Hi! Welcome back to Falling In Love With Fitness! I am so excited for today’s new blog post! I will be discussing how fitness looks different for women!
Before I started my weight loss journey back in 2024, I had done tons of research to figure out how I was going to do it. I knew it would take a lot of trial and error, but I wanted to have somewhat of a plan. There were so many different tips and tricks for ways to lose weight. I thought surely there was going to be one that would work for me. But little did I know that all of the research I did was geared towards men. Fitness has always been a male-dominated field, so every tip and trick was meant for men.
None of them took into account how women’s bodies react differently to certain workouts, diets, etc. I felt like I was fighting an uphill battle trying to find advice for women from women. This is not an easy journey to start, whether you are trying to lose weight for the first time or wanting to keep it off for real this time. Women are just as important in the fitness space as men, but what works for them will not always be best for women. And that’s normal! Everything is not going to work for everyone, but I want to share some tips to keep in mind as women entering their fitness/weight loss journey.
Lifting Weights is Not the Enemy
Women have been tricked into believing that lifting weights will make them bulky and that only men should do that. But resistance training is very beneficial for women. It helps with muscle loss, improves bone density, and actually boosts metabolism. Just 2-3 consistent sessions a week are the most effective. Make sure to prioritize proper technique to prevent injury and gradually increase weight over time.
Understanding Your Hormones is Key
Unlike men, understanding women’s hormones is crucial to weight loss. Women constantly deal with fluctuations in estrogen, progesterone, cortisol, and insulin. These all heavily influence fat storage, metabolism, and appetite. Aligning your workouts and nutrition with your menstrual cycle phases will help support sustainable weight management. Try doing more intense training during the follicular phase and lower intensity training during the luteal phase.
Eat to Fuel Your Body, No One Else’s
It is a common stereotype that women often face a harder time trying to lose weight compared to men. This is due to women having lower resting metabolic rates, less muscle mass, and higher sensitivity to cortisol, which increases cravings. The most effective way for women to lose weight includes a nutrient-dense, calorie-deficient diet high in protein, iron, and calcium. But at the end of the day, it is important to listen to your body. It doesn’t matter if your brother eats 10 Pop-Tarts while losing weight, or if your best friend eats one meal a day. What works for one person will not work for everyone. It is about fueling your body for its particular needs.
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