More than every third German wants to lose weight quickly after the turn of the year. Utopia will tell you why this is not a good resolution for the new year – and gives you better tips for healthy weight loss without frustration.
Get rid of a few pounds – the classic New Year’s resolution. Of Forsa When asked about their resolutions for 2021, more than a third of the around 3,500 respondents said they wanted to lose weight – a similar number had been in the surveys of previous years. Other resolutions often mentioned point in a similar direction: 53% want to eat healthier, 60% plan to do more sport and exercise.
Losing weight can be good for health and self-esteem; provided, of course, that one actually suffers from being overweight – and not just from social (pseudo) norms that only present certain body images as worth striving for.
We gues: Save yourself the obsessive desire to lose weight – especially not in a hurry. We’ll tell you 1. why it doesn’t work – and 2. what you should do instead.
It’s just a stupid idea to do that with the Lose weight. Where does this wish come from? Do your knees and feet really hurt? Do we really all want to look like the people in advertising? Their appearance is not only polished up with a lot of tricks, but their job is to sell us (often quite superfluous) things and services with their appearance? Just like your job is probably completely different – and your strengths lie completely different?
Yes, many Germans are overweight. Says the media. And dieting is so easy. Says the media. But is that the whole truth? No.
Losing weight makes you unhappy
The following speaks against losing weight as a resolution: Diet makes you unhappy. There are as many diets as there are promises to allegedly lose weight effortlessly: 24-hour diet, oatmeal diet, no-carb diet and low-card diet, paleo diet, cinnamon diet, food combining, Glyx Diet and dozens of others.
They all have one thing in common: A diet almost always works with abandonment. And giving up means dissatisfaction. Eating is one of the most beautiful and most important things in life. If we can no longer or are not allowed to enjoy this, then it also shows in our state of mind. And not just there.
Losing weight quickly makes you fat
If you want to lose weight quickly, you usually look around for a diet. And the idea of losing a few pounds quickly with a diet is naturally tempting.
But unfortunately the big ending often follows: the Jojo effect. Those who restrict themselves for a limited time will continue to eat after the diet as before and will quickly regain the pounds. “Lightning diets remain without lasting success”, is also the opinion of the German Society for Nutrition (DGE).
US scientists found 2016 outthat participants in the popular weight loss show “The Biggest Loser” were not only fatter again six years after the show than shortly after the show, but their bodies literally defended themselves against weight loss: For all participants, the basal metabolic rate – the energy that the body consumed regardless of exercise and sport – decreased during the show and also significantly lower six years later. The participants therefore consumed fewer calories than comparable people. It is therefore not surprising that almost all participants gained weight again after six years.
The – certainly somewhat sobering – state of science is: Most diets seem neither to work sustainably nor to be particularly healthy for our body.
Even if you are overweight and your health is suffering from your weight, there is a better and healthier method than a quick diet.
Losing weight healthily – with mindful enjoyment
Better than any restrictive diet is one general Diet change. You don’t have to change your diet overnight. Instead, you can gradually change a few small things. You will see: It is very easy to make your life and your diet a little bit healthier, more mindful and more sustainable.
Here 10 steps for a healthier life without weight loss or diet constraints.
1. Listen to your body
Don’t let diets or nutritional trends dictate what to eat. Listen to your body’s signals: it tells you when you are hungry, when you are thirsty, when you are full or when it needs which food.
Just because your friends are cutting out wheat, lactose, or carbohydrates doesn’t mean you have to. Everyone has their own individual diet.
2. Take your time
Take your time eating. Your body will thank you more for a mindfully consumed meal than a quick-swallowed sandwich on the way from the subway to work. Eating slower makes you fuller. Often we only eat so much because the feeling of fullness has not set in. Because it doesn’t come from the gut, but from the head. And we have to give him time.
It also tastes better if you take the time to enjoy the food. If you enjoy cooking, take enough time to do it. That makes you happy and proud. It increases the appreciation for your meal – and you have a handle on what’s in it.
