Effectively and sustainably reduce body fat

A wrong diet and the usually very low physical activity have left their mark on many of us: The pants stretched and the result on the bathroom scale confirmed the attached love handles. But how do you effectively get rid of the "bacon"?

Reduce body fat: Supposed "miracle diets" appearing again and again in the media are ingenious marketing strategies, but they all work the same way (if they even work!): Limited food choices or reduced energy intake create a result Calorie deficit and that is crucial for weight loss.

The body is therefore supplied with less energy than it actually needs. Mostly, however, the successes in such radical diets are short-lived and the laboriously stripped-down pounds with normal eating habits quickly return to the ribs or even worse: the final weight is now even higher than the initial weight before the diet (Jo-Joachim). Effect). Therefore, anyone seeking effective body fat reduction and long-term health benefits can switch their calorie-restricted dietary habits with simple, effective tricks:

The 4 most sensible nutritional rules for reducing body fat

Reduce Body Fat - Rule 1: Watch Your Current Dietary Behavior

The recording of eating and drinking over 7 days creates a first awareness of one's own nutritional behavior and is therefore an important step in the diet change. You can view and download a food diary template here: Food diary

Reduce body fat - Rule 2: Not every calorie is the same

Therefore: reduce calories but choose the right one! Calories from fat, carbohydrates or proteins (proteins) have different triggering functions on the metabolism. The energy consumption for the digestive process varies depending on the meal or nutrients contained. Our body needs to burn significantly more energy to digest proteins compared to carbohydrates and fats.

Low calorie diets

But calorie-reduced high-protein diets have other weight-loss benefits: Proteins support the satiety effect - Studies confirm a longer-lasting sense of satiety when eating protein versus carbohydrates (Acheson et al., 2011, Paddon-Jones, 2008). This results in a reduced appetite sensation and it is easier in everyday life to stick to a calorie-restricted diet.

Furthermore, they are building blocks of our muscles. The loss of valuable muscle mass is minimized by a high-protein diet (in a weight loss in addition to adipose tissue, the muscles are always attacked). As a result, the decrease in the basal metabolic rate (energy demand of the body at rest) is reduced and the "diet success" continues to be supported.

Tip: High-quality sources of protein such as low-fat dairy products (such as cottage cheese, skimmed quark), fish, eggs, legumes, lean meats and poultry divided into several meals help in the weight reduction phase in combination with targeted training body fat reduction and muscle maintenance.

Reduce Body Fat - Rule 3: Smart Food and Meals

The proportion of high-quality protein sources should therefore be increased during the diet phase. On the other hand, carbohydrates in the form of white bread, noodles and sweets should be significantly restricted and vegetable, fruit and to a lesser extent whole-grain products (e.g., oatmeal, whole-grain rice) should be preferred instead. Voluminous foods such as vegetables and fruits not only contain important vitamins and minerals, but also a high content of fiber and liquid.

They thus help to optimize satiety while maintaining a relatively low calorie intake. In addition, caloric drinks such as soft drinks, fruit juices and alcohol should be avoided, and instead calorie-free drinks such as water and unsweetened teas (such as fruit or green tea) and moderate consumption of coffee / espresso should be preferred.

Reduce body fat - Rule 4: The right timing of nutrients

High carbohydrate snacks such as sugared fruits (e.g., banana), sandwiches, muesli bars or juice spritzers should be avoided.

If it is essential to have a snack in between, then better resort to low-carbohydrate options such as 1 small handful of almonds or 1 serving of low-fat herbal quark with vegetable sticks, as these have a significantly lower impact on blood sugar levels and the fat burning is hardly slowed down.

If fat metabolism is to be particularly stimulated and optimized during endurance training, carbohydrates (such as bread rolls, bananas), which occur shortly before or during B, also have an effect here can be consumed, counterproductive or inhibit the burning of fat during the endurance training significantly. With longer or intensive units, however, carbohydrates are essential for maximum performance. Finally, the more intense and longer you exercise, the more calories are burned or the more body fat can be broken down!