This one’s for the guys out there. We’ll be talking about one of the easiest dieting types to work with: the young man.
Your biggest roadblocks? Willpower and consistency.
Young men are wired for weight loss—excellent metabolisms, high testosterone levels, and more lean muscle mass—all help support a body that naturally wants to be thin.
However, there are many causes for concern, as we’re now seeing an increase in the number of overweight, unhealthy, and metabolically challenged young men.
You can now get junk food with the press of a button. Mobile apps make it incredibly simple to have pizza and wings delivered to your door for the big game.
Many young men who were extremely active in high school and college continue with the mindset they can eat anything they want, just like they did in their heyday. But eating high-calorie content and large amounts of food (“Sorry for eating everything in the fridge, Mom!”) will soon catch up to them.
They’ll find themselves taking on more of life’s commitments, with less time to burn off calories in a quick pick-up game or no longer able to depend on the regularity sports once provided.
This is the point where many in this dieting type get stuck—they never learned how to eat well in the first place and are no longer burning calories like it’s their job. The A-List Diet, now available in handy paperback, can teach you how—and you can still eat the good stuff (burgers, steak, dessert, pizza), but in a smarter, more sensible fashion.
Another reason young men need to watch what they eat is one that research studies haven’t caught up to me yet on… but trust me, you’ll soon see the headlines. Men live in an estrogenized world, surrounded by phytoestrogens. These estrogen-like substances enter the body and imitate the effects of the estrogen hormone. This causes a lack of testosterone, which leads to weight gain, reduced muscle mass, rapid hair loss, and erectile dysfunction.
You might be saying to yourself, “My sex drive is fine—I must have high testosterone.” That’s not always the main indicator of low levels. It’s always safe to have your levels checked by your doctor. Phytoestrogens are endocrine disruptors that are everywhere, including:
- Receipts
- Cleaning supplies
- That “new car smell”
- Plastics
- Soy
- Sesame seeds
- Animal meat (injected with or fed growth hormones and antibiotics)
- Chicken
- Fish
A basic rule of thumb: eat organic and use organic/recycled products. For animal proteins, if it doesn’t swim freely in the ocean or graze on grass, don’t eat it.
Also be sure to stock up on branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) to maintain muscle mass. I make two varieties of tasty, pre-mixed protein supplements that contain plenty of BCAAs. Let me introduce you to my A.M. Jump Start and P.M. Reboot shots. One in the morning and one in the evening—it’s as simple as that to keep your metabolism revving.
A-Listers’ Corner
Nick’s Diet Story
Nick, a good-looking Italian-American guy from Queens, came to see me because he worked out, thought he was eating right (he was a big fan of my previous book, The Hamptons Diet), but he still had a gut.
He carried about 25 pounds around the middle, and there was certainly room for toning. He said to me, “Doc, I don’t know why I’m here. I read your newsletter and I think I know what you’re going to tell me, but I need some extra help.”
Well, six weeks and 30 pounds lighter, he was very glad he came to see me in person.
After examining his blood work and what he ate, it was clear to me why the typical meat, fish, and vegetable diet wasn’t working for him. He was eating too much of the wrong proteins, creating inflammation, causing insulin resistance, and making his body too acidic for weight loss. That’s where most people go wrong when they embark on high-protein diets—they eat any protein they want and don’t realize the importance of getting the balance right.
So I moved Nick from chicken eggs to quail eggs, and I substituted more alkaline vegetables, such as collard greens instead of spinach and endive instead of zucchini. Most importantly, I added amino acids to his program in the form of protein boosts. He consumed the protein boosts twice per day as I recommended, and it was this change that jump-started his metabolism and leaned him out.
Nick’s story ends really well: He is about to get married to a very famous singer he met at my office.
Recipe of the Week
This recipe is perfect for this dieting type. Not only is this meal quick and easy-to-make, it also provides protein for muscle support and fresh veggies to provide the vitamins and nutrients needed to maintain an active metabolism.
Just be sure that your animal protein is organic and grass-fed—not injected with antibiotics or growth hormones.
Pork Stir Fry with Broccolini and Peppers (page 224 of The A-List Diet)
Serves One
Ingredients:
- 1 6oz. pork tenderloin, cut into strips
- Kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder (or to taste)
- 3 tablespoons macadamia nut oil, divided by tablespoons
- 1 ½ cups shredded red cabbage
- ½ cup yellow bell pepper, sliced
- 4 oz. broccolini with stems, chopped
- ½ cup sliced red onion
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
Directions:
- Season the pork with salt and the five-spice powder and set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Add the cabbage and a pinch of salt and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Transfer the cabbage to a serving plate.
- Heat another tablespoon of oil in the wok. Add the bell pepper, broccolini, onion, and garlic. Cook until the pepper is lightly browned on the outside and almost tender, about 4 minutes. Transfer the vegetables to another plate.
- Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in the wok. Add the pork in one layer and cook for 2 minutes on each side. Return the vegetables to the wok, stir together until heated through and mixed thoroughly, and pour over the cabbage. Serve.
Until next time,
Dr. Fred