How Men Lose Weight
Men and women have different needs when it comes to losing
weight, WLR's dietitian Juliette Kellow shows how to make the
most of those differences for men who want to lose weight and
that belly fat.
 |
Men Losing Weight
By WLR Dietitian
|
It’s not just relationships where men are from Mars and women
are from Venus! In reality, the two sexes are usually on very
different planets when it comes to perceptions about their
weight, shape and eating habits, too.
While most women panic about gaining a pound or two, spend
time counting calories or constantly worry about whether their
‘bum looks big in this’, most men simply accept that a growing
beer belly is a normal part of life. Added to this, they often
don’t even realise or accept they need to lose weight until
their GP tells them it’s bad for their health.
According to a recent survey reported in The Independent, 43
percent of men who were overweight or obese actually claimed not
to have a beer belly – and more worryingly, seven percent
actually said they were proud of their gut!
Two years ago, a survey carried out by Cancer Research UK
found similar findings with 25 percent of overweight or obese
men being in complete denial that they even had a weight
problem.
But while many men might refuse to accept that they need to
lose weight, the truth of the matter is they should be just as
worried as women about their waistlines, if not more so.
According to the latest Health Survey for England report, 65
percent of men are either overweight or obese compared to 56
percent of women. And by the time mid-life hits, the differences
are even bigger with 76 percent of 45 to 54-year-old men being
overweight or obese compared to 59 percent of women of the same
age.
Men are also more likely to carry their excess fat around
their stomach – think beer belly – and it’s fat distributed in
this area that’s particularly related to health problems such as
insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
The differences between men and women in the weight debate
don’t end there – and for men this is generally good news as
these differences can work in their favour when it comes to
losing weight.
To start with, men don’t need to restrict their calorie
intake as dramatically as women to get results.
Quite simply,
because men tend to be bigger, they need more calories to
maintain their weight. This means they can also lose weight on a
higher calorie intake, giving them more leeway in terms of the
quantity and types of food they can eat.
Men usually have a higher proportion of muscle than women.
This is good news because our metabolic rate – the rate at which
the body burns calories – is partly determined by the amount of
muscle we have. In general, the more muscle, the faster our
metabolic rate and the more calories we burn, even at rest.
And
this is where men have yet another advantage over women! Thanks
to a greater supply of hormones such as testosterone, it’s far
easier for men to build muscle than women when they work out.
This is great news as muscle burns more calories than fat.
There are also big differences in the way men and women set
goals for losing weight and view their chances of succeeding.
In general, men tend to have a more positive body image to
start with – remember, seven percent of men are actually proud
of their beer belly! This means they are more likely to set
realistic and achievable targets for how they want to look.
Rather than aiming to get the body of Brad Pitt, most men
usually set out with the goal of looking a bit fitter, healthier
and generally more toned. Because they are more realistic about
what they want to achieve, they usually feel happy and positive
about any success – no matter how small – and this means they’re
far more likely to stick with it. Plus, right from the
beginning, there are rarely any doubts in men’s minds that they
will succeed.
In contrast, many women start out with an unrealistic image
and timescale for what they want to achieve and don’t feel they
are successful unless the scales show a 5lb drop each week.
Consequently, even though health professionals consider
losing 1-2lb
a week a success, many women quickly feel dissatisfied,
disillusioned and unmotivated and so simply ‘give up’, undoing
all their good work by going straight back to bad habits.
Men also have the advantage of having less emotional
attachment to food. Although more and more men are getting into
the kitchen, in general, it’s still women who tend to do most of
the shopping and cooking. Furthermore, as the main providers of
food, women are more likely than men to link food to love and
nurturing and are also more likely to turn to food in response
to emotional
triggers such as tiredness, boredom or depression. In
contrast, men usually see food simply as something that they
enjoy and that stops them feeling hungry. Ultimately, without
any emotional ties to food, this can make losing weight so much easier
for men.
It’s not just food where men and women differ either.
Exercise is generally an inherent part of most men’s lives and
the idea of taking part in a sport is often a more enjoyable
concept for men than women.
Many women consider exercise to be a
chore, whereas having a game of football or taking the children
to the park for a game of Frisbee is something most men enjoy.
Of course, the dieting differences between men and women
don’t all work favourably for men. To start with, research shows
that many men are often in denial about their weight and so
don’t actually consider losing weight until they are
diagnosed with a health problem such as diabetes or high
blood
cholesterol.
Some men also have fixed views about certain foods that stop
them eating more healthily. For example, it’s not uncommon to
hear men say ‘salad isn’t a proper meal’, ‘you only drink diet
cola if you’re on a diet’ or ‘a meal has to contain meat for it
to be good for you.’
Foods like vegetables, branflakes, low-fat
mayo, skimmed milk and sugar-free drinks are still perceived by
some men as being ‘diet’ foods rather than a normal part of a
balanced, healthy diet suitable for everyone.
Men are also more likely to be victims of peer pressure when
it comes to eating and
drinking
badly.
Put a group of women together in a restaurant and no one
would bat an eye if one of them ordered a gin and slimline tonic
or a salad. But as a man out with his mates, if you ordered
these you would almost certainly be laughed at – and usually
encouraged to go for the steak and chips and a pint.
For practical tips and advice on the best way for men to lose
weight read my Guide to Weight Loss for Men or have a look at
some of our men's weight loss success stories from the list
below:
Men Losing Weight - Success Stories
 |
From his heaviest weight of 22 stone
Dean has lost 9st
6lbs and reached his goal of a healthy 12st 8lbs. |
 |
Pete's lost over 3 stones and is now just 4lbs away from
his target. |
 |
Martin's lost over 3 stones in 3 months to reach 12st
1lb. |
 |
Steve's weight loss story is an entertaining and
inspiring read - here's how he lost over 2 stones. |
|
