12 Easy Ways for Men to Kick Start Weight Loss

If you’re excited to kick start weight loss, you've already completed the first step in the process – being motivated and ready! Once you’ve committed to dropping weight, the next step is finding the right weight loss program so you can watch the weight melt off.

The Fit Father Project 30X (FF30X) has helped thousands of busy dads over 40 lose weight, keep it off for life, and live healthier to set a good example for their families. FF30X consists of meal plans, menus, recipes, fat-burning workouts, and motivational support to give men the tools needed for long term weight loss success!

Losing Weight Can Be Easy

Losing weight isn’t always easy, but it can be with the right tools in hand! Just burn more calories than you eat – it’s that simple! For example, you might burn an extra 500 calories, eat 500 fewer calories, or combine these two methods to lose about 1 pound per week. This weight loss rate is often effective when you want to keep lost weight off long term.

Eating 500 fewer calories a day is as simple as eliminating the following foods, containing about 500 calories each, from your diet:

• 3 cans (about 40 ounces) of soda
• 2 candy bars
• 1 Big Mac
• 5 fried mozzarella sticks
• 1 to 2 pieces of pepperoni pizza
• 1 to 2 doughnuts
• 1 to 2 pieces of apple pie
• 1 large serving of fried chicken
• 1 large portion of French fries
• 3 cans of beer
• 1 pina colada
• 1 white Russian

As you can see it doesn’t take a high volume of food to add up to 500 calories! Simply cut sugary drinks, sweets, baked goods, greasy foods, fried foods, and alcohol to get excess weight off easily.

In addition to making dietary changes, you can also burn 500 extra calories daily – or burn 250 additional calories plus eat 250 fewer calories. The following physical activities help 185-pound adults expend about 250 calories (if you weigh more than 185 pounds you’ll burn additional calories) in just 30 minutes:

• Using a stair-step machine
• Lifting weights at high intensities
• Downhill skiing
• Swimming
• Walking at a fast pace
  
• Jogging
• Water skiing
• Chopping wood
• Shoveling

Rowing, using an elliptical trainer, boxing, or running at a pace of 5.2 miles per hour helps you expend about 400 calories in 30 minutes if you weigh 185 pounds.

Surprising Ways to Kick Start Weight Loss

Here are some surprising ways to kick start your new weight loss program. Watch the weight melt off when trying these  simple tips and tricks:

#1 Eat Breakfast

Skipping breakfast may seem like a feasible way to kick start weight loss, but doing so isn’t the best way to effectively drop weight. That’s because eating a small breakfast:

• Jump starts your metabolism
• Gives you the energy needed to burn extra calories
• Helps you concentrate better at work
• Lowers the chance of binge eating at lunch

Choose breakfasts that contain fiber-rich carbohydrates, nutritious protein foods, and heart-healthy fats. For example, try:

• A veggie/egg omelet with avocado and oatmeal or quinoa
  
• Cottage cheese with raspberries and almonds
• A protein shake with protein powder, plant milk, bananas, and nut butter
• Uncured turkey bacon with fruit and nonfat Greek yogurt

These healthy breakfast ideas will give you the energy needed to get through the morning and keep your metabolism going strong. Make your portions small when weight loss is your goal.

#2 Drink Water

Another excellent way to jump-start weight loss is by drinking water when you first wake up in the morning, before each meal, and all throughout the day. Aim to drink about 32 ounces (4 cups) of water when you first wake up in the morning.

Drinking 2 cups of water before meals helps you eat fewer calories at mealtime and throughout the day, say researchers who conducted a 2015 study published in Obesity. Men should aim for at least 16 cups of total fluid daily, but you might require extra water if you work out and sweat a lot.

To make it easier to consume the amount of water needed to effectively drop weight, drink water ice cold or flavor it with chunks of fruit – such as melons, lemons, limes, berries, oranges, or kiwi fruit.

