How to Lose Weight Fast (For Men)

Co-authored by Tara Coleman

Last Updated: December 11, 2022 References Approved

For many reasons, men can get out of shape and put on some weight. Fortunately, it's perfectly within your power to get back into shape and lose that weight fast. With dedication and commitment, you can improve your fitness and metabolism to lose weight quickly.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Burning Calories Quickly

1
Start a circuit training regimen. Circuit training is a combination of workouts designed to work every major muscle in your body. The quick switching between exercises gets your heart rate up higher than most other workout regimens, which in turn burns a lot more calories.^{[1]
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Research source} Start a circuit training regimen to burn more calories faster and help lose weight.^{[2]
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Research source} There are a number of good workouts you can include in a circuit session, but an example workout would look like this.^{[3]
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- Burpees, three sets of 10. Read Do a Burpee for details on this technique.
- Squats, three sets of 10.
- Bench press, three sets of 10.
- Lunges, three sets of 10.
- Perform workouts fast to get your heart rate up to its max and burn the optimal amount of calories.
2
Sprint. Sprinting, unlike distance running, involves running as fast as you can for a short distance. This workout gets your heart rate up quickly and is an ideal workout to shed fat quickly. The explosive motion of sprinting will also sculpt your legs and abs, while simultaneously increasing your endurance and lung capacity.^{[4]
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Research source} Follow these steps to perform a sprint workout.^{[5]
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- Go to a track, or measure out a straight path of 100 yards.
- Warm up with either a jog or a brisk walk.
- Stretch thoroughly after warming up. The explosive motion of sprinting can pull or even tear muscles if they're not properly stretched. Stretch for 10 minutes before your sprinting workout.
- Start at the beginning of the 100 yard (91.4 m) path and sprint to the end. If you are a beginner, don't start out with a true spring just yet — run at about 50% of your top speed to make sure your body is ready and you don't injure yourself. Then gradually increase your speed with subsequent sprints.
- Slowly walk back to the starting line. If you're still fatigued when you reach the start, rest until you feel up to sprinting again.
- Perform six to 10 sprints in a session. Repeat the training two to three times a week.
- Be sure to wear an athletic supporter, or at least tight-fitting underwear, while doing sprints. The quick motions can lead to a pulled groin or testicular injury without proper support.^{[6]
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3
Start strength training. Most people think that endurance training is the only workout that will help you lose weight, but strength training is very important too. For starters, weight training boosts your metabolism, so you'll burn more calories in the hours after a strength workout. Also, muscle burns calories more efficiently than fat, so building muscle will help you burn calories even when you're resting.^{[7]
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- Read Build Muscle for workout tips that will help you pack on calorie-burning muscle.
- Some good muscle-building workouts for men include dead lifts, pull ups, and squats. These exercises build major muscle groups like the back, legs, and biceps. Click here for more details on these workouts.
4
Vary your workout. You may be working out regularly but not seeing the kinds of results you'd like. In fitness, this is called a plateau. Your body has gotten used to the exercises you're doing, and they're not having a noticeable effect anymore. Draw a completely new workout schedule to revamp your fitness regimen.^{[8]
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- Try changing up the order in which you work out. For example, if you always to abs, triceps, biceps, back, and legs in that order, come up with a new order.
- You could also look up other workouts that train the same muscle groups.
- Perform this change up routine every few weeks to prevent a plateau.
5
Be conscious of increased risk of injury. Though you may be eager to start shedding pounds as soon as possible, if you are obese (a BMI of 30 or higher) or have not exercised much in the past year, jumping right into an intense exercise regimen can lead to injury, which could derail your efforts to get fit. Be careful not to do too much too soon.^{[9]
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- Know your limits. Think about how long it has been since you last exercised, how much you move around on a regular basis (for instance, are you walking all day for work or do you sit at a desk?), any recent injury or illness, and your current age.^{[10]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Keeping Weight Off With Diet

