Why a High-Protein Diet Might Not Work for You
12.25
Ever try a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet? How long did it last for you? A week? Two? Even less?
There's a reason why women cannot tolerate a high-protein, low-carb diet very well, says Olga Raz, M.Sc., R.D., a diet researcher from Israel and author of The Bread for Life Diet. And it all has to do with our biology.
Compared with men, women naturally have lower levels of serotonin, the hormone that controls satiety. Eating carbs is what gives our serotonin a lift. "When serotonin levels are low, we get cravings and feel hungry," says Raz. In her research she's found that robbing ourselves of carbohydrates — the good kind found in foods like vegetables and whole grains — makes serotonin levels sink even lower. "I have women patients who tell me they can't tolerate a low-carb diet like Atkins, but their husbands do not have a problem sticking with it," she says. On the other hand, a diet high in complex carbs, like you'll find on The Girlfriends Diet, raises serotonin levels, so you'll feel fuller longer.
You might also notice that your husband is dropping pounds way faster than you on the same diet. There's another biological reason for this: When it comes to metabolism, men have it made.
"Men naturally have more lean muscle, so their metabolic rates run about 10% faster than women's," says Liz Applegate, Ph.D., director of sports nutrition at the University of California, Davis. "Women's bodies, on the other hand, are designed to hold on to body fat to nurture and grow babies."
Men's body composition is another reason they have the easier-losing edge. Men have more muscle mass and about 10% less body fat than women. Muscle burns at least twice as many calories as fat, even when you're just sitting around doing nothing. In fact, one study found that men naturally burn 37% more calories per day through movement than women. Plus, there's some evidence that female hormones, estrogen in particular, encourage our bodies to store food as fat, especially around the middle.
So even if you do decide to diet with your significant other — again, ditch the high-protein diets — don't be surprised if his pounds seem to just melt away.
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