weight loss...men vs. women

We often have husband/wife teams come into our program at the same time and there is often much frustration on the woman's part as to how fast the man loses weight compared to the female. Clearly there is a marked metabolism difference (in most cases) in men vs women in that the male seems to be able to consume many more calories and still exhibit heightened weight loss.

Men have more muscle mass and as muscle burns more calories than fat, this plays a large role in the differences noted. The androgen vs estrogen difference also results in a different metabolic rate, with androgens (testosterone) producing a heightened muscle development and inherent metabolism difference.

I try hard to alleviate the frustration (sometimes it is downright anger!) by explaining these differences to the couple and reassuring the female partner that weight loss is not a "race'....we all will lose weight at different rates, even eating the same exact amount of calories/portions. Adhering to a high protein/high vegetable-low carb/low fat strategy will allow the weight to come off briskly even for females. No competition!