope my answer is helpful to your enquiry.

Weight loss for Women over 40

Weight loss for women over 40 is very challenging. It is very common for women who go through menopause to have weight fluctuations. This is due to the changes in hormones such as oestrogen, and progesterone which influence metabolism, weight loss rate and appetite. Read 7 weight loss tips that work.

Question:

I am over 40 and menopausal.  I am doing everything “right” in order to maintain a healthy weight; however, I am finding myself gaining weight instead.  I use a stationary bike, elliptical machine and swimming.  I eat right and get plenty of rest; yet in the past 6 to 8 months I have put on roughly 12 pounds. By military height and weight standards I am currently 17 pounds overweight.  How do I reverse this trend?

Answer: (by Hara Hagikalfa, Reviewed by Dr Slee)

Dear Stephanie,

Thank you for your question. I am providing this answer in consultation with Dr Slee. It is very common for women who go through menopause to have weight fluctuations. This is due to the changes in hormones such as oestrogen, and progesterone which influence metabolism and appetite. My first suggestion would be to consult your doctor about your concerns and if possible to look/investigate the profile of your hormone levels. The doctor should be able to consult you about different options available for menopause.

I’m afraid there is not a miracle diet or answer for this one. However, I have the following suggestions which may helpI would recommend to spend a week keeping a food and activities (i.e. exercise) diary to have a full picture of what you are eating etc. I know you say that you eat ‘right’ but having a full picture of what you eat and when, does help in finding things which you can avoid or didn’t realise were there. You can see some of my previous answers such as ‘How can I lose weight I have gained quickly’ for more information. Also apart from going through menopause try to see what may have changed for the last 6-8 months in which you have put on weight. Have your habits changed, or have you been under a lot of stress? Sometimes is the combination of things which may lead to weight gain.

1. Try cutting down on carbohydrates and sugar. Some studies suggest that some women may be more sensitive to sugars during menopause. Try cutting down on your carbohydrate intake for 2 weeks and see if it does affect your appetite and weight. It will take 2 weeks for any significant adaptations or changes to take place. It is important to keep some carbohydrates in your diet especially if you are doing exercise. An easy way to lower carbohydrates is to avoid or minimize bread, potatoes, rice and pasta, and have instead loads of vegetables, high fibre foods and fruits. Be more careful with fruits as some can contain a lot of sugar, such as bananas. Also avoid sugary drinks, takeaways, processed foods, juices too many sugary coffees, too much alcohol etc. You can also see my article on healthy weight loss about more ways on how to cut down on carbohydrates in a healthy way.
2. Unfortunately with hormonal issues such as menopause there is not always a way to avoid putting on weight. It can be different for each person. It may be the case that you need to be stricter with your diet all together.  For example if you had a treat i.e. a takeaway once a week, it may be that it will need to be once a fortnight or once a month. However, DO NOT follow very low fat diets or restrict your calories very low. They will not actually benefit in this situation. Some studies indicate that primrose oil and fats such as fish oils may be of benefit. Fats can also be beneficial in terms of steroidical hormones such as oestrogen and progesterone. Do avoid unhealthy fats such as trans fats which are found in margarines, hydrogenated oils, fried foods, processed food etc. See also ‘Why lose weight and how to do it correctly’ for more information.
3. I would not recommend that you lower your calories too low. If the underlying reason for weight gain is hormonal then you could do more harm than help to your body. By keeping a diary of food and activities you can roughly calculate how many calories you are consuming. Remember to include coffees, juices etc. Also calculate how many calories you burn with exercise and physical activities. Your calculations don’t need to be down to the last calorie but a rough estimation. This way you can see how many calories you are consuming and how many you could possibly cut down without going to low. For example if you have 2 coffees per day with 1 sugar each, maybe you could cut it down to 1 coffee with no sugar or half a sugar. If you are having sandwiches for lunch try replacing them with a meat/fish salad which you prepared. Overall you may decrease your intake by 200 calories but it will be in a healthier way. I must say do not over consume yourself with calories. As I have said before calories are not the means to all ends.
4. Try strength exercises as well. Strength exercises help to keep on muscle which means you could burn more calories. The muscles become more efficient and burn fat more and also it can increase your resting metabolic rate (the rate in which you burn energy when you are resting).
5. In my articles I have summarized tips on healthy eating and weight loss diets such as having a delayed protein breakfast. You can incorporate some of these tips in your diet and see if it has helped in sustaining your weight (as in not gaining any more) or even losing some.

