Diet Don'ts For Men

Diet Donts For Men

By Myatt Murphy

Just because you're eating right and watching your diet doesn't mean you can't make a few mistakes along the way. "If you're wondering why those last few pounds still haven't come off, the answer may not be your diet's fault-it might just be yours," says Susan Moores, M.S., R.D., spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. Here are the most common mistakes men make when trying to get lean-and how to reverse them so you can reach your weight-loss goals even faster!

They Don't Count Alcohol

"Having a few drinks may seem harmless, but unlike protein or carbohydrates (which have 4 calories per gram), alcohol has 7 calories per gram," says Moores. Your body also responds to alcohol by raising insulin to help break down the excess sugars that are in most alcoholic beverages. This can cause any extra calories from alcohol to be metabolized by the body and stored by unwanted bodyfat.



The Diet "Do"

The best advice is cut out your alcohol consumption entirely. If you can't, try drinking 1-2 glasses of water with every serving. The excess water will help flush away sodium-this can help speed up how fast alcohol passes through your body so its' calories have less time to be absorbed. Plus, you'll be more likely to consume extra calories while drinking by feeling fuller.

They Eat Big Portions Of Healthy Foods

A lot of men feel that if a food or meal is healthy, they don't have to worry about portion size. "Without guilt keeping them in check, some men may end up eating way more calories of a healthy food than they would have if they were consuming a less healthier version," says Moores. All those extra calories -- whether they come from all-natural foods or not -- can still end up lingering around your waistline.


The Diet "Do"

No matter what type of meal or food you're eating, pay attention and be meticulous about portion sizes. For example, an apple may be a great healthy snack, but having three has as much sugar as one can of soda (39 grams). That rule especially goes for energy or meal replacement bars, sports drinks or anything that has that health halo that a lot of guys like to eat.

They Limit Their Carbs Too Much

Cutting out carbohydrates as much as possible may be a popular way to keep excess calories from being stored as body fat, but it also leaves most men cutting out important carbo-rich foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and fiber. "Kicking all these healthy choices to the curb can leave you deficient of many important nutrients, such as vitamin B, vitamin C and calcium, just to name a few," says Moores.



The Diet "Do"

Instead of severely limiting the amount of carbohydrates you consume daily, try eating legumes, fresh fruits and vegetables with low glycemic level (such as black beans, breads made from whole grain, oat bran and pumpernickel, cucumbers, plums, snow peas, strawberries, pears and peppers.) These types of foods can give your body enough energy and nutrients without raising your insulin levels (a function that can cause your body to store any extra calories as body fat.)

They Don't Keep A Food Diary

Women tend to be better at keeping track of what they eat. "That's because many men tend to feel a little more self-conscious about writing down everything they eat," says Moores. It's an ego problem that could be the reason those last few pounds won't peel off. Research has shown that dieters that keep track of what they eat generally fare the best when it comes to meeting-and beating-their weight loss goals.


The Diet "DO"

Keep a list of everything you eat each week-right down to the portion sizes and time of day-then go through it to ensure you're not eating more than you realize or the wrong types of foods. "If you're afraid of what others may think, don't tell them you're trying to lose weight, but say you're doing it for your health instead," says Moores, "You'll find fewer people will pick on you if they believe you're monitoring what you eat to lower your cholesterol than shrink your waistline."

They Confuse Their Meats

Guys may already know that fish or chicken are better meat choice than beef or pork, but when they turn to pork and beef as a protein source in their diets, they aren't as well educated in which cuts are truly the leanest options. "Picking the wrong one from the butcher counter can increase your intake of fats and keep the weight from coming off," says Moores. Even worse, the wrong cut of meat can also raise your intake of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol which can increase your risk of heart disease.