Diets for Men That Work

Although any diet that keeps daily calories below maintenance levels will work for weight loss, it is also true that all diets are not created equal. A proper diet allows the individual to not only lose weight while on the plan, but it also will provide him with the tools to maintain that weight loss over the long term. Thus, fad diets that do nothing but prescribe an incredibly restrictive list of permissive foods will never lead to this long-term reprogramming. Choose a healthy diet like you would a wife: Pick a system you can live with forever.

Defining a healthy diet

A healthy diet that works is nothing more than a system of eating that teaches the individual new food-related behaviors and allows him to adjust intake upwards or downwards depending on his goals at the time. By addressing the root problem of poor food choices in general instead of the temporal problem of calories in versus calories out, a true healthy diet is a lifetime companion that helps us forever dodge weight control issues.

7 Rules Diet

One incredibly effective diet for men that fulfills all of the aforementioned requirements is the 7 Rules Diet designed by Dr. John Berardi. Dr. Berardi works with a wide range of individuals, including some professional athletes, so he understands the needs of men who want to lose fat mass while retaining muscle and looking their best. He compiled the 7 Rules with those goals in mind, and the program was so effective that he placed all of his clients on "the rules." Now, many of his clients achieve their ideal physique through following the 7 Rules.

The 7 Rules are:

1. Consume small meals every two to three hours for a total of five to eight meals per day--hardly a starvation diet.
2. Consume lean protein with every meal: meat, eggs, fish and chicken.
3. Consume fruit and vegetables with every meal.
4. Only consume carbs from fruit and veggies. This restricted carb approach ensures quality weight loss.
5. Consume at least 25 percent of your daily calories from fats such as animal fat, natural fat from foods like avocados and coconuts, and oils (fish, flax and olive).
6. Consume only zero-calorie beverages: Stick to water and green tea where possible.
7. Consume only solid meals; no liquid nutrition.

Although this might be a drastic change from your current routine, remember that it was your current routine that prompted the need for a diet. Following the 7 Rules year-round can get you to where you need to be.

Paleo Diet

Another viable dieting strategy for men is following the Paleo Diet, designed by Dr. Ben Balzer. Dr. Balzer is a family physician, and through his research he noted that a number of health-related problems stem from an abundance of grain consumption. As grains are poisonous to humans in their natural state, Dr. Balzer's diet operates on the theory that restricting grains and adhering to a more primitive dietary structure will allow one to circumvent both weight control and health concerns stemming therefrom.

To follow the Paleo Diet, wholly eliminate consumption of grains, beans, potatoes, dairy, sugar and added salt. Instead, consume only items that our Paleolithic ancestors would have had access to, such as meat, chicken, fish, eggs, fruit, vegetables, nuts and berries. By returning to a dietary "hunter/gatherer" mentality, your body will shed all of those excess pounds brought on by a lifetime of consuming processed foods.

Considerations

Success leaves a trail, and to find dietary success you should model your eating behavior after those individuals who have achieved real health. Although it is true that a number of individuals can consume a "modern" processed-food diet without suffering undue adverse effects, you are here looking for diets and are clearly not one of those people. So understand and accept that a dramatic reprogramming of your eating habits is in order to accomplish your goals, and be prepared to work hard at overcoming your own psychological desires for unhealthful foods. Only then can you break the cycle of yo-yo dieting that plagues most individuals.