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Let’s look at the main differences in the weight loss of men and women.
Difference 1. Men need more calories
The explanation is simple. They are taller, and their body weight is also higher. They have more muscle and a faster metabolism. Usually men do more physical work, even if it is the most basic: to take out a child’s bicycle or rearrange a chair. This allows them to claim an additional 250-300 kilocalories daily. That is why the lowest limit of the caloric content of the diet of women is considered to be 1200 kcal, for men – 1500. If they eat less, their metabolism will start to slow down. The internal organs will starve, but the fat will be deposited no matter what.
And because men need more calories than women, they need more protein, more fat, and more carbohydrates.
In the presence of training, the recommended consumption rate for women who want to lose weight is 1700-2000 kcal, for men who lose weight – 2000-2300 kcal. This increase should occur gradually, due to proteins, fats, carbohydrates. Please note that men should not give up fat, as this can lead to impotence.
Difference 2. Fat in men is deposited in the upper abdomen
Fat from the upper abdomen is not difficult for men to use up with exercise in combination with a diet. This fat is quite dangerous for life, as it is present not only under the skin, but also between the internal organs, surrounds the liver, heart, pancreas, and other important organs, leading to their obesity. Such visceral fat increases the risk of coronary atherosclerosis, heart attack, fatty hepatosis, and a number of other diseases.
In women, on the contrary, on the sides, thighs, and lower abdomen, fat is conceived by nature itself, during pregnancy and lactation it is a supply of nutrients and a soft airbag for the baby in case of a fall. The female body must have a very good reason to get energy from this reserve. That is why it is more difficult for women to use fat reserves from their problem areas.
Moreover, female physiology imposes restrictions on the minimum percentage of body fat. If a man can easily maintain 15% fat, then women are not recommended to fall below 21%.
Difference 3. Men treat food differently
It is more difficult for a man to follow a diet. On the other hand, he does not eat his stress like women, but more often drinks alcohol. According to a study by Canadian scientists, a woman needs to eat lunch and dinner together with a man to lose weight. It turns out that with a man, a woman chose a less high-calorie meal than when having lunch or dinner in a female company.
This is the imprint of socio-cultural factors. In society, there is an opinion that a woman should eat like a bird. This image is supported in advertising, movies, and women’s media. Remember at least an advertisement for yogurt, which women eat for breakfast, or an advertisement for condiments, where a woman first feeds the family, and only then sits down at the table herself. Therefore, in a male company, a woman tries to maintain an “ideal image” and in a restaurant she would rather order a salad with fish than a steak with potatoes.
Difference 4. Safe weight loss rate
The world’s minds in dietetics have agreed that there are some approximate figures, namely: how many grams per week it is safe to lose weight. If you lose weight faster, there is a risk that some body systems will not be able to rebuild so quickly. In addition, the extra weight lost is very often also gained back at the same speed.
So, the normal rate of weight loss for women is up to 2 kg per month (0.2-0.5 kg per week). For men-up to 4 kg per month (0.2-1 kg per week), that is twice as fast. The upper figure is for those who are overweight more than 20 kg, the rest are recommended to lose weight more slowly.
Difference 5. Most men lose weight faster than women
Imagine that: you and your husband eat the third week of one salad, but your weight is worth it, and your spouse flies the third kilogram! Unfair? The fact is that men naturally have more muscle mass than women. They also have higher levels of testosterone, which contributes to the gain of muscle mass. As a result, their metabolism is also faster. So the male body, all other things being equal, burns calories more successfully than the female.
In addition, weight loss in women can mask hormonal fluctuations. So, in different phases of the cycle, water is retained in the female body in different ways. Before menstruation, many women observe weight gain, and after critical days, their weight returns to normal. In men, the hormonal background is stable, so weight loss can hide an excess of salty food, lack of fluid intake and other factors not related to the endocrine system.
So, if you can lose weight in the company of your husband-feel free to attract him, you will not regret it! Even if your spouse is a little ahead of you on the way to achieving the result, this will be an additional incentive and gratitude for you, because it is your merit.