Table of Contents
Male-Specific Weight Loss Programs
More advantages arise from maintaining a healthy weight than only increasing self-esteem. In fact, blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels can all significantly improve with as little as 5% to 10% of your total weight loss, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
It might be difficult to discover a program that is safe, sustainable, and effective for males with the abundance of weight loss strategies available. This post discusses some of the best diet plans and exercise routines for men who want to lose weight, as well as the things you should know before beginning.
Which Men's Weight Loss Plans Are Available?
Many diets, from evidence-based eating habits to stringent fad diets requiring strict calorie monitoring and nutrient tracking, are available that promise to help men lose weight in particular. In a similar vein, there are a plethora of fitness regimens tailored for weight loss, many of which involve bodyweight exercises, gym schedules, or at-home training plans.
For optimum efficacy, a weight reduction plan should incorporate modifications to your food and exercise regimen, according to the majority of specialists.
The adage “you can’t out-train a bad diet” is absolutely accurate, according to Mike Silverman, a certified personal trainer and editor for the Bethesda, Maryland-based fitness program Living Fit. “If all you eat is beer, tacos, and birthday cake, you can work hard, lift heavy weights, get sweaty, and get nowhere.”
In fact, a research published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics revealed that weight management plans that combined dietary changes with exercise proved to be much more successful in promoting long-term weight loss than those that just addressed food or exercise.
Men's Weight Loss Meal Plans
Whatever diet you follow, experts point out that the primary mechanism for weight reduction is a caloric deficit—a situation in which your body expels more calories than it takes in. This explains why following a high-protein diet appears to result in such positive changes in body composition. Evidence suggests that higher-protein diets may actually encourage better satiety and a reduction in body fat through mechanisms connected to the thermic effect of feeding, which is the amount of energy required to digest and process food.
In light of this, there are numerous eating habits supported by experts that can help men lose weight. These are some of the best suggestions.
DASH Nutrition Plan
For men who want to lose weight, the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) Diet is recommended by Julie Miller Jones, Ph.D., a board-certified nutritionist and scientific advisor for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Joint Institute of Food Safety and Nutrition for the University of Maryland.
The DASH diet, which was first created by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to help lower blood pressure, offers broad recommendations for how many servings per day you should try to have from each food group. The diet places a special emphasis on whole grains, fish, poultry, low-fat dairy products, fruits, and vegetables. This eating plan does not restrict daily sodium intake to 2,300 milligrams or fewer, but it does not need calorie counting. It also suggests avoiding foods high in tropical oils, sugar-sweetened beverages, and saturated fats.
The DASH diet can be followed for a long time and is not too restrictive, as Dr. Miller Jones notes. She states, “I always advise against going on a diet that you can’t stick to for the rest of your life.” “The DASH diet supports the mantra that there are no forbidden foods—just foods that you should choose in moderation.”
The DASH diet can be helpful for weight loss as well since it promotes nutrient-dense whole foods and physical exercise. It is well known for its heart health benefits, which include lowering blood pressure and LDL cholesterol. A low-calorie DASH diet was found to be more successful than other low-calorie diets for weight loss and fat loss, based on a review of 13 research.
Dietary Mediterranean
The DASH Diet and the Mediterranean Diet are the two diets that Joan Salge Blake, a registered dietitian and nutrition professor at Boston University, suggests men follow in order to lose weight. According to Salge Blake, “both have been demonstrated to lower the risk of heart disease, the leading cause of death among Americans, especially men,” and are supported by research.
Particularly the Mediterranean diet is high in heart-healthy fats like olive oil and low in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, seafood, and legumes. Red meat and sugary meals should be consumed in moderation, but no food should be totally cut out of the diet.
More adherence to the Mediterranean diet was linked to a two-fold higher chance of maintaining weight loss, according to a 2020 study. Researchers point out that this can be explained by the Mediterranean diet’s higher fiber and protein intake, both of which can heighten feelings of satisfaction and fullness.
