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After the carnival season, many follow a period of fasting. Some only do without certain stimulants. Others, in turn, plunge into various diets in the hope of getting rid of unwanted kilos as quickly as possible. In general, there is nothing wrong with fasting. It can contribute to a more conscious diet. However, the Upper Austrian Chamber of Labor advises against miracle diets or questionable weight loss preparations. Anyone looking for support from a diet coach on the Internet should be particularly careful. According to consumer advocates, initial free offers in particular often turn out to be sales platforms for dubious weight-loss products.
Be careful with prohibitions and commandments
With some diets, drinking certain diet shakes or eating diet bars is said to lead to the desired success. Others try certain foods like pineapple, lemon, or apple cider vinegar. Or nutrients such as fat or carbohydrates are completely eliminated from the menu. For a successful diet, however, nutrients should never be emphasized or removed from the menu for a long time without good reason. Even sweets and snacks do not have to be taboo, they should only be consumed in moderation.
Tablets are not a solution
Many sufferers hope to reach their goal faster with weight loss preparations. There are some that boost fat burning or curb appetite in the brain. Others expand in the stomach and fill you up in this way. But there are no miracle cures, consumer advocates warn: without a change in diet or regular exercise, they are all useless. Products from unsafe sources on the Internet could even be dangerous.
Success with Diet Change
The often very one-sided nutrition in some diets often leads to ravenous appetite attacks. If you resume your usual diet, the dreaded yo-yo effect occurs and the pounds that you had laboriously lost are quickly back. Permanent weight loss requires a long-term change in diet. The Mediterranean diet and the versions DASH, MIND and New Nordic Diet derived from it are particularly promising. The focus of these diets is on lots of fresh vegetables, whole grains and avoiding red meat. The recommended dietary changes are associated with relatively little effort and can slowly but permanently lead to weight loss.
coaching trap
Changing your diet always requires a certain amount of willpower and perseverance. And not infrequently one or the other hopes for support from a group or a coach. Online diet coaching is trendy. But according to the Upper Austrian Chamber of Labor, caution is also required here, especially when it comes to free offers: “Nothing is given for free.” Many of the online diet coaching sessions advertised free of charge would only serve to gain new customers for a fee or to promote the sale of various weight loss products.
Set realistic goals
Reputable weight loss programs show how you can eat a balanced diet and lose weight in everyday life, without any dubious little helpers or prohibitions. The best way to achieve your goal, and especially in the long term, is with a moderate calorie deficit and regular exercise. If you lose weight too quickly, you risk the yo-yo effect and the weight you lost will end up back on your hips faster than you thought.
Further information can be found in the brochure “Slim with miracle drugs?” at ooe. Verbraucherschutz.at.
Source: Nachrichten
