It's become commonplace that weight issues are primarily a concern for women. This is understandable: pressure from television, glossy magazines, and even us men—all of this demands that women's bodies be kept on the brink of exhaustion.
Most men, however, have a philosophical approach to their weight: if our favorite pants don't fit, we buy new, larger ones and make them our favorites. I'm fairly certain the phrase “A good man needs a lot” first came from a man's mouth.
However, even in our system of beliefs, there comes a point when you realize you're already too much. Personally, it was the elevator's shutdown that made me think about this problem.
Having climbed up to the eleventh floor with two heavy bags, I spent another half hour playing fish out of water. Short of breath, my heart had drifted into my head, sounding like a drum kit's kick drum, and I was seeing spots before my eyes. My medically-trained subconscious sarcastically stated that my body was in dire straits, and it was time to do something about it.
I had to grab myself by the scruff of the neck, give myself a good shake, sit down, and admit I was overweight. And quite a significant amount at that. The reason, in fact, was clear: sedentary work, or more precisely, freelancing, where the workstation is two steps from the bed and ten from the refrigerator.
I'll say right away that all the following calculations are a purely male approach to the problem, especially in a situation where there really is something to lose (in terms of weight).
A male approach to the problem
So, first of all, you'll need to get yourself a scale. A floor scale, preferably an electronic one with a built-in body fat analyzer (available at almost any home appliance store). This is a key gadget, without which any weight loss is pointless, as we need to track what we're losing and how quickly.
Second, forget about diet books, advice in women's magazines, and TV shows. A while back, the British Medical Journal published a lengthy article summarizing data on a wide variety of diets. The conclusion was quite logical:
– There is simply no effective diet, but any regulation of nutrition works in favor of normalizing weight.
Third, you'll have to get off your chair and increase your physical activity. At a minimum, avoid the elevator when going down (and up, if possible), get off public transportation one stop early, and walk to work or home. Brisk walking is the ideal form of exercise for a city dweller.
Fourth, forget like a bad dream the “no eating after 6 PM” rule, invented by masochistic early birds. If I go to bed at 2 AM, then eight hours without food will definitely make me go berserk and raid the fridge. A much more accurate rule, based on physiological laws, is that the last meal should be an hour and a half before bed. So, when I warm up with drinking yogurt at midnight, that's within the norm.
Well, let's get down to business. At my first weigh-in, the scale happily announced 111.2 kg, which, given my height of 182 cm, indicates Class I obesity. These numbers were incredibly baffling. At this rate, one could go very far—and just how far was clearly demonstrated by a link to the blog of the infamous Alex Exler. It told the story of a certain manager weighing almost 150 kilograms. He managed to manage it quite well and, in three years, bring his weight down to 90 kg. I thought, “If he can do it, so can I.”
Organizing your diet is certainly not easy. But textbooks on normal human physiology and biochemistry, as well as the experience of a therapist, came to the rescue. The most important thing is to not just throw anything out of your daily diet; we always make substitutions. And one more thing: you'll have to borrow the word “calorie” from the female lexicon. Furthermore, you need to be prepared for the fact that your food costs will increase. Eating right is more expensive than eating wrong. But at the same time, eating shouldn't be an act of masochism; food should be pleasant both visually and tastefully, otherwise it's useless.
It's possible you'll have to cook a lot for yourself, so the basics of cooking—if you haven't mastered them yet—are essential. Another habit family men should avoid is finishing the children's leftovers. And your own portions should be reduced.
What we remove:
– refined sugar.
Why:
Sugar is a source of “quick energy” and equally quick calories. It's an easily digestible carbohydrate that causes the most weight problems. Therefore, it's best to eliminate it completely. I'll say right away—it's no easy task. I started with 3 spoons of sugar per medium-sized cup. By gradually reducing it—2.5 spoons, 2, 1.5, 1—I managed to quit sweetening my tea and coffee within about a year. Switching to expensive loose-leaf tea (especially green) and whole-bean coffee helped a lot. It would be a shame to spoil such delicious drinks with sugar. However, giving up sweets completely is not an option; they are the cause of depression and aggression in many people on low-carb diets.
What to replace:
– chocolate (dark, with a high cocoa content—65% or more). Brewed coffee with milk and a few pieces of chocolate is a more than pleasant treat. Replace sugar-sweetened juices with sugar-free ones (the packaging will indicate this) or freshly squeezed ones.
What we remove:
– wheat bread, pastries, cakes, pastries, pasta.
Why:
– like sugar, these are “fast” and not small calories.
What to replace:
– Bran or whole grain bread —whatever you prefer. You can also try crispbread—I tried it once, but I couldn't stand it. Food should be tasty, not disgusting. Women wince but eat it; I can't commit such unjustified heroism. Pasta is a whole other story. The product itself is fine, but you need to use spaghetti or durum wheat noodles (boiled in boiling water for at least 20 minutes). Rice or buckwheat pasta work well. Potatoes, however, are a no-no, as they're almost entirely starch.
What we remove:
– mayonnaise.
Why:
– We're back to the word “calories.” Well, traditional mayonnaises contain over 650 calories per 100 grams. A gigantic number. I don't want to give up salads, and mayonnaise is included in many recipes.
What to replace:
– yogurt-based sauces. They're even tastier than mayonnaise, but at least three times less caloric.
What we remove:
– all fast food, especially instant noodles, hamburgers, cheeseburgers, pies.
Why:
Yeast dough, questionable fillings, flavorings, and other chemicals make this food a real stomach bomb, both in terms of poor digestion and the chemical impact on the mucous membranes. And homemade pies are so delicious that it's impossible to eat just one—overeating is guaranteed.
What to replace:
– Hot sandwiches. We take the same bran bread, cheese, tomatoes, and herbs. 10 minutes in the oven or air fryer, and you have a delicious snack.
What we remove:
– fatty meat, lard.
Why:
Excess animal fat doesn't have time to be processed and is deposited unchanged in adipose tissue. Moreover, excessive strain on the pancreas and gallbladder has never been beneficial.
What to replace:
– lean meat. Meat is an essential part of the daily diet. Even the most far-fetched diets (Japanese, Kremlin, blood type) don't deny its value.
However, brutal cooking methods render the meat unfit for human consumption. How can you eat boiled, unsalted chicken breast? Only if you're drenched in bitter tears. Lean meat (loin, pork neck, veal, lamb) is, by all physiological laws, a zero-energy product. Digesting and breaking it down requires the same number of calories as are extracted.
The value of meat lies solely in its amino acids, the building blocks of our bodies. Instead of frying, it's better to bake meat (again, remember the oven or convection oven), using grated cheese and low-fat sauces as a “coat.” Shashlik is also a healthy way to cook meat. Fish and other seafood (shrimp, squid, crab) are also welcome. Mushrooms are excellent—in fact, they can be added to the “coat” when roasting meat.
You don't have to eliminate alcohol from your diet. If you really want to, dry red wines are perfectly acceptable. However, it's best to avoid the completely empty calories of vodka and the full-fat calories of beer.
Even this minor dietary adjustment yielded noticeable results. At the time of writing, the author weighs 104.1 kg. In seven weeks, without any self-harm and even with some satisfaction, I lost 7 kg. And my body fat percentage dropped from 35.5% to 27.2%. This means I've chosen the right strategy, and the pounds I'm losing are the ones I really need to lose.
I think the next step will be increasing physical activity using a home exercise machine. However, that's a topic for another article.