The Best Way to Lose Weight for Men: Key Steps

Written on July 2, 2023 by Theresa Vuskovich, DMD. To give you technically accurate, evidence-based information, content published on the Everlywell blog is reviewed by credentialed professionals with expertise in medical and bioscience fields.

Table of contents

• Add More Steps to Your Day
• Determine Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure
• Track Your Daily Calories and Activity
• Eat at Home More Often
• Prioritize Sleep
• Check Your Hormone Levels
• Try the Mediterranean Diet
• Join a Weight Management Program
• Lose Weight via Everlywell
• Related Content

More men (34.1%) are overweight compared to women (27.5%), according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). [1] Men attempting to lose weight have a number of ways to optimize their efforts. [2,3] This article discusses effective, evidence-based weight loss strategies and the best way to lose weight for men.

Add More Steps to Your Day

Walking is a low-impact and easy way to boost your weight loss efforts. [4,5] Adding more steps to your day will not only help you lose weight but may also decrease your risk of heart disease. [4, 5] A recent study suggests that 10,000 steps per day, of which 3,500 are moderate-to-vigorous intensity, may boost weight loss efforts. [5]

If you're unsure whether your pace is moderate-to-vigorous, try the talk test. [6] When you are engaged in moderate-intensity activity, you can speak but not sing. [6] During a vigorous-intensity activity, you can only say a few words at a time. [6]

Determine Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure

Creating an energy deficit is the key to weight loss. [2] For this reason, it is important to understand your basal metabolic rate (BMR) and total daily energy expenditure (TDEE). Your BMR is the number of calories you burn at rest, and your TDEE is the overall amount of calories you burn daily.

Knowing your BMR and TDEE can help you determine how many calories you can eat and still lose weight. Calculators online can assist you in determining your BMR, TDEE, and caloric requirements. Once you know your calorie needs, you can calculate the energy deficit you need to lose weight. For men with obesity, a low-calorie diet with a deficit of 500-750 calories per day is frequently recommended. [2] Be sure to consult with your healthcare provider or a specialist (such as a registered dietitian) before drastically altering your diet, or to help create a new meal plan that's best for you.

Track Your Daily Calories and Activity

Once you know your TDEE, keeping track of your daily calorie intake and activity, even just for a few days, can help you determine if you are staying within your daily calorie limit and getting enough exercise. Self-monitoring your diet and physical activity with a digital device or wearable can improve weight loss in adults who are obese or overweight. [7] A recent study suggests using a self-monitoring device for weight loss may lead to reduced calorie intake and increased physical activity. [7] Wearables can motivate you to make healthier choices every day.

Eat at Home More Often

When you eat at home more often, you can ensure you eat within your calorie needs or follow a diet plan such as the Mediterranean diet. According to one population-based study of 35,084 adults, eating meals prepared away from home frequently can significantly increase mortality risk. [8] If you are a man trying to lose weight, planning meals and preparing them at home are effective strategies for losing weight. [8,9]

Prioritize Sleep

Sleeping less may seem like a good idea when you are trying to lose weight while juggling work and life. However, sleeping well is important for weight loss. [10] Research shows that better sleep quality and longer sleep duration are associated with greater weight loss. [10] A lack of sleep is linked to an increased appetite and a higher intake of high-calorie foods. [10] Better sleep not only helps you lose weight but losing approximately 5% of your body weight may also improve your sleep quality. [10]

Check Your Hormone Levels

Your hormones can impair your weight loss efforts. [11] Men with obesity tend to have lower levels of testosterone. [11] Testosterone plays a key role in maintaining muscle, regulating fat storage, and balancing energy levels. When men have low testosterone levels, testosterone therapy may support their weight loss efforts. [11] The Everlywell Testosterone Test provides insight into your testosterone levels, which may be impacting your weight or body fat distribution.

Try the Mediterranean Diet

One of the most well-researched diets for weight loss is the Mediterranean diet. Research suggests the Mediterranean diet can produce similar weight loss as low-carb diets. Compared to other diets, the Mediterranean diet offers a greater variety of food and is easier to maintain long-term. Characteristics of the Mediterranean diet include the following [12]:

• Consuming fresh vegetables and fruits, legumes, nuts, and seeds daily
• Eating fish and seafood 2 to 3 times weekly
• Using cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil as one of your main fat sources
• Eating fresh fruit daily as dessert
• Consuming red and processed meat only 1-2x a month
• Drinking primarily water

Join a Weight Management Program

Weight management programs can help you lose weight by providing education, support, and accountability. [12] If you have trouble self-monitoring, joining a weight management program may help. In a recent study, weight management programs led to greater body weight loss after three months than do-it-yourself approaches to weight loss. [13]

Lose Weight via Everlywell

There is no single best way to lose weight for men because there is no one-size-fits-all approach to weight loss. [2] A customized weight loss plan is ideal. [2] Online weight management via Everlywell through the Weight Care+ program involves regular clinician care through virtual care visits, lab testing, support for related conditions, and GLP-1 medications if needed.

