Despite your obsession with thinness, somehow your body has not connected to your mind and each Monday as you creep on the scale you become more desperate. Do you look at your body in the mirror and wonder how fat seems to be growing in places its never been? If this sounds familiar, don't despair! I'll share with you some hidden secrets that can help you understand why you may be getting fatter rather than fitter and why fat loss is a greater challenge for women than men!
Father Time - Beginning in our mid-20s, women lose approximately 7 pounds of muscle mass and gain 15 pounds of fat every decade. (Men lose about 5 pounds of muscle a decade) So, by our mid-40s, we will have lost almost 15 pounds of metabolically active muscle and replaced it with 30 pounds of sluggish fat (if you are not exercising). While the scale tells us that we are only 15 pounds heavier, our metabolism has been dramatically reduced and body composition has changed in unfavorable proportions. The good news is that these changes are, in large part, the result of inactivity and can be reversed with exercise.
Unfortunately it gets worse for women. After menopause, the rate of muscle loss doubles going from 7 pounds a decade to 14 pounds. By the time a woman is in her 60's she can have as little as 20 - 30 pounds of muscle left so not only is she displeased with her figure, but she is more prone to falls and breaking bones.
Also with age, the skin begins to lose its elasticity, sag and lose its ability to contain fat giving a rippled appearance often referred to as cellulite. The dimpled effect is caused by the fibers of connective tissue losing elasticity and allowing the fat to seep through like yogurt through cheesecloth. Yuck!
Muscle is what drives your metabolism. For every pound of muscle on your body you need 35 - 50 calories per day to sustain it. For every pound of fat on your body, you need a modest 2 calories per day. Hint: begin strength training today! Female Fat is Different from Male Fat Men and women do not live in an equal world when it comes to our bodies and specifically body fat. Men are taller with larger muscles and bones and a faster metabolism. At puberty, girls put on fat and boys put on muscle.
From fertilization to breastfeeding, women have different physical experiences than men. Although the odds may appear to be stacked against women they can overcome these obstacles and make improvements to their shape and health. Fat Storage Women are both blessed and cursed with the ability to store excess body fat. Fat serves an important biological purpose by helping to insulate the body, pad the internal organs and provide energy. And nature has also cleverly designed women's bodies to carry almost double the amount of body fat as men because we bear and nourish babies. Fat is the primary energy source our bodies use to support fetal development. Therefore, to keep it available for the developing fetus, our bodies tend to store extra fat in the abs, hips, butt and thighs. Grrrreat!
Unfortunately, we don't have control over where our fat cells decide to swell and shrink, but we can make great strides in helping the cells release fat by exercising.
In order for fat to be metabolized, it must be released from the fat cell and be transported by the bloodstream, where it is shunted to the liver and other active tissues to be used as fuel. Unfortunately, blood flow to fatty tissues is poor compared to the circulation in muscles and organs. So, fat regions tend to remain fat partially due to poor blood circulation. The less circulation-stimulating exercise we perform, the more our bodies are inclined to accumulate fat, although more blame tends to lie with greater food intake.
