The path to a better body is littered with diet traps. If you’re not careful, these men’s diet traps and diet mistakes can set back your progress significantly. Whether you want to lose fat, gain muscle or both, be on the lookout for these diet traps that could slow down your success.
Men’s Diet Trap #1: Low-Fat Foods/Fat-Free Foods. Marketing can make us think we can eat low-fat foods and fat-free foods without consequence. After all, fat is what makes us fat, right? Well, even if all you eat is “diet food,” you can still gain weight. Many low-fat and fat-free foods make up for the loss of fat with the addition of sugar. This extra sugar translates into more calories, which can contribute to fat gain. Diet foods also tend to be deficient in nutrients, so consider taking a men’s multivitamin. You’re better off focusing on low-calorie and high-protein foods that can help you lose weight and gain muscle. Check out “Fat-Burning Foods for Men” for some healthy eating tips and ideas to overcome this diet trap for men.
Men’s Diet Trap #2: Salad Dressings. A salad with lean protein like chicken is a relatively healthy meal choice… until you add the dressing. Salad dressings are notorious for adding extra calories and fat to an otherwise decent meal. Instead of dousing your salad with dressing, consider asking for salad dressings on the side. That way, you can control exactly how much dressing you’d like to use. Some restaurants even offer low-calorie dressings, so that’s another option you could try. Read “Eat Healthy at a Restaurant” for more dining out tips and healthy eating tips.
Men’s Diet Trap #3: Emotional Eating. Life can get stressful – that’s a fact. Unfortunately, our diet is one of the first victims of stress. When we’re anxious about something, it’s easy to reach for those sweets and other comfort food you have around the house. Replace this bad habit of emotional eating with a good one. Instead of emotional eating, hit the gym whenever you feel a craving coming. If you have to eat something, mix yourself a tasty whey protein shake to stave off cravings and give your body some much-needed nutrients. The goal is to not let emotional eating get the best of you. “6 Quick Diet Tweaks for Men” has more great healthy eating tips to help you overcome emotional eating and other diet traps.
Men’s Diet Trap #4: Starving Yourself. A common misconception is that the less you eat, the more weight you’ll lose. This is true, but only to a certain extent. If you cut calories too much, your body will go into starvation mode, lowering your metabolism and holding onto the fat you have. Starving yourself also has a catabolic effect on the body; since your body isn’t getting enough nutrients, you’re losing valuable muscle mass. Men’s nutrition supplements like a men’s multivitamin and men’s omega-3 formula can help boost your health while sports nutrition supplements like whey protein and creatine can help you burn fat and build muscle. MenScience Boot Camp explains how to set up the proper diet and fitness program to help you achieve your goals.
Men’s Diet Trap #5: The Weekend. After a stressful week at work, the weekend offers us a chance to relax and unwind. For some of us, however, this attitude extends to our diet. If you want to see results, you need to make sure you’re making the right diet decisions come Friday. If you eat well all week only to binge on the weekend, you’ll never see the results you’ve worked so hard for. That doesn’t mean you need to become a hermit on the weekends – just be conscious of what you’re eating when you’re out and about. “10 Men’s Nutrition Tips You Need” has some great healthy eating tips for managing your diet throughout the week.
