Why is it generally harder for women than men to lose weight?

flippy1234

I know our bodies are different, but really, why is it harder for women? Does anyone really know?

segacs

I don't actually think that's true, to be honest.

Men tend to have higher overall mass and higher muscle mass than women. So, pound for pound of total body weight, they have higher BMRs and burn more calories through exercise. Also, most restaurant portions are better suited to them than they are to us, especially to those of us women who are on the smaller side. So it may seem easier for men to lose weight.

On the other hand, we women have some advantages, too. For one thing, it's more societally acceptable for us to be watching our weight, "dieting" (I hate that term but you know what I mean), or counting calories. A lot of men doing those things try to hide the fact that they're doing them for fear of judgment. Also, on average, men tend to eat higher-sodium, higher-fat diets with fewer vegetables. While there are no 'good foods' or 'bad foods' when it comes to losing weight, it is a statistical fact that women live longer, and our relatively heart-healthier food habits are probably a contributing factor.

Finally, while men might lose quicker in absolute terms, often women are losing just as quickly or quicker in relative terms (as percentage of body weight lost per week as opposed to pounds lost per week).

IMHO: Don't compare. Do what works for you and the rest will follow.

fitzman84

Amount of muscle and hormones... testosterone specifically. Men have much more of both.

healthygreek

I think it's because men have more muscle and also perhaps hormonal issues.

SimoneBee12

Well, I mean, I didn't look anything up, but logically, and evolutionarily, women need more fat on their bodies to menstruate, carry a child, lactate, etc. compared with a man. So we just naturally hold onto it longer. Hence why women are generally shorter and have a higher body fat %, so we burn fewer calories and can save them for other needs which are crucial to the survival of our offspring.

That's what I always thought, but I'm sure someone will link a more scientific explanation with some evidence to support it.

AdamImadA

And men complain about it less?

yarwell

Women tend not to eat less as their TDEE would suggest they should, hence often have lower deficits I suspect.

amb3rj0y

I am not sure but I can defiantly see it between me and my boyfriend. We are losing weight together and I know for a fact I am more physically active than he is, and make better food choices. Though he consistently loses faster than I do. Also last week he completely went overboard and back to his old eating habits and gained around 4 lbs. yesterday he weighed himself and was down 5 lbs, after a couple days of eating at his deficient...

Orione2

Hormones a d evolution. Otherwise why would menopause make such a difference? Either way womwn are designed to store fat or otherwize your fertility would be compromised. Evolution has programmed us into a breeding machine whilst the men are fun bunnies. Its your genes just trying to replicate for the next 100000 generations.

VykkDraygoVPR

Yeah. Pretty much all of the above.

Being a large man (over 6' tall), I can easily create a huge calorie deficit with out dropping my calories very low. I eat 2100 calories a day (gross), and still maintain a 1000 calorie deficit. I also don't have to deal with so many hormonal fluctuations causing water weight.

Obviously, that will change as I get closer to goal, but it will still be easier for me to maintain a larger deficit than most women.

Yi5hedr3

That's easy! Hormones!!!

daniwilford

I have two good male friends, technically one is a relative, that started MFP about the same time I did. They can eat way more than I do and lose weight because of greater body mass. My male relative is 10 inches taller than I am. He can walk a mile in fewer steps than I can, too. But when it comes to weight loss, they have to create the same deficit to lose the same pounds as I do. My male friend was losing at about the same percentage of body weight that I am, about 1% per week. My male relative is less comfortable with that rate of loss. If you look strictly at total pounds lost, my male friend has lost the most, I am in the middle, and my male relative has lost the least. Why is the tallest male losing the slowest? Because he has a lower deficit then we do. If you ask him, he will say it is more difficult for him than me.

eDonatti

Hormones I think - muscle mass has relatively lower impact as only around 20% of the energy (calories) is used by whole muscle mass. Basically the same percentage as brain on it's own. So I'm guessing hormones are here to blame (or thank for).

BurnWithBarn2015

There are a couple of reasons why woman dont lose less but in a different way ( more fluctuations) than men. So not even less weight but they lose weight different.

1. Hormones
2. Muscle mass

for example

Most men have more muscle so they burn more. ( a lot of men but not all!)
Woman have their hormones which can cause ( i say can because not all women have this) fluctuate more around TOM days ovulation etc.

still all with all it is a matter of how big your deficit is. And every person is different. There are many factors that determent how you lose weight.
As long as you create a deficit so eat less calories than you burn, you will lose weight.

flippy1234

All really great responses.

Francl27

Those pesky hormones.

kshama2001

I wonder if societal acceptance (in the US at least) for women to go a little nuts at TOM creates a self fulfilling prophecy. Menstruation was never a big deal with my mother and other female family members, and possibly thus not for me (until I developed a large fibroid.)

