Success in losing weight - calmly instead of radically

Author Nina Ebert, biologist

Losing weight sustainably and maintaining your desired weight is very challenging for many people. Many still start with diets, training plans, and strict nutritional strategies that promise quick results within a few weeks. However, science agrees: keeping the weight off after the diet rarely works. The strategy for success, however, is not that complicated: "Slow, steady, systematically" is the mantra. To lose weight effectively and maintain your desired weight at a stable plateau, the approach is slow, persistent, and systematic. In this article, we not only reveal why this is the case, but also how to stick with it.

Why is losing weight slowly important?

For several reasons, it is important to gradually accustom your body and mind to a new weight in order to achieve sustainable, healthy success.

Only gradually established routines remain

Slow weight loss allows you to develop healthy routines, which means getting not only your body but also your mind used to the change. Healthy routines help establish and maintain the weight loss process over time. Rapid weight loss plans usually rely on extreme training programs or drastically reduced calorie intake. The body cannot sustain this in the long term. Hormonal chaos between metabolism, hunger, and satiety, hyperacidity in the muscles, overexertion, and nervous tension caused by weight loss usually lead to weight regain, or even exceeding it, once you resume normal eating habits.

In contrast, slow weight loss allows for the holistic integration of gradual changes in dietary routines, hormones, and metabolism . For example, at some point, green tea and porridge with fresh berries might replace a sandwich and a latte macchiato on the go for breakfast, or a short yoga session might replace Instagram browsing in bed. These gradually changed daily routines remain ingrained in your routine for the long term because they have lasting benefits for body and mind.

Metabolic adaptations are avoided

Losing weight in a short period of time usually sends the body into starvation mode. It wants to conserve the little energy it gets from food at all costs. It achieves this by adjusting the metabolism, i.e., radically slowing it down and trying to conserve energy. Fewer calories are burned because the body operates on low power: slower fat burning, slower digestion, and usually, a strong sensation of cold.

On the one hand, this makes it difficult to lose weight effectively, and on the other hand, due to the slow metabolism, the body easily gains weight again once the extreme diet is over.

Excursus: Energy gap & metabolic adaptations

According to a 2017 review published in the journal Nutrients, radical weight loss results in metabolic adaptations that cause increased hunger while simultaneously reducing energy intake. This creates a so-called energy gap: more energy is desired than needed.

The increased feeling of hunger is associated with an increase in the hormone ghrelin and a reduction in the satiating hormones, the so-called anorexigenic hormones.

This low total energy expenditure caused by diet-induced weight loss is caused by:

• a disproportionately high decrease in the hormone leptin (normally signals satiety to the brain) and in the resting metabolic rate (RMR) than would be expected due to the decrease in body mass

• a reduced thermal effect of nutrition, i.e. a lower heat production through nutrition

• Increased energy savings during intensive work, characteristic of activities of daily living.

According to the authors, this metabolic adjustment can promote weight gain, partly due to the high feeling of hunger, and partly due to its now slowed performance, which no longer burns as effectively when returning to normal eating habits after a diet.

Less hunger, more satiety - but how?

The scientific article lists several factors that contribute to long-term weight loss maintenance. Consuming protein, fiber, and low-glycemic-load carbohydrates promotes satiety and reduces hunger. These include fish, whole grain products, flaxseed, and avoiding sugar and alcohol.

High activity rate

The authors also noted a high level of physical activity in people who lose and maintain their weight over the long term. Sport and exercise promote energy expenditure and thus the gradual establishment of appropriate regulation of energy intake and expenditure. Another benefit of exercise is good bowel and digestive function – healthy bowel movements are at least as important for weight loss as reducing calories itself.

Continuously losing a maximum of 1 kg per week helps to change the metabolism step by step and thus maintain new eating habits and activity levels with normal metabolism and hormonal balance.

Muscle tissue is preserved

Rapid weight loss usually means a loss of muscle mass along with the breakdown of fat tissue. This can also lead to a slower metabolism, thus preventing long-term weight loss and maintenance. Losing weight slowly and gradually allows you to preserve muscle mass while burning and reducing fat. Muscle tissue is important for an active metabolism and keeps weight low in the long term.

