To prevent overweight, it is crucial to control calorie intake. Not only the quantity but also the quality of the food plays an important role. Your body needs less energy if you move around less, for example if you switch to a home office. This lack of energy can lead to weight gain, as the excess calories are stored in the form of fat.
No diets – but long-term dietary changes
Diets promise quick results, but are often counterproductive. Due to the drastic calorie reduction, the body adapts and learns to get by with less energy. As soon as you return to your normal eating habits, the body stores the extra energy as fat, which leads to the yo-yo effect. It is therefore advisable to make long-term dietary changes. Find out which method – be it low-carb, intermittent fasting or another – best suits your lifestyle.
Exercise to supplement nutrition
Along with diet, exercise plays a central role in weight management. Regular physical activity not only helps to burn fat, but also to maintain muscle mass, which boosts the metabolism. A balanced diet and exercise program is an effective way to prevent excess weight.
Daily habits for a healthy weight
Meal structure and beverage selection: Three meals a day, with no snacking in between, is a good guideline. Avoid sugary drinks such as juices and sodas. Instead, you should favor water or unsweetened tea.
Eat slowly and chew thoroughly: By eating and chewing slowly, you give your body time to develop a feeling of satiety, which often only occurs after about 20 minutes. This helps to avoid overeating.
Vegetables and nutritious snacks: Three portions of vegetables a day provide important nutrients and fiber. In addition, small amounts of nuts such as almonds, which contain healthy fats, proteins and vitamins, can help to curb cravings.
Avoiding empty calories: Avoid foods with high calorie values and low nutrients, such as sugar, sodas, cakes and pasta. These often lead to a rapid recurrence of hunger, sometimes even in the form of ravenous hunger attacks.
Be careful with seemingly healthy foods: Fruit yoghurts often contain a lot of sugar and little real fruit. Opt for natural yoghurt and add fresh fruit. Berries are particularly recommended as they contain many nutrients and little sugar.
Small steps to new habits
To be successful in the long term, changes to your diet should be introduced gradually. The body adapts more easily to small adjustments, which makes the transition more sustainable. Exceptions are allowed and should not cause you to feel guilty, especially if they are offset by regular exercise.
Determine the ideal weight
The ideal weight is individual and depends on factors such as height, gender and body type. The body mass index (BMI) provides a rough guide, but the waist-hip ratio and the waist-height ratio are also important indicators. Other methods, such as skinfold measurement and bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), help to determine the body fat percentage more accurately. A medical consultation can be very helpful in this regard.
Causes of overweight
Being overweight is the result of a combination of different factors. In addition to poor nutrition and a lack of exercise, genetic and metabolic influences also play a role. The modern environment with an abundance of food and less physical activity contrasts with the evolutionary adaptation of the human body, which is prepared for times of scarcity.
Conclusion: A holistic approach
Maintaining a healthy weight requires a combination of a balanced diet, regular exercise and an awareness of your body’s individual needs. By making small, sustainable changes in your everyday life and avoiding extreme diets, you can achieve and maintain a healthy weight in the long term.
