Today I read yet another piece of news that women are able to lose less weight than men with the same calorie deficit. What are the reasons why this happens? I’ll explain the reason, or rather the two main reasons, why it is difficult for women to lose weight. And in both cases I offer you my solution.

WOMEN: THE REASONS WHY IT’S DIFFICULT TO LOSE WEIGHT
1) THE BIG CALORIES PROBLEM
An average woman should take about 2,000 calories as optimal energy requirement, that is, to avoid any deficiency. A man about 2400/2500 calories. In fact, men have more lean mass than women, which translates into a higher basal metabolic rate. Furthermore, a man has an additional social, rather than biological, advantage. He goes on a diet less. Hence he has fewer low metabolism problems due to chronic diets.

Now: let’s say a man and a woman decide to go on a diet with the same calorie deficit of 500 calories a day . A woman will go on a 1,500 calorie diet, a man 2,000. You will agree with me that a 1500 calorie diet is more difficult to maintain over the long term than a 2,000 calorie diet. But the hunger for both of them is the same.
Therefore, a woman has fewer daily calories available.
If we then consider that maybe you have a slower metabolism due to continuous diets, it is very likely that you will be offered a 1200 or 1300 calorie diet, which translates into even less food. It is logical that in women it will be easier to have problems with motivation, nervous hunger and so on. You will say: okay, but we need to look at things in perspective. That’s a 500-calorie deficit for both of us. Yes, but between 1500 and 2000 calories there is still a difference. A man may not feel the same problem, moving to 2,000 calories from the original 2,500. A woman just has less food available due to an initial disadvantage.

2) THE OTHER PROBLEM OF BIOLOGY
Men and women are biologically different. In women, who must maintain a certain percentage of fat mass and which already starts from a lower metabolism than a man, it is easier to have adverse reactions to the diet . The hormonal picture is much more complex. Stress is greater, and compared to humans, it is felt more: the period becomes more painful, or the typical symptoms of PMS are felt. Food cravings are stronger just as a matter of survival. In short, the woman pays a hormonal price that affects her cravings for food, perceived stress, mood.
Let’s see the possible solutions.

1) Increase lean mass by acting on muscle mass: this can allow a woman to have a better metabolism. And to burn energy better, which nourishes the muscles. So, girl, drop the aerobics and lift some weights.
2) Go on a diet with a lower calorie deficit, take a break and then resume: you can start with a deficit of two hundred calories for 4 weeks, take a 2-week break and go back to eating as before and then resume for another 4 weeks with a 250-calorie deficit, for example. In this way, the effects on the metabolism of the diet are minimized.
3) Aim for more voluminous and satiating foods:plenty of vegetables, protein foods at every meal, a salad as an appetizer for lunch and dinner. Small tricks that deceive hunger and do not make us feel on a diet.
In short: we women don’t want to row against biology to lose weight. But you have to use your head.