When it comes to dieting, women and men sometimes have a different set of setbacks. For men, there are some specific issues to consider and combat.
Salty cravings. While women tend to crave sweet foods, men tend to have cravings for foods that are high in salt and fat. For example, nachos, wings, chips, and salty peanuts are often temptations for men.
These foods can really keep you from getting the weight loss that you’re seeking on your diet program. There are a couple of strategies that can help with the salt cravings. One method is to prepare your favorite foods in low-sodium, low-fat versions.
If you absolutely must have a serving of your favorite nachos loaded with salt and fat, stick to smaller portions. Finally, if you have a day where you eat a lot of extra salt, drink a lot of extra water to help flush it out of your system so that you won’t retain water.
When you start eating a diet that’s lower in sodium, eventually these cravings will die down. So take a break from the salt for a while, and you’ll see the cravings become more manageable.
Social gatherings. Social gatherings for men often involve a lot of salty foods and the presence of alcohol. Alcohol is another substance that can really make dieting difficult. It causes you to feel hungrier and slows down your loss of fat.
If you can avoid alcohol altogether, it will be better for your diet. But if that’s too much for you, you can try to slow down your consumption. After you have an alcoholic beverage, have a glass of water before you drink another. This will slow down your alcohol consumption and help you to feel full.
Exercise. Men tend to exercise with the goal of bulking up. In that case, you may find that you’re putting on pounds instead of losing them. However, it’s okay to be putting on muscle mass because eventually it will help you to lose the weight you want to lose.
Don’t forget to add some aerobic activity to your routine. It will help you to burn fat faster so that you can see those hard-earned muscles.