Woman measuring abdominal girth after sport and diet

Are extreme diets useful?

Surely everyone who has already gone through one or more diets or is planning to do so, knows this "phenomenon". You want to start a diet, but already know in advance that this project will be a really annoying and exhausting thing and, if you want to "do it right", will also drag on for a very long time.

So what do you do? Sure, you look for a shortcut to speed things up. And you are also offered a variety of options here, such as the PSMF diet (low carb diet with a very high calorie deficit, where the calorie intake comes exclusively from the intake of calories through low-fat protein sources) or the Philosophy diet, just to name a few. 

The promise behind it is pretty much always the same, namely: to lose as much fat as possible in a fairly short time and to keep the muscle loss = muscle catabolism as low as possible. So far, however, it sounds great, short time, lose a lot of fat, no muscle breakdown, that's exactly what 99% of all athletes or people who want to start a diet.  

Whether this makes sense or not depends on several other factors. For example, if you have a very high body fat percentage (KFA) or very high overweight and are also untrained, then such a diet (high protein intake + high calorie deficit) can show quite quickly visible success, as long as of course it is ensured that the body is still supplied with sufficient vitamins, fiber and minerals during this time. This supply can be in the form of fruits and vegetables (be careful with the fruit because of "hidden" carbohydrates in the form of fructose) or by taking supplements. However, a "small" disadvantage is often also in this group of people that the weight loss is too fast and the skin does not follow. The consequence of this is also often referred to as "skinny fat" = sagging skin after an extreme diet.

Even if all this does not sound bad now, there is a problem here, and this arises just for athletes who are usually not overweight, moreover, they are already trained and the main focus is to keep the previously gained muscle despite diet.  

But why is that?

The key word here is energy balance! Even if the whole thing is much more complex, it should be explained once quite simply. If we consider our body as a kind of system, then this system has energy stores / energy reserves = fat! In addition, it has energy consumers, such as the brain, digestion or our muscles. If we now consume food, this is nothing else than energy that enters the system. Because the consumers, like our muscles, now need energy to work, this energy must be supplied by food. If we had no fat / fat depots and ate too little, then there would be, among other things, failures of the consumers and we could also no longer regenerate, repair, do any work and thus build muscles. But since we have fat / fat cells, the energy needed for the consumers (muscles, etc.) can still be compensated by the energy that is in the fat cells.

 

However, if you now have a very high fat content, then the willingness of our body to use this energy from the fat is much higher than if it is not so high.

However, the lower your body fat percentage is / becomes, the less the body is willing to release this energy for example to build or regenerate muscles!

For this reason, if you have less body fat, it will also be harder for you to regenerate or lose fat than a comparative person who has the same calorie deficit but significantly more fat. Our body is quite "smart" here and before risking that other consumers (like the brain) suffer, it goes into "risk off" mode and rather curbs the energy supply to the muscles.

This is also the reason why you often can't train as hard in a diet when your body fat drops and a too high deficit prevails. Regeneration suffers, muscle damage is no longer properly repaired after a hard workout, your performance drops and muscles are degraded.

Conclusion.

If you have a very high body fat content, then of course you can try such a diet. However, if you are an ambitious athlete and you want to protect your muscles in a diet, then this is the wrong way! Because even if you may hardly believe it, losing fat is much easier than building muscle and certainly no one, at least no athlete, wants all the hard work to be undone in just a short time. So you should always make sure that the calorie deficit is not too large and instead let time work for you.

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woman eats low fat yogurt

Myth: Are low-fat products really healthy?

When it comes to a defined body, low-fat products are highly trendy and are making their way into the refrigerator of many fitness devotees. But how healthy are low-fat products really? And do they deliver what they promise? We've checked out the facts surrounding low-fat products and followed the trail for you to find out what the myths surrounding fat and its influence on an athletic and healthy body are all about.

What foods are considered low-fat options?

