Fitness Facts Friday - Why Can't I Lose Like Him?!

Every week I hear my ladies complain that their husband/boyfriend/father/man in their life can lose weight with the snap of a finger but they struggle on a daily basis. 

With each couple I council, either with The Challenge or while training them at the fitness studio, I make sure to tell the women: “look, he will drop 10 lbs in the blink of an eye and after taking a #2, it’s normal; don’t judge your own results by what HE is doing”. 

I always give the warning but not everyone listens and then there is competitiveness, resentment, and hopelessness, which eventually leads to giving up on the women’s part while the men crush through to their goal. Many men are just like that: they set a goal and they hit it once they make up their minds to do it. Women…well, we struggle; a pound here, a pound there. He loses 8, she loses 0.8.

Both determined, both working out, eating right. Sound familiar? You’re not alone. What’s the difference? 

Well, here are some women’s fitness facts I researched which may help:

1. Men have more testosterone then women (duh, right?). Therefore, they burn fat and build muscle differently than women. So if you WANT to look “big and bulky with big muscles” then you would need to take testosterone producing hormones. By the way, no woman has actually said that to me yet…actually they say the opposite “I just want to tone”, so unless you take supplements you will not burn it as quickly as the men, but the benefit is you also won’t get “big and bulky” by lifting weights!  You will gain muscle, but not “big bulky” ones.  **FYI - Women have the testosterone level of a 10 year old boy**.

2. Women’s fat cells are larger than men’s.  Sucks, doesn’t it?

3. Skipping meals actually leads your body to go into starvation mode….which causes you to KEEP FAT for future use rather than burning it. SO DON’T SKIP BREAKFAST – I’m talking to all you moms out there. Why?  See previous blog from last week about excuses…

4. Women have specific type of muscle fibers which are not able to get as big as men, but are more compacted and strong.

5. Women have a stronger pain threshold (think delivering a baby!) which leads to quicker recovery, as well as more endurance (Yay for women!)

6. Men will burn 20% more calories in a day, so if you want to lose more than your man, gotta step up that calorie burn!

7. Exercising in general, both for men and women, helps your mood, energy levels and confidence.

Cynthia Sass gave a great analogy in an article in ShapeMagazine: Eating with a guy is like going shopping with a friend who makes a lot more money than you – maybe you can’t spend as much, but you can still enjoy the experience, and if you make peace with the fact that you don’t have the same budget, it can be very freeing rather than causing you angst.”

So stop comparing yourself to the men in your life, start comparing yourself to YOU: Where are you today versus yesterday? Where do you want to be tomorrow? Are you at your goal yet? 

Don’t fret – you’ll get there; maybe slower than him, maybe faster. Bottom line – it’s YOUR GOAL, encourage each other to keep on going, no matter what!