A few days ago, Jack Sh*t called me out on whining about how much easier it is for men to lose weight than women. Well, Jack, weight loss may be hard for everyone, but be happy you're a man.
Women and men naturally have different fat to muscle ratios. Basically, we're still built on the model in use back in the Stone Age. Men need more muscle to run after animals and beat them to death so that we can have to meat to survive and women need more fat to be fertile and make the babies that will eventually grow up and slaughter animals or make babies...and the cycle of life continues.
Sadly, for we of the baby making sex, muscle burns more calories than fat. So, not only are men usually bigger than women and therefore able to eat more calories, but pound for pound, they're also burning more calories due to their higher muscle mass. That's the bottom line.
To lose weight more easily, women not only have to cut consume less energy, but also have to make an additional effort to build more muscle. Furthermore, hormonal changes during menopause also add to the weight loss challenge. There's a plethora of literature on menopause and weight gain on the Internet--enough to make any woman turn to chocolate for solace.
So when a man tell me how easy it was for him to lose weight once he started ...ing or ...ing or just cutting out eating junk food, the best I can do is smile wanly and go back to my free weights.
So True! Its a good thing women are stubborn and don't give up easily.
ReplyDeleteI watch what I eat and exercise 5 days a week. (Soon to be 6 days)
I'm 45 years old and the weight is coming off slower then molasses.
Mu hubby, same age, can make one or two small changes and his weight drops like a surgeon came in over night and suctioned the fat out.
Ticks me off at times!
Would it surprise you to learn that over 1,000 respected international scientists and researchers came to the conclusion that it is EXACTLY the same for men and women to lose weight?
ReplyDeleteThere, I think I made my point...
I made that up, but again... I think I made my point.
ReplyDeleteGreat post - you make the case for resistance training for women very eloquently!
ReplyDeleteJack . . . methinks you *miss* the point. While it may be true that if a 200 lb man and a 200 lb woman, of equal height and equally active, each generate a 3,500 calorie deficit, they will each lose 1 lb of fat. The woman, however, must eat fewer calories in order to generate that deficit. In our food-abundant society, that makes it more difficult for women to lose weight.
Who didn't already know that. Honestly - who didn't know that!!!
ReplyDelete