First things first: They really do exist - low-fat foods that also taste good. Ideally, they contain a good nutrient combination of plenty of protein and partly healthy carbohydrates, which have a positive effect on muscles and energy balance. The following foods are particularly low in fat:

  • Chicken or turkey breast
  • Veal
  • Cooked ham
  • Rice or also rice cakes
  • Protein
  • Oatmeal
  • Wholemeal bread
  • Low-fat curd cheese
  • White fish (e.g. cod)
  • Potatoes
  • Harz cheese
  • Whole wheat pasta
  • White beans
  • Peas
  • Lenses

Light products, reduced sugar and low fat: What the terms mean

In your search for healthier foods, you've probably come across terms like "light," "low-sugar" or "low-fat. But what do these terms actually mean and what are the differences between the various products? 

  • A product is considered "light" if it contains 30 percent less sugar, fat or calories than the original product.
  • Reduced-sugar products, on the other hand, "only" contain less sugar than conventional products, but are not necessarily lower in calories. Reduced-sugar products may contain a maximum of five grams of sugar per 100 grams, and only 2.5 grams per 100 grams for beverages. Caution is also advised when referring to "no added sugar," as this simply means that no sweetening substances with calories, such as honey or syrup, may be added. Calorie-free sweetening alternatives are permitted, however.
  • Low-fat products, on the other hand, contain less fat than conventional products - more precisely, no more than three grams of fat per 100 grams. In the case of liquid foods such as milk or yogurt, the figure is as low as 1.5 grams of fat per 100 grams.

Why low fat does not always mean healthy

For a long time, low-fat was the magic word in the nutrition world and was considered the royal road to an athletic body. In the meantime, however, numerous studies have shown that a low-fat diet is not necessarily the best choice. Because: not all fat is the same. There are healthy and unhealthy fats that have different effects on the body. Let's take a look at what science has to report on the topic of low-fat versus high-fat diets.

The conclusion of science: Low-fat diet is not always the best choice

There are a large number of studies and investigations on the subject of "low-fat diets", some of which come to surprising results. For example, the comprehensive PURE study astonished with the result that a low-fat diet with a fat content of less than 30 percent of energy intake has no life-prolonging effect. Another result of the study was that an increased risk of death was due to an excessively high intake ofcarbohydrates1. Criticism of this came from the German Nutrition Society (DGE). They accused the evaluation of the Prospective Urban Rural Epidemioloy (PURE) as premature headlines and doubted the results due to methodological weaknesses2.

Healthy fats vs. unhealthy fats: What your body needs

Fat is not always "evil" and unhealthy. Because there are different types of fat: On the one hand, unsaturated fatty acids, such as omega-3 fatty acids, which not only provide us with energy, but also promote the absorption of important nutrients and vitamins. They are found mainly in marine fish and in small amounts in some vegetable fats. On the other hand, there are saturated fatty acids. They are mainly found in animal products, such as meat, cheese and other dairy products, and should only be consumed in moderation. This is because excessive consumption of saturated fatty acids is associated with increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease3. Overall, fats play an important role in a balanced lifestyle - it is not a matter of completely eliminating fat from the diet, but rather choosing the right fats and consuming them in moderation.

Low-fat, but full of additives: A healthy alternative by no means

It sounds tempting at first: Low-fat foods promise a healthier alternative to their high-fat counterparts. But beware: not all low-fat products are actually healthier. After all, fat is known to be a flavor carrier, so low-fat products are often enriched with flavor enhancers and other artificial additives to improve their taste and compensate for the fat content. However, these additives can also have negative effects on health.

Light product or regular variant: How to recognize which is really healthier

Just because a product is labeled "light" or "reduced fat" doesn't necessarily mean it's actually healthier. Often these products contain more sugar or artificial additives to compensate for the loss of taste. To find out which version is actually healthier, it's worth taking a close look at the ingredient list and nutritional information. Compare the values of light products with those of the regular variant and pay particular attention to the sugar content and the additives contained. 

