Another one of life’s great mysteries! Just kidding. In reality, as much as women are going to dislike hearing this, men typically do tend to lose weight at a more rapid pace than women. Of course this could be frustrating for women when men seem to be melting the weight off and they’re doing the same routine and could barely budge the scale. Simply put, men’s bodies respond quicker to exercise. It helps to understand why this happens.
Here are the top three reasons why this happens and they’re mostly physiological.
-The Muscle Factor. Men have more muscle, period. Muscle = metabolism. A little known fact among many people is that the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn, even when you’re sleeping. (That’s why resistance training is far superior to losing fat then cardio, but that’s another article.)
-Women are predisposed to store and retain fat. Women have higher levels of estrogen, a hormone that works to keep the fat on a woman’s body so it’s easier for her to get pregnant. That means women have to work harder to lose weight at the same rate as men.
-Women may have a lower tolerance for exercise. Because women have smaller lung capacity than men, it can make women feel as though they are working harder than men even if the women are working at the same level.
There are excellent reasons behind a woman’s tendency to store fat. After all, being a mother is not an insignificant event. But this doesn’t mean that women can’t get their metabolisms revving and in an ideal fat burning state. Because everyone’s metabolism is different, regardless of gender, you should avoid comparing yourself to others. Gender, genes and hormones all play a role in the process. Man or woman, don’t feel bad when the pounds aren’t just melting off.
Consistency is key. Make sure you resistance train at least 3 times a week. Make wise, healthy, supportive nutritional decisions and the weight will come off. If you’re looking for the quick fix, you’re bound to be disappointed. Remember, you need to be in it for the long haul. Your health and fitness goals need to be a lifestyle, not a fad.