Now that I'm tracking, I notice my appetite goes up a bit, but only a few hundred calories worth. I wonder if I had had female role models who #ateallthethings at TOM if I would have developed the same habit and thought it normal.

Merkavar

Has there been any large studies into this? Seems it's all from personal experience etc

I would suspect it comes from the fluctuations women have.

Like a guy loses consistently each week for months while the women gains, loses, maintains etc because of water weight. Tom etc

And since people seem to only remember bad times, they remember every week where the guy lost more but forget about the weeks where they lost as much or more than the guy.

Does that make sense.

Merkavar

Could it also be to do with men and women both create the same deficits?

Men being bigger on average etc they create a 500 cal deficit to lose 1 pound a week.

A smaller women creates the same deficit and loses 1 pound a week but finds it harder.

Could that be because % of body weight wise the women is losing 10% more than the guy?

Just plucking numbers out of the air here.

msiamjan

Most likely it is due to a government conspiracy.

scolaris

Take comfort in the fact that we live longer... Nyaaaaa nya nya

scolaris

Also: cooties. Just a guess, mind you... But as known carriers of cooties immunosupressed males are more frail. Hence, easier weight loss.

daniwilford

http://kff.org/other/state-indicator/adult-overweightobesity-rate-by-gender/ In the US men are more likely to be over weight than women. Good thing it is easier for them, if it really is...

Francl27

kshama2001 wrote: »

I wonder if societal acceptance (in the US at least) for women to go a little nuts at TOM creates a self fulfilling prophecy. Menstruation was never a big deal with my mother and other female family members, and possibly thus not for me (until I developed a large fibroid.)

Now that I'm tracking, I notice my appetite goes up a bit, but only a few hundred calories worth. I wonder if I had had female role models who #ateallthethings at TOM if I would have developed the same habit and thought it normal.

Not really. TOM has never affected me, apart from the cramps. It's the hormonal change before TOM (a week before) that's hard on me (moreso since I lost the weight) because I'm very sensitive to hormonal changes. But TOM itself is nothing, apart from the cramps, but I've been drugging myself to get rid of those for as long as I can remember, lol.

ETA: it had no impact on my weight loss because it only started when I got within 5 pounds of my goal weight. The only thing that my cycle impacted was the weight on the scale, as I would stall every month for 2-3 weeks - which might be what discourages a lot of women and makes it seem 'harder'.

Unknown

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jgnatca

....but the guys are more likely to keel over from a heart attack. I think the woman's tendency to hang on to a little fat is a perfectly acceptable survival tactic, especially in times of famine.

Not that we worry about that as much these days.

Hubby just has to glance at the weight bench and his muscles pop. It's so unfair.

senecarr

I think hormones is less of it than it is given credit for. I don't think obesity or overweight is shockingly different in traditional cultures.
As was said, portion sizes are often sold in sizes that work more for men - women have to scale down what they eat instead of men having to scale up.
Women have traditionally been discouraged from being competitive in sports, and women are not as likely to use physical activity as a recreational activity as a result.
Women have traditionally been taught to be afraid of intentionally gaining muscle for fear of looking masculine.

jgnatca

Let me introduce you to my tall, athletic boss. She plays hockey goalie for recreation. Weight has started to be a problem.

eDonatti

msiamjan wrote: »

Most likely it is due to a government conspiracy.

That! ))

Sued0nim

daniwilford wrote: »

I have two good male friends, technically one is a relative, that started MFP about the same time I did. They can eat way more than I do and lose weight because of greater body mass. My male relative is 10 inches taller than I am. He can walk a mile in fewer steps than I can, too. But when it comes to weight loss, they have to create the same deficit to lose the same pounds as I do. My male friend was losing at about the same percentage of body weight that I am, about 1% per week. My male relative is less comfortable with that rate of loss. If you look strictly at total pounds lost, my male friend has lost the most, I am in the middle, and my male relative has lost the least. Why is the tallest male losing the slowest? Because he has a lower deficit then we do. If you ask him, he will say it is more difficult for him than me.

Nailed it

Also perception, because it appears that more women, and there are men that do this too, get emotionally tied into food rather than focusing on the scientific principle of it's just calories

I'm a woman, I found it really easy. As did a number of my female MFP friends. There are men on here who whine constantly about how hard it is ...it's self perception too IMO

jenn10302001

I think it's just generally easier for most men to create a deficit. Before I really paid attention to CICO, I would get really frustrated, because my husband could easily drop 7 lbs in a week and I would lose maybe 1 eating basically the same healthy foods. He's a 6'5 and I'm 5'4. Now I realize how different our calorie needs are and it makes a lot more sense to me.