1. What happens in the body when you lose weight?
Every body has its own metabolism. This is responsible for transporting energy to where we need it.
If we want to lose weight, we ultimately need to create a negative energy balance in the body. This means we consume fewer calories than we burn. As a result, the body breaks down mass – in the form of fat, muscle, and body water.
Two factors are crucial:
1. Nutrition: Anyone who wants to weigh less needs to change their diet. "You should choose a balanced diet that includes essential nutrients, such as sufficient protein," says nutrition expert Aline Emanuel from Saarbrücken.
It's important to establish good eating habits. "That doesn't work if I try a different diet every four weeks," says Emanuel.
2. Exercise: To ensure healthy weight loss, we should get enough exercise in our daily lives. Anything from walking to strength training helps. Exercise boosts the metabolism – ideally, sustainably.
2. How many kilos can I lose per month?
Half a kilogram per week or one to two kilograms per month is considered healthy weight loss. Experts agree on this.
"This is a speed at which the body can subsequently compensate for this loss by adjusting its other mechanisms," says Aberle.
What should you do if you want to lose 10 kilos?
“Anyone who wants to lose a total of ten kilos is well advised to take about half to three-quarters of a year to do so,” says Aline Emanuel.
Even at a slow pace, progress is rapid at the beginning. After about two months, weight loss plateaus. This is one of the most difficult phases. "You just have to stick with it and motivate yourself again," says Emanuel.
After a certain amount of time, the weight then slowly continues to decrease.
The German Nutrition Society (DGE) also recommends long-term weight loss. A combination of these two factors works best:
- a permanent dietary change that is nutritionally complete
- Sufficient exercise daily, about 30 to 60 minutes
Result: If we approach the weight loss project in a healthy way, it increases our well-being and strengthens body and mind.
3. How quickly can I lose weight – and is it sustainable?
One thing is clear: A significant reduction in energy intake combined with plenty of exercise leads to rapid weight loss. However, this is not a sustainable long-term strategy.
If we take our goal too seriously and cut back on too many calories, we can experience the infamous yo-yo effect .
“This significant weight loss also occurs, for example, when you stay below 1000 calories per day,” says Emanuel, head of the nutrition department at the German University for Prevention and Health Management.
“Many people are constantly dieting. Four, five, or six times a year. In the long run, this can lead to an increase in body fat,” says Emanuel. Exactly the opposite of what we want to achieve.
What's behind the yo-yo effect
When we lose a lot of weight quickly, the body goes into alarm mode. According to experts, the threshold for this is around 1000 calories per day. If we consume less, a switch flips. Before the body then burns a lot of fat, it first excretes a large amount of water.
The pounds drop on the scale – but only temporarily. The lost fluid is then quickly reabsorbed. This means that shortly after a crash diet, the weight goes back up.
“We have certain reserves in the body that last for a few days. When they are used up, the body starts to switch into emergency mode,” explains Emanuel. It simply shuts down all necessary functions.
The basal metabolic rate decreases, and the metabolism becomes less active. This continues until the body receives the signal that sufficient calories are being supplied again.
According to the German Nutrition Society (DGE), scientific studies prove that short-term diets do not have a lasting effect.
4. In which parts of the body do you lose weight?
According to experts, it depends entirely on the individual and their predisposition. Some people have a higher percentage of body fat in certain areas than others.
“And there are people who, due to their genetic predisposition, find it very difficult to lose this fat,” says Emanuel. Losing weight isn’t impossible for them, but it involves much more work.
Put simply, there are two different body shapes:
- Women often have a pear-shaped pelvis, meaning they tend to be wider. Fat is also more likely to be stored in this area.
- Men often have an apple shape . "That would be the typical firm beer belly," says Emanuel.
Important: From a health perspective, an apple shape is considerably more problematic than a pear shape. According to Aline Emanuel, this is due to the fatty tissue located between our organs in the abdominal area. Metabolism is more active in this area, and being overweight can promote conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes.
