Hubby losing faster that I am :-(

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JeanRosamundBostock
JeanRosamundBostock Posts: 4
in Introduce Yourself
Hi everyone, this is my first time posting, joined 13th October, and am finding myfitnesspal amazingly helpful.
I've lost 7lbs in 4 weeks, and felt pleased, but it seems to be slowing right down, only lost 1lb since last week.
My husband has also been dieting, with my help, as I use my calorie count for him, as we eat more or less the same food, and I allow a bit extra for him, as he started at 15st 4lbs and is 6ft, (I'm 5ft and started at 11st 7lbs ) The annoying thing is, although I am very pleased for him, he has lost 16lbs in the same period! :mad: I am so envious. What can I do to speed my weight loss up? I have gradually increased exercise over this time, and am always active. Any thoughts?
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Replies

  • YouHadMyCuriosity
    YouHadMyCuriosity Posts: 218 Member
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    My best advice? Don't compare your weight loss to anyone! We all have different bodies- male or female, more or less body fat, different metabolisms, different physical capabilities. For example, my husband is an extremely fit man. Due to his job, he HAS to be physically fit to the point of excellence. I, on the other hand, am one of the least fit people I know, for being in a "healthy" weight range. If we both wanted to lose 10lbs, it would probably take him half the time it would take me, simply because he has the physical capability to work out WAY more, and still eat WAY more than me in the process.

    7 lbs in 4 weeks is AMAZING. 1lb per week is amazing. Slow weight loss tends to be the weight loss that is best maintained, from my understanding. I would advise you not to worry about speeding your weight loss up... you are already losing at a great pace. Focus on what you are doing for YOU, and celebrate your accomplishments, without comparing them to anyone else. Your accomplishments are AWESOME, and you should feel very proud of yourself!
  • TheRunnerDad
    TheRunnerDad Posts: 33 Member
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    The fact is, men typically lose weight a lot faster than women. But as the previous poster said, don't compare weight loss to others. Just focus on your own progress.
  • JeanRosamundBostock
    JeanRosamundBostock Posts: 4
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    Thank you so much for your encouragement, I shall take your advice and soldier on :happy:
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
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    Stop comparing yourself to your husband! Men generally lose faster than women, it's just how it is. They tend to have more muscle mass than us (and therefore burn more calories at rest), different hormones (they tend to have higher metabolisms and we tend to retain water during our monthly cycle), etc, etc etc.

    Just be happy for him and be happy that you're losing at a nice healthy pace for you! Congrats on a great start!
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
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    1. Men lose faster than women (in general, not always.)

    2. He weighs much more than you, which means he will be able to lose more safely.

    3. If you are eating the same calorie count, he will lose much faster as 99% of the time men will have a much faster metabolism than women, meaning he has a much larger calorie deficit.

    4. You shouldn't think about speeding up your weight loss, you should most likely plan to slow his weight loss down, as losing more than 1-2 pounds a week is not sustainable, and will usually lead to gaining the weight back after resuming normal eating.
  • w2bab
    w2bab Posts: 353 Member
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    My husband dropped 100 lbs in just under 5 months. FIVE MONTHS! Men usually lose faster than women. I very lovingly encourage him and tell him he sucks. He's been maintaining since June, and I'm still struggling to lose that last 25 lbs.
  • SkinnyMel78
    SkinnyMel78 Posts: 434 Member
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    Don't compare your weight loss to his. Guys lose weight faster! Keep pushing and the weight will come off, don't give up!!!
  • AmykinsCatfood
    AmykinsCatfood Posts: 599 Member
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    There's a scientific reason for this- men's fat cells are shaped in such a way that makes losing fat easier for them. Men's cells are diamond shaped and ours are square. The square shape doesn't lend itself to shrinking in the way the diamond shape does. Men's muscle mass also plays a role. Muscle allows for a quicker calorie burn, so if you want to start losing quickly start working on building muscle mass!
  • bjshields
    bjshields Posts: 677 Member
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    Start lifting weights and stop comparing yourself to your hubby. Your hubby has more testosterone than you and also naturally more muscle mass than you bc of this. You can change your body -- not necessarily the scale -- tremendously by lifting weights. Pick a pair of pants or a skirt that's tight and use it as your gauge. Good luck & don't give up! :smile:
  • SkinnyBubbaGaar
    SkinnyBubbaGaar Posts: 389 Member
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    .
    I've lost 7lbs in 4 weeks, and felt pleased.

