With over 80% of men secretly concerned about their unhealthy, overweight bodies right now, Venus Cow says, it’s not just women who are plagued by body hang-ups; men have secret concerns about their ever developing “Moobs” male boobs and over grown beer bellies.

The beer belly has been around forever and like women these days, men feel insecure and miserable when confronted with judgmental comments and remarks about their bodies. This is again to do with air brushed images of perfect looking men in glossy magazines and media ads, leaving anyone with body issues or faults depressed and unable to see a clear way out.

Body image is really important for men to feel masculine and powerful but to feel like this, they have to do some work in order to define muscle tone and of course just like women, maintain a healthy lifestyle. Men are currently plagued with all kinds of modern day hang ups and buying new clothes when you are fat, for a man, is almost impossible without looking pregnant or old fashioned.

Most men have huge hang-ups about their bodies and dread going to the gym because of their fears about body image. Sadly right now there are a growing number of men in the world with body image issues and little support to help them regain confidence in order to take back control and enjoy a normal life once again.

When women put on weight, they still tend to look like women but men can look like they are having a sex change with man boobs or pregnant with a huge belly when they gain too much extra weight, so it’s important men always strive to maintain a tall, lean, muscular body but also need to recognize we must grow old gracefully.

Just like for women, keeping slim and healthy is the only way to maintain a youthful appearance. Without air brushing David Beckham still looks amazing because he watches what he eats, drinks and spends hours exercising and maintaining his physique and that is a fact. So it is possible to look and feel younger if you take time out to work on yourself, instead of downing 8 pints and scoffing a curry every night. The great news for middle aged men is without the menopause, losing weight and keeping it off, is much easier than for women.

So Venus Cow says, "There are NO excuses boys."

Many married women wish they could change the appearance of their partners, often not for their own sake but because men often look like the result of a very unhealthy lifestyle, which ultimately reflects on their confidence and happiness, especially in the bedroom. The biggest reason men should be motivated to lose weight and look good, is because it will restore sexual activity with a partner and also encourage them to get fit and fabulous with more energy for fun.

If you go to the gym regularly and eat sensibly, anyone can look at least 10 years younger and gain more energy which immediately helps you cope better with working in middle age.

Being fat makes us lethargic, fall asleep after dinner and become reluctant to take part in any activities and home responsibilities, including DIY and maintenance, gardening etc. Worst of all, women worry about the way his lifestyle is limiting the time they will have together in retirement.

So how do men get the motivation to find the thin within?

First it is important to find out your BMI and face the fact that if it exceeds 24.9 and your waist has expanded beyond 37 inches, you are putting your health at risk and are on your way to becoming too fat. Most gyms, chemists and doctors practices will help you established this information. Never listen to your mates or find what they say about you, funny. If they criticize your beer belly or male boobs, it is not a compliment. It’s a big sign you are not looking normal anymore and need to get on top of it.

To be healthy, slim and fabulous, eat more fruit and vegetables, whole grains, pulses with more fish, including salmon and tuna. Cut down on dairy products and always choose a lean source of protein, like lean red meat or chicken. It is amazing how much weight you can shift if you can cut out meat altogether for 8 weeks. Cut back on your sugar and salt intake, eat less fatty fried processed foods and don’t drink more than 3 units of alcohol in a day. If you can opt for whole grains such as whole wheat pasta and breads, brown rice instead of white and porridge oats, this food group will fill you up and keep you feeling fuller for much longer, decreasing the risks of random snacking.

Now its time to tackle the biggest obstacle facing men right now and preventing them from being the hunks they deserve to be and that is the pub. Beer is the most fattening of all alcohol, especially strong beers, so drinking, when trying to create a magnificent body, is out until you can master controlled indulgence, sorry. It’s a great idea to take the car to the pub if you are unable to stay away, this prevents you drinking more than you should because you have to drive home and helps you miss out the local Indian take out in the process. Recognize 200 calories a pint is what you are looking at, so guzzling three pints every night, on top of your daily intake of food and you are on your way to becoming a fat man with a beer belly. If you can manage to give up alcohol for 8 weeks, remember soft drinks like coke and juice in pints can be just as fattening as beer, so stick to water.

Slobbing on the sofa watching football with your mates, drinking beer and eating take out pizza, is not the way to a healthy lifestyle, so Venus Cow says get out and play the game yourself instead.

Here are some top tips to help all you men create your food, diet and exercise journal in order to create a body and mind to die for, the only thing you need to do, is learn to stick to it long enough to see the results. With the right results, what you attract back into your life will change the way you think forever. So don’t delay, get on your way today, to being the best you can be.

 

• If you are going out for a big dinner in the evening, have a protein smoothie before you leave for the restaurant, this will keep you full longer and stop you having eyes bigger than your belly.
• Always park the car a long way from where you are eating, this will allow you to have a power walk before and after eating, keeping your heart rate pumping.
• Work out or go running / walking before you have a big night out and you will find you don’t feel like over eating or drinking.
• Always take the stairs and never the lift.
• Only eat when your body tells you, you are hungry. Eating out of boredom will never make you slim.
• Stick to a daily intake of 2500 calories and if you do cheat, do some exercise to burn off the extra calories.
• Never eat anything after 8pm unless it’s a special occasion, then choose low carb food and cut out potatoes, white rice or breads.
• Eat more spinach which packs double the fiber, which in turn helps process fat more easily.
• Cut out caffeine.
• Eat good fats like walnuts, avocado, olives to help burn off stubborn body fat.

Photo by: Obi Onyeador