Men lose weight faster than women - true or false?

I don't even have to think about that question! My husband loses weight easily compared to me. It is like pulling teeth for me to lose weight. I am peri-menopausal and have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis. My doctor also thinks my estrogen levels are too high for easy weight loss, but I'm resisting hormone replacement therapy. I feel well at least, and I don't want to mess with that simply to be thinner. Women have some of these particular issues that men don't have, plus not to mention the normal monthly water weight gains (and sometimes real weight due to cravings and overeating) due to PMSing, if you know what I mean.

A recent article by Lesley Beck in the Globe and Mail, details the fact that women often have to "pay attention to every nibble in order to see the scale budge".

This does not seem fair, but it is true that men have more muscle mass and, therefore, since muscle burns more calories than fat... - there you go, there is the answer most likely!

Apparently, women are predisposed to storing more fat because they have high estrogen levels. See, there is my problem. I have an imbalance going on right now with too much estrogen, making it very difficult for me to shed the 7 lbs I would like to. My husband could shed that amount in 3 weeks! It will take me months in comparison and only if I'm extremely diligent.

Leslie says that women are more likely to eat comfort foods than men in response to emotions. Hmm, that is not always true. I think men do that as well - however, they may tend towards eating more at a meal or eating bread rather than reaching for cookies or sweets.

Further gender differences are stated as being:

Men like to exercise more. They like to lose weight primarily for health reasons and for appearance secondly, whereas it is usually the other way around for women. Men usually have a better body image (they see themselves as looking great, despite being overweight and women see themselves as looking awful, when, in fact, oftentimes they are not that overweight.) and higher confidence in their ability to lose weight. That last one is a no-brainer. I think if I lost as well as a guy, I would have more confidence as well. Even although I struggle with weight loss, low-carbing helps me to remain stable in my weight. When I do the opposite, I do start to gain weight after a while.

Another thing is that men like to lift weights and women typically avoid that exercise for fear of looking too "butch". Not all women feel that way, but a great many do. I have my dinky little weights that I use from time to time, because I do worry about looking too big. My shoulders are broad and my arms are not that skinny, so I do think I could bulk up some if I'm not careful. I don't want that!

I am envious of my husband's ability to lose weight faster, but on the bright side, I have always been able to at least maintain my weight quite well, whereas my husband sees big jumps on the scale sometimes. A two-week vacation can see a 10 lb increase on the scale, whereas I might see no increase or only a couple of pounds. Everyone is different... I think one has to focus on one's own progress and forget about competing with a male spouse. Rather encourage each other's successes, big or small.