During your virtual care visit, you can partner with a licensed nurse practitioner to discuss your weight goals and complete testing to determine if GLP-1 medication is appropriate for you. Your healthcare provider will prescribe medication based on your health history and their clinical judgment. Weight Care+ offers support throughout the weight loss journey to help men achieve their weight loss goals.

Related Content

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How to Lose Weight Faster: What to Know

Do Men or Women Have an Easier Time Losing Weight?

References

1. Overweight & obesity statistics. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/health-statistics/overweight-obesity. Published September 16, 2022. Accessed June 5, 2023.
2. Kim JY. Optimal Diet Strategies for Weight Loss and Weight Loss Maintenance. J Obes Metab Syndr. 2021 Mar 30;30(1):20-31. doi:10.7570/jomes20065. PMID: 33107442; PMCID: PMC8017325. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33107442/.
3. Crane MM, Lutes LD, Sherwood NE, Ward DS, Tate DF. Weight Loss Strategies Utilized in a Men's Weight Loss Intervention. Health Educ Behav. 2018;45(3):401-409. doi:10.1177/1090198117733025. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5832568/.
4. Del Pozo Cruz B, Ahmadi MN, Lee I-M, Stamatakis E. Prospective Associations of Daily Step Counts and Intensity With Cancer and Cardiovascular Disease Incidence and Mortality and All-Cause Mortality. JAMA Internal Medicine. 2022;182(11):1139. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2022.4000. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2796058.
5. Creasy SA, Lang W, Tate DF, Davis KK, Jakicic JM. Pattern of Daily Steps is Associated with Weight Loss: Secondary Analysis from the Step-Up Randomized Trial. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2018;26(6):977-984. doi:10.1002/oby.22171. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5970037/.
6. Measuring physical activity intensity. Cdc.gov. https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/measuring/index.html. Published October 20, 2022. Accessed June 5, 2023.
7. Berry R, Kassavou A, Sutton S. Does self-monitoring diet and physical activity behaviors using digital technology support adults with obesity or overweight to lose weight? A systematic literature review with meta-analysis. Obes Rev. 2021;22(10):e13306. doi:10.1111/obr.13306. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/obr.13306.
8. Du Y, Rong S, Sun Y, et al. Association between frequency of eating away-from-home meals and risk of all-cause and cause-specific mortality. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2021;121(9):1741-1749.e1. doi:10.1016/j.jand.2021.01.012. https://www.jandonline.org/article/S2212-2672(21)00059-9/fulltext.
9. Ducrot P, Méjean C, Aroumougame V, et al. Meal planning is associated with food variety, diet quality, and body weight status in a large sample of French adults. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2017;14(1):12. 2017 Feb 2. doi:10.1186/s12966-017-0461-7. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5288891/.
10. Papatriantafyllou E, Efthymiou D, Zoumbaneas E, Popescu CA, Vassilopoulou E. Sleep Deprivation: Effects on Weight Loss and Weight Loss Maintenance. Nutrients. 2022;14(8):1549. 2022 Apr 8. doi:10.3390/nu14081549. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9031614/.
11. Traish AM. Testosterone and weight loss. Current Opinion in Endocrinology, Diabetes & Obesity. 2014;21(5):313-322. doi:10.1097/med.0000000000000086. https://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4154787/.
12. Dominguez LJ, Veronese N, Di Bella G, et al. Mediterranean diet in the management and prevention of obesity. Exp Gerontol. 2023;174(112121):112121. doi:10.1016/j.exger.2023.112121. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0531556523000426.
13. Tate DF, Lutes LD, Bryant M, et al. Efficacy of a Commercial Weight Management Program Compared With a Do-It-Yourself Approach: A Randomized Clinical Trial [published correction appears in JAMA Netw Open. 2022 Sep 1;5(9):e2235316]. JAMA Netw Open. 2022;5(8):e2226561. 2022 Aug 1. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.26561. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2795182.