3. You are what you eat
Conscious enjoyment is not only about being mindful of your body while eating, you can also approach the choice of food carefully (and sustainably). Because the choice of your food affects not only yourself, but also the environment. Organic quality, regional and seasonal fruit and vegetables, fair trade products and little meat are good for you and your conscience, but also for the environment.
4. Don’t eat anything your grandma didn’t eat too
What as a nutrition trend Clean eating known is actually nothing more than a completely natural, healthy whole food diet – just with an English name and expensive cookbooks on top.
A nice phrase from this trend: “Don’t eat anything your grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food” – “Don’t eat anything that your grandmother wouldn’t have also eaten”. Microwave lasagna, frozen pizza or dumplings from the aluminum assiette – they’d be with us Grandma and grandpa rarely or not at all on the table.
Eating as fresh, unprocessed food as possible without additives and preferably in organic quality and cooking it yourself: That is not always easy, but also not always difficult to implement.
5. Don’t get stressed
Your best friend renounces sugar? Does your brother eat according to clean eating principles? You’re trying to stick to the 5 a day rule that says to eat five servings of fruit and vegetables – but haven’t made it for two days in a row?
It’s not that wild. You probably already have enough other stress in your everyday life. Therefore, do not let yourself be stressed by other people’s plans or your own ideals. Even if you’ve only eaten an apple and a carrot, that’s (significantly!) Better than no fruit and vegetables at all.
6. Move
Of course, in addition to good nutrition, a healthy lifestyle also includes sufficient exercise. It often sounds banal, but try to integrate a little more movement into your everyday life: take the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator. Avoid the bus, subway or car – it’s better to walk a bit or ride a bike.
Even if it’s still cold at the moment, the fresh air is good for your body, and not driving is good for the environment.
7. Nice and colorful
You probably already know this tip: Eat as varied as possible. That sounds nice, but what does that actually mean?
A good rule of thumb: as colorful as possible! When shopping, try to pay attention to the colors of your food. Does everything look rather monotonous? Then take a look at the (seasonal) fruit and vegetable offer: You will definitely discover a few nice colored varieties. For example green Lamb’s lettuce, red-purple-blue Red cabbage and – in the peeled state – white Salsify. A couple of them yellow or maybe even purple Potatoes and a redder Apple, and you’ve already covered some colors.
You can also do this rule of thumb wonderfully with the 5 a day rule combine: Five servings of fruit and vegetables a day – three vegetables and twice fruit – and the whole thing as brightly as possible. By the way, the measure for a serving is about a handful. And: Juices, smoothies, dried fruits and nuts (unsalted and unroasted) are also part of the 5-a-day rule.
By the way: If you shop seasonally, your food may not always be colorful – but your diet is automatically more varied.
8. Treat yourself to something
To do without the delicious things in life is no fun – therefore: If you feel like chocolate, treat yourself to it. Not a whole table every day, of course. But a little bit every now and then doesn’t harm anyone. One advantage of the more expensive organic and fair trade chocolate: Due to the higher price and the better quality, you are more careful when eating and enjoy the chocolate more consciously. In addition, you eat less of it than of cheap chocolate.
9. Relax regularly
In the stressful everyday life there is often little time for relaxation. But even short, conscious periods of rest are enough to feel less stressed.
Try to incorporate five to ten minutes of relaxation and rest into your day: in the morning shortly after getting up, during your lunch break, after work or just before going to bed. In this short time, try to really pause consciously, to calm down and to recharge your batteries.
10. Drink a lot
You have probably heard this tip far too often – but it cannot be said often enough: drink a lot! Your body needs this on the one hand to function, on the other hand it saturates. It’s best to always place a full glass or bottle nearby – this way you will always be reminded to drink. Best of course (Line–) Water that you can take anywhere thanks to this Recommended drinking bottles.
By the way: If you want to change something in your life, why wait until January 1st? Get started right away! For example with these 10 resolutions anyone can create.
Read more on utopia.de:
- Healthy Eating: 10 Nutritional Myths
- Lose weight vegan: What to look out for
- Clean Eating nutrition trend: what’s behind it?
German version available: How to Lose Weight Naturally: 10 Healthy Ways to Lose Weight