Finding the Right Weight Loss Diet

Losing weight can be a challenge. But we’re here to help guide you towards your weight loss goal with some top tips and strategies.

So, what is a good weight loss diet for men? We’ll start with the best stuff you should put on your plate — as well as a few things you should avoid.

And while we’re here, we’ll look at some of the other ways you can achieve a healthy body weight, too.

Just remember: living a healthy lifestyle is not just a question of your weight. Being active and eating a balanced range of foods is just as important as simply losing weight.

Weight Loss Diet for Men: Starting Points

Let’s start with what you should eat. We won’t outline particular meals right here. Instead, we’ll sketch out some weight loss tips and strategies that you should keep in mind.

• Cook from fresh: We know that not everyone has the time to cook three meals a day. But studies have shown that if you cook your own meals from scratch, you are more likely to eat fewer calories. That’s because you’re not relying on processed, pre-prepared meals, which are usually higher in saturated fats and salts. But also, when you cook, you are more likely to make healthier food choices.
• Keep your diet balanced: The core of every weight loss meal plan is a balanced diet. That means a diet that includes all the nutrients and food groups you need:
  • Proteins: Some dietitians suggest you should cut down on some proteins, such as red meat, to help weight loss, while others suggest the best weight loss strategy is a high-protein diet. We recommend ensuring every meal has some proteins, but make them lean and, ideally, plant-based.

Foods such as legumes (beans, lentils, and chickpeas) and nuts will be your best friends here, alongside lean meats like fish.

• Fibre: Fibre fills you up, and it has been shown that people who eat lots of fibre tend to snack less and eat fewer calories. Get your fibre from complex carbohydrates such as whole grain, cereals, and brown rice, as well as from cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage.
• Fruit and vegetables: Fruit and veggies are full of good things like vitamins. These should make up a big part of any meal. But you can rely on them as snacks too.
• Fats and sugars? There is a place for fats and sugars in any diet. However, you should try to keep any processed or refined food products to a healthy minimum.
• Eat regularly: Alongside what you eat, your diet should be balanced in terms of when you eat, too. Skipping breakfast, for example, does not support healthy eating. Rather, it encourages cravings throughout the day, and the number of calories you consume is likely to be much higher.
• Limit your portion sizes: What, when, and how much. How much you eat has a big impact on weight management. Now, you don’t need to count your calories, but by knowing that 2,000 to 2,500 calories per day for a man is the maximum, you can start to make better food choices.
• Cut back on alcohol: If there is one single thing you can do to help a weight loss diet, it’s to reduce the amount of alcohol you drink. Alcohol is very energy-intense, but it also slows your body’s ability to process body fat. Skipping the beers will help you achieve a healthy weight in the long term.
• Drink water: Ensuring you consume plenty of liquid throughout the day can help encourage fat loss. Why? Because being hydrated reduces feelings of hunger.

Strategies to Support a Healthy Diet

If you’re trying to reduce your weight, a weight loss diet plan won’t do it all by itself. Besides a healthy diet, you need a healthy lifestyle, which can mean changes to your activity levels and sleep.

Here are a few things you can do to support your healthy eating.

• Improve your sleep: Sleep is one of the most important things you can do to improve weight management. It helps your energy levels, reduces your cravings, and has essential mental health benefits. And if you don’t get enough sleep, you are more likely to slip into a high-calorie diet.

Sleep supplements can help. Those containing chamomile, lemon balm, and tart cherry can improve your sleep efficiency and your sleep quality.

• Get active: Alongside healthy food intake, your weight loss should include regular physical activity. Doctors recommend 150 minutes of moderate physical exercise (i.e. exercise that makes you slightly breathless) a week.

Exercise improves your sleep, burns calories, and builds muscle mass. Muscle uses more calories than fat. That means weight training is ideal for helping you lose weight.

• Don’t rush: Losing weight is not a simple fix — nor is it something that you do today to return to your regular habits tomorrow. If you are serious about stopping weight gain, tackling belly fat, and living a healthy lifestyle, you need to make food choices that are sustainable and enjoyable in the long term.

Key Takeaways

What’s a good weight loss diet for men? Start by building your meals around plant-based proteins, complex carbohydrates, and fibres while cutting back on processed foods and alcohol.

Meanwhile, build muscle through exercise and find ways to improve your sleep. Sleep supplements can help.

FAQs

What should guys eat to lose weight?

To lose weight, guys should eat a healthy balanced diet. In practice, that means eating a meal plan based on plant-based protein, fibres, and complex carbohydrates. Cutting back on alcohol, fats, and processed foods is crucial too.

What are the benefits of weight loss?

In men who are overweight or struggling with obesity, weight loss can have substantial health benefits:

• It can lower the risk of heart disease;
• It can reduce your blood pressure;
• And it can help regulate your blood sugar levels.

Looking for more motivation to lose weight? Find it here.

While we've ensured that everything you read on the Health Centre is medically reviewed and approved, information presented here is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. It should never be relied upon for specific medical advice. If you have any questions or concerns, please talk to your doctor.