When you read articles stating how many calories you need based on height, weight and sex, they’re generalized. No two people are alike. Your body build makes a difference, so does your activity level. In general, however, men need more calories than women do. It can be pretty discouraging if you’re a woman who has started a weight loss program with her husband to watch him lose weight faster, sometimes even eating more. There are differences in the body bodies of men and women that can cause that to occur.
Start with the average for your age and gender.
If you’re overweight, you’re eating more calories than your body needs to be its best weight. If you eat 3500 calories more than you need, you gain a pound. Eating 3500 calories less causes you to lose a pound. Track the amount of calories you presently consume and compare it to the average amount required by males or females in your age bracket. The average man between 19 and 30, needs between 2600 calories and 2800 calories each day to function and the average woman needs 2000 to 2200. As you age those calorie requirements lower.
Muscle mass makes a difference and that’s where men have an advantage.
The average male has more lean muscle mass than the average woman, due to hormonal differences. The more muscle mass you have, the higher your calorie requirement. Muscle tissue requires more calories than fat tissue does. A man that’s fit has between 87 to 94% lean muscle mass, while the average fit female has from 77 to 91% lean muscle mass. For the average American, those numbers change to 75-86% for men and 69-76% for women. That difference accounts for much of the difference in calorie requirements.
There are many other factors to consider.
Men tend to be heavier, with a bigger body build. That means they’ll burn more calories. However, even within the gender category there is a wide variety of caloric needs. Other factors play a role even if two individuals are the same height, weight and gender. Activity level plays a role. The more active you are, the more calories you burn. Age makes a difference, too. The potential reason for that is loss of muscle mass as people age.
- Most men are taller than women, which means they have more body mass and have to carry more weight. It takes more calories to which carry that extra mass all day.
- As people age, they normally lose muscle mass, which makes weight loss harder. It doesn’t have to be that way. No matter what your age, getting fitter can help slow or even reverse that process.
- The more active you are, the more calories you’ll burn. That’s true no matter what your gender. If you want to lose weight, get off the couch and get more active. A man that’s sedentary burns fewer calories than an active woman does.
- Having a personalized program can help you shed extra pounds, while learning how to maintain a healthier lifestyle, adding years to your life and life to those years.
For more information, contact us today at Rising Fitness Gym