Hormones, metabolism, and muscle mass are just three of the many reasons why it’s easier for men to lose weight than it is for women. High levels of testosterone promote muscle growth, which in turn burns more fat and boosts metabolism, burning more calories and causing more substantial weight loss.
However, men don’t just lose more weight because genetics are stacked in their favor. There are a lot of simple strategies men follow when it comes to weight loss that women often don’t. If you’re feeling burnt out or have been stuck in the same weight loss rut for a while, there’s a better way to lose weight: Do it like a man!
What is the best way to lose weight for men?
In this article, we discuss 5 best ways to lose weight for men that will make you more successful in your weight loss, too!
1. Don’t beat yourself up for not being perfect
Mentality is everything when it comes to weight loss. While women aim to be perfect, and feel as if they must be for weight loss purposes, most men apply what some refer to as the 80% rule.
The 80% rule offers men leeway in their diets. If they feel like eating something they shouldn’t, they don’t view it as the end of their successful diet. Rather, they enjoy a treat and then return to their healthy habits. Some men even use this way of thinking as a daily goal, not just a weekly or even monthly requirement.
Your fix: Don’t expect perfection and fall off the wagon when you aren’t perfect. Aim to hit your weight loss goals 80% of the time, and you’ll have a much easier time practising patience as you lose weight. The 80% isn’t a hard and fast rule for every day, either. Some days you may be perfect, whereas others you may only hit 60% of your goals. Provided it averages out, you’re on track!
2. Lift heavy weights
Women tend to gravitate toward the cardio machines at the gym. If they do lift weights, they routinely choose the lightest weights available because they don’t want to look too muscular. Sound familiar?
The issue here is that lifting light weights, even with high reps, isn’t going to produce results. And when you don’t see physical results, you may get discouraged. In contrast, men lift the heaviest weights they can, knowing that doing so is the only way to create results. Remember: More muscle burns more calories and helps you lose more weight.
Your fix: Don’t choose weights that make it feel easy to do between 12 and 15 reps with a high number of sets. Instead, choose weights that make it challenging to do no more than 10 reps over the course of 3 sets. Once your body grows acclimatized to that weight, increase to the next size of dumbbells. This is a great way to build muscle, reduce fat, and stay encouraged – especially when you begin to see results!
Read: How To Ensure You Eat Enough While Taking PhenQ
3. Don’t turn to food as a solution
Women are more likely to turn to food as a solution, especially for a wide range of emotional problems. This pattern emerges as early as adolescence and can be pervasive for many smart dieters. It can often lead to binge eating, which exacerbates many other problems women feel when dieting, such as the need to be perfect.
As you can imagine, men rarely turn to food as a solution for their emotional needs. Instead, they turn to the gym or another hobby or activity to reduce any discomfort or ill feelings they’re experiencing.
Your fix: To eliminate emotional eating, you need to understand why it’s happening. Every time you feel like turning to food to deal with a problem, rank how strong your desire for food is and journal to explore why that emotion causes such a weak or strong urge to eat. Once you understand which emotions prompt you to binge or otherwise indulge, it will be easier to recognize the issue as it surfaces and find an appropriate solution.
4. Designate time for yourself
Women turn to food as a reward because they’re less likely than men to reward themselves in other ways. If you have a busy schedule and don’t take time for yourself, it’s more likely that you’ll turn to food as a reward after a busy day, good workout, or even when you’re feeling a negative emotion like stress.
If you’re feeling stressed out, take a day to yourself. Or, at the very least, spend a morning doing something you love. This kind of reward doesn’t harm your waistline and will keep you healthier and happier.
Your fix: Take time off to relax, just like men do! Find a morning where you can do something you enjoy, whether it’s hanging out with friends, shopping, or virtually anything else not related to food. This will keep you recharged and focused and prevent you from turning to food for comfort or satisfaction. 
5. Eliminate the idea of “forbidden” food
When you start a diet, do you automatically eliminate certain foods from your diet? Many women do, and, unfortunately, this leads those same women to give in and subsequently overdo it when they can’t resist temptation any longer!
One of Janet Polivy’s studies on restrained eaters reveal that people who restrict their diets are much more likely to overdo it if they prevent themselves from enjoying foods that they love only to indulge too much at a later time. Men know how to indulge every once in a while, and you should learn to do the same – without feeling guilty, of course!
Are you ready to lose weight like a man?
Though men do have some genetic factors in their favor, genetics aren’t everything when it comes to weight loss! In fact, men tend to have more flexibility and more patience with themselves than women do. And when it comes to a long-term commitment like weight loss, these factors can make all the difference.
The strategies above are a great place to get started if you feel as if you’ve been trying to lose weight but haven’t been successful, even if you’ve only been trying for a short while. And to jump start your new approach to weight loss you may want to turn to a comprehensive weight loss supplement, like PhenQ, to boost fat-burning, increase energy, and get you into the possible best shape!
