If you’re tired of trying diet after diet with little to no weight loss success, and it feels as if your body is working against you, you are not alone. Losing weight and keeping it off can be incredibly frustrating, and it often takes a ton of effort.
One of the biggest issues happens to be the fact that there is no one clear cut way to lose weight as every guy is a little bit different. While one man’s diet may work for one person, it may not work for all men.
However, even though everyone responds differently to various weight loss approaches, some tips are standard across the board. These tips may be exactly what you need to kick start your body and push your weight loss efforts into high gear.
So, let’s jump right in and look at the top 20 weight loss tips for men.
1. Be Clear About Your Weight Loss Goals
Goal setting is one of the best things you can do to be successful in your weight loss journey. In fact, goals are so important that they can literally set you up for success. You want your goals to be realistic and achievable which is where setting SMART goals comes in.
A SMART goal is specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-limited. You will want to be extremely specific about how much weight you want to lose, how you will measure this, and you will also want the goal to be attainable. You will want to make sure that you are being realistic about attaining this goal by looking at your schedule and seeing how often you can get to the gym, or how many days per week you can realistically meal prep. You will also want your goal to be relevant by asking yourself why this goal is important to you. The goal needs to be relevant and important to you right here and right now. (1) Lastly, you will want to put a time limit on your goal and be specific about it. For example, set a goal of losing a certain amount of weight within a set number of months.
When you set SMART goals when it comes to weight loss, you will set yourself up for much greater success than if you set unrealistic goals that don’t mean anything to you and that have a non-specific deadline. Take the time now to set a few SMART goals, and tackle them!
2. Stay Ahead of Hydration
Staying hydrated is such an important part of overall health, but it can also be helpful when it comes to weight loss for men. Thirst is often confused with hunger, and studies have found that 37% of people think they are hungry, when really they are just thirsty. (2) This happens when thirst signals are weaker than they should be. So, staying hydrated throughout the day can actually prevent you from snacking on unhealthy foods as you won’t have to worry about mixing up thirst cues with hunger cues.
3. Enjoy Anti-inflammatory Spices
Part of losing weight means getting inflammation under control, which is why adding anti-inflammatory spices to your diet can be so beneficial. Being overweight can cause chronic inflammation, and consuming inflammatory processed foods, and foods your body may be sensitive to can lead to inflammation, and then cause weight gain. (3) It’s a domino effect, and one you will want to get ahead of by consuming plenty of inflammation-busting foods.
Try adding spices like turmeric, ginger, cayenne pepper, garlic, and onion to your diet. You can also start to make healthy swaps like replacing regular table salt with pink Himalayan sea salt.
4. Add Spicy Foods to Your Diet
Spicy foods have a thermogenic effect on the body. Thermogenic foods can help boost the metabolism and help your body burn calories. Things like cayenne pepper and chili peppers are good options if you happen to like spicy foods!
5. Read Food Labels
Reading food labels will become one of your biggest tools when it comes to eliminating foods that cause weight gain from your diet. You will want to avoid anything that contains hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fats, anything with added food coloring, and avoid anything that contains artificial sweeteners. You will also want to start to cut back on the foods with added sugars. Added sugars generally end in “ose” like glucose or fructose.
However, keep in mind that things like dried fruits, maple syrup, and honey are also sweeteners. Although, natural sweeteners, they are still full of sugar and should only be consumed in moderation.
6. Add Veggies to Every Meal
Adding vegetables to every meal will help to bulk up your fiber intake which can help you feel full for longer periods of time, and can also help your body eliminate toxins that may be holding onto fat. Try adding veggies to every meal by adding a handful of greens to smoothies, adding bell peppers to stir fry’s, and roasting lots of non-starchy vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower to enjoy with your main meals.
Season your veggies with pink Himalayan sea salt and cracked black pepper, and drizzle with olive oil or melted coconut oil.
7. Ditch the Processed Foods
When you are trying to lose weight, it is essential to ditch the processed foods. Things like pastries, fried foods, freezer meals, cookies, and muffins, these are all things that should be eliminated from a guy’s diet and replaced with healthier options. Now, this doesn’t mean you can’t have your favorite food! It just means that you will want to find a healthier alternative.
So, if you love ice cream, why not make a homemade banana soft serve ice cream with a whipped banana and a splash of coconut milk? It’s all about making it work for you without depriving yourself, but still being mindful of the fact that the ultimate goal is to get all processed foods out of your diet.
8. Supplement Appropriately
When it comes to weight loss and dieting, many fad diets will have you thinking that you have to supplement with all of these different shakes and pills to curb your appetite and help you lose weight. However, I like to think about losing weight and changing your eating habits as a long-term lifestyle change which means that you will want to supplement to help support overall health for the long term, not just while you are trying to lose weight.
With that being said, certain supplements like a high-quality fish oil can help combat inflammation and thus help aid in weight loss, and a b-complex vitamin can help give you the energy you need to exercise. A high-quality probiotic can also help support gut health which is an important part of losing weight. So, invest in a couple of high-quality supplements that will fuel your body with exactly what it needs to shed excess weight.
