Losing weight and exercising are some of the most popular New Year’s resolutions – but many fail. Small steps help to persevere. So that you start the new year fit, slim and toned
Lose weight at last and do more sport – these New Year’s resolutions are at the forefront of Germans every year. However, most of them don’t even stick to their resolutions until the end of January. The diet guide is gathering dust in the bookcase, and the gym has one more card file. Because the grandiose plans at the beginning of the year quickly overwhelm us.
In any case, a year-round program is not only healthier than radical measures, but it also has more effects in the long term. And: small changes can be more easily integrated into everyday life. Tips on achieving a lot with simple twists and turns on a diet, exercise and skin care.
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Stop The Ups And Downs
Steffens does not believe in rapid weight loss: “This is closely related to the yo-yo effect, in which you weigh more for some time after the diet than you did before.” These ups and downs are poison for the skin: “In the problem areas, the fat is broken down last. First, the body uses other areas, for example, on the face. If you repeatedly lose weight here, wrinkles appear.”
Healthy Alternatives
The same applies to the body. Because the yo-yo effect damages connective tissue, radical diets often make orange peel even worse. As a large European study shows, the lowest yo-yo risk is when people who want to lose weight cover a quarter of their energy needs with protein, enjoy vegetables and healthy fats to their heart’s content – but avoid sugar and white flour as much as possible.
Diet – Snacking Less
For the nutritionist Katrin Steffens from Hamburg, the most important thing is to avoid sweets when it comes to skin-friendly nutrition. “A high blood sugar level causes a ‘saccharification’ of the skin cells, from which the skin’s collagen and elastin in particular suffer.”
The firming skin components harden and atrophy if you nibble constantly. This favours orange peel and less tight curves and can also lead to more wrinkles on the face.
Take Out Air
If the stomach is often bloated, a lot can be achieved through eating habits. The most important thing: eat in peace and chew for so long that the stomach and intestines only have to process porridge. It is better to avoid lavish meals and nightly feasts and chewing gum, cigarettes, and carbonated drinks. They burden the stomach with excess air.
The effects of foods that are often associated with bloating, such as legumes, cabbage, onions or sweeteners, are individual. “It is best to leave them out one by one and test the reaction,” advises expert Steffens.
Pill Fraud
Many dietary supplements promise to stimulate fat metabolism and thus reduce body weight. Scientific studies have so far not been able to substantiate this promise.
To achieve an effect, an individually ideal dose would have to be taken over a long period and in combination with certain foods so that the body can utilize them. Some nutritionists, therefore, warn that the preparations could harm the liver,
Movement – Step By Step Towards The Goal
“The most important thing is daily exercise,” says Arlow Pieniak, a personal trainer in Hamburg. “Going to the gym class once a week is a good start, but it leaves your body in the lurch for six days and 23 hours.”
Every step we take in everyday life, every step we take, counts. 30 minutes of brisk exercise a day reward us with another benefit: Experts assume that they reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Increase Energy Demand
If strength training is added, the bikini figure goal becomes even more realistic. Trainer Pieniak: “Every gram of muscle increases the energy requirement because muscle cells burn carbohydrates.” In his opinion, muscle building is most effective when a professional controls the exercises – especially at the beginning.
“In a pinch, however, full shopping bags also work the muscles,” says Pieniak. It can burn a little. This means that the muscle is at its limit. He will build mass to adapt to the demands.
Body Care – Better Blood Circulation
So-called cellulite creams are often touted as a means for firm body skin. “A large number of studies confirm that cosmetic products have only a minimal or no effect,” warns Dr Christian Stanger, dermatologist and phlebologist from Darmstadt.
Caffeine in creams, for example, can overcome the skin barrier and stimulate blood circulation – but the effect is not enough to soften orange peel.
Alternatives to stimulate blood circulation in the skin are alternating showers, brush treatments and massages. The latter can, of course, be combined with the application of cellulite cream.