#3 Sit Less

Being sedentary is a chronic disease risk factor, and may boost your risk of depression and anxiety. Even if you work out regularly, sitting down most of the day increases your risk of obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, and certain cancers.

Just because you work at a desk job doesn’t mean you have to sit all day! Consider a sit-stand desk at work or stand up and move around every 30 to 60 minutes throughout the day. Do squats or pushups, climb stairs, or take regular short walking breaks to get your blood pumping and keep your metabolism going strong.

#4 Portion Plates Properly

Filling each plate with the right food portions is an easy way to kick start weight loss, and is more effective than you might think. Simply fill each plate the following way:

• Half full of non-starchy vegetables
  
• One-fourth full of protein foods
• One-fourth full of fiber-rich starches

Examples of fiber-rich starches are whole grains (quinoa, brown rice, wild rice, oatmeal, etc.), sweet potatoes, corn, peas, and beans. Healthy proteins include chicken, fish, seafood, eggs, tofu, cottage cheese, and nonfat Greek yogurt.

#5 Focus on Fiber

Because fiber-rich foods help fill you up without extra calories and your body doesn’t fully digest or absorb fiber, boosting it in your diet is an easy way to kick start weight loss. Just choose a variety of fiber-rich foods for each meal and snack.

Examples of fiber-rich foods include nuts, seeds, legumes, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Men need at least 30 grams of fiber daily, but consume more of it if you can! Examples of fiber content in certain foods include:

• 1/2 cup of cooked whole grains: about 3 grams 
• 1/2 cup of cooked legumes: 7 to 8 grams
• 1 ounce of nuts or seeds: 3 to 5 grams
• A medium potato with the skin: 4 grams
• 1 cup of cooked green peas: 9 grams
• 1 cup of other veggies: 2 to 6 grams
• 1 cup of fruit: 3 to 8 grams

Because so many foods are fiber-rich, it isn't difficult to meet daily fiber needs with food alone. Fiber supplements can enhance weight and fat loss as well, according to a study published in 2017 in the journal Nutrients. But ask your doctor before taking dietary supplements.

#6 Prioritize Protein

Choose protein at each meal and snack to jump-start weight loss, as fiber boosts satiety and keeps you full longer. As a rule, men who work out regularly benefit from eating about 0.5 to 1 gram of protein per pound of their body weight daily. Examples of foods and corresponding protein content include:

• 3 ounces of grilled chicken or turkey: 25 to 28 grams
• 3 ounces of fish: 22 grams
• 3 ounces of shrimp: 20 grams
• 6 ounces of Greek yogurt: 18 grams
• 1/2 cup of cottage cheese: 14 grams
• 1/2 cup of cooked legumes: 7 to 10 grams
• 1 cup of milk or plant milk: 8 grams
• 1 ounce of nuts or seeds: 4 to 9 grams
• 2 tablespoons of nut butter: 7 grams
• 1 ounce of reduced-fat cheese: 7 grams

Choose a protein for breakfast, lunch, and dinner – and between meals too!

#7 Healthy Fat is Your Friend

Fat contains more than double the number of calories in protein and carbohydrates. But like protein, dietary fat fills you up and satisfies you for long time periods – and helps curb sugar and other junk food cravings. Examples of nutritious fats that help kick start weight loss include avocados, plant-oils, fish oil, nuts, seeds, nut butters, and olives.

#8 Eat Out Less

It’s possible to eat out and still lose weight, but dining out increases your risk of weight gain, as restaurant foods are associated with higher body weights in numerous studies. Preparing meals at home makes it easier to stick with weight loss diet plans and calorie goals (1,500 to 1,800 calories daily for men). If you’re away from home most of the day, bring homemade meals with you to work vs. eating out when possible.

