Do you detest that extra ring of fat around your midsection? You’re not alone. Of adults age 20 and older, 74 percent of men are considered to be overweight or obese. Most men wish they were in better shape, whether that means wanting a body like a model or just being light on your feet enough to play a sport, and for good reason. Losing weight and becoming more fit will make you more externally attractive, will make you feel better about yourself internally, and will reduce your risk of health complications like heart disease and diabetes.
However, when attempting to lose weight, most men have flaws in thinking or strategic errors that prevent them from getting the most out of their weight loss efforts.
Most Common Errors in Losing Weight
These are some of the most common things men get wrong when losing weight:
- Going all-in to just one system. There are hundreds, if not thousands of weight loss “systems” out there. These systems vary wildly, and include fasting juice diets, meal selection plans, or directions to avoid one specific ingredient. Some of these systems are fads or gimmicks, and won’t help you lose weight at all. For example, almost any juice cleanse like BluePrint is probably going to do more harm to your body than good. Others can be beneficial but probably have some downsides. For example, Nutrisystem can help you pre-plan your meals, but the meals may not taste very good and the system itself is expensive. If you commit to just one of these plans without foreknowledge of what’s involved, you’ll end up wasting your efforts.
- Failing to learn about nutrition. Some men think they can lose weight without truly understanding their nutritional needs. They might cut back on one food they know is bad for them—which is a good thing—but it won’t be enough to help them achieve their weight loss goals. Nutrition isn’t as complex as you think it is, so if you want to lose weight, spend an hour or two learning the basics about how carbohydrates, fats, and proteins interact with your body, and how fat forms in the first place.
- Going on a temporary diet. Another mistake men make is going on a temporary “diet” to lose weight. They set themselves on a limited course, such as eight weeks, and commit to eating less and exercising more within that timeframe. If you stick with the plan, you’ll probably lose weight, but here’s the problem; as soon as the diet’s over, you’ll go back to your old habits, and regain any weight you may have lost along the way. Our bodies are reflections of our lifestyles, so you’ll need to make long-term changes to your lifestyle if you want to see a meaningful, long-term change.
- Treating nutrition and exercise as separate components. You might also try to lose weight only by changing what you eat, or only by adding exercise into your routine. Either of these adjustments is a step in the right direction, and may help you lose a few pounds, but nutrition and exercise are two sides of the same coin; you’ll need both if you want to see the best results. Exercise improves your metabolism, burns calories, and helps you build muscle mass, while nutritional changes help you control your intake, and give your body what it needs.
- Believing there’s a shortcut. The biggest misconception men have is a general one: thinking that there’s a shortcut to losing weight. Fad diets, tricks, and short-term solutions are all used by people who think they can lose weight easily or without making sacrifices or expending effort. The truth is, for most men, losing weight is hard. You’ll have to make significant lifestyle changes, including limiting your intake of certain foods, introducing more vegetables into your diet, and exercising vigorously at least a few times a week. If you’re used to a sedentary lifestyle, that’s an enormous change—but the benefits are well worth it.
What to Do Now
If you’re interested in losing weight, and you realize some of the common mistakes you’ll need to avoid to be successful, the next step is making a commitment. It doesn’t have to be a big commitment—like getting six-pack abs—or even a numerical commitment—like losing 50 pounds. Instead, start with something small, like cutting out soda from your diet or going to the gym at least twice a week. Once you accomplish that first initial goal, you’ll feel good about yourself, and you can set an even bigger goal to accomplish next. The more you learn, and the more baby steps you take, the closer you’ll get to the ideal you.
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