Women’s Weightloss Woes
Men and women have unique differences in genetic make-up. Our respective hormones change the balance between muscle and fat and shape the size of our bones to respond to different needs.
For men it’s the hormone testosterone that determines the size of a man’s bones, causes his hair to grow, and deepens his voice. Testosterone also regulates the size of a man’s muscle mass, which in turn regulates his metabolism. In short, the more muscle mass, the faster calories from food are burned. This is one of the biggest genetic differences between men and women and being overweight as opposed to being fit.
Recent studies confirm that women will gain weight faster than men and that they have a more difficult time getting rid gained weight through exercise. Women really do have the misfortune of being stuck with the worst part of the weight loss process – and to add insult to injury, women have to work twice as hard as men just to stay in shape.
As if all of that isn’t difficult enough on women, us gals have the added problem of society and its
obsession with a thin body.
As the years pass, our repeated attempts to drop weight teaches the body to hang on to fat instead. This makes weight loss harder and harder. This in turn, leads to dieting that may make a person thinner, but not necessarily healthier.
Recently, a study published by the BBC showed that 62 obese women who exercised 4 hours per week and learned how to cook healthier meals felt a tremendous improvement in their self-image. They lost 9 pounds over three months without starving themselves. In addition, their blood pressure, cholesterol and heart rates improved. Overall, they felt much better.
So, perhaps its time women started to move away from achieving that magical number on the scale to just focusing on keeping their bodies healthy so as to feel good regardless of weight. We’re no good to anyone when we aren’t feeling well.
Be well to feel better about yourself, instead of harming your body while chasing a dream.