5. When should I start losing weight?
First, it's about taking stock:
- Where do I stand with my weight?
- How does my body feel?
- Am I a person who is severely overweight and needs to lose more than ten kilos?
- Or is it just about losing a few pounds to fit better into a summer dress or jeans again?
Calculate the Body Mass Index
The Body Mass Index (BMI) can provide an answer to this. The BMI is calculated using the following formula:
Body weight (in kilograms) divided by height (in meters) squared.
The BMI is divided into categories:
- Under 25: Up to a BMI of 25 kg/m2, it can be assumed that one is of normal weight.
- 25 to 30: If the BMI is between 25 and 30 kg/m2 and there are no health restrictions, one is overweight.
- Over 30: Experts refer to a BMI of over 30 kg/m2 and accompanying illnesses such as high blood pressure or diabetes as obese.
Example: An adult woman is 170 cm tall and weighs 70 kg. Her BMI is 24.2, which is within the normal weight range.
You can find your personal BMI using a BMI calculator. Simply enter your height and weight, and you'll receive the result immediately.
It's good to know: The BMI has been criticized for years. The formula, developed by the World Health Organization (WHO), only considers height and weight. Other important factors such as fat distribution, age, and gender are not taken into account.
“No distinction is made between whether a person achieves their weight through a high proportion of muscle mass or through an increased body fat percentage. Criticizing this is justified,” says Malte Rubach, a nutritionist from Munich.
Nevertheless, the BMI offers a good guideline.
3 Alternatives to the Body Mass Index
- Waist-to-height ratio : This is calculated by dividing waist circumference by height. "This does indeed take the body fat component into account," says Rubach. A high amount of body fat in the waist region has been proven to significantly increase the risk of developing life-threatening cardiovascular diseases.
- Waist-to-hip ratio : This formula is used to determine the waist-to-hip index.
- ABSI (A Body Shape Index): This takes into account height, weight, and waist circumference. "The ABSI has also been proven to provide an assessment of a person's health risk as a result of their body fat percentage," says Rubach.
Jens Aberle of the German Obesity Society sees it this way: "BMI is already an established marker in everyday therapy. And therefore – despite its limitations – a valuable tool for diagnosis, monitoring progress and assessing treatment success."
The expert sees waist circumference, but also waist-to-hip ratio and waist-to-height ratio, as useful additions to determine individual fat distribution and the associated risk of disease.
6. What are the positive effects of a diet?
- Psychologically: "Generally speaking, it has a great effect on one's mental well-being when you can fit into your favorite dress again," says Aline Emanuel. Men are usually happy to be able to tighten their belts by one or two notches.
- Fitness: With less body weight, we can, for example, carry two shopping bags to the second floor with more ease and without getting out of breath. Our fitness becomes noticeable quite quickly after weight loss.
- Sleep: A balanced diet helps us achieve deep and restful sleep at night. In the morning, we feel more rested and are therefore more productive during the day.
Important: For losing weight to be enjoyable, the food should taste good. And the program should be appealing. Furthermore, it's good to simply commit to a certain period of time…
- to consciously engage with one's own body.
- Trying out new recipes.
- to develop a more positive relationship with one's own body.
7. How many people in Germany are overweight?
In Germany, around half (53 percent) of women are overweight – and two-thirds of men (67 percent).
According to the German Obesity Society, a quarter of adults are considered severely obese. These are:
- 23 percent of men
- 24 percent of women
The tendency to become obese increases with age. However, overweight and obesity are also common in childhood and adolescence.
- 15.4 percent of children and adolescents are overweight.
- 5.9 percent are even obese.
Compared to the 1990s, the proportion of obese children has doubled.
Where does Germany stand in international comparison?
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has compiled a country comparison. According to this comparison, Germany ranks 10th among OECD countries with the highest number of people suffering from obesity.
However, the international data are only partially comparable, as in many countries – unlike in Germany – they are based on personal information and not on measurements.
Source: DPA
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