Why It's Harder For Women To Lose Weight Compared To Men
By: Your JNH Lifestylist
Aren't you tired of eating healthy and exercising but not seeing the results you want? Meanwhile, your significant other puts in the same effort you do, or maybe even less and he loses a inches from his waist every week. Unfortunately, we have a sad fact of life for you: it's harder for women to lose weight than it is for men. Frustrating, right? You can be on the same weight loss plan than your significant other, and he is still going to lose more weight than you. In this article you will learn the reasoning behind this and what you can do to lose weight despite this disadvantage.
Blame It On Your Body Composition
According to scientists, the main reason for this difference between men and women has to do with body composition. Men normally have more muscle mass and less fat than women. Because of this increase in muscle, their metabolism is much faster and burns more calories. Men, in general, need more calories than women do just to stay alive.
The way to overcome this issue is by including resistance and weight training to your workouts. If you go to the gym, there is no point in only using the elliptical. Sure, it's a great cardiovascular exercise that helps you burn calories, but weight training will help you in the long run by increasing your muscle mass and therefore, your basic metabolic rate [1&91;.
Your Hormones Can Play Against You
Women go through different situations during their life that affects their hormonal balance. The two most relevant are pregnancy and menopause. During pregnancy, your hormones stimulate your body to store fat, changing your overall body composition which can make it hard to lose weight after the pregnancy. On the other hand, during menopause, your hormones change drastically. Aside from raising your cardiovascular risk, this hormonal imbalance makes your body store fat in your belly. This fat is particularly difficult to tackle since it is so localized [2&91;.
Evolution
Yes, even evolution has some responsibility in why women have such a hard time losing weight. It is believed that a women's body is designed to store energy to preserve their fertility, which is present even in the body's biochemistry. A 2009 study from the American Journal of Physiology reported that after a workout, the levels of ghrelin (a hormone that produces hunger) are incredibly high, while the levels of leptin (a hormone released when being satiated) are low. The opposite happens in men. This biochemical difference makes women more hungry after a workout than men, which could result in eating more after a workout and as a result, ingesting more calories than they should [3&91;.
Don't Dwell On What You Can't Change
As you can see, there is scientific proof that men have it easier than women. But there is no point in sitting and complaining about this because there is nothing you can do about it. You have to work with what you have and do everything you can to lose the most amount of weight despite this disadvantage. As previously stated, it is important to vary your workouts and include weight training. Also, make sure that you are eating according to your caloric requirements since it can be easy to go above your daily limit.
Try Infrared Saunas
We would not be surprised if you have tried traditional saunas before and couldn't stand the room temperature. If this is the case, then you will love infrared saunas due to their much more bearable temperatures. Infrared saunas use infrared waves, which are a type of invisible light that heats your body without drastically changing the room temperature. These have many benefits, with weight loss being one of them. In just one session, you can potentially burn up to 400 calories. How? Infrared saunas increase circulation, which pumps up your heart rate, simulating cardiovascular exercise. Please note though, that you should not use an infrared sauna as a replacement or substitute for traditional means of cardio. Infrared saunas are meant to compliment your daily health regime, not replace it. An additional benefit also includes directly stimulating your metabolism [4&91;.
Another reason why infrared saunas can be of help is that they have been proven to improve endurance and promote recovery in athletes. If you have more energy, you will be able to work out harder and burn more calories [5&91;.
There are many ways you can fight the natural unfairness of being a woman. Sure, there are many obstacles in your way but with determination, you can overcome them. Use the knowledge you have learned today and apply them to the hills you must overcome. Good luck ladies!
[5&91; Scoon GS, Hopkins WG, Mayhew S, Cotter JD. (2007). "Effects of post-exercise sauna bathing on the endurance performance of competitive male runners" Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, National Center for Biotechnology Information, August 2007, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16877041.
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