Do men have it easier?

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korgscrew
korgscrew Posts: 99 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
having had a read round here since starting and noticed that 90% plateaus, weight gains etc are xoming from the female side.

Now either not alot of guys are posting on here, or it's easier for men to lose weight! I have heard this before.

Any thoughts?

Replies

  • JessesGirl05
    JessesGirl05 Posts: 253
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    I dont think as many men post on here as women.
  • korgscrew
    korgscrew Posts: 99 Member
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    I dont think as many men post on here as women.

    When I first read that I read it the wrong way!

    I read it as you saying not as many men come on here posting as women XD
  • rosec005
    rosec005 Posts: 67 Member
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    I read somewhere that it has something to do with where men and women carry their fat. I can't remember technical terms, but one type of fat is just below the skin and the other is between the organs. I think (THINK) women normally have it below the skin, which is supposedly harder to lose. Also, men don't get raging hormones, insane cravings and bloating 7 days a month.
  • JessesGirl05
    JessesGirl05 Posts: 253
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    I dont think as many men post on here as women.

    When I first read that I read it the wrong way!

    I read it as you saying not as many men come on here posting as women XD
    Ha ha! Sorry. It's 2:30 am...I should probably put a disclaimer in my posts! ;-)
  • sushilicious
    sushilicious Posts: 53
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    There definitely is more women posting here than male. Regarding the plateaus, maybe that'd have something to do with how males are more inclined to lift weights (heavier as a plateau reaches) while ( generalizing, sorry! ;D ) most women aren't. But again it could just be a sample bias because surely the female population here is far greater than the other...
  • Aesop101
    Aesop101 Posts: 758 Member
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    I don't know, I'm a man and have plateaus. Way too many. Mostly though I can associate them with what I ate the week before.

    I do wonder why a woman the same height and weight needs less calories to lose the same amount of weight?

    There have been women on this board who have lost weight faster than me though.
  • Janet39
    Janet39 Posts: 280 Member
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    Men have higher muscle mass as a general rule so are able to burn more cals per day hence the 2000cal average for a female to maintain weight, and 2500cal for a male to maintain weight. So they have more room for calorie adjustments.

    We ladies have less muscle mass, and a lower BMR ( Base Metabolic Rate = the rate calories are burned at rest to fuel basic functions) so we burn less calories. It is important to up the exercise level, to increase the metabolic rate. Once raised it will stay elevated for up to 24 hrs, and will burn at a higher level of calories.

    If we don't keep challenging our bodies there is a risk of a platau, as the body adapts quite readily to the reduced food and extra exercise.

    Women also have the whole hormonal thing going on. I find that due to this the scales do not move at certain times of the month, but clothes become looser, then the weight catches up later.
  • shadow3829
    shadow3829 Posts: 103 Member
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    I don't know about plateaus, But yes they have it easier, in my opinion. They are not designed to carry extra fat like women and they require more calories than women. My BF and I were doing BMR the other night. We are the same age and about the same bodyfat%. His BMR is 600 calories higher than mine. That almost a whole meal or 4 beers. :)
  • xraychick77
    xraychick77 Posts: 1,775 Member
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    of course..its true.

    they have different hormones..we have a lot of estrogen...which is designed to hold onto fat.
  • Aesop101
    Aesop101 Posts: 758 Member
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    of course..its true.

    they have different hormones..we have a lot of estrogen...which is designed to hold onto fat.

    Women's fat cells are also four times as large as men's I heard. So I think, we men have no excuse to be fat. LOL. Yet here I am.
  • lacroyx
    lacroyx Posts: 5,754 Member
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    there's men on here? bah fairy tales I say! :noway:
  • spritie
    spritie Posts: 167
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    Men and women do store fat in different areas, and different area's loose weight at faster or slower levels (I'll skip the complicated technical talk).

    It's less under the skin fat and organ fat, and more women store 'generally' in the lower abdomen, thighs, bottom and upper arms. While men store mainly in the abdomen.

    There is also the testosterone/estrogen issue as someone mentioned.

    Men of the same size also do commonly have greater fat free mass than women of the same size.

    Emotional eating/hormones are also less likely to contribute to males weight less journey.

    Depending on their level off fullness all fat storage cells are the same size regardless of gender.

    Also there are always exceptions to generalisations such as these.
  • 4theking
    4theking Posts: 1,196 Member
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    Yes
  • gog427
    gog427 Posts: 82
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    Yes
    Ditto!"We're men, men in tights!' "Tight!" tights!"
  • hewhoiscd
    hewhoiscd Posts: 1,029 Member
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    It's harder than you think eating ~3,000 *healthy* calories a day. I often wish these days that I could eat less, make life easier and cheaper, that's for sure. So, in that respect, we don't have it easier :D

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