Diet for Male Fat Loss

Excess body fat does more than give you a less-than-ideal physique: It also puts you at risk for serious health conditions. Regular exercise can help you lose fat and stay fit, but improving your diet is also critical for slimming down. You don't need to follow a dramatic fad diet to lose weight, though. A few sensible changes in the way you eat may provide significant results.

Benefits

Men who carry excess belly fat are at higher risk for diabetes, heart disease, stroke, certain types of cancer and other health conditions, warns Dr. Michael Jensen from the Mayo Clinic. Although genes and aging can contribute to added inches around the waist, most men gain weight due to lifestyle factors like diet and exercise. Because of this, improving your diet is likely to help you lose the weight, reducing your risk of weight-related disease.

Reduce Calores

One way to tailor your diet for fat loss is to cut calories. Start by reducing your portion sizes. Use a smaller plate and stop to consider whether or not you're really hungry before having a second helping. Cut back on high-calorie foods like butter, sweets and fatty meats and calorie-rich drinks like alcohol, sports drinks and fruit juice.

Get More Vegetables

For optimal health, men should eat nine servings of vegetables or fruits daily, advise experts from the Palo Alto Medical Foundation. These foods provide a more nutritious, lower-calorie way to fill up so you have less room for more fattening foods. Choosing from a variety of fruit and vegetable color groups like green, red or blue/purple can also help you get a wider variety of vital nutrients. If you don't like eating vegetables, try sneaking small amounts into salads or sandwiches.

Manage Your Carbohydrates Wisely

Healthy carbohydrates like whole grains, beans and vegetables provide essential nutrition, but you may see more fat loss by cutting carbohydrates than by cutting fats, according to a research study published in "Nutrition and Metabolism" in 2004. Some 70 percent of study participants lost more fat, averaging three times more chest and belly fat loss, on a low-carbohydrate diet than on a low-fat diet. Researchers who lead the study advise following a low-carb diet first, then switching to a low-fat diet. Low-carb diet options include the Atkins, South Beach, Hampton's and New York diets. Most restrict you to 50 to 150 g carbohydrates daily.

Considerations

Responses to dietary changes can vary due to genes, eating habits and other factors, so you may need to experiment to find the eating plan that works best you. Very low-carbohydrate diets may not provide sufficient fiber and may cause ketosis, a condition characterized by weakness and nausea, so avoid reducing carbohydrates to below 25 percent of your calorie intake. Eating too much saturated fat can also make a low-carb diet less effective, so opt for healthy polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats instead.