"its easier for men"

I'm sick of being told this!  I'm not doubting the truth of the statement, just the way it is said and the implication that it is somehow not as much of an accomplishment for men to lose weight as it is for women.

I work in a retail environment and am the only guy there.  I was diagnosed with hypertension in January, and I decided that in addition to the medication that I had to finally do something about my weight as well.  I have a total of 65 lbs. to lose, and have been working hard to get it off.  I am currently at 35 lbs. lost and still going strong, which is an amazing accomplishment for me.

I know that it is true that men do tend to lose weight more easily due to metabolic differences due to body composition among other factors, but it is difficult to have your accomplishments put down over and over again without losing some sense of motivation.  It has not been an easy road, but I am looking on this as a lifestyle change and not just a weight issue.  I am proud of my progress so far and remain motivated to complete my journey to health. 

First and foremost congrats on the -35.  That is a real accomplishment period, man, woman or child.

As a man I always felt a pang of guilt about how easy my loss has been if anyone wanted to tell me that they had a harder time or worked harder to get where they were I would freely concede the point.  

I have always felt my results and accomplishments stand on their own.  I did it for myself and in the end it's how I feel about it that matters, nothing else.

Keep up the good work and enjoy the ride.

maybe it's "easier" but that doesn't mean it's EASY!!! it's hard work for everyone. i don't know anyone who said this is "easy." it's NOT!!!! keep at it and ignore anything that doesn't make you feel really positive and good about yourself. you are working hard at it, and so is every other person i have met here. so give yourself a big pat on the back, and keep up the good WORK!!!

Where's the data that it's actually easier for men?  Yes, we're supposed to munch more due to our higher metabolisms and our ability to build big muskles, but how do we define "easier"?

You can flip the metabolism difference on its head.  If womens' metabolisms are slower then males', then isn't it "easier" for them to eat less food since their bodies don't need as much of it?  Again, what is meant by "easier"?

I think this is all going back to that other thread I started (triggered by my wife's threat to cut off my ice cream supply).  If by easier, we mean men feel less hunger than women do when dieting, then I think you're rubbing up against the idea that either men know what women experience or that women know what men experience, when I don't think that either's the case.  As someone else said in that thread, we try to understand, but we'll never really know.

As for the examples brought up here where some husband naively made the assertion that men have it easier than women, my wife has a girlfriend who is a tiny little thing with a roaring metabolism.  She certainly seems to have it easier than me.  She seems to eat all she desires whereas I don't have that luxury.

In the end, we're just all different.  Each of us have individual level of cravings we have and differing abilities to deal with them.  Each of us feels full at differing times.  Each of us gets hungry at different times and the intensity of the hunger is different for anyone, whether they're male or female.  Some of us can keep our arms from opening the fridge, whereas others struggle with it.  My gut tells me that "easier" is not divided by sex as clearly as it's made out to be.

It can be easier for anyone who is "heavier" to lose weight. 

Can = if the person does everything right.  Simply being a man or a heavier/taller woman does not mean that the person has a greater capacity to do everything right.  Just that if they do, the weight is more likely to come off for them than it is for a less heavy person.

Heavier = Comparing someone who is 200+ to someone who is <150.  If I am as perfect on my routine as someone who weighs 100 pounds more than me, they might find it relatively easier to lose a proportionate amount of weight.

None of that means that men have an inherently easier time learning to control portions and ensure adequate nutrition.  :)

barberian - huge congrats on your loss!!!