Men, Lose Fat While Retaining Muscle in 30 Days

In the commercials, men who look in the mirror to shave, brush their teeth or comb their hair are typically ripped with very little body fat. If you look in the mirror right now and you don’t see a ripped man-beast looking back at you, it’s time to drop the fried turkey legs and get to work.

Losing weight for men without sacrificing muscle doesn’t have to be difficult or complicated. It’s as simple as getting into a routine and staying there. Here are a few tips that will have you leaner and meaner in as little as thirty days.

Putting Yourself in Muscle-Building Mode

You could work out six days a week and still be out of shape if you don’t put your body in an anabolic state. This is when your testosterone and HGH levels are at their highest and your body seems to put on muscle easily with less effort. To put your body in this muscle-building state, you need to eat the right foods, take the right supplements and adopt good living habits.

Foods That Fuel Muscle

Losing fat without sacrificing muscle is 25% effort and 75% healthy eating and supplementation. You must eat properly if you hope to see your hard work pay off the next time you look in the mirror. The following eating plan is just an example. Customize it the way you want to fit your food tastes and goals, and to make it more likely that you will stick to the plan for the full thirty days.

Losing fat without sacrificing muscle is 25% effort and 75% healthy eating and supplementation. @healthhaxor

Click to Tweet
  • Snack: Apple, handful of almonds and protein shake (Protein mix and water)
  • Lunch: Chicken breast, vegetables, 1/2cup - 1 cup of brown rice
  • Snack: Piece of fruit, almonds, protein shake
  • Dinner: Chicken breast, vegetables, sweet potato
  • Snack: Protein shake, almonds

Follow this plan every day with one cheat meal each week. Drink a glass of water once upon waking, once before bed and once before every meal and snack. And whatever you do, stay away from alcohol, but do drink coffee and/or tea to keep your metabolism raging.

The idea is to give your body plenty of protein, lots of fat and minimal amounts of carbohydrates. Without heavy doses of carbohydrates, your body will be forced to burn fat for energy, thus allowing your body to burn fat without cannibalizing your muscle-tissue.

Supplementation

While it is ideal to get all of your nutrition from food, supplementation will allow you to eat less while still getting the vitamins and nutrients that you need, while keeping your budget to a minimum. Some supplements can be costly, but the right ones will be worth it when you see the new trim you staring back at you in the bathroom mirror.

The supplements that are suggested for fat burning and muscle retention include a good protein powder, Zinc, DHEA and a good multi-vitamin. Research the brands you come across to find the most effective and cost-effective supplements for your needs.

Healthy Living Habits

If you hope to lose fat quickly without sacrificing muscle, get used to working out six days per week for at least thirty days. Most people get to that thirty day mark and can’t wait to continue because of all the great results they’ve achieved. The exercise doesn’t have to be strenuous.

Walking for thirty to forty-five minutes six days per week should be enough to put your body into a fat burning mode. Supplement your walking with body weight exercises three days per week. This can consist of three sets of ten reps of pushups, pull-ups, squats, lunges and triceps dips. Try to get a full body workout, but don’t strain yourself. The idea isn’t to build new muscle, though you will do plenty of that if the above advice is followed; rather, the idea is to keep the muscle that you already have.

In addition to exercise, get plenty of rest at night and take melatonin at night if you find that you can’t sleep. The more sleep you get at night, the better results you will achieve.

This plan will trim you down in thirty days without stripping you of your hard-earned muscle. You are allowed one cheat day a week to let loose, but again, stay away from alcohol. Alcohol depletes your testosterone levels and makes it hard to sleep at night, which is bad news if you want to replace your out of shape soft body with a commercial-ready hard body in as little as thirty days.

Stephen Ralph
Stephen Ralph
Stephen is the Founder of Health Haxor, an active duty USAF service member, online entrepreneur and fitness buff. In between a busy schedule Stephen is an active contributor to Health Haxor and regularly posts articles related to men's health, fitness and nutrition.
Stephen Ralph
- 8 years ago
Stephen Ralph