LOSING WEIGHT: WHICH DIET IS THE RIGHT ONE?

Reading time: 04:21 minutes

Table of contents

1. How can you lose weight?
2. Lose weight with sport
3. Losing weight with diets
4. Lose weight healthily or lose weight quickly?

1. HOW CAN YOU LOSE WEIGHT?

Losing weight means reducing your body weight. The body needs a calorie deficit to break down stored fat reserves. If you want to lose weight, there are various things you can do: Lower calorie intake: You take in fewer calories than you burn - for example, by eating less or by omitting certain foods from your diet and focusing on others instead. Higher calorie consumption: You consume more calories than you take in through food - for example through increased activity, sport and muscle building. In most cases, it makes sense not only to lose weight, but also to develop new eating and lifestyle habits that will help you stay slim and healthy in the long term.

2. LOSE WEIGHT WITH SPORT

The aim of sport is to increase calorie consumption. For overweight people, sports such as swimming and cycling are useful because they allow you to slowly build up your stamina without putting strain on your joints. Targeted strength training is important: you build up muscles and the stronger your muscles are, the more calories you burn. How many calories you burn during exercise depends on three factors:

1. Intensity: The more intense the training, the higher the calorie consumption.
2. Duration: The longer the exercise session, the more calories are burned.
3. Muscles used: The more muscles are used simultaneously during the workout, the greater the calorie requirement.

According to studies, the Cindy cross-fitness program has proven to be particularly successful in terms of calorie ^consumption1. The workout consists of five pull-ups, 10 push-ups and 15 squats, which are repeated for 20 minutes without a break. On average, you burn 13 calories per minute. You can burn a similar number of calories by jogging at high speed. Running uphill is very effective for losing weight. If you are less experienced, you can improve your fitness by alternating between slow jogging and fast sprints. Fat burners such as L-carnitine can further increase the effectiveness of your ^workouts2. Caution: Many people overestimate the amount of calories they burn through exercise! Jogging for 30 minutes burns an average of 200 calories. You've already consumed them again with a sandwich. The extra snack to reward yourself after a jogging session should be avoided when losing weight. Feelings of hunger can be kept in check with natural fiber-based fillers such as konjac glucomannan.

3. LOSING WEIGHT WITH DIETS

There are many different ways to lose weight. With so many diets to choose from, you're sure to find one that works for you. Here is an overview of 10 well-known diets:

1. Low carb: The low carb diet involves eating mainly foods that are low in carbohydrates. The low carb diet leads to rapid weight loss and is suitable for anyone who wants to lose weight quickly without starving themselves.
2. Atkins diet: The Atkins diet is a form of low-carb diet developed by cardiologist Robert Atkins. The aim is to change the metabolism so that the body uses fat instead of carbohydrates as a source of energy. The Atkins diet is effective but controversial and should be followed under medical supervision.
3. Ketogenic diet: The ketogenic diet is the most extreme form of the low-carb diet, as you only consume five percent carbohydrates, but 80 to 90 percent fat. Nutrition experts advise against this radical diet.
4. Intermittent fasting: The 16-8 diet or the 5-2 diet are part of intermittent fasting. This involves either fasting for 16 hours a day or two fasting days a week. Fasting is intended to stimulate fat burning and prevent calorie oversupply. Intermittent fasting is ideal if you want to lose weight easily, as you don't have to change your diet.
5. Protein diet: The protein diet reduces the amount of carbohydrates and fats in your diet. It uses protein as a source of energy that quickly and sustainably fills you up. If you not only want to lose weight but also shape your figure, protein diet shakes in combination with strength training are ideal.
6. FDH diet: FDH stands for "eat half as much" - so you eat the same as you always do, only you reduce the amount of food you eat by half. The FDH diet is not sustainable because it usually goes hand in hand with hunger. If you eat less, you should ensure you meet your nutritional requirements with food supplements.
7. Paleo diet: The Paleo diet is based on foods that were eaten by humans in the Stone Age. It includes many animal products such as meat, fish and eggs and is less suitable for veggies to lose weight. The Paleo diet can be quite difficult to implement in everyday life.
8. High-carb diet: This diet is the opposite of the low-carb diet. You consume lots of carbohydrates in the form of wholegrain products, vegetables and fruit, but hardly any fat. Note, however, that fats are vital for us - if in doubt, you can supplement with omega-3 fatty acids in the form of capsules.
9. Counting calories: For number fanatics, counting calories is ideal for losing weight. With the help of calorie calculators, you can determine your basal metabolic rate and calculate the calorie balance for every food you eat.
10. Formula dietYou replace all meals in the day with a special formula diet shake over a certain period of time. This is reduced in calories but provides you with important nutrients. Formula diets are effective if you want to lose a lot of weight quickly without worrying about diet plans - to maintain your desired weight in the long term, it is better to replace a meal with a healthy protein diet shake every now and then.

4. HEALTHY WEIGHT LOSS OR FAST WEIGHT LOSS?

Recent studies show that losing weight quickly doesn't have to be unhealthy - and doesn't necessarily lead to the infamous yo-yo ^effect3. On the contrary, rapid weight loss can even be beneficial because it motivates you to stick with it. The following applies to all types of diet: make sure you drink plenty of fluids and give your body all the vitamins, minerals and trace elements it needs.

Sources:

¹ Study: Brian Kliszczewicz et al. Metabolic and Cardiovascular Response to the CrossFit Workout 'Cindy', Link:https://www.researchgate.net/publication/268513636_Metabolic_and_Cardiovascular_response_to_the_CrossFit_workout_%27Cindy%27
² Study: MoeinAskarpour et al. Beneficial effects of l-carnitine supplementation for weight management in overweight and obese adults: An updated systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials, Link:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31743774/
³ Study: Katrina Purcell et al. The effect of rate of weight loss on long-term weight management: a randomized controlled trial, Link:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25459211/