If you wanted the easiest fat-loss article on the planet for men then congratulations, you've just found it. I also accept cheques, paypal, internet banking, credit cards and vodka you bloody name it! In all seriousness though, when it comes to fat loss you need to know A) I'm not a dietician and B) I'm not a medical professional. I also need to point out that what I'm sharing is my own experience and guess what? We all respond differently to the same stimuli so be wise, do your own research and always, always ask for another opinion or ten.
Not just mine.
I've read about, known and know many people who are really struggling with their weight. But I've also noticed literally everyone seems to think they could "lose a pound or two" but guess what? It doesn't mean you should. See, if you're comfortable in your skin and like who you are, you don't need to lose weight -- not unless it's a medical emergency or impacts your family. That's different. Duh. Yet we seem to have forgotten humans come in different shapes and sizes. We always have and we always will. This is called "normal".
My wife and I don't have perfect bodies. We don't have perfect hair. We don't have perfect skin. We don't have perfect teeth. We don't even have a perfect relationship. The problem is we love each other. Isn't that terrible? Despite all these imperfections we love each other. I couldn't think of anything worse: someone who loves me for who I am. Awful. So why do we love each other? Many, many reasons but the one I want to focus on is the fact that our "ideal" mate isn't a body but a person. It's really important to put people over and above ideals like having a perfect body.
Do you treat others this way let alone yourself?
FIND YOUR IDEAL
You see, social media sells an "ideal" which we as society buy into but y'know what? Fuck social media and their ideal. I need to find what's ideal for me. You need to find what's ideal for you. Look, an overweight 6"2 male with diabetes, high cholesterol and any other genetic winners weighing 140kg will have a different ideal body compared to a 5"4 skinny-fat male who, apart from being an ectomorph with an acne problem, has good genetics and a much higher metabolism. Get it? So first things first: be realistic. Figure out an achievable, sensible ideal for your body type.
Not my body type.
Not his body type.
Your body type. Phew.
Look for males you can relate to. Find a physical build that matches yours less the weight you're currently carrying, maybe a picture of you back in the day. That will now be the goal you wish to attain -- not Brad Pitt, not Arnold Schwarzenegger, someone sensible and attainable who fits your height, proportions and build. You can't physically change any of these things so stop imagining you can. Sure, you may want to look like Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson but it's never going to happen if you're not that tall, don't have the same genetics and won't put in the phenomenal amount of work Mr J is capable of. The guy is bad ass.
EAT LESS SHIT
You can eat greasy take-out eight days a week but if you cut it down to three days a week -- and yes, I know there's only seven days per week, I was just trying to be deep and meaningful -- you'll lose weight. I shit thee not. You really can eat less shit and lose weight. Why? Because you're eating less shit. There is no diet anywhere, paleo or otherwise, that does not make you eat less of something so that you lose weight. That is what every single diet is based on: eating less of something. It could be less carbs. It could be less take-out. It could be less snacking but whatever it focuses on, you'll be expected to eat less of it. Dig?
So.
What do you need to eat less of?
You already know the answer. Honestly, you can eat three times the recommended amount of fruit, vegetables, healthy fats and lean meats but you'll still put on weight -- and keep it on -- because you're eating three times the recommended amount. Is this making sense? So again, what do you need to eat less of? Make a list and either drop the bad shit completely or replace it with a healthier option. Go back and reread what I said: healthier option. Not starvation, not gluten-free, lactose-free, organic natural free range fuck-a-duck lean, just a simpler and healthier option.
You eat a lot of white bread? Swap it for brown bread. You eat a lot greasy shit? Swap it for home-made stir-fry with vegetables, nuts and seeds. It's easy and it's yummy. Yep, you may put in sauces that are unhealthy but fuck it, you're making a change starting small. Give yourself room. Use a lot of salt? Halve it. Drink a lot of beer? Drink more vodka. I'm serious. Spirits have less calories and carbohydrates. You don't have to cut out drinking, just manage it better and maybe 6-8 months from now you may adjust it again (check out my article Beer and bodybuilding for further info).
Cool.
You're allowed to get off your tits and have the occasional hard night out, no-one's saying you shouldn't. But that's every now and again, mate. The point is, you're making some measurable changes that don't have to be huge or overly onerous, just a little bit here and a little bit there. You don't have to reinvent yourself in a day and if you're not willing or patient enough to allow this process at least a year, then you have no right starting it. You don't have to impress me; I don't fucking know you. Just don't lie to yourself and drag me into it. Just take small, measurable steps for yourself.
EAT MORE GOOD SHIT
Start to eat more home-made meals (if you haven't yet read Nutrition basics then do so). Start making your lunches. Maybe Monday's and Friday's can be buy-your-lunch day but the other three you make it at home. That's a good start. Drop fizzy drinks (soda pop for our American friends) and drink more water. See if you can wean yourself off sugar in your coffee. You may, you may not, but at least you're trying. You're giving things a go. You're taking your time because you're in this for several years and hopefully, life. That's a good place to be. Just know there are things you'll need to drop, things you'll need to halve, things you'll need to replace and things you'll need to start doing.
Most people seem to respond really well to the right kind of carbohydrates and eating less of the unhealthy type of carbohydrates which, over time, tend to have a negative effect (NOTE: the human body needs carbohydrates. As to how much well, the research is ongoing but they're an essential source of energy for us). Take an apple to work. Have a banana in the morning. Have fish at least once a week and by that I mean pan-fried at home, not covered in batter from the takeaways. Three lettuce leaves filled with grated carrots, cheese, some capsicum, seeds and a sprinkling of raisins makes a great addition to the family meal: you just wrap the thing up and eat it.
