Lose weight like a man

He drops kilos overnight, but you gain weight just by glancing at a pastry or a bowl of french fries. Here are a few of his habits you should steal.

We may hate to admit it, ladies, but we could all learn from men when it comes to reducing weight. Though guys are far less likely to diet than girls, when they make the effort, they are more successful.

Research by Slimming World found that nine out of 10 men on a diet managed to lose five per cent of their body weight over 12 weeks while only just over half of women lost that amount in the same time.

Unfair though it is, men have the physiological advantage when it comes to ditching flabs. “Men tend to be larger and have a higher proportion of muscle than women. More muscles mean higher metabolism and therefore more weight loss," says Payal Banka, Lead Dietician, LifeMojo. “On the same calorie count, a man generally loses weight faster than a woman.”

HE JUST GETS ON WITH IT

Most men approach losing weight as another job they have to tackle. They don’t obsess about the fact they got fat in the first place, they just acknowledge that they’ve got to get the weight off, then knuckle down and do it.

Feminise it...


» You can do the same – just
make this your mantra… » Of course I can lose weight. » Will it take longer than it does a
man? Yes. » Will I slip up sometimes? Yes? » Does it matter? No. » I’ll just get straight back on
track.

HE PUMPS IRON

Men are usually more ready to tackle the exercise side of weight loss than women, especially by lifting weights. And that’s a real advantage because this type of resistance exercise increases muscle mass and the more muscle you have the more calories you will burn – all day, every day – even when you’re asleep.

Feminise it...

If you’re a gym-goer, incorporate weights that make you struggle to do eight to 10 repetitions. If the gym’s not your bag or it’s too expensive, find a body pump class or do simple resistance exercise at home such as lunges, press-ups and stomach crunches.

DIFFERENT LOOK

Austrian researchers found “men’s approach to nutrition is uncomplicated and pleasure-oriented”. Although this is probably why more men are overweight than women, it’s possibly also why they can tackle their weight more easily. "Women who are “restrained eaters” deprive themselves of “forbidden foods”. For instance, homemakers sitting idle will tend to munch a little more than those working outside. Men are physically more active than women. Therefore, women don't burn enough calories. Weight also depends on hormonal change in women," says Payal.

Feminise it...

Use female food know-how to choose treats that can be factored into your diet so you don’t feel deprived. A calorie counting approach can help you feel in control, say nutritionists. You won’t feel guilty if you know the treat you’re enjoying is accounted for in your daily allowance (1,500-2,000 calories for maintaining weight or 1,000-1,500 calories for losing it).

HE IS NOT AS BOTHERED

Even if he cares quite a bit about the shape he’s in, he’s less likely to be obsessed by every lump.

Feminise it...

You’ll never be as blase about your bingo wings as he is about his beer belly, but his attitude should help put things in perspective. If you need to slim for health reasons you’ll benefit from a 10 per cent cut in body weight – it’s better than focusing on squeezing into a size 8 or 10 (medium). So stop obsessing about very mouthful and start enjoying a healthier lifestyle – weight loss should follow naturally anyway.

THE EMOTIONAL EATING

Both sexes comfort eat, but whereas men are more likely to consume food to boost positive emotions, women seek comfort food to stop feeling low. And we are twice as likely to experience depression, so that’s a lot of emotional eating.

Feminise it...

Cheer yourself up with a non-food distraction. And make it enjoyable – no man in his right mind would do chores to avoid overeating. Choose a more hedonistic distraction such as a night out with friends or a manicure.

HE LIKES STEAK, NOT SWEETS

Men’s comfort foods include protein-rich foods like steak whereas women prefer high-calorie sweet snack foods, according to researchers at Cornell University in America. The advantage of his choice over yours? Protein helps fill you up far better than sugar and fat. In fact higher protein is the real reason why lower carb diets work according to recent research from the University of Aberdeen’s Rowett Institute of Nutrition and Health. Protein promotes satiety, the scientific term for fullness, which curbs overeating.

Feminise it...

Pre-empt a sugar craving by getting in a handful of protein-rich prawns or marinated mini chicken fillets before you succumb.

Also men rarely have the emotional -attachment to food that we do. “Women have traditionally been much more involved in buying, cooking and preparing of food,” says an expert. “We equate food with love and use it as a prop for our moods more than the opposite sex.”

So, guys are just better at getting trim than us.

Weight-loss mantra for teens

Dump those diet bars and shakes...to begin with.

If you are an obese teen looking to shed those pounds, here's a tip: ditch those diet bars and shakes, according to a new study.

Dr. Robert L. Berkowitz of the Children's Hospital in Philadelphia tested three weightloss regimens on more than 100 obese teens and their families.

Results showed that even though the teens on meal replacements shed more pounds at first, by the end of the year, those following the low-cal diet had a Body Mass Index (BMI) reduction of 2.8 percent, compared to a 3.4 percent reduction for the teens who only ate meal replacements.

"Diet shakes and drinks don't keep you full. And it's like putting a bandage on the problem. They aren't learning weightmanagement skills,” the New York Daily News quoted nutritionist Robyn Webb, MS, LN, director of A Pinch of Thyme, as saying.

“The teens who are eating bars and shakes probably don't have enough energy to be involved in any sports activities," Webb said.

Following a diet that encourages teens to make good food choices is more effective over the long haul, says Mary Hartley, of caloriecount.com.

"Shakes may get the caloric intake down but they haven't taught you anything about choices. It's a missed opportunity. You are putting the effort into the wrong thing - buying bars Slim-Fast for lunch. It's easier in the short run, but not over time,” Hartley said.

And if young people followed a long-term, low-calorie diet, they could probably learn to cook too.
“When you're talking about teens learning new eating habits, they really learn quickly. They don't have to undo all the bad habits that adults have accumulated over the years," she said.