It is a known fact that men and women gain weight differently.
Therefore, it is perfectly understandable why women tend to lose excess fat at a slower pace than men do.
However, in addition to the difference in the hormonal balance – which does play an important role in the equation – there are several mistakes most women make that prevent them from reaching their fitness and weight loss goals.
Having said that, here you will find the top 10 reasons why most women fail at weight loss:
10 Reasons Why Most Women Fail To Achieve Their Weight Loss Goals
#1. They Fail To Define Their Goals
First and foremost, it is important to have a clearly defined plan of action, regardless of what you intend to do – and this certainly applies to your weight loss efforts, too.
If you have not defined your fitness goals clearly and you only plan to “shed several pounds”, then the chances are that you will fail at doing so because you will lose your ambition and determination along the way.
It is a lot easier to reach your goal when you have a clearly defined plan, such as losing 10 pounds in one month.
#2. They Do Set Goals, But They Are Unachievable
Another reason why most women fail at weight loss is that even though they do set goals, they fail to break them down and make them more manageable.
In a nutshell, every woman who plans on becoming fit and healthy must have two types of goals in mind:
- short-term goals
- and long-term goals.
The short-term goals are easy to achieve and they will also boost your ambition, thus preparing you (not only mentally, but also physically and emotionally) for the long-term goals.
If you skip the smaller goals and you head straight for the major ones, you are likely to fail!
#3. Legitimate Medical Issues
Although this is rarely the case and it often happens that the culprit behind a woman’s weight loss failure is her bad diet coupled with the lack of exercise, sometimes there are some legitimate medical issues that prevent her from achieving her fitness goals.
Thyroid problems are real and they truly can take their toll on your weight loss efforts – nonetheless, the only way to know for sure is by doing some blood work and have it looked at by a health care provider.
#4. Their Daily Calorie Intake Is Too High
When it comes to weight loss, calories are undoubtedly your main enemies and they can hinder your progress.
Everybody consumes calories, but we must also make sure to burn more calories than we eat if we want to shed unsightly fat, otherwise, we only end up gaining more.
A calorie calculator can come in handy in this situation.
#5. They Do Not Have A Step-By-Step Plan
While it is true that defining your goals is vital for your success, having a step-by-step plan to follow religiously is equally important.
If you haven’t written out the steps and you have not adjusted the plan to your own needs and requirements, then you may quit your diet plan before you even start it.
It is essential to create a very specific and customized step-by-step plan that will eventually help you reach your goals.
In other words, it is not enough to decide that you want to go to the gym: it is vital to create an in-depth and detailed plan of action where you clearly state what type of cardiovascular and weight training exercises you need to focus on.
The same applies to dieting: it is not enough to just wish to reduce your daily calorie intake, you must figure out a plan to do that (such as cutting out sugar, pre-baked products, sodas, and such).
#6. Some Women Tend To Starve Themselves
This is a century-old method that almost every woman has used at least once.
Starving yourself does offer very fast results, but the truth is that by doing so, you are very likely to experience what is known as the “Yo-Yo” effect, meaning that all the lost fat will bounce back within a few days.
Starving yourself can wreak havoc on your health from many points of view, as you will not provide your body with the essential minerals and nutrients that it needs on a daily basis.
Besides this, the chances are that the starvation-induced weight loss is mainly just water and adipose tissue – there is no real fat loss, and this is why starvation diets do not work.
#7. They Simply Lack Motivation
This is another common reason why women fail at weight loss.
Everybody needs a very strong motivation in order to start an exercise routine or to adopt a healthier diet and lifestyle, and even if you may have a strong reason to do so at first, you are likely to become either bored or utterly discouraged on your way to success.
This is normal, but it is important to try and keep yourself motivated day after day: this is why most personal trainers advise those who are committed to losing great amounts of weight to use what is known as the “visualization technique”.
A simple mind tool where you simply close your eyes and see yourself at the end of your weight loss process.
#8. Wrong Type Of Exercise
Choosing the right type of exercise for your weight loss goals is yet another aspect of utmost importance.
One of the most common mistakes so many women do at the gym is that they start weight training from the very beginning, as opposed to combining aerobic exercises with anaerobic exercises.
Without getting rid of the excess fat first, you will only end up with more muscle mass and with an equal amount of fat, which means that you will not lose any actual weight and become even bulkier instead.
#9. They’re Alone In Their Quest
Women who have started a weight loss routine alone are also more likely to quit than those who have started the routine with a friend or family member.
That is understandable: a woman who is on her own is much more likely to lose her motivation, as there is no real competition between her and her friend that might keep her engaged and determined in the long haul.
#10. They Fail To Acknowledge The Dreaded Plateau
Last, but not least, women who fail to acknowledge the weight loss plateau are also more likely to fail at weight loss: when they see that they haven’t managed to shed one pound over the course of two or three weeks, they tend to lose their determination and quit.
This is when they should actually keep going!
The weight loss plateau is a temporary phase that every person must overcome in order to truly enjoy the benefits of weight loss.
Would You Love To Crush Your Weight Loss Goal?
Above we listed 10 reasons why most women fail to achieve their weight loss goals. However, we also want to help you reach yours instead of failing.
Here are some articles to help you:
Enjoy!