A balanced nutrient balance instead of severe deficiencies

Rapid diets can result in the body not receiving all the nutrients it needs. Nutrient and vitamin deficiencies can have health consequences. When losing weight over a long period of time, however, the body has plenty of time to be supplied with important nutrients. To support all processes in the liver, intestines, skin, and many other areas of a healthy diet during weight loss, targeted nutritional supplementation is advisable. The supply of important minerals, trace elements, omega-3 fatty acids , or catechins from green tea extract provides holistic support for a balanced diet during weight loss.

Perseverance is important - and how?

Losing weight slowly is a goal-oriented and long-term success factor on the path to your desired weight. Now the question is, how do I stick with it to achieve this goal?

Set realistic goals

The key to success is clear, achievable goals. No one can permanently lose 5 kg per week and then keep it off. This leads to frustration and the yo-yo effect. For the majority, the goal of losing 0.5 to 1 kilogram per week, equivalent to a calorie reduction of 500 to 1000 kcal per week, and sticking to this plan long-term, has proven effective.

Raise awareness of progress

Tracking small successes can provide motivation and a positive mood while losing weight. What exactly is measured can be entirely individual: weighing yourself, keeping a food diary, using a fitness app, or tracking your workouts are common and very helpful tools. Tracking your weight loss allows you to see your progress, celebrate it, and possibly make adjustments to your plan.

Focus on nutrition

Nutrition and nutrients play a key role in weight loss. A focus on balanced and nutrient-rich meals is paramount. Once awareness of the right ingredients and a healthy balance is heightened, nothing stands in the way of achieving your desired weight. It's best to permanently eliminate dairy products, sugar, alcohol, animal fats, and baked goods such as fried foods with high trans fatty acids. Recipes rich in vegetables, fruit, protein from fish or plants, nuts, low-carbohydrate whole grains, and vegetable oils should be on your menu. We've listed one of our favorite recipes for a ketogenic, refreshing, and filling matcha bowl for breakfast at the end of the article.

Vegetables such as cabbage, broccoli, fresh herbs, and algae provide not only vitamins and trace elements, but also countless secondary plant substances, bitter compounds, and antioxidants. Antioxidants naturally perform important functions in metabolism, energy balance, and cell protection, and according to increasing research findings, they also exhibit a wide range of beneficial effects in the human organism.

Green tea is particularly rich in active plant substances , whose effects have been highly valued for centuries in ancient traditions and modern Asian societies. The valuable green tea polyphenols, especially EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate), can be easily and effectively consumed in concentrated form via natural green tea extracts .

Integrate physical activity into everyday life

Training and exercise are just as important as a healthy diet. Extreme sports aren't recommended, but rather an activity that's best integrated into your daily routine, ideally 30 minutes a day. Moderate exercise or physical activity like swimming, walking, cycling, or strength training burns calories and maintains muscle tissue, keeps your joints moving, and best of all: it puts you in a good mood.

Sufficient sleep & rest

Lose weight while you sleep? Yes. At night, cells regenerate, DNA repair errors are corrected, and hormones and metabolism are brought back into balance so you can perform at their best the next day. A healthy sleep rhythm of 7 to 8 hours per night is a key component for sticking to a weight loss program. Breathing exercises, yoga, and meditation sessions are also important to give the body breathing space and time to regenerate.

In summary, based on scientific studies, slow and steady weight loss is the key to sustainable weight balance. Losing weight step by step, with a maximum weight reduction of 1 kg per week, allows the body to develop sustainably healthy routines, keeps the metabolism active, and maintains a healthy balance in hormonal regulation of hunger and satiety. It also maintains muscle mass and avoids deficiencies in important nutrients that can lead to serious deficiencies and dysfunction. Slow weight loss has another advantage: it's much more fun. We don't have to put ourselves under pressure by abstaining from extremely strict diets; instead, we set small goals, look forward to trying new recipes, and feel better and better. Our motto is: Those who enjoy health are motivated, and motivation leads to the greatest success!

Matcha Smoothie Bowl

1 teaspoon of Matcha green tea powder

1 heaped tablespoon of vegan protein powder

240 ml coconut yogurt or Greek yogurt

Fresh herbs and spices such as basil and cinnamon as well as stevia for natural sweetness as needed.

Puree everything in a blender and pour into a bowl.

For the topping: 1 tbsp vegan omega-3 oil (tastes deliciously like lemon), chia seeds, flaxseed, goji berries, coconut flakes, cocoa nibs or almonds . Enjoy!

Sources: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5452198/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3302369/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11375440/