    Focus on this. That's huge. Keep yourself motivated for the long-term and stay committed and consistent. Just imagine where you will be after 4 months? after 1 year?

    Pretty exciting, isn't it?
  • jmcreynolds91
    jmcreynolds91 Posts: 777 Member
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    You just have to take it slow and be patient. I was on MFP for about 90 days, then my hubby decided he wanted to loose weight from seeing my weight loss. I was loosing about 2 pounds a week as I was heavy. So I got him hooked up with MFP and he started loosing like crazy! Sometimes, 7 pounds a week. And he was only like 190 so not that big. I was so jealous of his weight loss, but his job is very strenuous so he could eat alot more than me and still loose. We went on for about a month, him loosing every week. Finally, he reached his goal weight and below and started maintaining. It took him a while to find maintaining because he keep loosing with his job. I always told him I would pass him up. We kind of used it as a competition, but always keeping it nice. lol He is 147 and I am 138 right now. And I plan on getting to 130 so just a little further. Men loose faster, and can burn fat at a faster rate. That's all there is to it. You will get there, it just takes patience. Just keep on keeping on and those small successes will add up.
  • taxmom9093
    taxmom9093 Posts: 1,296 Member
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    I know it's difficult when your husband loses faster than you. My husband lost 20 lbs in 3 weeks while it took me almost 5 months to lose the same amount. :frown: But, as a 5ft2 woman, I will never lose weight quickly if I plan to keep it off. The good news is we are both keeping the weight off and continuing to get closer to our healthy weight. I'm still getting used to the idea that losing 1/2 to 1 lb a week is good enough and, if I have a week where the scale doesn't move, that's OK too. You have made great progress so far. :flowerforyou: Keep at it and you will succeed.
  • acogg
    acogg Posts: 1,870 Member
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    What everyone else said, plus he is a foot taller. Tall people burn more calories than short people because it takes more calories to maintain a larger mass of body parts.
  • delicious_cocktail
    delicious_cocktail Posts: 5,797 Member
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    There's a scientific reason for this- men's fat cells are shaped in such a way that makes losing fat easier for them. Men's cells are diamond shaped and ours are square. The square shape doesn't lend itself to shrinking in the way the diamond shape does. Men's muscle mass also plays a role. Muscle allows for a quicker calorie burn, so if you want to start losing quickly start working on building muscle mass!

    I have never heard this theory before. I always understood fat cells to be literally identical between the genders.
  • JenniBaby85
    JenniBaby85 Posts: 855 Member
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    I think it's a guy thing :tongue: . I wouldn't be envious, but I understand, my hubby can lose weight by just cutting sugar out of his coffee. Me, not so much. I'm just glad he's healthy and he's lost weight on what I cook. So I know I'm doing something right :laugh:
  • nikilis
    nikilis Posts: 2,305 Member
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    forget about it. eat well. live your life. true story.
  • LunaInverse
    LunaInverse Posts: 109 Member
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    Why are you comparing your weight loss to him?? Everyone is on their own weightloss journey, and everyone interacts with diet and exercise differently. I really wouldn't worry about it.
  • Cranquistador
    Cranquistador Posts: 39,744 Member
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    There's a scientific reason for this- men's fat cells are shaped in such a way that makes losing fat easier for them. Men's cells are diamond shaped and ours are square. The square shape doesn't lend itself to shrinking in the way the diamond shape does. Men's muscle mass also plays a role. Muscle allows for a quicker calorie burn, so if you want to start losing quickly start working on building muscle mass!

    I have never heard this theory before. I always understood fat cells to be literally identical between the genders.
    my cells are J shaped...i am unique
  • firstsip
    firstsip Posts: 8,399 Member
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    There's a scientific reason for this- men's fat cells are shaped in such a way that makes losing fat easier for them. Men's cells are diamond shaped and ours are square. The square shape doesn't lend itself to shrinking in the way the diamond shape does. Men's muscle mass also plays a role. Muscle allows for a quicker calorie burn, so if you want to start losing quickly start working on building muscle mass!

    Mine are actually all heart shaped. FLUSH BABY.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    You may want to feed him even more, 4lbs/week is really fast, much too fast actually, unless there was a big water weight loss in the first week or 2. Loosing too fast will end up having a larger % of the loss coming from lean muscle instead of fat.

    If the amount you are looking at losing on your ticker is accurate, you should only have a weekly weight loss goal of 1lb/week, as too large of a deficit will lead to a larger % loss of lean muscle. I suggest you set your goal to lose 1lb/week, and be happy with your loss of almost 2lbs/week up until now.

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