Men Vs Women in the fight against fat

It has been a long standing joke that men and women come from different planets - but when it comes to losing weight, it just isn't funny.

Men just don't SEEM to care as much as women about weight gain or weight loss.  In fact, lots of men don't even seem to have a problem and can basically eat anything they want without putting on weight.  Whereas we women tend to have a life long struggle with watching what we eat and going to the gym.  However, this is not true.  Men do care about their appearance and the incidence of men with eating disorders is on the rise.  They also have all the common weight problems that we women have.

So why are men and women so different?

Well, mother nature made us different because we have different functions in life.  Now, don't go all feminist on me here - I'm talking on a body function level, not on the paid employment scene!

Women were built to have babies - to carry a child and nourish it through pregnancy and bring it into the world.  In order to accomplish this, women are designed to have a lower percentage of muscle and more body fat than men.  Due to women having less muscle, they tend to have lower basal metabolic rates than men.  This means that men with more muscle require more calories than women of comparable weight.

Men were built to provide for the women and children and to fight/ defend.  Having babies and providing for families are two very different but equally important "jobs".

However, tens of thousands of years later our bodies haven't changed at all as far as our "mission" is concerned.  Yes, we have changed greatly in our ideals, ambitions, obligations and of course our diets.  But, physiologically we are still the same.

So, on a hormonal level, women are naturally engineered to retain and store more fat than men due to

their higher levels of estrogen.  Estrogen is a hormone in charge of keeping fat on the female body in preparation for pregnancy.

Men, have higher levels of testosterone than women.  Testosterone (the male sex hormone) means lower body fat and increased muscle mass.  The differing degree of testosterone in men and women is responsible  for the differences in total body fat percentage, fat distribution, and muscle mass.

Men and women also store fat differently.  You have all heard me talk about different body shapes; apple and pear shapes.  Women tend to store fat around their thighs and hips (pear) whereas men tend to store fat around their middles (apple).  I hope you understand these are tendencies and you will find female apples and male pears!

But the difference in fat storage also means different types of fat and different dangers.  The subcutaneous or peripheral fat found in pear shapes is "safe" fat.  You may not like it, but this is the safe kind... it stays where it is and does not move around the body.  Unfortunately, this type is very difficult to lose.

The abdominal fat of the apple shaped person is the DANGEROUS kind.  This fat is behind the abdominal wall and attaches itself to the internal organs.  It is also known as visceral fat.  This type of fat is able to move freely around the body and is what clogs arteries leading to heart attacks and strokes.  The good news is, it's the easiest fat to lose.

If you and your partner are both trying to lose weight then you might get frustrated that he is losing weight quicker than you.  This is due to everything I've already said.  He probably has more visceral fat which is easier to lose and YOUR FEMALE body is fighting to hold on to what it can in case you decide you want to have a baby.  Working out with your partner is a great thing to do, you can support and motivate each other and it will bring your closer.

So here's what you can do:

• If you are trying to burn fat through exercise, follow a low carb - high protein diet.  When you eat carbs your body stores the sugar for energy - your body can not burn fat in the presence of glucose.  First it uses up all the glucose for energy before it gets round to burning fat for energy.  It's that simple.  So no carbs before your gym session.
• Eat a varied diet with lots of vegetables, animal protein and some fruit.  A high protein diet will keep you feeling full for longer.
• If you need to lose a fair amount of weight, limit your carb intake to twice a week.
• Eat when you are hungry, but eat the right stuff.  Snack on fresh fruit or raw vegetables.
• A handful of raw nuts (if you are not allergic or intolerant) every few days will help enormously in boosting your energy levels.  But remember, they are very high in calories so don't eat the whole bag, just a handful and make sure they are raw.

I can help you improve your health.  If you would like to make an appointment with me either in person or via Skype, just send me an email to lucycarr@socialnutrition.com