GENTLEMAN, IT’S TIME TO GET YOUR SEXY BACK …

Times are changing. The beer bellies, lame jokes and drinking games ceased to ‘cut it’ long ago. Maybe they never did at all. The point is women are upping their game, making smarter choices and looking hotter and sexier by the year. And, if you don’t follow in their footsteps, Men, you might not be one of these ‘smarter choices’ of her future. Unless she’s just concerned with economics. This new generation of young professionals (and, yes, Younger Hot Daddies included) understand what I’m saying and they’re fighting to get their sexy back! …if they ever let it go in the first place.  A girl definitely doesn’t have time to change your habits while changing her own.

So, you better step-up… Or step aside….

Mind-over-belly

The first step in stepping-up is to do something about the laziness.  Double the energy, double the fun. It starts with getting plenty of sleep at night. “Early to bed, early to rise, makes one healthy, wealthy and wise.” We’ve known it for centuries but it’s not an Old Wives’ Tales. It’s a Young Hot Wives’ Tale, now, and it requires discipline and commitment.

If you’re not an early-riser, try going to bed at 9:30PM so that you can wake up at 6AM. Waking and sleeping at set times allows your body to fall into a consistent Circadian Rhythm, which benefits all your systems, including those responsible for regeneration (see: youthfulness). Establishing a consistent pattern of sleep-and-wake will quickly reset the brain to it’s more natural cycle, training your body to release the sleeping and waking hormones around sunset and sunrise respectively. If you’re one of those who thinks 5 hours a night is enough, think again. Recent studies have tied sleep deprivation to an increased risk of high blood pressure, Type 2 Diabetes, obesity and depression.

So what to do? It might be hard to get sleepy at 9:30 when you first begin, especially if you have an ADD brain that just won’t quit. So, you need to do something to calm the body and mind. It’s ok to have a glass of wine at night but don’t drink it right before bed time, if you know it will keep you wired. Try using herbs to help you wind down -like lemon balm, passion flower, chamomile and valerian root. Melatonin can also be helpful.

But, sometimes the simplest cheapest trick can be the most effective… So, if you do nothing else at all, do this: make your bedroom PITCH BLACK! Not even the light from your cell phone while it’s charging. Charge it some place else. Her text will be there in the morning. Trust me. Your bedroom should serve two purposes: sex and sleep.  …Yeah, yeah, I did write about “turning the lights on to spice it up”, but give me a break. Even without light, you can find your partner under the blankets. So, do what you must and get to sleep right after. Assuming you’re still getting some at all. If your loved one no longer sleeps in your bed, then keep reading. You know who you are. This article is for you. It’s not about sex right now. It’s about bringing your sexy back. So, turn off the lights, Guys, and get ready for the “sleep wave”.

…Do you know about this?  It’s hugely important. Turns out, the “sleep wave” is the window of opportunity in which your body is best able to put itself asleep. It’s like when you get hit with the need for a “power nap.” If this hits you at around 9 pm, that’s considered your “sleep wave.” If you’re an early riser, this wave will likely take place between 8:45pm to 9:30pm. If you miss it, you are pretty much F#@%ed. Studies have found that once our sleep wave has passed our brain is less able to fall asleep, meaning that you’re looking at two more hours before your able to easily fall asleep again. This tiny time gate is so critical.

So go to bed, Man.  Your health comes first.

Nutrition: Change begins with lighter meals to get the pounds off

The weight-loss plan outlined here includes seven-day’s-worth of meal suggestions plus great nutritional tips to hold diet boredom at bay and keep you motivated enough to stick with it. It only takes about 30 days to notice remarkable improvements in body and mind, including higher energy levels and clearer thinking.

TIP:  For those who believe carbohydrates are the enemy, turns out carbs are a man’s main source of energy and should make up 50% percent of your daily caloric needs, with 20% going to protein and 30% to fat. Simple, processed carbohydrates are another matter altogether and should be avoided entirely.

As a man, the most calories you should consume in a day is 2,600.  An exercise program allows you to adjust this number.  Keep record of your calorie intake and output to help set weight loss goals. As noted in one of my latest articles, track calories in your iPhone. My top app choice for calorie tracking is MyPlate – Livestrong.

Try these daily meal suggestions next week to launch your new program and set some guidelines for the future!

Breakfast:

Monday, Wednesday and Friday:  

• 4 egg-white Garden Veggie Omelet with broccoli, zucchini and chopped red bell pepper.
• ¼ cup of berries (blueberry and strawberry).

Tuesday and Thursday:

• Four eggs white omelet with spinach, feta cheese, roasted sun-dried tomatoes, and herbs/spices of choice, including a pinch of sea salt.
• Side of fruit, e.g. blackberries and raspberries.

Weekends

• Oatmeal w/ bananas
• Two poached eggs

Coffee to stimulate your brain is a must. Try changing from your everyday Latte to regular plain coffee to save on calories. Keep it simple.

