MEN VS WOMEN!

When it comes to how to lose fat, there are some differences between men and women, and it goes beyond the simple differences in how we store it. Men and women have different trouble spots when it comes to where they store fat. For men, trouble spots tend to be in the chest. Chest fat, or man boobs start to develop when men are carrying too much body fat. The waist line or love handles is another trouble spot. Perhaps the most notable trouble spot is in the mid section or beer belly. Even in examples of significant leanness men will store fat deposits in very specific areas of their mid section such as their lower abdominals and lower back. For women, the fat loss trouble differ. Fat deposits on the backs of the arms (triceps) creating "bat wings" or "jiggly arms". Women also experience more fat storage in their lower bodies; hips, thighs, and calves. You’ve probably heard the terms saddlebags, cankles, or muffin top to describe these trouble spots. This is evident in women who appear to be skinny or skinny fat, you’ll see that the areas mentioned above often show signs of extra fat deposited.

Many of the differences in where fat is stored come down to hormones, specifically Testosterone and Estrogen. Men and women don’t only have different trouble spots however, they also have different types of fat storage as well. Testosterone often creates more visceral fat. That is, fat stored behind the muscle sounding the organs. Classic examples of this type of fat are men that have a rock hard protruding beer gut. This is caused by the fat actually pushing out against the layer of abdominal muscle. Since visceral fat surrounds the vital organs, this type of fat is more dangerous. Typically we see higher cases of heart disease in men often caused by their increased storage of visceral fat. Women on the other hand have more subcutaneous fat. Subcutaneous fat is often driven by the binding of estrogen. While this type of fat is less dangerous than visceral fat it can still be troublesome and if you have it, you likely want it gone! Because the subcutaneous is just under the skin, it is more noticeable. For example, you may see dimples of fat especially around the thigh area. When it comes to strategies for losing fat the recommendation for women is to focus on exercises, specifically strength training over steady state cardio. Strength training will allow women to add muscle to their frames which is not only anabolic in itself, but will also help increase their existing levels of testosterone which will also help aid in fat loss. Because of estrogen, women will not become bulky. And also since women carry less muscle mass, really any type of exercise will burn fat much more quickly in women than men. Of course, nutrition will always be number one! For men, the focus should almost always be on nutrition. Since men have larger amounts of testosterone already, and likely carry more muscle mass as a result, they will generally want to focus on getting their eating in check. This will help lower their body fat especially when done in conjunction with a smart exercise program. In addition to the tips above regarding fat loss through proper nutrition and exercise, you can also try incorporating some of mother natures secret ingredients. Foods that contain zinc, red grapes for resveratrol, and all types or different color vegetables for their high levels of phytochemicals. Other excellent foods to incorporate are fresh herbs and spices.