Women are more likely to carry extra weight around their middle than men – it’s a fact. This is especially true of women who have had children. Naturally, women carry the extra fat for one reason and one reason only, and that is so that they can sustain and nurture a pregnancy. The extra fat also acts as a protective layer around the baby to prevent damage to the fetus in case of a knock or fall.

Women are disadvantaged when it comes to winning the war on fat loss – take a man and a woman of similar size and weight and put them through the same diet and fitness program. Men will ALWAYS lose more than women, and this is because of our biological disadvantage in the weight loss department.

But, losing weight need not be hard. Here are some fat loss tips for women, especially to help them shift those muffin tops:

* decrease the amount of carbohydrates you are consuming. Cut down on bread, sugar, white flour,pasta, rice, potatoes

* decrease the amount of starchy carbs too – rice and bananas are a good example

* increase the amount of water you drink – aim for 8-10 glasses a day

* get into the habit of eating at least one carb free meal a day

* decrease the amount of fat in your diet – in processed food, look for food with less than 3g of fat per 100g (3% fat)

* increase the amount of fresh fruit and veg and cook healthy every time

* stick to fat free cooking methods such as boiling, steaming, roasting and grilling

* if you have to use fat, use an oil spray such as fry light

* stick to wholewheat and wholegrain carbs and small portions. Think one wholemeal bread slice instead of two slices of white bread and use low fat spread

* aim for at least 20 mins cardio three times a week – anything from a power walk to a swim

* do at least 3 weight training sessions a week – stick to weights in the region of 2-5lbs only

* walk more and use the car less

* take the stairs!

* drink green tea as much as possible in place of normal tea

As you can see, the above tips are quite simple, there is nothing complicated about them. A proper diet and fitness plan will have you well on your way to looking gorgeous in record time.

You do have to be dedicated and work at it though, and the occasional slip up will not wreck your efforts. Think of it like this, as long as you work at it 80% of the time, you can afford to have the odd day off. My personal advice is to do one of two things. Firstly, you could eat healthily all week and save yourself one day a week where you are allowed to eat what you like as long as a) you watch your portion size and b) you have a workout. This cheat day will then become something you look forward to as a treat for all the hard work.

Alternatively, you can schedule three cheat meals a week – you may decide you want a cheat breakfast on Sunday, and cheat lunch on Monday and a cheat dinner on Friday. This way you do not feel deprived, and you do not feel the need to cheat all the time. Just make sure you stick to small portions and workout, you will be fine.