Weight loss after pregnancy

One of the most beautiful and interesting phases in a woman’s life is pregnancy and giving birth. The feeling of birth is invaluable but has its consequences. One of those is the extra weight that stays in the woman’s body a number of weeks after giving birth. Weight loss after pregnancy is not an easy task to do. In the majority of the cases women will lose about 10 pounds as soon as the child is born and a few more pounds in the following weeks. The fat that is accumulated in the body, especially in the belly area, is very hard to go away on its own.

We said it before that weight loss for women needs special attention because of the structure of the woman’s body and the hormonal imbalances caused by different periods like menopause and pregnancy. Weight loss after pregnancy is even more difficult. The extra weight tends to be accumulated in the areas that it is very difficult to lose (belly, waist, and tights). Nevertheless it is not impossible provided that you follow the proper weight loss tips.

The first think you need to do is not do get disappointed. When you step on the scale after giving birth don’t be surprise. You will weight more than before and this is normal. What you need to concentrate on is how to lose the extra weight in a fast but healthy way.

Weight loss after pregnancy: Tips and techniques for fast results

1. Water. Water is needed more than ever. If you read this before then you need to understand that water plays a major role for weight loss after pregnancy. At first it will help you get rid of fluids left in your body from pregnancy, it is a fuel for breast feeding and it will help you get rid of toxins. As far as weight loss is concerned it is a perfect way to save calories and control your appetite. Try to drink at least 10 glasses of water per day for the next couple of months after pregnancy.

2. Keep your self away from bad food. Remember that what you eat and drink is also transmitted to the baby through breast feeding (at least during the first months). Keep your self away from food that is not healthy and prefer healthy and organic food. Eat lean meats like chicken or lean beef. Avoid junk food or pre-made supermarket meals.

3. Eat a variety of fresh fruits. Fruits contain valuable nutrients and substances. They are a good source of energy with minimum cost to your weight. They are full of fiber which will make your bones stronger and your stomach fuller.

4.  Skip the ‘whites’.Do not eat white bread, cereals or pasta. Better replace them with whole grain bread, cereals and pasta.

5. Read carefully the food labels before selecting what type of food to buy. Do not just rely on the front label but read the detail label. Many foods are being advertized as low fat and while this may be true, they are full of calories. Check the carefully and select those who are low in fat, sugars and calories.

6. When you feel that you have the energy start exercising. At the beginning start slow and then gradually increase the intensity and pace of the exercise. Since pregnancy has an effect on your hormone levels you must consult your doctor before doing any heavy or very intense exercise routine. A great example of start up exercise routine is walking. You can start walking for 10 minutes per day and then gradually increase that to 20 minutes. You can also carry our baby with you so that you feel better and have better results.

7. Employ the natural method of weight loss after pregnancy, breastfeeding. Breastfeeding is extremely important for the child and it is also a great way to lose calories, especially fat. On average each day you are breastfeeding you burn around 500 calories.

8. Do not follow any ‘famous’ diet promising super fast results. You need to be patient. Weight loss after pregnancy will take time and requires a lot of effort but at the end you can lose the extra weight and return to your normal levels. After all the extra weight took 9 months to accumulate in your body and it won’t go away overnight.

Weight loss tips for women

For years, the word ‘weight loss‘ is synonymous with the feminine nature. From the grandmother, Mom, the big sister and you, many weight loss tips have become a trademark for women worldwide. But the case of weight loss is so innocent. There are some easy to follow weight loss tips for women that can help you lose weight in a fast, persistent and healthy way. This article presents 12 weight loss tips for women.

If you have tried everything and have not accomplished the desired result? First calm down!

Nothing is more powerful than your desire and nothing can stand as an obstacle to your weight loss efforts. The secret then is to first take the decision, and secondly to follow these 12 clever weight loss tips for women to help you achieve your objective:

Weight loss tips for women 1: You follow a weight loss diet without the supervision and advice of a responsible doctor or nutritionist.