Have you ever examined the sugars, preservatives, unhealthy fats and high salt levels in your meals, sauces, snacks and spreads? No you haven't. I didn't either until I had a heart event that brought it all home quick smart. Have you once considered the daily, weekly, monthly and yearly impact of these foods upon your health? Of their build-up inside you? Of their effects upon you in myriads of areas? It is crucial you actively invest in what you eat. You simply must take charge of what's going into you. Stop faffing around and visit www.heartfoundation.org.nz to get yourself eating better koutou. Do it for me, do it for Jesus.
DON'T OVER-EAT
In my opinion this is THE most important tip for most men. Don't over eat. I still stop and ask myself: am I hungry? You get so used to eating certain foods in certain amounts at certain times that it becomes automatic and the decades sail past yet you're wondering why you're getting fatter. This should be a no-brainer. You're still having the same-sized breakfast portions followed by a mid-morning snack then lunch and again, said lunch is still the same size it's always been because you've "always" done it that way.
You still have a mid-afternoon snack too before going home for dinner which is a main cooked in fats with sauces and the like followed by a sweet dessert with ice-cream, then maybe later a coffee with a biscuit or chocolate. Later that same evening, if you're up for it, you may have a little "snack" whilst watching your favourite TV show and we haven't yet touched on what beers, wines or spirits you've added into the mix. Do you even have the vaguest idea how many calories you're eating daily? Do you really know and understand this?
As you get older you should be eating less. Go back and read that again. Your eating habits should be changing. Not only should you be eating less -- and less often -- you should be eating better. Look, when we got our pup we were instructed to give it three meals for pretty much the first year, cutting it down to two by the second. Why? Because it grows the most in the first year, therefore it needs more food to empower said growth. Once the dog reaches adulthood though, you reduce the amount it consumes so it doesn't get fat.
How are you and I any different to that? We're not. We grew most between baby and teen after which our growth rate(s) slowed and eventually stopped, as you and I attained to physical adulthood. From then on we simply don't need as much food which often flies in the face of the eat-big-to-get-big crowd. Fuck the eat-big-to-get-big crowd and think about your hauora, your health. Not only are we over-eating, we're over-eating the same bad shit (or possibly okay shit that could be further fat-reduced or better prepared). This must change.
You a dad who ends up finishing off the left-overs? Don't. Does your partner just assume you want to keep eating the same portions? Tell them you don't want to anymore; you want to eat "this" size. Buy smaller plates or bowls. I shit thee not: smaller plates and bowls will force you to eat less. Did you know you'll survive just fine having a chicken salad for a main meal twice a week? Find out how much you can comfortably survive on. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.
THREE MEALS A DAY IS FINE
Have you heard the mantra "(insert_meal_here) is the most important meal of the day"? Some swear on breakfast holding the title. Others swear on lunch. Look, any meal you want to give that title to can become the most important meal of the day for you if that's what you want. I had a nutritionist tell me never to skip breakfast, as that slowed the metabolism down: it was vital to "break the fast" so to speak. Yet I watched a friend lean down significantly through skipping breakfast or at least, only eating between an 8-hour window which for him was 10:30am to 5:30pm.
I often hear people recommending several small meals a day rather than three main ones and yes, that works for some people, maybe even lots of people -- just like having three main meals a day works for lots of people too. It's not the timing of your meals but the portions, the amount of calories you consume daily that really matter. The average guys seems to exist on roundabout 2500-calories daily so if you had just that, it doesn't really matter how you get that into you.
Take home message here?
...it doesn't matter how often you eat but how much.
Cut out the perpetual snacking and stop grazing i.e. no snacks after dinner. Track, record and learn how much food you need on average to feel full and don't go past that. Next, start reducing this amount over time whilst improving the quality of your meal choices (refer to the heart foundation link above for excellent info on this). You'll be surprised by how much less you can eat yet still be satiated with and for the record, being hungry isn't a crime. No, you don't need to be a bloody sparrow, but don't be a vulture either.
DO SOME FORM OF REGULAR EXERCISE
The number one exercise you should do is walk. That's it. Just fucking walk. Don't think how far, think how long for i.e. one month you may walk for an hour each week. It could be one long walk for an hour or three little walks that make up an hour, but the point is you have got out there and walked for an hour. Well done. It's how you frame it back to yourself that ensures you will continue. Walking is the most natural exercise for humans out there followed by running (read my article Why walking is still valid cardio and rediscover its amazing benefits. It's a goer).
Yes, I would strongly suggest that you also incorporate lifting weights here but at the end of the day you need to do what works for you. However, if you've had a good look around the site then hopefully you've picked up on the advantages of strength-training, as well as realised how important retaining strength is as we age. We still pick things up and put things down; we still push, pull, stack and carry; we still want our bodies to function as best they can. I hope you get my point.
:: CONCLUSION
I didn't preface this article as the be-all and end-all for weight loss because it isn't. It's a start and we all have to start somewhere, regardless of the endeavour we embark upon. Look, I'm not particularly lean. I don't want to get fat but I don't want a 6-pack either, I'm bloody 50 for goodness sake. I just want to stay fit, maintain and even push my strength levels. As for looking good sure, we feel good when we look good yes, but that's a benefit along the way, a positive side-effect we can be thankful for but the point here is fat loss so to recap:
• Choose your ideal. If necessary, find a picture of that, put it somewhere, visit it often
• Eat less shit; either drop it completely or swap it out for a healthier alternative. Easy
• Eat more fruit, vegetables and home-cooked meals. Make your lunches
• Eat till you're full and don't over-eat. This is THE most important weight loss tip for most men
• Do some form of regular exercise and the easiest one is to walk
I trust this helps each and every one of you in your own lives. Bless koutou raua kia ora me te whanau.