If you do dine out every now and then, it’s perfectly okay! Simply choose a variety of vegetables and nutritious proteins at each meal. Examples of healthy meals you might order when eating out include:

• A vegetable salad with grilled chicken, shrimp, eggs, or cottage cheese (with oil/dressing on the side)
• Salmon or grilled chicken breast with steamed veggies and wild rice
• A vegetable omelet with steel cut oats
• Baked or grilled tofu with grilled vegetables
• Chicken chili or broth-based chicken and veggie soup
• Grilled shrimp with brown rice and vegetables

Aim to fill each plate half full with vegetables and the other half with lean proteins and fiber-rich starches. Order extra vegetables or a side salad to meet this goal.

#9 Nix Added Sugar and Alcohol

Alcohol, which provides 7 calories per gram, adds unnecessary calories to menus and can hinder weight loss. Added sugar increases your overall calorie intake too, and is a main cause of unwanted weight gain in many children, teens, and adults.

While it might be challenging at first, steer clear of sweets and alcoholic drinks to jump-start weight loss. After a week or two of nixing sugary foods, you’ll likely lose cravings for these sweet treats – especially if you consume plenty of protein and healthy fats. Replace sugary drinks and alcohol with water, and eat fruit in place of sweets.

#10 Work Out Daily

Daily workouts paired with being more active throughout the entire day, is an excellent way to boost calorie expenditure and kick start weight loss. Any form of exercise is better than being sedentary, even if you begin with short 10- or 20-minute workouts. Work your way up to at least 30 to 60 minutes of exercise most days of the week.

Combinations of cardiovascular plus resistance-training exercises are usually best. If you’re unsure about which workouts are effective for weight loss, sign up for FF30X today to receive the best, most up-to-date weight loss exercises for men over 40. Try the FF30X free metabolism-boosting workout to get started today!

#11 Track Weight, Food Intake, and Health Parameters

Recording your weight, what you eat, and certain aspects of your health – such as blood pressure, blood sugar, and your waist circumference – is an excellent way to track progress and keep you accountable for weight loss goals. Weigh yourself at least once each week (aim to lose 1 to 2 pounds weekly) at the same time each day. Try to weigh yourself right away when you first wake up each morning.

Write down what you eat as well. You can count calories if you want, but you don’t have to! Just seeing on paper (or a computer screen or app) the volume and quality of food you’re eating helps you make dietary changes needed to reach weight loss goals.

Measure your waist circumference weekly to track abdominal fat loss. A healthy waist measurement for men is generally less than 41 inches around.

#12 Don’t Forget to Rest

Getting enough sleep is crucial to prevent unwanted weight gain associated with sleep deprivation, and reduce cravings for high-calorie junk foods. Sleep is often overlooked as a weight loss strategy but is one of the most important components of weight loss success. Getting enough sleep:

• Helps normalize hormones that affect appetite
• Improves mood and decreases the risk of depression, stress, anxiety, and irritability
• Increases energy and calorie expenditure throughout the day
• Aids in muscle recovery between workouts

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says 1 in 3 adults get too little sleep and suggests sleeping at least 7 hours each night to maximize health and wellness.

Why Weight Loss Programs Work!

Following the weight loss tips above helps you drop weight, but weight loss planning can be time-consuming with the busy hustle and bustle of work, family, and outside activities. You might have better success sticking with weight loss goals with some extra help and motivational support.

Fit Father Project 30X is specifically designed for busy dads over 40, with long-term healthy weight management in mind. The program gives you the resources necessary to:

• Easily prepare your own healthy meals
• Receive muscle-building and fat-loss workouts when you’re tight on time
• Have questions answered by medical experts when you need it the most
• Receive motivational support from health experts to keep you on track long term

To get started with FF30X, sign up for a free weight loss meal plan and free fat-burning workout or free muscle-building workout today! Weight loss has never been easier!

*Please know that weight loss results & health changes/improvements vary from individual to individual; you may not achieve similar results. Always consult with your doctor before making health decisions. This is not medical advice – simply very well-researched info to kick start weight loss.