Women and Weight Loss: Why Men Have The Edge in the Battle of the Bulge

For years, some have speculated that men and women lose weight at different rates. Well, now there’s scientific research showing that men and women do seem to lose weight differently, with men losing weight faster and easier than women. If you’re still fighting the battle of the bulge, here’s what you need to know…

 

What The Research Says

Some new research suggests that women have a harder time losing weight than men. Why? Part of it has to do with food preferences, according to Katherine Tallmadge, author of Diet Simple. Men are more likely to eat meat, while women are carb lovers. This doesn’t mean that women are necessarily carboholics or that men never get fat from eating too much fatty meat.

What it means is that men get a leg-up on fat loss because high protein diets make it easier to lose weight. Men tend not to think much about nutrition, but then they do, they tend to do well with it. Their bodies are also storehouses of testosterone. And, nothing makes it easier to lose weight than testosterone (at least, for men).

Men also have larger muscle mass, on average, than women, making it easier for them to lose weight, since muscle requires more calories to maintain than fat.

Finally, there’s the effect of different hormones in the body. In women, a hormone called ghrelin spikes in females after a hard workout. This hormone tells the brain “I’m hungry.” In men, it’s the opposite. Leptin spikes, which tells men “I’m full.”

Because of these hormonal differences, women are more likely to overeat after a workout and gain more weight as a result.

 

You Need To Train With Heavy Weights

To combat these inherent differences between men and women, you need to train differently. Women tend to be drawn to light weights in the gym. Some even prefer no weightlifting at all – opting for constant cardio. They’re afraid to lift heavy weights because they don’t want to bulk up.

Stop. Women find it almost impossible to bulk regardless of their lifting pattern and routine because they lack the testosterone to do so. And, heavy lifting has repeatedly been shown to build dense muscle, myofibrillar hypertrophy, as opposed to the “bulky” muscles called “sarcoplasmic hypertrophy.”

So, the worst you’ll do is get strong, dense, lean muscle by lifting heavy weights.

 

Time Your Meals

Other research shines light on meal timing. While many people don’t consider this variable, it’s important, and it’s been shown to affect weight loss. Mice that were fed within an 8-hour window lost more weight than mice that were not. Conclusion? It may help to fast for 16 hours a day and eat for only 8 hours.

 

Find A Diet That Works

Some diets are easier to stick with than others. Low carb or no carb diets can be the most painful, especially if you are addicted to carbs, however The Dukan Diet is easy to stick with and effective! I lost 18 pounds in 8 weeks on the Dukan Diet and I never felt hungry. I also liked the Dukan Diet because the amount of exercise that is required is easy to stick to and painless to incorporate in most busy schedules.

Check out The Dukan Diet Made Easy on Amazon.

 

Dealing With The After-Effects

When you lose weight, one of the unfortunate side-effects is that you may experience a decrease in breast size. It’s not something most people talk about. Fortunately, it’s not something you have to live with. If you want to learn more about breast augmentation from a specialist, click here.

And, while it’s not necessary to have breast augmentation, many women find it helps with their self-image and self-esteem. Isn’t that what losing weight is all about?

 

GUEST BLOGGER: Dr. Kevin Ruhge is a member of the surgical staff at Huntington Hospital, Huntington Outpatient Surgery Center and the Arcadia Outpatient Surgery Center. An experienced plastic surgeon, he believes everyone should feel comfortable in their own skin. You can find his informative articles on a variety of today’s best websites and blogs.