It is important to note that healthy eating depends not only on the amount of fat, but also on other factors such as nutrient density and quality of ingredients. Therefore, always prefer fresh, unprocessed foods and take a look at the ingredient lists of processed products to see what is really the healthier choice.

Nutritious and delicious: healthy alternatives to light products

In the future, you can leave light products to the left, because there are numerous alternatives to low-sugar and low-fat products that are not only more nutritious, but also taste better. In order to stick to a healthy diet in the long term, the focus should not be on doing without and leaving out. Instead, focus on eating high-quality nutrients like unsaturated fats, fiber and protein. Below, we'll introduce you to several healthy alternatives that will enrich your diet and contribute to a healthier lifestyle.

Focus on healthy fats and unsaturated fatty acids

Healthy fats are important for a balanced and nutritious diet. They provide energy and help the body absorb and process important vitamins. Healthy fats are found in many foods. Here are some tips on how to incorporate healthy fats into your diet:
  • Avocados: Avocados are an excellent source of healthy fats. They can be used as a spread or in salads and offer a creamy texture and delicious taste.
  • Nuts and seeds: Nuts and seeds such as almonds, walnuts, cashews, chia seeds and flax seeds are rich in unsaturated fatty acids and can be used as a snack or topping for muesli and yogurt.
  • Fish: Fatty fish species such as salmon, mackerel and tuna are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, which have an anti-inflammatory effect4 and can reduce the risk of heart disease5.
  • Olive oil: Olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fatty acids and can be used for frying, baking and dressing.

Replace high-fat products with these low-fat alternatives

Fat is the number one flavor carrier, which is why high-fat foods are often the tastiest. Nevertheless, you should not always give them preference, because too much fat can lead to a higher risk of various diseases such as obesity, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. The good news is that there are naturally low-fat alternatives to many high-fat foods, aside from light products - here are a few everyday tips:

  • Instead of butter, try using cream cheese or avocado as a spread next time.
  • With dairy products, the supposed "light version" is allowed - here you can reach for low-fat alternatives such as yogurt and milk with 1.5 percent fat.
  • Instead of fatty meats like fatty ground beef or sausages, reach for lean protein sources like lean ground beef or filets of pork, beef, chicken or turkey.
  • Even when it comes to fish, it doesn't always have to be fatty species such as salmon. Put cod or haddock on the menu next time.
  • Replace fried side dishes such as French fries, fried potatoes or croquettes with baked or boiled alternatives such as baked or jacket potatoes.
  • You can snack low-fat with pretzel sticks or pretzels instead of salty nuts or potato chips.

As you can see, there are countless ways to make your everyday life naturally low-fat without having to resort to light products. And that doesn't have to be boring or tasteless - on the contrary - with the many delicious alternatives to high-fat products, you don't have to give up anything and can also eat a balanced and healthy diet.

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Sources

1 Dehghan, M., Mente, A., Zhang, X., Swaminathan, S., Li, W., Mohan, V., ... & Mony, P. (2017). Associations of fats and carbohydrate intake with cardiovascular disease and mortality in 18 countries from five continents (PURE): a prospective cohort study. The Lancet, 390(10107), 2050-2062.

2 Richter, M., Egert, S., Watzl, B., & Lorkowski, S. (2018). The PURE disaster: premature headlines lead to unnecessary consumer and patient uncertainty. Current Nutritional Medicine, 43, 173 - 177.

3 Hooper, L., Martin, N., Jimoh, O. F., Kirk, C., Foster, E., & Abdelhamid, A. S. (2020). Reduction in saturated fat intake for cardiovascular disease. The Cochrane database of systematic reviews, 8(8), CD011737. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD011737.pub3

4 Reifen R./ Karlinsky A. et al.: Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) is an anti-inflammatory agent in inflammatory bowel disease. In: J. Nutr. Biochem. 2015;26:1632-1640.

