Men and women are different – or as the classic line says it, they come from different planets! As cliché as it sounds, women should train differently than men, whether it involves muscle building or losing weight, because of their differences in anatomy, physiology and biology. With that said, here are our gender-specific tip for women who want to get lean and mean.
Get Your Calorie Intake Right
Women have been told that food deprivation – or if you want to take it to the extreme, near-starvation – is the best way to lose weight. But this isn’t a good idea because the body and brain need food to survive and thrive! There’s also the fact that it isn’t just about being smaller but leaner, too, and when we say leaner, we mean getting a little definition in the arms and abs.
So, if you currently weigh 200 pounds and you’re eating 1,200 calories/day in an effort to become leaner, you’re actually putting your body at risk. You have to eat more but we don’t mean eat more donuts, cakes and cookies. We mean instead eat more protein, for a start, and more fruits, vegetables and whole grains, for another thing.
Tip: The general guideline for calorie intake is: Bodyweight multiplied by 10 or 12. This is the safe limit so we suggest staying within it. You will still lose weight if you combine it with proper and regular exercise at Gold’s Gym.
Keep Down Your Carbs Intake
Women also think that carbs are the enemy in getting lean but it isn’t so! Carbohydrates are considered a macronutrient – we need plenty of it – because of their importance in normal body function, especially in energy production. The trick lies in choosing the right carbohydrate sources – and these definitely aren’t candies, cakes, pies, and breads, among other products made from refined flour and sugar.
While fresh fruits are a more sensible choice than these baked goods, these still contain high levels of sugar – and sugar is sugar regardless of whether it’s processed or natural sugar. If you eat too many fruits, you will still likely get fat. This is also the case for pastas, potatoes, and rice so we suggest limiting your consumption of these foods.
Instead, we suggest eating more amounts of leafy, green vegetables as well as certain root vegetables like beets, carrots and radishes. You should also limit your overall carb intake to about 25-30% of your meal. You can then increase or decrease it, as needed, depending on your carb requirement.
And don’t forget that you will also need your proteins! Beef, chicken, and turkey as well as fatty fishes – these are great sources of heart-healthy omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids – are your best bets.