Question from Lyn: I work with the guys in the N.H. Biggest Loser Competition. Many of them dropped weight so quickly. I was wondering why guys seem to lose weight quicker than women?

Answer from Martha:  You are not the first person to ask me that question. I actually see this “sceniero” occuring in my private practice in NYC. For example, I frequently work with both the husband and wife on a weight loss eating plan. The guy often ends up losing weight significantly faster than the woman. It is quite frustrating for the woman as she is trying just as hard (if not harder!) than her husband to follow the eating plan. So why do men frequently lose weight more quickly than women? 

Here are some of the reasons:
1. Guys tend to weigh more than women. The more you weigh, the quicker you can lose.

2. Guys tend to have more muscle mass than women. More muscle means a faster metabolism and a faster metabolism usually means quicker weight loss. For example, if you had a man and a woman who both weighed 180 pounds and ate the same amount of calories and performed the same amount of exercise, it is likely the man would still lose weight more quickly.   

3. Women go through hormonal changes that can make it difficult for them to release stored body fat. Menopause is one of those times. In addition, some women also get significant PMS which can exacerbate cravings for high calorie foods (usually sweets or salty foods). While this is not an “excuse” for eating, it can occur!

4. Since guys tend weigh more than women, they can eat more and still lose weight. For example, a 200 pound guy who is exercising a few time a week can probably eat 2000 calories a day and still lose 1 1/2 - 2 pounds a week, while a 150 pound woman would who was also exercising a few time a week would need to eat only 1400 calories to lose 1 1/2 - 2 pounds a week. 1400 calories is a lot less than 2000!

Bottom line, women should pay special attention to the weight training component of their exercise program (along with cardio). This will help to build muscle mass which will speed your metabolism. And remember, slow and steady wins the race!  Some of the guys  in the New Hampshire Biggest Loser Competition who initially lost a lot of weight have put much of that weight back on. So quicker results don’t necessarily mean permanent results.

Related posts

• Your Plate or Mine? An Excerpt from my Colleague’s Book (4)
• When it’s No Longer a Diet (0)
• Weight Loss, Exercise and Your Bones (0)
• Week 8 & 9 New Hampshire Biggest Weight Loss Competition Progress Report (0)
• Week 4 Results of New Hampshire’s Biggest Loser Competition (1)

We think of Colorado as fresh air, skiing, mountain biking… really anything health related. Apparently they also enjoy a few pops. Men’s Health Magazine rated 100 cities with regards to their tendencies/habits/attitudes regarding alcohol. Colorado came in at 100 (100 = the worst!) and received an F.  NYC girls and guys came in at number 7 and got a B+.  That’s pretty good! Cabs come in handy. No drinking and driving (which you should obviously never do) for us.  You guys in the New Hampshire Biggest Loser Competition live in/near a city, Manchester, that gets a C- (you’re ranked 59 our of 100). 

Most Dangerously Drunk
100       Denver, CO                    F
99         Anchorage, AK              F
98         Colorado Springs, CO     F
97         Omaha, NE                   F
96         Fargo, ND                     F
95         San Antonio, TX             F
94         Austin, TX                     F
93         Fresno, CA                    F
92         Lubbock, TX                  F
91         Milwaukee, WI               F
90         El Paso, TX                   F
89         Spokane, WA                F
88         Washington, DC            F
87         Columbia, SC                F
86         St. Louis, MO                D-
85         Bakersfield, CA              D-
84         San Diego, CA               D
83         Cheyenne, WY              D
82         Aurora, CO                    D
81         Houston, TX                   D
80         Portland, OR                 D
79         Seattle, WA                  D
78         Boise, ID                       D
77         Tucson, AZ                    D+
76         Dallas, TX                      D+
75         Jacksonville, FL             D+
74         Toledo, OH                    D+
73         Madison, WI                  D+
72         Oakland, CA                  D+
71         Modesto, CA                 D+
70         Billings, MT                   D+
69         Fremont, CA                  D+
68         Oklahoma City, OK        D+
67         San Francisco, CA         D+
66         Sacramento, CA            D+
65         Los Angeles, CA            D+
64         Phoenix, AZ                  D+
63         Albuquerque, NM           D+
62         Chicago, IL                    D+
61         Providence, RI               D+
60         Fort Wayne, IN              C-
59         Manchester, NH             C-
58         Charleston, WV             C-
57         Burlington, VT                C-
56         Lincoln, NE                   C-
55         Corpus Christi, TX          C-
54         Des Moines, IA              C-
53         Indianapolis, IN              C-
52         Pittsburgh, PA               C-
51         Honolulu, HI                   C-
50         St. Paul, MN                 C
49         Tampa, FL                     C
48         Greensboro, NC            C
47         Las Vegas, NV              C
46         Baltimore, MD               C
45         Riverside, CA                 C
44         Norfolk, VA                    C
43         Detroit, MI                     C+
42         Arlington, TX                  C+
41         Grand Rapids, MI           C+
40         San Jose, CA                C+
39         St. Petersburg, FL         C+
38         Nashville, TN                 C+
37         Charlotte, NC                 C+
36         Wilmington, DE             C+
35         Orlando, FL                   C+
34         Minneapolis, MN            C+
33         Kansas City, MO           C+
32         Fort Worth, TX               C+
31         Tulsa, OK                      C+
30         Anaheim, CA                 B-
29         Wichita, KS                   B-
28         Lexington, KY                B-
27         Philadelphia, PA            B-
26         Montgomery, AL            B-
25         Rochester, NY               B-
24         Raleigh, NC                   B
23         Cincinnati, OH               B
22         Louisville, KY                 B
21         Bangor, ME                   B
20         Memphis, TN                 B
19         Boston, MA                   B
18         Hartford, CT                   B+
17         Sioux Falls, SD             B+
16         Birmingham, AL             B+
15         Baton Rouge, LA           B+
14         Columbus, OH               B+
13         Cleveland, OH                B+
12         Atlanta, GA                   B+
11         Newark, NJ                    B+

Least Dangerously Drunk
10         Jersey City, NJ              B+
9          Richmond, VA               B+
8          New York, NY                B+
7          Little Rock, AR              A-
6          Salt Lake City, UT          A-
5          Yonkers, NY                  A-
4          Jackson, MS                 A
3          Buffalo, NY                    A
2          Miami, FL                      A
1          Durham, NC                  A+

 Check out this link for more details on the survery.

Related posts

• Tips to Deal with the Dreaded Hangover (2)
• Binge Drinking and Breast Cancer (0)
• Recovering from Your Superbowl Splurge (1)
• Question on How to Handle Holiday Eating (1)
• Do You Have the Drinking (Alcohol) / Eating Syndrome? (3)