Diets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Diets

Tips for particularly effective diets that promise rapid weight loss without the yo-yo effect can be found everywhere. But which diet is really effective? We have checked the studies for you.

Low-fat and low-carb diets are particularly well known. Both diets involve cutting out one nutrient in particular, either fats or carbohydrates. This is supposed to result in weight loss.

In a meta-analysis from 2014, Bazzano et al. came to the conclusion that a low-carb diet is significantly more effective than a low-fat diet in terms of weight loss, fat mass and cholesterol levels. The study was conducted with overweight adults over a period of 12 months. Overall, the low-fat group lost just under two kilograms, while the low-carb group lost a good five kilograms. For some factors, such as blood pressure, there were no significant differences between the groups at the end of the study period. However, another meta-analysis from 2015 found no significant differences in terms of weight changes between low-fat and low-carb diets. And a 2018 study with over 600 test subjects also found no significant differences between the two diets after 12 months. The study situation is therefore inconclusive for these two types of diet, but it does suggest that the type of diet chosen is not decisive.

Tips for changing your diet

Here are a few tips from us on how best to approach the subject and how you can change your diet in the long term.

1) First of all, it helps if you write down how much you actually eat for several days. It's important that you don't leave anything out and don't cheat yourself. After a week or two, take a look at your food diary: Which meals were unnecessary and too big? What could I do without and what not at all?

2. calculate how much energy you need. Which of your meals can cover this? Write yourself a weekly meal plan and only buy what you need! This will help you avoid unnecessary snacks in between meals.

3. it helps if you make the dietary change together with someone. Team up with your flatmate, a good friend or, if you are still living at home, ideally with your parents. Tackling a project like this together is easier and more sustainable. It may also be a good idea to tell your fellow students about it. This increases your motivation because someone is watching you ;)

3. try to achieve your goal in small steps. Don't be depressed if the pounds don't come off straight away. Losing weight slowly is good and makes sense, as your body can adapt better this way.

Important note: Losing weight requires perseverance, discipline and honesty. Don't be overly influenced by advertising, no woman needs 90-60-90 measurements and no man needs a six-pack. So think about whether you really want to lose weight or whether you just think you should. However, if you feel unwell or there are health complications, then try paying more attention to your diet and test your willpower.

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Lose weight and stay slim: Three methods in a long-term test | SWR Doku
Conclusion

We are offered many different diets, all of which claim to be the best and most effective. At the end of the day, however, one thing is key:

How many calories are you eating?

Whether you eat your calories at eight o'clock in the morning or at ten o'clock in the evening, whether you eat them in the form of carbohydrates or fats and whether you take a break of several hours between meals or not - it doesn't really matter. If you achieve a calorie deficit, i.e. you consume fewer calories than you lose per day through your basal metabolic rate and physical activity, you will lose weight. If you consume more calories than you need, you gain weight. You can achieve such a calorie deficit with all the diets. However, the problem with diets is that they are long-term and many lead to the well-known yo-yo effect. The diets often cannot be integrated into everyday life for long and therefore only lead to short-term weight loss. So if you want to lose weight, it is best to try to change your diet in the long term. Follow the 10 rules of the DGE to ensure that you eat a wholesome and healthy diet.