1
Stay well hydrated. Besides all the other health benefits of drinking water, it will also help keep your metabolism up. When the body gets dehydrated, metabolism slows down. This means you won't burn as many calories, making it harder for you to lose the weight you want to.^{[11]
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2
Eat plenty of protein. While protein is important for building muscles, it also helps keep your metabolism high. This is because the body burns a lot of calories digesting it, so your metabolic rate will stay high if protein is a normal part of your diet.^{[12]
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- Good sources of protein are chicken, fish like salmon and sardines, eggs, tofu, low-fat milk, low-fat cottage cheese, nuts, and beans.
3
Eat good fats. Heart disease is the number one killer of men in the United States, and diets high in saturated fats and cholesterol are a chief contributor to heart disease. Good fats, like mono- and polyunsaturated fats, lower cholesterol and decrease your risk of heart disease.^{[13]
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- Sources of good fats include oily fish like salmon and sardines, olive oil, avocados, and nuts.
- Even when you're eating good fats, make sure no more than 25-35% of your overall calories come from fat. Any more will lead to weight gain.
4
Include iron in your diet. Iron deficiency will slow down your metabolism, so you'll want to get plenty of this nutrient in your diet. Some good sources of iron are shellfish. red meat, lentils, beans, and spinach.^{[14]
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5
Eat complex carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are important for a diet geared towards building muscle. Without carbs, your body will burn protein for energy, which means that the protein won't go towards building your muscles. There are two kinds of carbs, however. Complex carbohydrates take longer for your body to digest than simple carbs. As a result, your body's metabolic rate will remain high if you eat these foods.
- Good sources of complex carbs include whole grain products, starchy vegetables, green leafy vegetables, and beans.^{[15]
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6
Add spices to your meals. Spicy foods like chili peppers give your metabolism a short boost right after eating. It doesn't last very long, but eating spices regularly can have a sustained effect on your metabolism. Try adding a scoop or two of chili powder to your meals to add flavor and give your metabolism a boost.^{[16]
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7
Eat lean meats. Although men usually love a good steak, red meat is not the best choice for your health.^{[17]
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Trustworthy Source
National Institutes of Health
U.S. government agency for biomedical and public health research
Go to source} Satisfy your meat craving with lean meat like poultry, and keep red meat down to 3 servings per week.
- You don't need to cut out red meat entirely. Extra lean cuts of beef and pork will provide much less fat and cholesterol, which is good for your waistline and overall health.^{[18]
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  Research source} The USDA considers an extra lean cut of meat as follows: for every 100 grams of meat, there are no more than 5 grams of total fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, and 95 milligrams of cholesterol.^{[19]
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  Trustworthy Source
  Mayo Clinic
  Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
  Go to source}
8
Count your calories. It's very important to keep track of your calories to avoid overeating. Make sure to read all food labels and write down everything you eat. This will help you keep your eating under control by showing you where you stand in relation to your daily maximum. Keep your count low by swapping high-calorie, low-nutrition items for nutrient-dense, low-calorie foods and snacks.^{[20]
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Trustworthy Source
Mayo Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
Go to source}
- Also check for apps that will help you track your calories. There are several of these that will give you an accurate measure of what you've consumed.^{[21]
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9
Avoid crash dieting. Some people think that eating very few calories every day will help them lose weight. While you'll probably see some weight loss from this, it is overall counterproductive. First of all, it slows down your metabolism, so the calories you do eat stay around longer. Second, you'll probably lose muscle as well, which means your body won't burn as many calories. If you want to lose weight, crash dieting is not the way to do it.^{[22]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Keeping Weight Off With Lifestyle

1
Wait 20 minutes after eating to go for another serving. When we eat, it usually takes 20 minutes for the body to stop feeling hungry. That means that in this window, you can eat a lot more than you really need, because you won't feel full. Force yourself to wait those 20 minutes before eating more. If you're still hungry, then you can go get some more.
2
Avoid eating out often. The portions you get in restaurants is usually larger than you would normally eat, which encourages you to eat past the point of being full. The food is also usually high in sodium, an ingredient that can cause you to gain weight. Keep your time eating out to a minimum to keep pounds off.^{[23]
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3
Move consistently throughout the day. Staying idle will slow your metabolism, and you won't burn calories as efficiently. There are a lot of tricks that you can use to stay active.^{[24]
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- Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
- Get up and walk around or do push ups while you're watching TV.
- Walk places that are nearby instead of driving.
- Stand on the bus or train instead of sitting.
4
Get plenty of sleep. Lack of sleep will slow down your metabolism, as well as boosting your appetite. That combination means that you'll eat more and not burn it off efficiently, making weight loss difficult.^{[25]
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5
Cut down on alcohol intake. The classic "beer belly" is a real problem for many men. Alcohol contains a lot of calories, which can lead to fat accumulation around the stomach. Help your weight loss regimen by keeping your alcohol intake to a minimum. This will cut out a lot of calories and help you shed excess weight.^{[26]
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Trustworthy Source
Mayo Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
Go to source}

Workout Routines and Foods to Eat and Avoid

Workout Routine for Men to Lose Weight in 1 Week

Workout Routine for Men to Lose Weight in 1 Month

Foods to Eat and Avoid for Men to Lose Weight Fast

Expert Q&A

Question

How can I drop 20 pounds in a week?

Tara Coleman
Clinical Nutritionist
Tara Coleman is a Clinical Nutritionist who has a private practice in San Diego, California. With over 15 years of experience, Tara specializes in sports nutrition, body confidence, and immune system health and offers personalized nutrition, corporate wellness, and online learning courses. She received a BS in Biology from James Madison University and spent six years in the pharmaceutical industry as an analytical chemist before founding her practice. Tara has been featured on NBC, CBS, Fox, ESPN, and Dr. Oz The Good Life as well as in Forbes, Cosmopolitan, Self, and Runner’s World.

Tara Coleman

Clinical Nutritionist

Expert Answer

There's no healthy or sustainable way to lose that much weight that quickly. Even if you could find a way to lose that much weight in a week, you'd either just gain it back or end up doing serious harm to your body. Take your time to slowly lose weight to ensure you stay healthy.
Question

What are the best exercise for losing weight fast?

Michele Dolan
Certified Fitness Trainer
Michele Dolan is a BCRPA certified Personal Trainer in British Columbia. She has been a personal trainer and fitness instructor since 2002.

Michele Dolan

Certified Fitness Trainer

Expert Answer

High intensity interval training burns the most calories and the effects last up to 24 hours.
Question

Is it easier for a man or woman to lose weight?

Michele Dolan
Certified Fitness Trainer
Michele Dolan is a BCRPA certified Personal Trainer in British Columbia. She has been a personal trainer and fitness instructor since 2002.

Michele Dolan

Certified Fitness Trainer

Expert Answer

There are no hard and fast rules about this but women tend to have more body fat and may have a harder time losing as much weight as men.