So you’ve decided to get in shape and make some healthy changes. Maybe you’re eating more salads. Maybe you’re cutting down on TV time and going to the gym instead. But despite your best efforts, the scale doesn’t seem to be moving one bit. Don’t get discouraged: Although there are many reasons you may not be losing weight, most of them are fixable. Here’s a list of the most common men’s weight-loss mistakes and what you can do about them.
1. You’re overestimating the amount of calories you burn. Although the treadmill shows that you burned a certain amount of calories, chances are that it’s not very accurate. Studies have shown that the calorie counts on exercise machines are usually inaccurate, especially when you don’t input your height and weight. Those 400 calories you think you burned from a 3-mile run are probably closer to 300 calories. The next time you see a calorie count on a workout machine, shave 100 calories off that total for a more accurate calculation.
2. Your calorie intake is too low. To lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you consume. Cutting too many calories, however, puts your body in starvation mode. Since your body thinks it’s starving, it will do everything it can to hold onto the fat it has. As a result, your metabolism slows down significantly. More importantly, your body also starts eating away at lean muscle mass. For help determining how many calories you should be cutting for fat loss, check out MenScience Boot Camp.
3. You’re eating too much of a good thing. Just because something is healthy doesn’t mean you can eat a ton of it. Eating too many calories or too many good fats results in weight gain, whether those nutrients are coming from fast food or healthy snacks. Keep track of what you’re eating and remember to take notice of portion sizes. Just because something is on your plate doesn’t mean you have to eat it. For more weight-loss tips, check out “8 Tips to Lose More Fat.”
4. You’re drinking your calories. You might have changed the way you eat, but you may not have changed the way you drink. Juices, sodas and alcoholic beverages can widen your waistline even if the rest of your diet is in check. Water is your safest bet since it contains no calories and you’re probably not getting enough of it anyway. Sports drinks are a close second, but the sweetness from these drinks might amp up your cravings so be careful.
5. You’re gaining muscle. If the scale hasn’t budged, but your clothes seem a lot looser and you’ve been working out aggressively, you’ve probably lost fat and replaced it with muscle. Scales can’t determine your body fat percentage so you need to use another weight-loss tool such as body fat calipers. This tool can give you a fairly accurate measurement of just what percentage of your body is fat as opposed to muscle and other tissues. Looking to increase muscle mass? Read 10 Quick Tips to Build Muscle and make sure you’re taking a men’s CLA supplement along with other sports nutrition supplements like creatine and whey protein.
6. You’re not getting enough sleep. With so many responsibilities at work and home, it’s tough getting a good 7-8 hours of sleep — but make the effort by going to sleep a littler earlier or set your alarm a little later. The benefits of sleep are worth it: In addition to improving men’s skin, sleep also cuts down your body’s production of cortisol, a hormone that contributes to fat storage. Sleep also gives your body time to recover properly from workouts, so that you’re stronger the next time around.
