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

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Replies

  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    Brains burn a lot of calories, don't they?
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    DeguelloTex wrote: »
    Brains burn a lot of calories, don't they?

    Yes they do dear, but don't worry you have height and musculature and that burns some
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    shell1005 wrote: »
    I've never found it harder to lose than men.

    Me neither. But then again, I've never been a man.
  • angelexperiment
    angelexperiment Posts: 1,917 Member
    In the beginning of my journey my husband lost 15 lbs and I lost 0. But now he has gained back all and I am now weighing 10 lbs less than him! He just quit trying but I have continued on. It was frustrating watching someone who did not exercise and stop eating meals lose so fast but in the long run what I do is better for long term habits and goals.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    rabbitjb wrote: »
    DeguelloTex wrote: »
    Brains burn a lot of calories, don't they?

    Yes they do dear, but don't worry you have height and musculature and that burns some

    thumb.gif
  • chaoticdreams
    chaoticdreams Posts: 447 Member
    My husband dropped 61 lbs in three months. I dropped 25 LOL We ate the same diet and he even ate more than me at meals. Shrugs. I don't view it as a race. He does have a good 100lbs more than me too lose too, so that plays a part.
  • msf74
    msf74 Posts: 3,498 Member
    edited October 2015
    flippy1234 wrote: »
    I know our bodies are different, but really, why is it harder for women? Does anyone really know?

    Because they are generally smaller than men. Our bodies aren't really that different.

    OP, you may also find this article of interest:

    Why women lose weight more slowly than men
  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
    I also don't think it's all that useful to make comparisons to others with whatever you try to do in life.

    From the outside, it always looks like other people "have it easier" than us. Their lives seem effortless. But we can't really know what they're going through or how much of a struggle things are for them unless we're living their lives.

    It's easier to stop making assumptions about others, and just focus on our own issues. There's probably someone out there walking around who looks at you with jealousy, thinking it's "so easy" for you. You know better.
  • Dnarules
    Dnarules Posts: 2,081 Member
    rabbitjb wrote: »
    DeguelloTex wrote: »
    Brains burn a lot of calories, don't they?

    Yes they do dear, but don't worry you have height and musculature and that burns some

    LOL. Good one.
  • rankinsect
    rankinsect Posts: 2,238 Member
    amb3rj0y wrote: »
    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... :|

    He didn't really gain or lose that much. Well, he did, but it wasn't fat he gained and lost.

    When you're on a calorie deficit, your body's short term energy stores (glycogen) are always partially depleted, that's what increases fat burning. When you go to a surplus, glycogen fills up as your body stores the surplus.

    A typical person can have 1-1.5 pounds of glycogen, but for each pound, your body must retain four pounds of water to maintain osmolarity (i.e. keep your cells from shrinking or exploding).

    So that's not unusual. Go onto a surplus, fill glycogen stores, retain more water, go onto a deficit, reduce glycogen, expel the water.

  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    edited October 2015
    I think there are significant differences but I wouldn't say it is actually harder for a woman to get to a healthy weight if they know what they are doing.
    The simple truth is that men are larger and have more muscle than women due to the hormone testosterone. They are genetically designed to have a higher percentage of muscle and less fat -- which works in favor of keeping them fit and allowing them to eat more calories.
    from http://www.webmd.com/diet/weight-loss-wars-men-vs-women
    These two factors—more calories burned at rest and more calories burned during activity—make it easier for men to eat more without gaining weight and also to lose weight faster than women of a similar size.
    from http://www.weightwatchers.com/util/art/index_art.aspx?tabnum=1&art_id=35431

    These articles talk about factors other than muscle differences.
    https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/wellness/weight-loss-it-really-is-harder-for-women-research-shows/2014/08/12/0a95c1aa-1d9b-11e4-ab7b-696c295ddfd1_story.html
    http://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/jan2007pg50.shtml
  • Nuke_64
    Nuke_64 Posts: 406 Member
    I'm having a hard time understanding why this would be true except for the issues of the larger amounts of muscle mass men have and their height.

    In the long term, how do hormones effect % body fat? From reading on this site, I understand a little about TOM and water retention but that is not fat. I haven't learned why menopause leads to increase in changes in weight beyond the possible physiological reasons of eating more. I've never seen a TDEE calculator that asked about menopause status.

    Also, women are supposed to have a higher % fat. So in some ways, women have a shorter distance to travel.

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