5 Skeaff CM, Miller J: Dietary fat and coronary heart disease: summary of evidence from prospective cohort and randomised controlled trials. Ann Nutr Metab 2009; 55: 173-201.

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DIET PLAN TO LOSE WEIGHT - WHAT FOODS MELT BELLY FAT?

Can you specifically burn belly fat or lose belly fat with certain exercises? As much as we would like to tell you otherwise, the answer here is a clear NO!

As hard as the truth sounds, belly fat is always visibly reduced only at the end of a diet. A targeted belly fat burning is unfortunately not possible. However, what sounds sobering, lengthy and tedious at first can be accelerated significantly with a few tricks! Certain foods, techniques and training exercises as well as some tricks can and will certainly help you to accelerate and optimize the entire process of losing weight.

For what reason is the belly fat burned only at the end?

Our fat cells order from 2 different receptors, the alpha receptors and the beta receptors. Areas such as the face, arms and chest have more beta receptors, while areas such as the hips and abdomen have more alpha receptors. Basically, beta receptors can burn fat very quickly and alpha receptors can burn fat very slowly. This is the reason why we see faster results at the beginning and during a diet in the parts of the body dominated by beta receptors.

This certainly seems unfair, but Mother Nature has already thought of something here. The reason that alpha receptors are predominantly found in the hip and abdomen area is purely a protective function of our body. The accumulated fat in this area serves as a protective function for many important organs, such as the kidneys and liver. It is this protective function that makes it so difficult for us or our body to burn fat in these areas.

So if you want to specifically get rid of belly fat, there is no way around tackling the entire body fat. And in general, this is only possible if "less goes in as goes out again". We'll show you the best way to lose weight.

Sustainable weight loss - Step 1: Calculate calorie requirements

Before you start, you should first define exactly how many calories you need every day. You can determine this either with a reliable fitness watch, a calorie tracker or a calorie calculator from the Internet.

If you decide to use a calorie calculator from the Internet, make sure that you can enter as much information as possible. This will ensure that the "tolerance range" is as low as possible. The most important thing when calculating your daily calorie needs is to be honest with yourself.

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It won't do you any good to cheat here. Please remember that the calculation of your calories is the basis of your whole plan. Remember, you don't have to prove anything to anyone but yourself! Don't be ashamed, after all, unlike others, you have already laid the first foundation and are on the right track!

Sustainable weight loss - Step 2: Calculate calorie deficit

You now know your calorie requirements. However, this is based on your current weight or on the data that we want to change. So we should first subtract something from this to reach a calorie deficit and get into fat burning mode. The target range of the calorie deficit should be between 10% and 25%. The higher the calorie deficit, the faster the results will be visible. However, we recommend that you start with a deficit of 10% to a maximum of 15% so that your body can get used to the lack of energy intake. Once your body has become accustomed to the deficit, you can increase it to 25%.

Sustainable weight loss - Step 3: Distribution of meals and macronutrients

Now let's look at your reduced calorie needs and see how we can fit the daily meals in there. It doesn't matter at all if you split those meals 3, 5, or 7 different times. Do it the way you feel most comfortable!

The best way to do this is to use Google and an Excel spreadsheet. A sheet of paper and a calculator will also do. The ratio between protein, carbohydrates and fats will vary individually. The following distribution has proven to be very effective: 40% protein, 40% carbohydrates, 20% fat. This distribution usually also corresponds to the standard plan of most bodybuilders. In the course of time, the ratio can of course be adjusted and the protein slightly up and the carbohydrates accordingly down. Nevertheless, with this basic setting you will reach your goals.

Sustainable weight loss - Step 4: The right sources of carbohydrates, proteins and fats

The next step is to find the appropriate sources of carbohydrates, protein and fat. Based on their nutritional values, you divide them in the upper ratio and taking into account your calories.

