At least once a week, I hear a female client or friend complain about her frustrations having been working her tail off for months to lose a measly 2-3 pounds, all while her husband just dropped 5 pounds last week by doing a couple of moderate workouts. I used to think that this wasn't true and that the females weren't working out hard enough or not eating the proper nutrition. However, this is not a myth; most men lose weight more easily than women and with less overall effort. This fact isn't just a case of a mean Mother Nature. There are several physiological differences in men and women's bodies that make this the case.

There are many reasons why women have more body fat than men. One is biological. The simple truth is that men are larger and have more muscle than women due to the hormone testosterone. They are genetically designed to have a higher percentage of muscle and less fat -- which works in favor of keeping them fit and allowing them to eat more calories. Women, on the other hand have much higher levels of estrogen; a hormone that promotes turning food into fat. That being said, average body fat content is 25% for women at normal size compared to 15% for men. All other things being equal, such as age and exercise levels, women require fewer calories per pound of body weight daily than do men. Women, that is why he can eat significantly more than you or exercise less and lose or maintain his weight more easily. I know it is not fair, but it is true!

Another point to consider is that, most often, women are the primary cook in the household. Between the grocery shopping, meal planning and preparation, they are exposed to food more often than males and this leads to temptations and "mindless eating" which can quickly and unknowingly add up to hundreds of calories a day.

Also, men do not beat themselves up about their weight nearly as often as women. Negative self talk and too much emphasis on physical appearance rarely lead to weight loss. In fact, it more often hinders it altogether since it can raise stress levels making your body more resistant to lose.

How can women try to level the playing field a bit? First is strength training. Pick up some weights and start pumping to build more muscle and get your engine revving. You'll increase your muscle mass to fat ratio which will help to decrease your fat stores. Strength training also increases resting metabolism so that you will burn more calories all day long. Shoot for engaging in strength training at least twice a week.

Be aware when you are cooking and grocery shopping to watch for those sneaky temptations. Make note if you do eat at those times and remember them at your next meal and cut back on your portions.

Lastly, whether we're male or female, we need to make peace with our bodies. It's important to see weight management as a route to better health, rather than physical perfection.

Ladies, next time you have a meal with your husband, boyfriend, brother or son, remember that they probably may weigh more than you and/or have significantly more muscle mass than you. . . so this is why they can get away with eating larger portions. We cannot change the laws of nature; but we can choose how we react to them. Besides, we don't lose our hair! 😄