Lose Weight Like A Guy

That’s because you could forgo beer forever and still never get close to squeezing into your skinny jeans from high school. It’s not fair, but men are natural losers. We women may think we know every weight loss trick in the book, but men have some distinct physiological advantages.

For one, men’s bigger muscle mass helps them burn 30% more calories than we do, says nutritionist Cynthia Sass, RD, coauthor of Your Diet Is Driving Me Crazy. Women generally have more body fat and are biologically more inclined to store it; men also get a free pass from the monthly hormone peaks and valleys that leave us grumpy, bloated, and craving anything chocolate. Finally, in the gym, men flock to the weight racks and do routines that pack on metabolism-boosting muscle, while women miss out on those benefits when they’re tied to the treadmill.

But all is not, ahem, lost. If there’s no way to beat men at the dieting game, women might as well join them. Here are seven guy habits that can help you slim down, get strong, and be healthier, too.

Lose Weight Like A Guy #1: He doesn’t get upset when he screws up.
Okay, you blew it. A ridiculous project lands on your desk at 4 pm, and the vending machine beckons…What do you do next? If you’re a woman, you throw up your hands, tell yourself what a bad person you are, and reach for your quarters. Then you wallow in self-loathing for days. And what does a guy do? “He feels okay, maybe even good, and really enjoys that snack,” says emotional-eating expert Edward Abramson, PhD, a professor emeritus of psychology at California State University and author of Body Intelligence. The guy also climbs right back on the weight loss wagon, no harm, no foul.

To avoid this diet-busting mentality, apply his 80% rule. “Most guys avoid anything that even smacks of perfectionism,” and that applies to dieting, too, says Pamela Peeke, MD, an assistant clinical professor of medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. “When women start a diet, they go from zero to 100—they become ‘perfect’ overnight, which is a hallmark of failure. That’s why I developed the 80% rule: Hit your weight loss goals 80% every single day you can. One day, it’ll be 120% because it happens to be a great day. Other days, you’ll hit 50% or even 20% when you’re dealing with PMS. Just make sure it averages out to 80%.”

Lose Weight Like A Guy #2: He doesn’t crave sweets.

Both men and women have cravings—but his work to his advantage. While your comfort food is more likely to be sour gummy bears or double-chocolate chip bars, his is a thick, juicy steak. A Cornell University study found that women seek out sweets to ward off the blues but men turn to meat when they want to indulge. Why this gives him a weight loss advantage: He’s eating protein, which will help fill him up (and curb overeating later) far better than your coffee cake will.

If cravings for desserts and candy are your diet downfall, try protein first. Have low-fat string cheese, a low-fat turkey and cheese roll-up, or fat-free cottage cheese mixed with some cut-up fruit. If you can’t skip a sweet, combine them: a small handful of chocolate chips and almonds, for example…SEE MORE LOSE WEIGHT LIKE A GUY TIPS