Do not enter any weight loss diet without first taking the advice of a specialist. Every body is unique and has its own peculiarities and characteristics. This means that the diet that helped your best friend to lose weight fast may not have the same effect on you. When you choose a weight loss program, consider your weight, the state of your health, age and the type of work you do. Also have in mind that the exercises you will follow and the diet that will help you lose weight is unique to you.

Weight loss tips for women 2: You eat little or the wrong type of food

Forcing the body into starvation and the consumption of only one type of food (e.g. juice only) can be very dangerous for your health, since the lack of certain trace elements and vitamins leaves your body uncovered in a multitude of diseases. The same can be dangerous for example if you are a complete vegetarian. If you choose to become a vegetarian make sure that your body receives the necessary iron. Remember that the forced famine, may irreparably damage your health and to bring you near to nervous anorexia.

Weight loss tips for women 3: You cannot lose weight by diet alone

If you think you will lose weight through a diet only, this is a big mistake. You may lose some weight and you will get it back as soon as you stop the diet.  Achieving a healthy body can be done by changing the sedentary lifestyle and also with a combination of healthy diet and exercise. Sports, find a hobby and generally not thinking only how to consume fewer calories, but how to burn more calories.

Weight loss tips for women 4: You combine weight loss efforts with a long lasting stress

Avoid stress. There are many women that when they are in a crisis of stress they are starting to eat what they find in front of them. Before starting any diet, analyzed the reasons that make you follow a weight loss solution, set a goal and combined the diet with forms of exercise that will help you fight the stress: yoga, Pilates.

Weight loss tips for women 5: Do not try to lose a lot of weight quickly

Do not try to lose more weight as you can in the least time. They only thing that you can accomplish is to substantially dry the skin after you lose all that liquids from your body. The loss of more than 3 pounds a month is considered dangerous for your health.

Weight loss tips for women 6: Do not follow more than one weight loss diets

Do not combine several different weight loss diets at the same time because one method may come in contrast to another. Then, if you follow a diet and stop to start another, it is very difficult to see results or to prevent them to occur. It is very important to follow a diet and sports program that meets your own individual needs and of course after the guidance of a specialist.

Weight loss tips for women 7: Do not eat “mechanical”

One of the major reasons that men are thinner than women is because they are NOT going to the supermarket and because they do not cook. The «forced engagement» of women in these processes entails more calorie consumption during food preparation. In a conducted research, it was discovered that the calories that women recruit during cooking, touch the 300!

Of course, we do not suggest that the solution is not to cook? Of course not! But certainly you can stop to eat carelessly, waiting for …the main meal. An easy way to avoid this is for as long as you are in the kitchen to chew a gum. This will prevent you from filling your mouth with other small delicacies.

Weight loss tips for women 8: Control your desires for sweets

If you think about it in most case you have a need for dessert, and usually the desert is ‘guilty’ for the many calories. To limit this habit and protect yourself, eat at every meal more protein.

Weight loss tips for women 9: Often measure your average

Because the clothes are now more resilient and waistbands tend to disappear it is more difficult to realize when your waist is growing. You only realise it when the stretch fabric starts to ‘protest.’ What you must do therefore is to have denim or some other non-elastic cloth as a measure. Once a month wear it and see the results.

Weight loss tips for women 10: Read the food labels

Any product that is labelled as ‘light’ or ‘diet’ does not mean that it is ideal for consumption and much more does not mean that it can help you lose weight. So you need to be careful and read the food labels carefully and note the percentage of fat and calories it contains.

Weight loss tips for women 11: Do not eat everything you might want

It is proven that women prefer much more fatty foods than fruits, vegetables and fiber. For this reason then try to avoid any extra burden to the state: rich sauces, and fried food.

Weight loss tips for women 12: Talk about your weight loss efforts with your partner

Ask your partner, friend, family or your trainer to help you and advice you about your weight loss efforts. Sometimes the impression that we have for ourselves is not consistent with reality. Ask someone you trust to tell you where you need to improve and seek proper help.

This article presented 12 weight loss tips for women. For sure weight loss is not easy especially for women. Good results can be achieved though with persistent effort, patience, a good weight loss diet and physical exercise.