The real reason Aussie women can’t lose weight

WE’RE quick to blame factors like a slow metabolism or dodgy hormones but we’re ignoring something more obvious.

Data from the Australian Health Survey has revealed why so many women have trouble dropping those extra kilos.

AS women, we can be quick to blame a slow metabolism, dodgy hormones and not enough exercise as key reasons that we cannot lose weight.

All of these factors can directly influence our ability to efficiently burn body fat. On the other hand, we are far less likely to own up to the rather poor food habits that may be contributing to an excessive calorie intake.

Australian women are eating way too much junk food. In fact, data from the Australian Health Survey has shown that Aussie women chow down on 17 serves of discretionary foods (or extra foods we do not need) every single week.

This means that on a daily basis, the average Australian women is eating more than two serves of a type of food that offers little nutritionally other than calories, bad fats, sugars and salt — potato chips, muffins, chocolates, cakes and lollies — foods that once would have been reserved for parties and special occasions. Is it any wonder so many of us are battling weight issues? Here are some of the worst culprits, when we are most likely to indulge in them and how to ultimately cut back, for good.

Alcohol

Hate to break it to you, but booze is a big part of the problem.

On average an Aussie female consumes almost four alcoholic drinks every single week. With a serve of alcohol offering between 100-300 calories, and the calories we are eating at the same time more likely to be stored, is it any wonder that regular drinking is linked to weight gain?

Drinking too much, too often can become a bad habit very quickly. What starts as a single drink each night can become a glass or three every single night along with plenty of unwanted calories. If you know you drink too much, it is time to take stock and limit both the number of nights you drink alcohol as well as the number of drinks in total you consume on each occasion.

Chocolate and lollies

Many people have a weak spot for chocolate.

It may be a row or two of chocolate after dinner; a regular trip to the vending machine to pick up a bar or a handful or two of lollies from the jar at work on a bad day but whatever your lolly and chocolate habit is, we are eating plenty of the sugary stuff with the average women consuming 3.5 serves every single week.

The issue with consuming chocolates and lollies regularly is the more you have, the more you are likely to want thanks to the tempting mix of intense sweetness and/or fat which sees the brain crave more and more intense flavour experiences.

So if you do love a sweet hit every now and again, try and limit yourself to portion controlled serves just once or twice each week.

Cakes and biscuits

The Australian cafe culture has really had a big impact on our food habits with cakes and biscuits the next largest group of discretionary foods Aussie women are enjoying most likely courtesy of banana bread and muffins. It might be a few cheeky chocolate biscuits while you watch your favourite TV show after dinner.

Whatever your preference, the mix of white flour, sugar, vegetable oil and butter does very little for our waistline, blood glucose and insulin levels long term.

Try and leave your coffee as just coffee when you do the morning coffee run and remember if you buy a packet of biscuits, you will eat the entire packet of biscuits so leave these ones at the supermarket or in the biscuit jar at work, where they belong.

Savoury snacks

Steer clear of the corn chips if you want to lose weight.

Anything cheese flavoured and in a crunchy bag will fit into this category whether you are enjoying them in packet form after work; at the pub or at the movies. Similar to the way that fat and sugar interact to tantalise our tastebuds so too does the salt, fat and flavourings found in savoury snacks to see us demolish the entire bag without even realising it. There is very little positive nutritionally you can say about savoury snack foods and a switch to nuts, roasted legumes or vegetable sticks would be much better options nutritionally.

Sugar sweetened drinks

Do yourself a favour and banish soft drink from your diet.

It seems we are just not getting the message when it comes to sugar sweetened drinks — the soft drinks, sports drinks and flavoured iced teas and waters that can pack 30 plus grams of sugar or six teaspoons in a single serve.

Aussie women are still consuming more than 1 serve of these drinks every single week which would somewhat explain why so many of us have insulin resistance, PCOS and Type 2 diabetes.

Sugary drinks are never a good choice. Period. So stop drinking them.

Originally published as The real reason Aussie women can’t lose weight