Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:The factor you can control is that you're not training hard enough - train with himAnonymous wrote:My DH is late 40s; never really “fat” but typical dad bod with more than average upper body tone. Maybe 15lbs overweight?
He was muscular/abs up until early 30s.
He has always gone to gym for weights but nothing serious in years, and went the typical dad bod route as most do.
Fast forward to our teen starting to want to lift (going into HS) and after a few months of going more regularly DH flipped a switch, joined instagram and started following male fitness people.
Quit all alcohol, lowered carbs and eating healthy- drinking water non-stop. Does intense cardio 3-4 times a week and lifts almost every day.
I thought it was a fad and short lived that he could get his body of his late 20s back.
He is no where close to looking like when we were young, but I have to say it appears almost possible?
His gut is about gone and muscles defined.
Why is it so easy for guys, especially older to get back into shape so quickly when I have been moderately exercising/running and barely drink alcohol and still carry about 15 extra pounds?
Very frustrating.
Sure - many women could train "harder", but they still won't achieve results as quickly as a male. Males are already starting with several advantages: 1) testosterone, 2) larger lung capacity, 3) no cyclic hormonal variations. My 14 year old son can lift heavier than me and has more muscle mass. Two years ago, I could take him in arm wrestling and beat him in sprints. No longer. Testosterone is a hell of a drug.
Anonymous wrote:The factor you can control is that you're not training hard enough - train with himAnonymous wrote:My DH is late 40s; never really “fat” but typical dad bod with more than average upper body tone. Maybe 15lbs overweight?
He was muscular/abs up until early 30s.
He has always gone to gym for weights but nothing serious in years, and went the typical dad bod route as most do.
Fast forward to our teen starting to want to lift (going into HS) and after a few months of going more regularly DH flipped a switch, joined instagram and started following male fitness people.
Quit all alcohol, lowered carbs and eating healthy- drinking water non-stop. Does intense cardio 3-4 times a week and lifts almost every day.
I thought it was a fad and short lived that he could get his body of his late 20s back.
He is no where close to looking like when we were young, but I have to say it appears almost possible?
His gut is about gone and muscles defined.
Why is it so easy for guys, especially older to get back into shape so quickly when I have been moderately exercising/running and barely drink alcohol and still carry about 15 extra pounds?
Very frustrating.
Anonymous wrote:It's not hormones. It's the muscle.
The factor you can control is that you're not training hard enough - train with himAnonymous wrote:My DH is late 40s; never really “fat” but typical dad bod with more than average upper body tone. Maybe 15lbs overweight?
He was muscular/abs up until early 30s.
He has always gone to gym for weights but nothing serious in years, and went the typical dad bod route as most do.
Fast forward to our teen starting to want to lift (going into HS) and after a few months of going more regularly DH flipped a switch, joined instagram and started following male fitness people.
Quit all alcohol, lowered carbs and eating healthy- drinking water non-stop. Does intense cardio 3-4 times a week and lifts almost every day.
I thought it was a fad and short lived that he could get his body of his late 20s back.
He is no where close to looking like when we were young, but I have to say it appears almost possible?
His gut is about gone and muscles defined.
Why is it so easy for guys, especially older to get back into shape so quickly when I have been moderately exercising/running and barely drink alcohol and still carry about 15 extra pounds?
Very frustrating.
Anonymous wrote:Two factors:
- Women often do little to no strength training when they are young. They have recently started discovering that strength training and weight lifting is hugely helpful in middle age to control weight. But it's an uphill battle because they have to start from scratch. And women start out with less muscle mass generally, so it's even harder.
- Men are much more likely to do strength training in their youth. They might lose that body, but the muscle memory of that training holds on and it's much easier to build up strength again if you've had it before. Men also have more muscle mass to begin with due to the way our bodies develop and how our hormones work.
- Women are also often at a huge disadvantage due to years of yo-yo dieting and restrictive diets. It's screws with how your body processes calories and can lead to weight gain because deprivation combined with increase exercise is actually a recipe for weight gain, longterm. Men eat more normally and intuitively, and thus their bodies are more primed to respond to a regimen of healthier eating (not even necessarily lower calories, but shifting from high fat, high processed foods to more lean proteins and vegetables) and increased exercise, especially strength training.
I am a woman and I have never dieted and I did a lot of strength training in my 20s and 30s. Right now I'm mid-40s and had gotten out of shape post kids, as had my DH. We've both been working to get in shape and we are on the exact same trajectory in terms of weight because I took strength training seriously in my youth (instead of just doing cardio obsessively to "burn calories" as many women of my generation did) and because I didn't screw up my body with a bunch of BS restrictive diets in an effort to slim down for wedding season or bikini season or some BS.
Anonymous wrote:Of course hormones are at play. Men don’t have hormones coursing through and changing everyday and even more so in middle age.
And small changes work faster for men. A man drinking a lot of soda can drop it and lose 10lbs and a woman will see little to no change.
I stopped drinking alcohol and lost nothing. I was drinking thousands of extra calories a week in wine. A man can stop and lose 10lbs. Haha
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:My DH is late 40s; never really “fat” but typical dad bod with more than average upper body tone. Maybe 15lbs overweight?
He was muscular/abs up until early 30s.
He has always gone to gym for weights but nothing serious in years, and went the typical dad bod route as most do.
Fast forward to our teen starting to want to lift (going into HS) and after a few months of going more regularly DH flipped a switch, joined instagram and started following male fitness people.
Quit all alcohol, lowered carbs and eating healthy- drinking water non-stop. Does intense cardio 3-4 times a week and lifts almost every day.
I thought it was a fad and short lived that he could get his body of his late 20s back.
He is no where close to looking like when we were young, but I have to say it appears almost possible?
His gut is about gone and muscles defined.
Why is it so easy for guys, especially older to get back into shape so quickly when I have been moderately exercising/running and barely drink alcohol and still carry about 15 extra pounds?
Very frustrating.
You mention a commitment to lifestyle changes he has sustained for "months" and are whining that it's just magically easier for men?
Really?
I know, right?
* Quits alcohol
* Ditched carbs
* Eats healthy
* Does intense cardio 4 days a week
* Lifts weights every day
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Those of you that say you have a fit DH. Mirror his exercise plan and eat the exact same meals he eats (smaller portions) for 30 days and watch what happens to your body. Take before and after pictures
I do more than my DH and it’s just not the same.
We both lift weights, but I do it more. We both do cardio, but I do it more. I eat healthier and less than he does. He drinks, I don’t. He loses weight, I don’t. It’s really frustrating.
Mine isn’t a short-term push. I’ve always lifted weights, worked out, and eaten healthy. I just can’t shake the weight. It’s depressing but I have to remind myself I do it for mental and cardio health, not the scale.
My DH would easily tell you I put in way more effort on health with less results. He has genetics and gender on his side.