Weight-Loss: The Women War

Sometimes, it just doesn't seem fair. It seems like we women can just look at a decadent dessert and feel our hips widening, while all a man has to do is cut back his portions a little and watch the numbers on the scale drop.

One big difference between the sexes lies in food preferences, according to Katherine Tallmadge, RD, the author of Diet Simple. "Men love their meat, and women are attached to carbohydrates," she says.

That doesn't mean one type of eating has the edge, however. "I individualize eating plans to allow both men and women to enjoy their preferences for carbs or protein, providing they select the healthy versions," says Tallmadge, who is also a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association.

Another difference Tallmadge sees in her practice is that women tend to be fairly knowledgeable about food and calories, while the men don't think much about nutrition.

"As soon as the men start paying attention to healthier food choices, they tend to get quick results," says Tallmadge. Call it beginner's luck!

There are some weight loss tricks that work equally well for both sexes, she says.

Both women and men who have been skipping breakfast usually get quick results when they add a healthy breakfast into their plan, observes Tallmadge. "I also advise everyone to divide their eating plans equally so that one-third of their calories is eaten before lunch."