If you're a woman, that fact alone puts you at risk for gaining weight. X We've all met men who flex brawny arms, throw out wimpy chests, suck in overly ample guts, and brag about how they keep their weight under control by virtue of their . . . well, their virtue. We see their wives or girlfriends smile politely and perhaps a little painfully. Most of those female counterparts who struggle to keep their weight under control would sell their souls to get a taste of that confident macho ego. They know how hard they fight the weight war—and they also know that, generally speaking, they watch what they eat infinitely more carefully than he ever did! It just doesn't seem fair. And it isn't.

While many men (the unenlightened ones) like to think their chubby wives just don't exhibit as much self-control as they do, the truth is, it's physically more difficult for women to lose weight. Female weight loss is simply not the same as male weight loss. While thyroid function plays a role (women experience hypothyroidism at a rate from five to ten times higher than men) the reason for this difficulty usually fits neatly into one word: hormones. Women have them; men don't—at least they don't have the hormones that affect keeping weight down. In fact, male hormones actually work for men while female hormones typically work against women. Men who enjoy high levels of testosterone (and what man doesn't?) also enjoy an increased metabolic rate and an increased tendency to build muscles, which, as we noted in chapter 4, helps keep the metabolic rate high.

Men, if you are reading this book because you're the unfortunate half of the couple that struggles with weight, you'll love this book. Losing weight on a program of this type is much easier for you than it would be for the important woman in your life. You simply don't have as many issues to deal with. Women, keep reading. We'll resolve the issues for you as well.

According to studies dating back to 1976 and 1980, 25.7 percent of the population was overweight. More than nineteen million American women and fifteen million American men were affected. Over a ten-year period, the study showed that women gained more weight but men were at greater risk for major weight gain. The overall incidence of weight gain, however, was twice as great among females than males.

"Carol, thank you so much for writing this book. I've been using your program now for over a year and have lost over 100 pounds. My only question is, can you write some more recipes? This is the best food I've ever eaten."

ANNE

Current data indicate that at any given time, one-third of American women and one-fourth of American men are trying to lose weight, and at least thirty-four million Americans are 20 percent or more overweight. This figure does not include many more millions of American women who straggle with that last fifteen to twenty pounds they can't seem to shake. There seems to be a complicated interconnection between hormones, mineral balances, and other factors that perplex an already complex issue for so many women. Getting those hormones to balance may be as difficult as balancing the national budget.

Pat's situation is typical of the struggles many women experience with weight. For the first twenty years or so, it wasn't difficult for her to keep her hourglass figure. But when the kids arrived and sent her hormones spiraling out of control, her concave figure turned convex. Suddenly "well rounded" didn't have anything to do with life interests.

While both of Pat's parents were heavy, and her father was an alcoholic, Pat was an athlete. She earned basketball scholarships and enjoyed power lifting. When she got married she weighed about 135 pounds. With the arrival of baby #1 came an additional sixty pounds that didn't disappear. She was at 220 pounds when she got pregnant the second time. From then on, the weight just piled on.

Pat's problem isn't that she eats differently than when she was an athlete or before the babies arrived. While her eating habits have never been terrific (she eats for comfort and to calm her nerves), her body doesn't deal with food as it did before. Her body has changed. Before she had children, her body burned the excess calories; now it stores them.

Riding the Estrogen/Progesterone Seesaw

Whereas a man's body might be compared to an electric typewriter, a woman's body could be compared to an IBM PC. Women are complex creatures with parts and systems that don't always function well. Just experiencing monthly cycles with hormones that fluctuate on a regular basis is complicated enough. But when a woman becomes pregnant, hormones and nutrients set up an intricate game of seesaw that can continue for years after the pregnancy is over. With each subsequent pregnancy and birth, the game gets more and more convoluted until, after childbearing has ceased, the game doesn't end. The players don't seem to know when it's time to call it quits.

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