By I have one answer for you.. It’s because of our hormones…But there is a way to defeat this (several actually)! Read on to find out more.
Both men and women are equipped with different hormonal systems that govern weight gain and weight loss. When you add your own genetics to the mix, that’s when things get interesting. There is of course a chance that one of the sexes beats the norm in terms of the overall general population. Usually scientific facts are based on averages.
Women are metabolically healthier, and we have better insulin sensitivity, less visceral fat and lower levels of fat circulating in our bloodstreams.
We also burn a lot more fat during exercise than men do because we have a greater percentage of type 1 muscle fibers. These fibers are capable of burning fat instead of glycogen (this means the stored form of carbohydrates in the muscles). Because of our higher estrogen concentration, we have a few advantages;
- It limits the breakdown of triglycerides in the bloodstream. Triglycerides in the bloodstream tend to get stored as fat.
- It enhances a hormone called epinephrine(Adrenalin), and growth hormone for greater fat burn.
Studies have indicated that men do in fact, lose fat a lot faster than women when on a low calorie diet, but overall fat loss will be the same in the long run. Men have more visceral fat (the dangerous kind), and it’s the most abundant fat they lose in the first stages of dieting.
Because men have larger bodies and have a lot more muscle mass than women, they tend to burn a lot of calories. This combination means they have a greater calorie need than us women do. But keep in mind, if you weigh the same as a man, have the same muscle mass and as active as he is, you’ll be able to eat the same amount.
Women tend to allow other factors get in the way of losing weight. These things are stress, eating very low calorie diets (et, 1200 calories a day which is terrible!) get anxious about how their body looks and tend to over think what they eat constantly.
Here are some simple things women can do to achieve success in their weight loss journey.
- You must increase your calories, mainly eating more protein on a daily basis
- Weight train! I say this over and over again, and I will keep on saying it lol. Build muscle and burn more body fat at rest.
- Stress less, or find ways to ease and combat stress. Try meditation, walks in nature, yoga or even going out with a friend.
- Don’t focus on cardio, especially the excessive type. Cardio is great, but not doing hours and hours of vigorous runs on a daily basis. This will eat away at your muscle mass and decrease your metabolism. Get some balance by incorporating HIIT, and some easy going cardio. This could be walking, light jogging or power walking. Nothing too strenuous or that will leave you feeling depleted.
