[Health+] Women's Diets Are Different from Men's: How Can They Succeed?

A while ago, while chatting about this and that with a junior colleague at work,

Health trainers applicable to ordinary people,

Especially since they mentioned that trainer methods designed for men are often not suitable for women when applied,

I just thought, "Oh, I see."

They say that diets should be applied differently to women and men.

It is said that this is because not only are the physical structures different, but the psychological mechanisms are also different.

Since there are differences between men and women in muscle growth due to hormones,

I think you need to diet in a way that suits women and is tailored to each individual.

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Men and women have different tendencies in every aspect, as evidenced by the book *Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus*. The same applies to the human body. Similarly, to achieve satisfactory results, a diet must be optimized for women, who are different from men.

Men and women have different tendencies in every aspect. Similarly, to achieve satisfactory results, a diet optimized for women, who are different from men, must be followed. Image unrelated to this article. [Photo = Pixabay]

One might assume that men and women will achieve the same weight loss results if they follow the same diet and combine it with exercise, but this is not the case. This is because men and women not only have completely different physical structures but also differ in their thoughts and psychological mechanisms.

To look into this in more detail, there are differences in muscle growth caused by hormones. Testosterone, a hormone that plays a major role in muscle growth, is produced in higher amounts in men and lower amounts in women. This is why men grow muscles faster and more extensively than women and experience different exercise effects, even when performing the same workout.

There are also differences in the distribution and allocation of body fat. Men tend to have fat concentrated in the abdominal area throughout their lives, whereas women accumulate fat in the hips and thighs during their reproductive years, and then settle in the abdominal area similar to men after menopause.

Men and women differ not only in their physical structures but also in their thoughts and psychological mechanisms. Image unrelated to this article. [Photo = Pixabay]

In addition, there are differences in the purpose and direction of women's diets. Women generally want to slim down their arms, legs, and stomach while keeping fat in areas like the chest and hips, and they primarily focus on becoming slim. However, the goal of most men's diets is to shed body fat and build muscle to achieve a solid, large physique.

So, how should women approach dieting, which differs from that of men? First, you must clearly establish a purpose regarding "why you are dieting." This is because if you adopt a dieting method that does not align with your goal, the results obtained after all the hard work may not be satisfactory. If you want to refine your figure and improve your fit but end up starving yourself, causing facial fat and even the volume in your chest—where it should be—to disappear, then you can consider your diet to have been done incorrectly.

In addition, the target body fat percentage should be set according to one's lifestyle, rather than being difficult to reach. Women are more affected by body fat percentage than men; in particular, women need to maintain a body fat percentage of 20–30% to maintain good reproductive function. While this may be unavoidable for those dieting solely to increase muscle definition, it is advisable to maintain this level of body fat if you are dieting for a healthy lifestyle or to improve your figure, or if you are planning to have children.

For women to diet effectively, they must set specific goals, determine an appropriate body fat percentage, and develop a plan tailored to their menstrual cycle. Image unrelated to this article. [Photo = Pixabay]

Finally, you must plan your diet considering your period. Your physical condition can deteriorate rapidly during your period. If you push yourself too hard with your diet on top of this, efficiency will decrease and your motivation will disappear. Conversely, once your period ends, your appetite will decrease and your condition will return, allowing you to perform high-intensity workouts without difficulty. Therefore, it is advisable to plan a strategic diet cycle that is 'relaxed' during your period and 'high-intensity' after it ends.