Yearning for testosterone

For the most part, I enjoy being a female…really.  But sometimes I wonder whether life would be easier as the other sex.  Let me count the ways:

1. We would save endless amounts of stress by not having to search for the ‘perfect’ dress.
2. No need to undergo various painful & expensive hair removal treatments
3. Getting ready in the morning/before a night out would require minimal time
4. High heels would not be an unspoken requirement
5. Goodbye monthly hormonal fluctuations, PMS cravings, inevitable menopausal weight gain and pregnancy

Well just when I thought they couldn’t have it any easier, I read an article which reinforces the sad truth: why men lose weight more easily than women.  More than a good laugh, it was also quite an eye opener:

• Have a one-tracked mind: whether it’s for sex, sports, or slimming, men have a laser-like focus while women tend to take on a wider perspective.  A woman who wants to lose weight will multitask by nixing dessert, going vegan, halving portions, and increasing her exercise.  Instead be like a man and choose your worst diet habit and a challenging fitness goal and attack only those for a month.
• Grunt, groan, and sweat.  These all signal intensity: you burn fat & tone muscles.  So next time you’re working out, push yourself full throttle.  If you can talk, you’re not going hard enough. 
• Feed your ego.  Unlike men, women refrain from bragging about their successes at the risk of seeing self-centered.  The ego is a powerful motivator so after your next workout, brag…even to yourself   
• Detach from your emotions.  Let your brain/hunger drive your choices, not your emotions.  Don’t eat because you’re happy, sad, bored, lonely etc.  Treat food as fuel, think about your food choices and their implications on your health and indulge occasionally without the guilt.  
• Pump iron.  The first place a guy wanting to shed a few pounds will head to is the weights room.  Think of it as the lose-weight room.  Strength training revs metabolism and continues to burn calories even once you’ve put down those dumbbells.  Overall you may not drop pounds, but you’ll be smaller and firmer- win!
• Eat real food.  How many guys do you see opting for 100-cal snack packs or ‘diet’ / ‘low-cal’ foods?  Fuel up on whole foods like nuts, turkey, cheese, fruits & vegetables as they’re more psychologically filling.
• Care about stats: Rather than set qualitative goals like ‘I want to look better’ men often quantify their goals. Setting performance-specific goals will keep you engaged and give you something achievable to strive towards.  These benchmarks also push you to try harder now which translates to a harder body later.  
• Eat meats, not sweets.  Whereas women tend to reach for high-calorie sweets and desserts, men crave protein-rich foods like steak.  Eat like a man as protein helps fill you up much better than sugar and fats and you are unlikely to reach for seconds and thirds.   

That all being said, there is one perk about being a girl that comes to mind: getting someone to help lift my suitcase at the airport is as easy as fluttering my eyelids ;)!