Men and women are different when it comes to weight loss. Studies have shown that men can lose weight faster than women, all things in terms of diet, exercise and lifestyle being more or less equal.
But women, you shouldn’t lose hope! You can adopt several ways that can speed up your own weight loss results without using potentially harmful supplements or performing dangerous exercises.
Why Men Are Different from Women
First off, men have higher muscle-to-fat percentage than women. This means that men have more muscles and less fat while women have more fat and less muscle. This fact of life can be attributed to higher levels of testosterone in men; testosterone, known as the male hormone, also contributes to other male characteristics like more facial hair.
Such fact is important in relation to weight loss because muscles burn more calories at a faster rate in comparison with fat. Muscles continue to burn calories even when at rest, even when sleeping especially after a high intensity interval training (HIIT) workout.
How Women Can Make Up for It
Yes, it sounds unfair especially when women appear to experience greater pressure to maintain a slender physique, no thanks to the prevailing standards of beauty as epitomized by Hollywood. But there’s no sense in whining about it and women should instead take matters into their own hands.
Here are a few ways that you, a woman on a weight loss journey, can achieve great results with what Mother Nature has given:
- Add weight training exercises to your workout plan; ask your personal trainer at Gold’s Gym about it. By building more muscles, you’re encouraging your body to burn more calories and fats. You can shed pounds faster with a combo of cardio ad strength training than with cardio exercises alone.
Despite the common fear among women that weight training will result in a manly physique, it doesn’t unless it’s your goal in the first place. Instead, you will enjoy a toned physique with little of the flabby muscles in your problem areas, such as your abdomen, thighs, and arms.
- Change your view about body fat. While men have more muscles and women have more fats, it can actually work in the latter’s favor. Women tend to have a pear-shaped body wherein the body fats are stored more in the buttocks and thighs.
Studies have shown that pear-shaped bodies have a lower risk for cardiovascular diseases than apple-shaped bodies. Men have apple-shaped bodies with their fats stored more in their abdomens – and the larger the abdomen, the higher the risk. By changing your perspective about fats, you will be less likely to think of it as a threat.
Indeed, your feminine body may be slower at weight loss but you can get there with hard work!