Guys Diet Differently

Turns out, men and women aren't equal in the weight-loss game. Sigh.

1. Guys can just say "No" to problem foods
Earlier this year, the Brookhaven National Laboratory conducted a study where they presented male and female subjects their favorite foods, then monitored their brain activity using positron emission tomography (PET) scans. Ladies, the gents beat you: they were able to suppress their hunger and their desire to eat, while brain activity among the women showed that many continued to crave their favorite foods, even after being told to think of something else. In layman's terms, we call this "emotional eating," something that trainer and American Dietetic says is an "uphill battle" for his female clients, but not the male ones. The guys must be too busy thinking of something else—or nothing at all?

2. But they are dumb when it comes to nutrition
When a woman decides to go on a diet, the first stop she'll likely make is the healthier aisles of her local grocery store. But not men, says White. "With women, they're very eager to learn," he says. "They look for nutrients, read food labels and focus on healthy cooking and healthy meals." Guys can take a page from this book by learning how to cook or doing what White calls a "grocery-store tour" to familiarize yourself with what's healthy and what's junk. Just because it's chicken doesn't mean it's healthy. If that confuses you, head to the grocery store—or ask a woman nearby.

3. They compete to lose
When you think about Curves, Weight Watchers or other dieting programs aimed at women, they're all focused on fostering cooperation, holding hands and achieving goals within a supportive group. For men, losing weight is a sport. He'll bet a friend he can lose more weight, whereas women will both agree to buy new dresses when they reach their goal." His hunch is backed up in research, where men performed better in incentive studies than women when they earned money for every pound lost. Sign me up for that.

4. Guys don't care as much (but you already knew that)
Studies show that many men tend to diet for health reasons or health scares, rather than appearance. Women are more likely to diet because of social pressures. Vogel advises the National Football League, and as such, sees many big-bellied, 300-pound offensive linemen pass through his office—all of whom remain happy about their size and the job it earned them. A woman, on the flipside, tends to compare herself to her peers. "You never really see a 300-pound woman who is prideful about her weight," he says, adding that women "bear the burden of social ostracism." Bottom line, it's less stigmatizing to be overweight if you're a guy. That means men are less likely to be dissatisfied with their bodies and women are more likely to obsess about the number on the scale.

5. Muscles do matter
If a husband and wife start on the same gym regimen, he's likely to lose more weight at first because he has more muscle mass. He's also more likely to attack a weight loss goal by exercising. White says that, for men, the gym is a "business plan," where they will start coming four to five times a week, "really pumping the iron." So here's one area where woman can take a hint from their hunks, without throwing out that "I want to be skinny, not muscular" excuse. "The truth is, you can't lose weight and keep it off without an exercise plan," Vogel adds. And that, along with the whole calorie-counting thing, is one dieting rule that applies to both genders.