Good carbohydrates

Good sources of carbohydrate include rice (the best!), potatoes, pasta or whole wheat pasta, and oatmeal (for mornings). These are all (long-chain) carbohydrates that keep your blood sugar levels fairly constant and ensure that you don't have high spikes. If you were to replace the rice with a bar of chocolate, for example, it would cause a huge spike in your blood sugar. The body would release insulin and would not be able to burn fat for a long time.

Good proteins

For protein, the classics chicken as well as eggs, beef, turkey, salmon (pay attention to the fat content and include it!) but also ground beef, ground turkey and for vegans beans, peas, tofu and lentils. Small tip: If you do not come to your protein needs, it also does a protein shake to compensate.

Good fats

Good fats for frying are, for example, rapeseed oil, linseed oil or walnut oil. Other good fatty acids are also found in foods such as walnuts, mozzarella (also a good source of protein), natural yogurt, light cheese and avocados.

Sustainable weight loss - Step 5: HIIT training

Each of us surely knows the classic from various commercials or sees it every day in the gym - people who want to lose weight and limit your workout purely to sit ups and cardio. These exercises will certainly not hurt, but they alone will not bring the desired success!

What do we want to achieve in the gym anyway? That's right, we want to burn energy! And we can't do that by doing tons of sit ups. The abdominal muscles are simply too small for that.

Cardio is of course very important, but primarily for your cardiovascular system. In terms of fat burning, it doesn't really stimulate your body any more than daily exercise. It's great in principle, but not enough to really make much of a difference.

Cardio is of course very important, but primarily for your cardiovascular system. In terms of fat burning, it doesn't really stimulate your body any more than daily exercise. It's great in principle, but not enough to really make much of a difference.

But what is the best fat killer? You probably already guessed it: HIIT!

HIIT stands for High Intensity Interval Training. This means nothing more than that you perform exercises with an enormously high intensity and maximum power, followed by an active rest period. HIIT training means nothing else. As a practical example: You sprint for 30-60 seconds (= load) with maximum power. Afterwards you walk for 10-30 seconds (= active rest). You can also train classically in the gym with heavy weights (= high intensity) and keep the breaks between the sets as short as possible. At the latest after you have tried HIIT training during a diet, you will realize why it will provide you with the said success.

Even if it sounds very cliché, but nothing comes from nothing! Especially in a diet you should continue to train with heavy weights. This serves on the one hand to protect the muscles (the body realizes that the muscles are still needed) and on the other hand to burn the maximum amount of calories.

If you still have some breathing room AFTER this program, feel free to do a few minutes of cardio at a moderate level and a few sit ups. At least now would be the right time for this!

Tips for losing weight fast

Finally, a few small general tips to help you reach your goals faster and have consistent success!

Drink enough water

Do not neglect your fluid intake! This is 300-350ml per 10kg of body weight and helps you keep your metabolism at a high level. In the morning after getting up, it is recommended to drink a large glass. This will help to get metabolism going.

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Stick to your routine

Keep a certain routine! You've invested a lot of time in your diet and training plan. Now it's time to stick to it strictly.

Adjust your deficit from time to time

Check your weight every few weeks and compare it with your calorie calculator. Once you've achieved your first successes, don't forget to adjust your calorie needs to your new weight.

Do not eat directly after the workout

After the workout, your fat burning is still running at full speed. For this reason, you should not take a meal or carbohydrates directly after the workout, but delay it a bit. A protein shake (with water!) or with amino acids such as BCAA / EAA are no problem and saturates first.

Weight is not equal to weight

At a certain point in your diet, you may no longer see the successes so strongly on the scale. Do not let this unsettle you! In this case, the mirror is always your best contact and not the scale.

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Fitness Booster

If you hit a plateau, it's no problem to use a workout booster or something similar. On the contrary, this can help you very well to get more drive and motivation for your workout again.

Cheat Days are a NO GO!

Forget Cheat Days! Any cheat day will only set you back. You often hear that it is part of having a cheat day because your metabolism has fallen asleep. But don't worry about it, it takes many, many weeks before it goes to sleep.