BLOG 14 MEN VS WOMEN

BLOG 14 MEN VS WOMEN

Men seem to have the advantage when it comes to weight loss. Why does it appear that men lose weight faster than women?? Even if both genders are hitting the gym, watching what they eat, and overall making better choices, men see results sooner. There are a number of reasons to explain this phenomenon.

To start, men typically weigh more than women. When a person weighs more, their body burns more calories per activity. For example, “A person weighing 155 lbs. can burn approximately 596 calories per hour jogging at 5 miles per hour, but a person weighing 185 lbs. can burn about 710 calories per hour jogging at the same speed” (http://www.livestrong.com/article/413627-why-do-guys-lose-weight-faster-than-girls/).Men also have more muscle, which naturally burns more calories than fat, giving them a higher ratio of muscle-to-fat. Because of testosterone, men build muscle more quickly than women.

On the other hand, “On average, women have between 6 and 11% more body fat than men, an assumed evolutionary adaptation to help during pregnancy. From puberty to menopause, women maintain more average body fat than men -- even when they take in fewer calories. But it's important to remember that "fat" doesn't mean "unhealthy." Yes, women have larger fat stores, but it's part of their physiology, meaning it's not extra weight. So if a woman has 11% more body fat than a man, it doesn't mean she's 11% "fatter." A perfectly fit woman will still hold 6 to 11% more body fat than a perfectly fit man" http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/20/health/upwave-weight-gender/.

Other factors I read about included the amount of time spent in the kitchen (women tend to prepare more food so they nibble more food), and women’s tendency to focus on cardio and not strength training for workouts. Regardless of the reasons, to maintain long lasting results, both parties will have to create sustainable lifestyle changes.

When couples train, it can be frustrating for women to watch their spouse see faster drops in weight even when both parties are doing the exact same routine. This makes me revert back to my emphasis on the power of strength training and my hope that women understand that muscle means healthy. Weight loss and fitness are not a race to win, rather, let’s focus on pacing ourselves, supporting one another, and creating sustainable habits that provide lasting results.