As I travel the blogosphere and read other weight loss and fitness blogs, I’ve learned one thing: there are lot more bloggers of the female persuasion than there are of my particular gender. Fortunately, this imbalance has given me great insight into the inner workings of the female blogger mind. Here are just a few of my discoveries:
- You hate dieting.
- You hate your husbands/boyfriends because they can sneeze and lose thirty pounds.
- Said husbands/boyfriends apparently have no actual first names. (Unless in some extremely odd coincidence all their parents really named their sons “Dear Husband.”)
Today’s post primarily deals with the first two bullet points. Scratch that. Today’s post has everything to do with just the second bullet point.
There seems to exist this myth that men were constructed in such a fashion that they can lose weight whenever they want, but most of the time they just don’t want to. And if and when they do decide to shed a few, it’s as if they just wake up one morning and think, “Hmmm… what should I do today? I know, I’ll lose ten pounds.” Then they proceed to eat their normal breakfast (two eggs, two pieces of bacon, two pieces of sausage, two slices of ham, two steaks, two cheeseburgers, two lasagnas, two pieces of toast, and hashbrowns) then instead of washing it down with an icy cold Coca Cola, they have a Diet Coke. Next morning—tada!—they’re down ten pounds and they immediately resume watching football.
If this is how men are supposed to work, then I was definitely sick the day they implanted the magical weight loss subsystem. (That said, I was also sick the day they implanted the you-love-football chip on my brain stem.) I’ve been at this for almost twenty years now and if this Male Weight Loss Magic is supposed to kick in on its own, all I can say is, “Any time now…”
Now I’m no scientist, but I pretend to be one from time to time, and therefore I can’t ignore hard evidence. Just because it doesn’t come easy for me doesn’t mean guys like Mr. Breakfast don’t exist. And, let’s face it, men and women are different in many other ways. Could it be that on average women really do have a harder time at this than men?
Well, sorry ladies, but here’s a study that just might answer “yes” to that question. Sent to me by Stephanie earlier this week, it ties in very nicely with the fast I tried a week ago Monday to help reboot my system.
Rather than quote the whole thing, check it out here.
If you just want the gist of it, the first sentence sums it up but good:
Faced with their favorite foods, women are less able than men to suppress their hunger, a discovery that may help explain the higher obesity rate for females, a new study suggests.
In short, they studied a group of men and a group of women, made them fast, and the next day somehow peeked inside their coconuts to see what they were thinking as various foods were presented to them. Men thought meh while women thought give me the chocolate before I strangle you where you sit.
So there you have it. I wish there was something I could say to help comfort you, but unfortunately my mouth is stuffed with eggs, bacon, and lasagna at the moment.
on January 22, 2009 at 2:23 am
Sorry Charlie. And if it helps…my ‘dear husband’ cannot lose 10 pounds…he says he is trying but won’t pass up the foods he knows are bad. Not every man can sneeze and lose weight…but most men can sneeze and squeeze out a fart…haha 🙂
on January 22, 2009 at 2:55 am
I agree that it’s very unfair to lump all men into that category. I think part of the problem is that more women have an emotional problem/connection when it comes to food. I’m not saying men don’t have emotions 🙂 they do of course but my “dear husband” can leave half his dinner on his plate if he’s full and if he’s honest he just doesn’t get why I keep eating past being full when I want to lose weight. It just doesn’t make sense to him. He sees it in black and white. You want to lose weight then just eat less. Grrrrrrrr
He tries to be supportive but he will admit he just can’t understand it. That’s just him though and I’m sure upbringing has a certain amount to do with it.
He’s not a skinny minny but he’s not massively over weight either and on top of that he’s not terribly bothered about his appearance. He just is how is he is. I am terribly envious at times !!
on January 22, 2009 at 5:07 am
Hey, my fiance has a name in my blog! I hate that whole “Dear Husband” thing!! He’s lost 45 lbs on WW, but has been stuck and frustrated, so I get that too 🙂
Though, I hate how if I have fast food once in a week, it throws me off and I dont follow my plan. He can have fast food and just be done with it.
on January 22, 2009 at 5:47 am
Amen Christy, mine didn’t even have to sneeze to squeeze out a fart.
I think that most (not all men) have more self control than women. Don’t know if it is because of all our emotions or what. And then there’s the fact that our genes have a lot to do with our weight and weight loss. I’m a true believer that genes rule our metabolisms and that’s why some of us, men or women, have an easy or tough time losing weight (and gaining it).
on January 22, 2009 at 6:31 am
You need to be very careful here Charlie, as you are giving away Man Secrets that have been around since creation. You don’t want to run afoul of Man Laws. You’re very close to telling the real story about the remote.
on January 22, 2009 at 6:35 am
My dad and boyfriend both struggle just like me so its fair to say its not AVERAGE for men to have it as easy as we think they do.
on January 22, 2009 at 7:35 am
HAPPY [CENSORED]!!!! I HOPE YOU HAVE A GREAT DAY BIG BROTHER!!
