There's a gender difference in losing weight

From the Charleston, WV Newspaper Website

There are a variety of excuses as to why losing weight can be a daunting challenge for women. But women can and do lose weight.

By Cindy Boggs

CHARLESTON, W.Va. --

Dear Cindy,
Why is it that men can lose weight faster than women? When my husband and I diet, we eat the same foods and it falls off of him. With me, I am lucky to lose half of what he does. We both exercise. I walk every evening (briskly) and he doesn't work out at all except that his work (he's is a contractor) does keep him active. I am so frustrated with my results. Can you help? -- Jill

Dear Jill,

Your question reminds me of a commercial I've seen depicting dieting cartoon male and female figures. She complains that when her husband diets, he becomes a stick figure and she basically stays the same. It is frustrating to witness men and women on the same weight-loss program with equal dedication turn out very different degrees of success.

But there are several reasonable explanations for the inconsistency in weight loss between men and women. To lose weight, you have to create a negative calorie balance - you must expend more than you consume.

Reason No. 1: You mention you are eating the same foods and dieting together. This is significant because most men are taller and weigh more than their female counterparts. There is a big difference between a 6-foot-2-inch, 300-pound man and a 5-foot-5-inch, 180-pound woman in terms of calorie needs. If they eat the same portions of the same foods, it makes sense that the man will lose weight faster than the woman. A smaller person requires smaller portions.

Reason No. 2: Men naturally have more lean muscle and are able to build more muscle mass because of higher levels of the hormone testosterone. Men are genetically blessed to shed weight faster and easier than women. Testosterone plays an important role in weight loss because it enables men to produce muscle, which is metabolically active tissue. This active tissue increases metabolism, which in turn burns more calories as rest - an average of 15 percent more! Build muscle to raise your resting metabolic rate.

Reason No. 3: Women naturally have more estrogen, which enables women to store fat. They also have less muscle tissue, and that makes shedding pounds a little harder. Women need to change the way they work out. Include a healthy dose of strength training on a regular basis to burn more calories.

Reason No. 4: Studies show that men can lose weight by exercising without reducing calories. Women, on the other hand, have difficulty losing weight without dieting even if they increase the amount of exercise substantially.

Reason No. 5: Men typically aren't yo-yo dieters. Women diet much more than men and this slows metabolism and disturbs hormone production, which can promote the storage of fat.
Obviously there are a variety of excuses as to why losing weight can be a daunting challenge for women. But women can and do lose weight. We must be mindful of the amount of calories we eat, which means watching portion size. When dieting, we need to eat nutritious foods that keep our bodies supplied with the energy it requires to stay physically active.
Although it seems your husband is not exercising, he is lifting, pushing, pulling and challenging his muscles on a daily basis. That is keeping his muscles strong and gives him the edge over your daily walks with regard to weight loss.
It makes little sense to diet without exercising because exercise is what will leave you with a strong, healthy physique eager to burn more calories once the weight is lost. Dieting without physical activity is more difficult and leaves you with a thinner yet saggy frame primed to burn fewer calories than it did when you began.
Seems like an easy choice for us to make - eat nutritious foods and plan to participate in regular exercise including strength training to achieve the energetic body you desire. Get busy with some weights or bodyweight exercises - push-ups, squats, lunges, pull-ups - and you'll start realizing some results.
Let's forget about all the reasons weight loss is easier for men and instead think in terms of outsmarting our systems. By understanding how our bodies work, we can go about the business of being our personal best.

Cindy Boggs has been an ACE-certified coordinator/instructor since 1989. Send your questions about fitness, training or health to YMCA of Kanawha Valley, 100 YMCA Drive, Charleston, WV 25311, or e-mail cindys...@aol.com. Look for Cindy's fitness advice book, "CindySays ... You Can Find Health in Your Hectic World" on her Web site www.cindysays.com or contact the YMCA at 340-3527.