Lunch:

• Go for a skinless grilled chicken breast, tuna salad or baked honey turkey, served on a bed of spinach.
• Consider adding avocado. It has 30 grams of unsaturated fat and, while estimates vary, about 16 of those grams are monounsaturated. You need just one-quarter of one fruit—to get optimal lycopene, beta-carotene and other antioxidant absorption.
• For additional salad toppings choose blueberries, raspberries and macadamia nuts. The latter are rich in monounsaturated fat and just a few will do. Maybe add a few sliced almonds, too, for bone-health and an extra protein crunch.
• For dressing, mix balsamic vinegar, honey and olive oil. One-third teaspoon of olive oil yields 3.3 grams of monounsaturated fats, along with polyphenols and vitamin E.

Mid-day snack:

• Try any smoothie -any kind of your choice- Top healthier choices for an energy boost are peanut butter-banana, or vanilla-banana-almond, tropical mango-strawberries with plain yogurt. Any smoothie will do. All smoothies range between 400 calories to 800 calories/16oz depending on the dairy choices you choose.

Note to brain for all men: According to both the International Society of Sports Nutrition and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, you require 1.4 to 2.0 grams of protein per kilogram to build or maintain muscle mass. This is equivalent to about 0.64 to 0.82 grams of protein per pound of body weight each day.

Dinner:

Be boring and choose the same meals-eat the same thing every week. Make habit of your food choices. A habit is a pattern of behavior that becomes automatic over time.

Monday – Friday:

Go for grilled chicken, steamed vegetables, black beans, salad and one glass of red wine.

Please, avoid beer for the rest of your life if you can. That is the only way to get rid of your beer belly.

Weekend:

Go out and eat what you want! This is the time to let loose and have fun. You will be more likely to stick with healthy choices during the week, knowing that you’re free to eat what you want on the weekends. If I may suggest, though: go out on a date and split your meal. And maybe go for grilled fish, like, halibut, sea bass and salmon instead of red meat, which you should avoid at all cost.

After every date night dinner, if you live near the beach or a fun area, take a walk to burn the dinner off. The weekend is your opportunity to evaluate the changes in your body and energy levels. More importantly, it’s a time to embrace the attention you’ll soon be getting from woman who can’t take their eyes off of you.

EXERCISE AND TRAINING ESSENTIALS:

Forget about willpower. It doesn’t exist. Not consistently-enough for our purposes anyway. Build good habits, instead. Just like the mandatory sleeping and eating habits guidelines, laid out above, working out is no longer optional. Like I’ve said, when we do something routinely, it becomes a habit. So, start thinking of exercise like brushing your teeth.

How do we best burn fat during our routine workout? In the beginning, I suggest hiring a trainer to help motivate, track your progress and set goals. My advice is to use the same trainer your wife and/or girlfriend currently uses. A good trainer will combine aerobics for cardiovascular fitness with resistance training to strengthen your muscles.

For cardio, I recommend a running and cycling fitness workout. Before you take on running, spend at least two weeks walking at an aerobic pace. You will slowly graduate to jogging, until you’re finally ready to run. For cycling, consider investing in Peloton Cycling, it will be the best investment you will ever make. Peloton comes with an HD multi-touchscreen which links to WiFi allowing you to train live with some of the top cycling instructors in the country. It really is the best indoor fitness that you can do at your own pace. “Once you see results it will become something you totally crave”. However, before you spend the money on Peloton check with your doctor that it’s right for you. I have it and I love it. While Peloton cycling provides great fitness, it does not accomplish getting you out of the house. “Letting off steam” is the best therapy for most men and, for that, outdoor running still the best.

I’M SEXY AND YOU KNOW IT…

Men who believe they are sexy, look sexy. So, what they wear and how they act are a pretty big deal, too. Now, it’s no secret that a killer fashion sense doesn’t come in the average straight man’s repertoire.

So, here are some helpful tips from us ladies:

• Always aim for well-fitted clothing. Daddies, please get rid of your ultra-casual clothes: T-shirts, cargo pants, jean shorts etc. Not even to the park.
• On date night: Go for fitted dress tucked-in collar cuff sport shirt-preferable long sleeves and roll them up. White, light blue or contrast collar are very sexy. Pair with a dark pair fitted jeans or slacks to compliment the entire look. Dress it up with a sports coat in either beige or navy blue and wear well-made shoes. Quality has value – it’s worth the money.
• Faces: When you’re out-and-about, wear sunscreen with a tan pigment. Yes, like foundation, it will hide imperfections, like that white-boy redness…or the whiteness itself. Sorry fair-skinned guys, toning-down the “white look” will make you appear younger.  Unfortunately for some, looks are everything.  Dress to look your best.

Let’s break it down for review. Good sleeping patterns, great nutrition and a practical exercise regimen can become habits that change your life. All you have to do is make the choice to change. And, by applying the “habit approach”, you’ll speed up the process for these changes to take root subconsciously. Be goofy and active. If you stay fit and young-at-heart, you will be in better shape than most men half-your-age. You will be ageless. Consistency and a good attitude are the secrets to achieving all of your goals. Know that you’re sexy and look that way (well-dressed and sharp) and you stand out from all the others. Believe. In. You.