GET SLIM: 10 TIPS

It's a well-known fact: If you want to lose weight, you should integrate sport into your daily routine. A combination of endurance and strength training is ideal for losing weight. The reason: muscles need energy, which they primarily draw from body fat - which is easier to lose in this way. Incidentally, the latest studies have shown that "insertion training" is more effective than "multi-set training". So train each muscle group with one set (15-25 repetitions), 1-2 times a week. More is also more effective, but in relation to the time required, muscle mass increases only minimally through multi-set training. The less time spent on muscle training leaves more time for fat-burning endurance training (Fröhlich, 2007).

Jogging, inline skating, Nordic biking, Nordic walking and cycling are particularly effective at burning fat. Yoga, on the other hand, is suitable for strengthening the entire body, and a certain amount of muscle mass can also be built up. Endurance athletes should always wear a heart rate monitor when exercising in order to train in the ideal fat-burning range (so-called threshold heart rate). Use this formula to calculate your limit heart rate for optimal fat burning during endurance sports. Caution: First calculate in brackets and then calculate points before dashes! Resting heart rate + (220 - 3/4 age - resting heart rate) x fit factor. Fit factor: 0.55 for untrained people, 0.6 for people with little training, 0.65 for people with endurance training.

If you want to become and stay slim, you should start doing something about it as early in life as possible. An active lifestyle with regular exercise, for example, is an important factor for a healthy and long life (Preuk, 2014). A healthy diet with rather small portions is particularly easy if it becomes a routine from as young an age as possible. A pleasant side effect: short-term diets are then less necessary to maintain a slim figure, and a long-term healthy diet is much more effective anyway. Watch out couch potatoes: If you want to get slim without exercise, you should have sex frequently, because sex also burns a lot of calories.

If you want to get and stay slim, you won't be doing yourself any favors by rigorously cutting out all your favorite culinary habits - the temptation would be too great! Instead, try to cleverly integrate sugar, sweets and other unhealthy foods into your everyday life: Get into the habit of having just one treat in the house or office, as variety leads to overconsumption. It is also better to store snacks in a place that is difficult to reach. If you munch on the side, you lose track and don't feel full. Two or three cookies can quickly turn into a whole packet. Therefore: plan conscious indulgence! You should avoid alcohol before a meal, as it stimulates the appetite. TIP: Drink a large glass of water after every glass of alcohol.

A banana or other fruit such as pineapple, apple, papaya, kiwi or melon will help to combat the "I-need-a-half-pig-on-toast" cravings. This gently raises blood sugar levels, takes the edge off hunger and gives you a break so you can plan your next healthy meal. Never go shopping hungry! It is best to buy food according to a shopping list. Always eat slowly: As the feeling of fullness only sets in after a few minutes when eating, it is important to always eat as slowly and enjoyably as possible. As soon as you are full, simply stop, regardless of what is still on your plate.

Do you love unhealthy food full of calories? If you want to lose weight, you need alternatives! Fortunately, there is a variant for many dishes that won't drive you even further away from your desired weight. At an Italian restaurant, for example, you can eat heavenly light, but also devilishly heavy. To take off: Macaroni all'arrabiata, spaghetti primavera. Heavy: lasagne al forno, pasta with carbonara sauce or gorgonzola. Instead of potato chips as a hearty snack, popcorn or nuts are a light and healthy alternative. Fruit is a tasty and healthy substitute for sugar: it is virtually fat-free, but at the same time aromatic and full of vital nutrients.

Do you find it difficult to establish a regular sports program in your hectic everyday life? Even quite banal activities stimulate the metabolism, burn a lot of fat and help the pounds to tumble. For example, take the stairs instead of the elevator and the bike instead of the car. Even a short walk takes little time and significantly increases your daily exercise balance.

If you skip dinner completely two or three days a week, you'll be surprised how the pounds tumble off. With "dinner canceling", you don't eat anything after 4.00 pm. However, make sure you drink enough non-alcoholic liquids, such as carbonated mineral water. Not only is it completely free of calories, but the carbon dioxide also makes you feel full. A pleasant side effect of evening fasting is that it relieves the bowels and helps you sleep better.

If you want to lose weight, you should include protein in your diet because, unlike carbohydrates, it keeps you feeling full for longer and helps you maintain your muscles (NDR, 2020). The ideal daily dose is 1 gram of protein per kilogram of body weight. In addition to eggs and yogurt, protein-rich foods include pulses such as lentils and beans, tofu, fish and meat or nuts. Alternatively, a high-quality protein powder (for example MY PERFECT SHAPE - Protein Diet Shake - Chocolate Nut ) is also recommended - especially as powders have the advantage of being optimally dosed.

Don't look at the money in the restaurant and order something "noble"! Exotic vegetables, for example, are the best thing to try here. The "finest" things are usually also the leanest, e.g. fillet of beef or poultry breast (but not breaded, of course!). Game meat is a figure-friendly alternative. Being overweight can also have something to do with your lifestyle: Do you like to sleep in? According to a study by the University of Leeds, people who sleep longer at night tend to be slimmer than those who sleep less (Potter, 2017). The reason: the shorter the sleep, the more of the appetite-stimulating hormone ghrelin is produced in the blood.

Literature on the topic:

Fröhlich, Michael (2007): On the efficiency of single-set vs. multi-set training. A meta-analytical consideration.
Link: http: //web.swi.uni-saarland.de/files/file/Froehlich%20aus%20SW3-07%20Einsatztraining%20versus%20Mehrsatztraining%20Sportwissenschaft.pdf (accessed 4.12.2020)

NDR(28.8.2020): Field beans and co. - plant protein is so healthy.
Link: https: //www.ndr.de/ratgeber/gesundheit/Wie-viel-Eiweiss-ist-gesund,eiweiss102.html (retrieved 4.12.2020)

Potter, Gregory et al. (27.7.20217): Longer sleep is associated with lower BMI and favorable metabolic profiles in UK adults: Findings from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey.
Link: https: //journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0182195 (accessed 4.12.2020)

Preuk, Monika (29.7.2014): Sport extends life by six years.
Link: https: //www.focus.de/gesundheit/gesundleben/fitness/news/lebenserwartung-sport-verlaengert-das-leben-um-sechs-jahre_aid_750707.html (retrieved 4.12.2020)