WEIGHT LOSS: EASIER FOR MEN?
When it comes to weight loss, it appears that men and women are not created equal. Common sense dictates that a person who exercises regularly and sticks to a diet plan will lose the same weight regardless of whether they’re male or female, but in this case, common sense is wrong.
Men have a propensity to build muscle faster than women, and therefore they need to exercise less than women to lose the same amount of fat. Men also have less amount of fat on their bodies than women on average. A man’s metabolic rate, therefore, is likely to be about five to ten percent higher than that of a woman.
Muscle is a big sink for glucose and sugar. Active muscles take up a lot of glucose, which extract sugar from blood and keep sugar levels in the blood at healthy levels. This helps to avoid insulin in later years. Insulin is notorious for contributing to fat storage rates in the body, so if possible, avoid it at all times by committing to a regular exercise regimen.
This is also another reason why it makes sense not to think of the weighing scale as the be-all and the end-all. It is better to think of body composition, and to focus on muscle building rather than fat loss alone. Muscles may be heavier than fat, but they take up less volume. So it is possible to not lose weight at all and still become smaller.
So ladies, don’t be discouraged. It’s all in the genes, but they can be conquered. All the best!