The Mediterranean diet has been associated with several other health advantages, such as a lower risk of high blood pressure, metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes, in addition to helping people lose weight. As Salge Blake notes, it might also aid in preventing heart disease, which the CDC estimates is responsible for roughly one in four male fatalities in the United States.
Periodic Fasting
A common eating habit that has been linked to several health advantages is intermittent fasting. One of the most popular forms of intermittent fasting is 16/8 fasting, which entails restricting food intake to an eight-hour window each day and fasting for sixteen hours. The basic principle behind intermittent fasting is to alternate between periods of eating and fasting within a given amount of time.
Registered dietician Amber Dixon of Chicago claims that “this helps to reduce insulin levels, which can help with fat loss.” Dixon adds that the body may be forced into ketosis—a metabolic state in which it burns fat rather than sugar—by fasting.
It’s interesting to note that a study of 27 studies indicated that intermittent fasting may be just as successful in weight loss as calorie-restricted diets, with studies showing average weight losses of up to 13% of body weight and no significant adverse effects.
Plant-Based Diet
For males looking to lose weight, senior clinical nutritionist at UCLA Health Dana Ellis Hunnes, Ph.D., suggests a whole food, plant-based diet. “Diets based on plants are high in fiber; fruits and vegetables have anti-inflammatory properties, satisfy hunger, and provide energy for your body and brain.” Plant-based diets come in a variety of forms, but they always place an emphasis on wholesome plant foods and minimize animal items like dairy, meat, and eggs, as well as refined and processed foods.
Particularly for weight management, evidence indicates that plant-based diets can enhance food quality, encourage weight loss, and help avoid overweight and obesity.
Dr. Ellis Hunnes points out that plant-based diets can aid in weight loss as well as muscle growth, inflammation reduction, and the provision of a multitude of vital vitamins and minerals. Moreover, many studies indicate that plant-based diets may offer protection against long-term illnesses like type 2 diabetes, cancer, and heart disease.
Male Workout Plans for Losing Weight
Maintaining an active lifestyle is just as crucial for long-term, sustainable weight loss as modifying your diet. These are some expert-recommended workout regimens for weight loss.
High-Intensity Interval Training with Weights (HIIT)
In general, Silverman says, “I’m a big fan of weight-loaded HIIT for weight loss.” According to the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) can provide many of the advantages of other types of exercise in a shorter length of time, including greater fat-burning and muscle definition.
For active recovery, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) alternates short bursts of high-intensity exercise with lower-intensity movements. According to NASM, exercises should be done for 10 to 45 seconds at the maximum intensity achievable, followed by a brief active recovery that is usually only long enough for you to catch your breath.
Using weights like dumbbells or weight plates, Silverman suggests a “weight-loaded” high-intensity interval training (HIIT) that substitutes increased resistance for bodyweight workouts.
According to Silverman, “for most guys, interval training like Tabata using kettlebells, battle ropes, and medicine balls really takes the fat off quickly.” “Use modest weights and make sure your form is sound.”
One study published in the BMJ found that HIIT and continuous, moderate-intensity training—which includes riding and jogging—produced comparable weight loss outcomes. On the other hand, in a shorter amount of time, HIIT was more successful at increasing cardiorespiratory fitness.
Circuit Instruction
Exercises in circuit training alternate between eight and ten movements, one after the other with little to no rest in between, with each movement being performed for a predetermined number of repetitions or a predetermined amount of time. According to NASM, you can usually perform each exercise in the circuit one to three times. Circuit training incorporates a variety of exercises, such as push-ups, jump squats, and mountain climbers. According to NASM, circuit training maintains a high heart rate, which burns more calories, because there is little time for rest.
According to Hampton Bays, New York-based personal trainer Marisella Villano, “I love to use circuit training for many of my clients because the sessions move quickly and circuit training offers great results with some cardiovascular benefits.” Aiming for three workouts a week at the very least, she suggests doing a mix of exercises including squats, rows, and deadlifts.