Have you ever wondered why women tend to put on weight so easily and then find it hard to lose it unlike men?

Some experts may have reasons why this is so.

Because men tend to have more muscle than women, and because muscle burns more calories than fat, men tend to have a faster metabolism, too — anywhere between 3 to 10 percent higher than women.

Also when it comes to food, there is evidence that men and women’s brains are wired differently. This is because a woman’s hormones may play a huge role in how much she eats. A 2013 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition established that women are more commonly emotional eaters than men.

Many women also tend to gain weight as soon as they get into a relationship with men or get married because they start eating as much and as often as their male partners.

Not to forget some women tend to gain a lot of weight during childbirth and most times this weight is very hard to lose.

If you find yourself struggling to lose weight then the following tips may prove useful to you.

●Start strength training. Muscle burns more calories than fat, even when at rest. To maintain your strength, do a strength-training routine twice a week — three times per week if you want to improve your strength.

●Put tempting foods out of sight, out of mind. We naturally gravitate toward foods that are easiest to reach. So put sweets, plantain chips, chocolates away or  behind something else so you’ll be less likely to go get it.

Then put smarter choices, such as fresh fruit or popcorn, where they’re visible and within arm’s reach.

●Personalize your portions. If you’re a woman eating with a man, customize your portions to suit your body’s needs. That might mean more vegetables and smaller servings of protein and foods with starch and fat. 

●Halt bad eating habits. Before you begin to eat fatty or high calorie foods, hit the pause button. Ask yourself: “Am I hungry? Angry? Anxious? Lonely? Tired?” If you can understand why you feel the need to reach for unhealthy food, you can address the issue instead of putting food in your mouth.

●Sleep. Ideally, get seven to eight hours of sleep each night, no less than six. Compromising sleep will cause your appetite and hunger hormones to get out of sync and prompt you to overeat.

●Plan ahead. Always pack your own “safe” and tasty foods when you’re away from home so you’re not prone to eating unhealthful foods — or oversized portions — because that’s all that’s available.

●Don’t get too hungry. Eat every three to four hours. If you’re too hungry, you’re more likely to cave to cues and triggers that cause you to overeat, Peeke says.

●Get active. Avoid staying in one place all day long. Walk, stand and move around as much as possible to increase the secretion of mood modulator hormones such as serotonin, endorphins and dopamine. Simple moderate-intensity activities such as walking will help rein in appetite and help you stay energized.