A friend of mine recently posted on Facebook: “OK, so why does the husband lose 7 pounds and I only lose 3 in the past 10 days of the ‘new regimen?’… so not right.” So, does this sound familiar?

Many times when a husband and wife, or male and female couple start a weight-loss journey together, it seems that the man loses weight faster and more easily than the woman does. For us women, that’s downright frustrating.

There are several explanations for this phenomenon, but it’s also important to keep the focus on you and to only compare yourself to you, not to others. So, to cut to the chase, here are a few of the reasons why men tend to lose weight faster and more easily than women:

Women tend to be more prone to “emotional eating.”

In 2009, the Brookhaven National Laboratory conducted a brain imaging study to look at how we control our brain response to our favorite foods. Men were better able to control their responses. This may explain part of the puzzle on why women typically have a harder time dropping the pounds.

Men may be more competitive than women. Some research has shown that when money was awarded for every pound lost, men did better than women. It is interesting to note the percentage of men winners on the Biggest Loser compared to women (70% of the winners have been male).

Men have more muscle mass.

Men tend to have more muscle than women, and we all know that muscle burns more calories than fat. Having a higher muscle composition leads to a higher metabolism. Based on several studies, the metabolism of a man has been found to be anywhere from 3-10% higher than that of a women of the same weight and age.

Female hormones play a role.

Female hormones, such as estrogen, make it easier for the body to deposit fat. With all this stacked against women, don’t be discouraged. Focus on you and don’t compare to yourself to your man! Pay attention to your eating habits and take note if you’re eating for emotional reasons or for true hunger. Keep a food journal and record your emotions/feelings in it throughout the day. Add resistance/weight training to your workout routine to help increase your muscle mass (and metabolism).

Most important, don’t give up. Take small steps toward a healthier, more active lifestyle and you will see results.

For more nutrition and cooking tips, visit Cheryl’s website FlavorFirst.com, and follow her on Twitterand Facebook.

Written by

Walk into any health food store and you will invariably see shelves stocked with tubs of whey based protein powders, all with a large graphic on the container depicting a ripped and muscled body. Let’s separate some fact from fiction in regards to adding protein powders into your normal diet. Is there any benefit or conversely, is there any harm? What are the Main Protein Sources for Supplements?

1. There are 5 main sources that protein powders are manufactured from. They are:
2. Whey – a by-product of cheese making and is rich in amino acids. Lactose intolerant individuals should avoid whey powder as it contains approximately 70% lactose.
3. Casein is found in milk, making up to 80% of the protein found in cow’s milk. Besides protein, casein supplies calcium, phosphorus and essential amino acids.
4. Rice is a source of non-dairy protein and therefore ideal for those that are lactose intolerant. Protein powder made from brown rice is considered superior to powder made from milled white rice.
5. Egg white powder is also dairy & lactose free, but while a good source of protein, many people don’t like its taste, with some describing it as “nasty”.

Soy protein is made from defatted and hulled soybeans. Soybeans are special in that they are the only source of “complete” non-animal protein ,and suit vegetarians or vegans. How Much Protein Does Your Body Need?

Protein powders in themselves will not get you ripped or build muscle. The body requires, for normal activity is less then 1gram for each Kg (2.2 pounds) of body-weight. This amount of protein can be sourced from a normal diet, with purchasing supplements. Protein cannot be stored in the body as “protein”, so any excess intake will be turned into fat. Where protein powders supplements can be of benefit is any activity where strenuous exercise is involved. As an example endurance athletes can consume up to 1.4 grams of protein and bodybuilders, who are looking to bulk up, as much as 2 grams per Kg of body weight. Of course protein could be sourced from normal sources such as meat and fish, but would involve eating large amounts, whereas a “protein shake” can supply the needed amounts of protein. So the upshot of this, is that if you’re not involved in strenuous exercise such as bodybuilding training, consuming extra protein in the form of protein shakes will only lead to an increase of weight, which for the majority of healthy individuals is not something they want.

Written By

If you could get away with it, would you rather be vegging on the couch most of the time? Or are you too busy to think about exercising? Like many teens, you probably aren’t getting your recommended 60 minutes of daily activity.

True, an hour can seem like a lot of time for a teen to set aside. But consider this piece of exercise motivation: You don’t have to do it all at once. You can break your 60 minutes of activity into short chunks of 10 to 15 minutes — or even very short 2 to 5 minute spurts — throughout the day.

Still seem like a lot? Here’s another secret: You can increase your daily activity without even having to put down your phone or get off the couch. Just start adding extra movements to your everyday routine. Like walk around the room while you talk on the phone. Or do a few leg-lifts while lying on the couch.

Once you start moving more — even just a little — you’ll see how easy exercise can be. Plus, there are benefits that come with being active, including having more energy to do the things you want. The key is to get yourself moving more. And it doesn’t even have to seem like exercise.
Why Daily Activity Makes a Difference

Why move? Moving helps keep your body’s energy cycle in balance. Every day you eat food to fuel yourself (measured in calories). Then you burn that fuel living your life, says James Levine, MD, in his book Move a Little, Lose a Lot. Getting up, chewing your breakfast, walking to class, and brushing your teeth all burn calories. Eating more calories than you burn can lead to unhealthy weight gain, which can lead to feeling lousy and major health problems, even in teens. Burning calories through daily activity is what keeps the calories-in/calories-out balance.

According to Levine, when you sit for long periods of time (like on the couch while studying or gaming), some fat-burning in your body is “switched off.” For example, enzymes that help break down fat in your blood go into hibernation if you’re too still for too long. That means these fats — one of the major triggers of dangerous heart disease — stay in your blood building up.

Although it may seem like there’s lots of time to rid your body of fats, studies show that all-day sitting raised the risk of heart disease in old and young people. A study found that couch potatoes and regular exercisers alike should avoid sitting and add extra movement during their day to lower their risk of heart disease.
Small Extra Movements Add Up

Here’s the good news: All it takes is getting up to “break out of hibernation mode and switch these enzymes on again,” Levine says in his book.

A daily activity you do seated or lounging — reading, texting, gaming, watching TV — typically burns 0 to 50 calories an hour. Just standing can double your calorie-burning. By getting up on your feet instead, you’d burn 50 to 100 calories an hour. How’s that for easy exercise? Take it the next level by going for a walk or climbing stairs. You’ll double your burn again — 100 to 200 calories an hour.

Considering how easy it can be to eat extra calories without realizing it, every little bit of movement helps to keep your body’s energy-in and energy-out in balance.

Original article by