We know that losing weight is challenging. You have to give up your favorite pizza, fries and burgers. Not only that, but also you have to exercise. It isnโt fun and the challenges are different for everyone. Men face different challengesย trying to loseย weight in comparison to women. ย To help you lose weight, weโve listed 11 best body building tips for men.
Body Building Tips for Men
1. Drink Enough Water
We know we have to drink water everyday to keep our bodies hydrated. Yet we forget this simple thing because we take it forย granted. Water plays an importantย role in your weight loss journey. It turns out that your body can mix its signals for thirst and hunger. Sometimes, you might actually be thirsty, but confuse it with hunger. You end up eating a plate full of snacks instead of drinkingย water.
Research has proven drinking couple cups of water before eating a meal will lead to significant weight loss within 12 weeks. It may sound simple, considering itโs just plain water, but the idea is if you fill up with water before eating, you will eat less food. If youโre bored of drinking plain water, you can have flavored version. You can prepare it at home by mixing water with fruits like pineapple and strawberries. For a refreshing taste, you can add mint. Lemon water isnโt bad either. You can even prepare detox water using cucumber, lemon and mint.
2. Track What You Are Eating
Counting calories is one common way of trying to lose weight. But simply picking a calorie target and aiming for it wonโt help. Instead,ย you need to figure out how many calories you consume on average and try to reduce from that. To find your starting point, you need to track all that you eat for a week. Once you calculate your average for 7 days, you can aim to reduce your calorie intake by about 300-400 and then aim for weight loss.
3. Beverage Calories
A glass of wine is the perfect way to unwind for the day, but not if you are trying to lose weight. If you drink alcohol regularly, youโre adding a lot of calories. One can of beer can have as much as 140-220 calories. Itโs also unlikely you would stop at just one beer. It always turns out to be three or four. Itโs the same with other forms of liquor as well.
If alcohol is derailing your weight loss journey, think about what sodas can do! They have a far worse effect because theyโre loaded with sugar. A cup of any soda can easily give you as much as 150-180 calories. If youโre at a restaurant that offers unlimited refills, you could end up drinking multiple servings by the time you finish your meal. Thatโs certainly not going to help you lose weight.ย
4. Calculate Your BMI
Many people keep gaining weight because they donโt think of themselves being overweight even when the scale says otherwise. This is different for both men and women. Body Mass Index can be an incredibly helpful tool for you. While BMI is not the most system,ย it gives you a clear indication youโre reaching obesity levels. Checking your BMI can give you a target for how much weight you need to lose to stay healthy.ย
5. Sleep
Sleeping for a healthy amount of time is very important if you want to meet your weight-loss goals. If youโre in a profession where you have to work long hours, and can only manage around 5 hours of sleep, itโs going to directly impact your weight. Moreover, the longer you stay awake, the more food you eat. By sleeping less than seven to eight hours, you end up adding 300-500 more calories, as youโre snacking during those hours awake.ย
6. Slow Down When Eating
Even something as simple as slowing down the pace you eat at can help you cut weight. In fact, it is one of the most effective body building tips for men. This may sound odd when you eat quickly, you tend to eat more than you need to. This happens because of the delay in signals your stomach uses to reach your brain. By the time your brain receives your stomachโs signal, youโll have eaten additional calories. This in turn adds to your weight. If you slow down your eating and take a good pause between each mouthful, youโll eat much less than your normal meal.
7. Fruits and Vegetables Intake
On average, men have one serving of fruit or non-starchy vegetables per day. If you increase the amount of fruits and veggies you eat, you will reach your weight-loss goals much faster. You could either cut up fruits and veggies into slices or you can make weight loss smoothies. Event adding spinach to your breakfast or having veggies with dip can help.
8. Learning to Cook
If you learn how to cook, you can replace fast food with some healthier recipes or try at home. The inability to cook results in dependence on the convenience of snacks and ready-to-eat meals, which are generally not so healthy. Store-bought snacks tend to be high in calories. You can instead cook your own low-calorie food. Having to prepare your snack may also dissuade you from turning towards food frequently. Youโll end up drinking water instead. Eating home-cooked meals has regularly proven to be very beneficial.ย
9. Always Eat Breakfast
If you have little time in the morning, you might be skipping breakfast to save your precious minutes. Youโre more or less end up eating your first meal of the day at lunch. While this seems like a smart of time, it only ends up adding extra pounds to your body. If you intend to meet your weight-loss goals, no skipping breakfast. Your body only tells you to eat more at meals later. As a result,ย you tend to have heavier lunches and dinners than you normally do. So while you might think youโre saving calories by skipping an entire meal, you actually end up with more on your plate.ย
10. Becoming More Active
Being active helps. Thatโs a given. But if you hate going to the gym, donโt worry. Thatโs not the only way to stay active and fit. There are other activities that keep you moving. Itโs not always necessary to do two hours of cardio. Instead,ย you can try something like cycling or playing squash. Even a simple walk around your neighborhood would be better than sitting at your desk all day. It doesnโt hurt to get those runners on and go for a little jog. Not everyone has to hit the gym every day, instead regular activities can help you stay on top of your weight-loss goals.ย
11. Healthier Fast Food
Everyone loves fast food. But do you need to give up fast food all together to stay fit and meet your weight loss goals? Not at all! You can choose healthier options instead! Yes, healthier fast foods do exist. Even most restaurants have healthier options nowadays. No, itโs not like their salads are deep fried or anything like that. They are genuinely decent meals. For example, choosing a grilled chicken sandwich over fried chicken, or a salad over French fries can make a lot of difference.
If you have a hankering for a good old burger and fries, choose the smallest size they have. By making these simple changes, you can keep control of the number of calories you eat in a day. If you can avoid fast food altogether, you would be doing yourself a great favor. Even the quality of your diet and health will improve. Trying to lose weight can be challenging specially when you donโt know what you should eat, as well as what to avoid. Did you know there are vitamin C-rich foods that also act as natural fat burners? Or that stress could lead to weight gain? You have to recognize stress signs before itโs too late.
