Heart Attack? Nope, Just A Spin Class
What To Eat Before And After A Workout
Six Kitchen-Based Weight Loss Tweaks Any Guy Can Do
Posted on Apr 26th 2010 3:00PM by Myatt Murphy
Working out may be the number one option most men turn to when they want to lose weight, but if you're not keeping your diet in check, all of that hard work in the gym can be easily thwarted by all those tasty, bad-for-you foods.
Making healthy eating easier for men is one of the key missions of this guy-focused section of That's Fit, which is why when registered and licensed dietitian (and certified diabetes educator) Susan Burke March, author of "Making Weight Control Second Nature: Living Thin Naturally," came to us with a few of her tried-and-true cooking tips, we couldn't pass it up.
If you're an old dog that thinks he can never learn new tricks -- especially when it comes to learning how to cook healthier meals -- here's the real deal. According to March, "With just a little preparation and forethought and using just a few simple strategies, you can enjoy favorite recipes with less fat, sugar and calories without sacrificing flavor." Here are just a few of her tricks that can make a big difference in your diet, no matter how dysfunctional you are in the kitchen.
Prepare to Succeed. "Plan your meals in advance, eat a healthy snack, and then go shopping to better avoid 'impulse' purchases," said March. "You'll have the healthy options you need at hand when you're hungry and actually start to cook."
Keep It Simple. "Avoid recipes with too many steps and ingredients," said March. "A simple grilled, broiled or baked dish without too many components and processes, a fresh vegetable and a starch is your best bet."
Think Lean. "Buy the leanest cuts of meat and trim all visible fat before cooking -- and always pick ground meat that's at least 95 percent lean," she said. "Try ground turkey burgers for a change, or replace at least one-third of your ground beef with ground turkey breast." March's best tip: "Be sure to buy ground turkey breast, as the alternative variety contains skin and dark meat, making it higher in fat and calories."
Stick to Non-Stick. "Stock up on nonstick pans for baking, grilling, sautéing, and even for heating up soup," said March. Why? "Nonstick pans allow you to avoid using oil in favor of healthier options, such as cooking spray, wine, water or fruit juice."
Mission-Critical Method. "Bake, broil, grill or poach your proteins," she said. If you have to baste anything, skip the butter or margarine. Instead, "cut the saturated and trans fat by basting with flavorful vegetable broth, white wine or orange juice instead."
Crumbs Count. "Instead of commercial breadcrumbs, which are usually full of oil and trans fat, substitute a low-sugar crunchy breakfast cereal, such as Grape Nuts or organic wheat flakes (just be sure to avoid cereals with more than four to six grams of sugar per serving)," said March.
For more tricks on losing weight that any guy could follow, check out a dietitian's top 10 diet tips.
Fitness expert Myatt Murphy is the author of the best-selling books, The Body You Want in the Time You Have, Ultimate Dumbbell Guide and co-author of The Men's Health Gym Bible and Face It & Fix It: A Three-Step Plan to Break Free from Denial and Discover the Life You Deserve.