Happy what? What about today?
on January 22, 2009 at 8:11 am
Ohhhhh!! Happy Birthday Charlie!! You can eat all you want today! 😀
As for men losing weight, I think they struggle, just like us, with the will power, body image, likeness of food and emotional comfort that food brings. However, once they decide to do it, they will naturally lose the weight quicker/easier as a)they have more muscle to fat ratio = higher metabolism b) they have less fat cells especially around their legs and bum c)tummy fat is easier to lose than any other which is where most men carry their weight.
And yeah, men tend to be able to hold their emotions in check easier than women.
As usual, I love the humour (and exaggeration!! 10lbs in a day indeed!! lol) you inject into your writing. I love reading your posts.
Have a great day Charlie 😀
Tusc 😀
on January 22, 2009 at 8:20 am
Aww, crud – so I really CAN’T help it…
Oh, well.
Meanwhile, I dig your blog and the contributions you make to Blogopolis, so I gave you an award over at my blog – come and get it!
Shade and Sweetwater,
K
on January 22, 2009 at 8:57 am
Sounds hormonal to me! LOL
on January 22, 2009 at 8:58 am
Kyddryn What does that award image say? These old eyes squinted all they could, but couldn’t make out the text.
on January 22, 2009 at 9:04 am
Hehe that’s funny. Happy Birthday!
on January 22, 2009 at 9:05 am
Happy Birthday Charlie! Enjoy your cake today!
P.S. That DH, DD, DS stuff? Goofy.
on January 22, 2009 at 9:17 am
Happy Birthday Charlie – I have a giveaway on my blog in honor of your happy day!!!
Love, your prettier sister
on January 22, 2009 at 10:37 am
So that Diet Coke trick really works, huh?
Be sure to have one with your birthday cake. Have a Happy!!
on January 22, 2009 at 11:26 am
Good post! Happy Birthday!!
on January 22, 2009 at 11:57 am
Hope you stuck a candle in that lasagna! Happy Birthday to a guy who always makes me laugh! Yes that’s a compliment!
on January 22, 2009 at 12:16 pm
my husband has no name other than “sick for two days and he lost 15 pounds!”
seriously.
I do agree with the study though. I am not able to resist the crap whereas he can draw the line and say ‘no thanks’.
(and did you say chocolate!?)
on January 22, 2009 at 12:21 pm
Happy Birthday Charlie!
(okay once AGAIN I didn’t remember…. until I saw the hints from your sisters)
on January 22, 2009 at 12:32 pm
Very funny.
One thing the studies have not put together is thyroid function differences between women and men. Like all other autoimmune disease and syndromes, women have a much higher rate of hypothyroidism which causes a lower metabolic rate.
Happy {deleted} Charlie!
on January 22, 2009 at 12:54 pm
Happy Birthday!!! Friends with your sis. Love you site. The fridge layout is my favorite part. Very cool. Have an awesome day!
on January 22, 2009 at 1:23 pm
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!
on January 22, 2009 at 2:20 pm
I don’t think men have more control of their emotions, or more logical. I think they have more muscle, and can eat more to stay at the same weight. Women are programmed to have more fat (baby-making and all), and our bodies will fight, consciously or unconciously, to keep it.
on January 22, 2009 at 2:41 pm
And Stephanie, if you ever did remember my birthday, I would have to take that as proof that you’d been abducted by aliens and replaced with a replicant. 🙂
on January 22, 2009 at 5:41 pm
Happy Birthday Charlie!!!!
on January 22, 2009 at 7:31 pm
Mark has a name and his own identity!
Mark has never had to try to lose weight, but we have talked about the idea of eating emotionally and feeling guilty after eating too much – these things he does not comprehend.
Happy Birthday
on January 23, 2009 at 6:34 am
Hope you had a fantastic birthday Charlie!
I think women do have a harder time because of the emotional connection with food, hormones, and our bodies are programmed to have higher fat percentages.
Loved the first part of this post. Although, my husband doesn’t have a name on my blog, I definitely do not refer to him as DH.
on January 24, 2009 at 9:49 am
Could all of these really just boil down to the differences in sex drives ? just a thought :o)
on January 25, 2009 at 1:05 am
Zliten (the fiance) and I have both had some success, and we have both had times we get stuck. It does frustrate me now that I weigh a lot less than him I can’t eat everything he does anymore, or I will put on weight! Bah!
I never got that DH thing, I think it’s odd too.
on February 5, 2009 at 4:11 pm
OMG. All this time I thought you were female. Hehheheeh.
on February 5, 2009 at 8:20 pm
chau: Really? Must have been my voice. 😉