Listen up fellas! This one’s for you.
Wanting to lose weight? Not sure where to start? We’ve got you!
It’s true that the world of weight loss is over-saturated with fad diets and exercise routines promising unrealistic results. These diets and meal plans make results seem guaranteed if you simply follow certain rules, eat certain foods, and do enough push ups. To help you navigate this confusing information, we have compiled our top 10 best ways for men to lose weight.
Let’s dive right in, and then answer some important questions that will impact how men should approach weight loss!
10 best ways for men to lose weight
1. Set a goal
To start your weight loss journey off on the right foot, it’s important to set a goal! Whether short or long-term, goals can serve as an anchor point when things don’t go according to your plan (which will inevitably happen). Wanting to lose 20 pounds? Great! Use that as your long term goal and constantly reflect your daily choices against that goal. Setting a concrete goal will also give you an aim to measure your progress by.
2. Make a plan
Once your goal is established, try your best to plan out how you will get there. Simply saying your goal is one thing, but creating tangible and specific strategies to get you there is vital. Some questions to consider include:
- What will my eating look like?
- What exercise will I do?
- How will I measure my progress?
- Who can I rely on for accountability?
- Should I create a weekly meal plan?
Work to find one specific strategy (SMART goal, anyone?) that you can put into action each week to help keep you on track and working towards your goal!
3. Be mindful of calories
This is where using tools such as Noom can help in providing a calorie budget and food log to stay on track! Caloric density can also help you eat a wide range of foods that allow you to continue meeting your daily calorie needs, without having to eat bland chicken breast and broccoli for every meal.
4. Focus on exercise you enjoy
It’s no secret that exercise can play a role in losing weight, improving health outcomes, and reducing risks of chronic conditions such as diabetes and heart disease. Similarly to food choices, it’s important that you experiment and find the exercise you enjoy! Whether it’s resistance training and lifting weights, interval training, or aerobic exercise like running, biking, dancing, and other cardio activities, any physical activity that gets you moving is worth your time. Don’t worry about finding the perfect exercise or workout plan, and don’t fall for the myth that the “right” physical activity will melt away belly fat. Just get moving and you’ll start seeing the benefits of exercise.
You may be wondering, how can I lose weight fast without exercise? Although exercise can help, it is possible to lose weight without exercise. Remember, losing weight is all about caloric balance. Exercise aids in weight loss because exercise burns calories. To lose weight without exercise, it’s important to be aware of the amount of calories you are eating each day.
5. Get those zzz’s
Your body needs sleep – especially when you are incorporating more exercise and focusing on losing weight! Sleeping less than 6 hours per night can lead to weight gain, higher stress levels, and increased risk of heart disease. The best way to increase the amount of sleep you get is by focusing on your bedtime routine. Things like turning off electronics an hour before bed, keeping your room dark, and sticking to the same bedtime each night can quickly lead to a consistent sleep routine. Don’t overlook the benefit a solid 7-9 hours of shut-eye per night can provide as you strive to reach a healthy weight and regulate your metabolism!
6. Increase fruits and veggies
Besides being delicious, fruits and vegetables can play a key role in weight loss. As mentioned earlier, there are no such thing as magical weight loss foods. The importance of fruits and veggies in weight loss is simply based on caloric density.
Fruits and veggies include fiber and large amounts of water, which can help you feel full and satisfied while still consuming fewer calories. Pairing fruits and veggies up with lean proteins and moderate healthy fats can be a perfect balance that helps you stay full and recover from your workout.
7. Incorporate activity throughout your day
If you struggle finding time to get to the gym, focus on finding ways to add activity to your daily routine! Things like parking further away from the office, taking a walk break at lunch, or setting an alarm to get a couple steps each hour, can quickly add up and help you increase overall activity, get your heart rate up, and burn more calories throughout the day.
8. Drink more water
Now we aren’t saying you need to carry around a gallon jug of water all day, but finding ways to increase your daily water consumption can help keep you full and feeling satisfied. If you don’t drink a lot of water, find ways to remind yourself to drink! Alarms on your phone and computer can be a great way to catch your attention and remind you to drink some of the good stuff. Also, try finding a water bottle you like and keeping it within an arm’s reach throughout the day.
9. Get friends and family involved
Real talk – weight loss and behavior change can be hard! Especially if you go at it alone. Finding ways to get friends and family involved can help your choices become more sustainable. Not only will friends and family help hold you accountable, but they can also be there to celebrate victories and milestones along the way!
10. Find your balance
Any sustainable weight loss plan should be balanced, not restrictive. Balance is key in developing lasting change and lifelong results. Too often, restrictive diets promise instant weight loss through extreme and unmindful approaches to eating and exercise. This may work in the short term but rarely leads to lasting change. Balance may look different for everyone but you should not feel guilty enjoying meals with friends or indulging in a dessert on date night. These are times to enjoy and when approached mindfully with your goals in mind, can allow you to continue making progress!
Weight loss diet plan for men
What is the best weight loss diet plan for men?
The best weight loss diet plan for men depends on the man! So many variables play into what a successful weight loss plan looks like. Things to consider when finding the right weight loss plan for you include current weight, health status. lifestyle, and food/exercise preferences.
Although fast weight loss tends to be the goal for anyone starting a new diet, the key of a successful diet is sustainability. Fast weight loss tends to happen as a result of a restrictive crash diet that is not sustainable. Simply starving yourself for a month to lose 20 pounds will not lead to lasting change and will likely end in you regaining whatever body fat you lost.
Utilizing an extreme or restrictive diet, even if it is considered the “best”, will in the long-run, lead to frustration and giving up. A one size fits all approach to weight loss never works because we are all different! Not only are all men different but it is important to remember that men and women lose weight differently as well.
Fat loss diet plan for men
What is the best fat loss diet plan for males?
The best way for men to lose fat will involve a combination changes to diet and exercise. Achieving a calorie deficit while engaging in strength training activities will help preserve muscle mass as body weight is lost, meaning a larger proportion of weight loss will be fat loss.Why do men lose weight faster than women?
In general, men lose weight faster than women because men typically have a higher percentage of muscle mass. This increased amount of muscle leads to a higher metabolic rate (calories burned through normal metabolic processes), which allows men to burn calories and fat at a faster pace than women. Although men can lose weight more quickly than women, this does not mean that men can eat whatever they want and still lose weight. A healthy and mindful approach to calorie intake and exercise is still key to successful weight loss for men.
What’s the best diet plan for men to lose weight?
Finding an eating style that fits your lifestyle and preferences is key when starting a weight loss plan. Dieting is often presented as a fix-all approach to losing weight. Low-carb diet? High-carb diet? No carbs at all? Keto diet? Vegan? Intermittent fasting? Weight Watchers? The fact is that all of these diets can give you results and help you lose weight. Whatever you choose, it is important that you feel the style of eating is sustainable for your life.
The best weight loss plan for men
As you can see, these 10 best ways for men to lose weight are simple and realistic. No crash diets, no illusions of overnight success, but instead balanced and sustainable habits that can lead to lasting change. There are no secret tips or tricks when looking at weight loss diets for men. By setting a goal and using mindful strategies to change daily habits, men (or anyone for that matter) can expect to see realistic and sustainable weight loss!
At Noom, we believe the best weight loss diet includes developing awareness around your food choices and learning how your food choices can play into your long-term goals. No food should be off limits and no foods possess magical weight loss powers. The body requires a certain amount of calories to lose weight and having the knowledge of how the foods you enjoy fit into this balance can help you eat the foods you like and still reach your weight loss goals..
