Few things can improve a guy’s self-perception as much as weight loss. Losing weight can be a dramatic improvement to appearance and help prevent illnesses like heart disease and diabetes. If you’ve been considering dropping a few pounds, don’t wait. With just a few simple tips, any guy can lose some extra weight.
Swallow Your Pride, Not Extra Calories.
When it comes to food, different social expectations apply to men and women. Eating prowess is considered a sign of masculinity, with many men taking pride in how much they can eat in one sitting. The best method of eating for weight loss is to eat five or six small meals throughout the day. Rather than sacrifice your health for macho self image, eat only until you are no longer hungry, then ask for a take-out bag.
Muscle Up
Muscle gain is an essential weight loss tool for guys. Muscle is a metabolically active tissue that needs calories to maintain itself. Since men tend to have an easy time gaining muscle, a few strength training workouts per week can fat loss much easier. Train your entire body three days per week. Use basic squatting, pressing and pulling exercise that will train a lot of muscle at once.
Bump up the Protein
Preserve muscle and boost your metabolism by eating protein at every meal. Boosting your protein will help strip the fat off while still allowing you to enjoy some guy-friendly foods like lean meat, eggs and nuts. Your body burns more calories by processing protein than carbohydrates or fat, which keeps your metabolism up. Protein is also needed by your body to build and maintain muscle. As an added bonus, protein has a satiating effect, helping to prevent hunger.
Pick a Sport
To keep exercise fun, nothing beats a little competition. If it’s been a while since you’ve hit the court or playing field, most YMCAs and community centers offer novice level adult leagues for sports such swimming, basketball and volleyball. You can also look up local softball leagues of golf and tennis clubs. The social network you’ll gain through athletics will serve as a powerful motivator to stay on track to your weight loss goal. Just be careful about post-game eating and drinking.
About this Author
Based in the Greater New York area, David Kirschen is a 15-year veteran of the fitness industry. He is co-author of “The Business and Practice of Personal Training” and has lectured to countless fitness professionals. Kirschen holds a degree in physical education from SUNY Cortland.