9. Rethink Your Protein Shakes
If your go-to post workout snack involves some form of protein powder, you may want to re-think your protein shake! Many protein powders are packed full of harmful ingredients that can cause inflammation and even digestive distress which can hinder your body’s ability to shed weight. Many protein powders are also high in sugar.
If you are looking for a quality protein powder, stick with grass-fed whey protein or a plant-based option like hemp protein. Try making your protein shakes dairy-free protein with ingredients like unsweetened almond milk and a frozen banana.
10. Stay Active
Staying active is central to your ability to lose weight. Pair an active lifestyle with a healthy diet, and you will be on your way to losing weight and staying fit and healthy. Strive to move your body on a daily basis, even if you don’t get to the gym every day. Even a brisk walk does wonders for your physical and mental health.
11. Start Your Day Off in a Healthy Way
One of the best ways to stay motivated when it comes to weight loss is to start your day in a healthy way. Whether this means waking up a little earlier to get a quick workout in, or starting your day with a nutrient-dense breakfast, pick something that works for you, and stick with it.
12. Don’t Ignore Food Sensitivities
Undiagnosed food sensitivities can lead to chronic low-grade inflammation which can trigger weight gain in men. The reaction your body has to these food sensitivities can be responsible for those extra pounds you are working hard to lose. When you consume an offending food, it can cause an inflammatory response in the body.
The tricky thing about food sensitivities is that the inflammatory response can occur days later which can make pinpointing your trigger foods difficult. It also means that you may be eating these trigger foods every single day which sets the stage for chronic inflammation and weight gain. (4)
If you have unexplained weight gain or are having a hard time getting the weight off, it’s time to look at the foods you are eating. Keep a food diary, and write down any symptoms you may have after eating a certain food. You can also do an elimination diet where you eliminate common triggers like dairy or gluten for at least two weeks before trying to reintroduce them to see if you notice a reaction. If you want a surefire answer to which foods you react to, there are lots of at home food sensitivity tests available now, or you can work with a nutritionist to order the test and review the test results with.
13. Skip the Sports Drinks
Fellas, do you turn to sports drinks to re-hydrate after working out? If so, skip them and choose something like unsweetened coconut water instead. Many sports drinks contain artificial ingredients and colors, not to mention added sugar which doesn’t help with the body’s ability to lose weight. Coconut water does an amazing job at replenishing electrolytes, so give that a try!
14. Enjoy One Superfood Smoothie Per Day
Try to make it a goal to enjoy one superfood smoothie per day to help increase the number of anti-inflammatory foods in your diet. Use a dairy-free unsweetened milk like almond, coconut, or cashew milk as your base and then add in some fresh berries, ¼ of an avocado, hemp seeds, and a handful of dark leafy greens.
15. Add These Superfoods to Your Diet
Superfoods can really help boost your overall health, combat inflammation, and help your body flush out toxins, all of which play a huge role in successful weight loss. Try enjoying more dark leafy greens, berries, chia seeds, hemp seeds, avocados, and even coconut oil.
16. Eliminate Hidden Sources of Sugar
Sugar is found everywhere, but knowing where to look will help to keep the belly fat away, and your body in tip-top shape! Stay away from hidden sources of sugar by avoiding things like store-bought salad dressing, ketchup, pasta sauce, flavored yogurt, and freezer meals.
17. Set Your Kitchen up for Success
Setting your kitchen up for success can be a valuable tool in boosting your weight loss success. Try getting rid of all of your top food temptations and replace these with healthier options. Stocking up on glass food storage containers can also be helpful to store your healthy homemade meals in. You can also organize your fridge for success by putting the healthiest options right in the front. Place things like berries, hummus and carrot sticks in the front to easily grab for an on-the-go healthy snack.
18. Keep Unhealthy Snacks out of Reach
Snacking can be a major pitfall when it comes to losing weight. Avoid snacking temptations by keeping unhealthy snacks completely out of reach. Keep them out of your house, and pack healthy snack options to bring to work, so you are less likely to grab something unhealthy.
19. Pack Your Lunch
Packing you lunch can be one of your biggest weight loss tools! By packing your lunch each day, you will eliminate the need to pick up lunch on the go. Many quick grab and go lunch options are loaded with sodium and artificial ingredients. Avoid this by packing a nutrient-dense lunch that will keep you full all afternoon long. Things like chicken salad made with full-fat unsweetened Greek yogurt, lemon juice, dill, sliced grapes, and celery makes for a yummy lunch as does a salad with wild-caught salmon and balsamic vinegar.
20. Make the Most of the Gym
If you already go to the gym, then you are one step ahead of the game! However, make the most of your gym time by going in with a plan. If you can afford it, work with a fitness professional to develop a workout plan tailored just to you. Going in with an idea as to what kind of workout you want to do will help to keep you on track and ready to tackle your fitness and weight loss goals.
Losing weight can seem like an uphill battle, but it doesn’t have to be that way. By implementing some simple, but very effective tips, you can help your body work with you instead of against you when it comes to reaching your weight loss goals. So, give these tips a try. You may be surprised at how much easier it is to lose weight, and keep it off, and how much healthier you feel overall.
