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- 04/24/08: Newsletter
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- 2005: Archives
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06-20-07//Weight loss
Why is it easier for men to lose weight than it is for women?
Chris:
My boyfriend can lie on the couch for months at a time gaining weight and doing little to no physical activity and all he has to do is start working out for a couple of weeks and he will lose 15 pounds. However if I stop working out for a couple of days it takes me 3 times as long to get back in shape. It just inst fair! Why is so much easier for men to lose weight than it is for women? Are there any tricks that will help me level the playing field or will it always be this way? Any help would be appreciated.
Kendra
Kendra:
Great question! There are several things to consider when discussing this issue.
First of all it’s no secret that men naturally have more muscle mass than women and since bigger muscles require more calories for fuel men can drop weight very quickly. As I have explained in my column many times the more muscle mass you have the more calories you will burn even at rest or as you like to refer to it- lying on the couch.
Second of all men generally weigh more than women so they will naturally lose more weight when starting a workout program. For example if you’re boyfriend weighs 200 pounds and he loses 15 pounds he has lost 7 ½ % of his overall weight. If you weigh 140 and you only lose 10 ½ pounds you too have lost 7 ½ percent of you’re body weight. It may appear as if he made more progress than you because he lost more weight but in all reality you made the same gains as he did. That’s why the scale is not always an accurate way to measure success.
Third of all women are supposed to have more body fat than men. It’s the way nature intended it. Biologically women need more body fat to survive pregnancy. Therefore they will naturally have more body fat than the average male. In fact the average female will have some where in the area of 18-22% while the average male will have 12 -15% Sorry Kendra that just the way it is. You are supposed to have more curves than you’re husband does.
Last but not least I believe women are less likely to lift weights than men. Too many women still buy into the myth that lifting weights will make them big and bulky. Therefore they spend most of their time on the cardio deck burning empty calories instead of improving their body composition by adding lean muscle mass. Research has proven that the most effective way to raise you’re metabolism 24 hours a day is you guessed it, weight training.
Therefore I believe the best way to level the playing field is to make sure you include 3-4 days a week of weightlifting to you’re program. Lift first and do cardio after weight training or on days when you are not lifting. Be sure to challenge yourself with enough weight to make you’re muscles burn while maintaining good form.