My «wingman» at the TagesAnzeiger, Tobias Müller, interviewed me at the beginning of the year on the subject of losing weight. It was published somewhat belatedly in a themed special. For once, it’s not just about performance, but above all about sustainable health. The numerous comments under the article were correspondingly exciting. The topic… stirs up
Or should I say: moves? Here is the full text (© tagesanzeiger.ch 08-04-2026)
Lose ten kilos, exercise more, be fitter and healthier! The first few months of the year are over and the New Year’s resolutions have probably long since been forgotten. Why do many people find it difficult to lose weight in the long term, even though they exercise and pay attention to their diet?
Sports nutrition expert Dani Hofstetter has a clear answer to this: because of evolution. The human body has no interest in being thin and aesthetic, as the will to survive is stronger. But how can we still get rid of excess kilos? For Hofstetter, one thing is clear: it will be difficult with sport alone.
Dani Hofstetter, many overweight people want to lose weight with the help of sport. What are the most common mistakes they make?
I often observe two types of wrong approaches that many people take: Some overestimate the energy they burn while exercising and at the same time underestimate the amount of calories they consume. They change their lifestyle, are confident that everything will now be better – and still don’t see any results. The second common mistake is that certain people approach the diet with too much motivation. They want to see quick results and therefore eat far too little. But then they don’t have the energy for training and so they torpedo all progress. They become ill, in the worst case they injure themselves, lose motivation and quickly fall back into old patterns.
Exercise and eat less. Sounds easy – but why isn’t it in the end?
Because the body doesn’t want to lose weight, dieting is a fight against evolution. Humans don’t want to have a six-pack, they want to survive. Not so long ago, it wasn’t a bad thing if we had a surplus of energy and didn’t have to exercise too much. It meant that we were doing well, that we would survive the coming cold winter months. Now, however, we live in a world of excess and comfort. This is leading to an epidemic of obesity.
And yet it should somehow be possible to lose weight if someone has too much on their ribs.
Of course, but it’s not that easy, and it only works with continuous work. It is crucial to say that sport alone is not suitable for losing weight.
Why?
At complete rest, i.e. if you just lie in bed all day, your body consumes around 1 calorie per kilogram of body weight per hour, which for a 75 kilogram man is 1800 calories – the so-called basal metabolic rate. If you want to burn this number of calories with sport, you would have to jog more than 20 kilometers a day or spend several hours on your bike. Sport is therefore a small expenditure of energy compared to our metabolism. And most people don’t have the time or inclination to train so intensively. In addition, exercise stimulates the appetite, which means that we eat more overall after a workout and thus compensate for the effect of exercise. That’s why exercise alone is not enough – your diet also has to be right.
As a nutrition expert, you look after athletes of all ages and from different disciplines. So what exactly do you do when an athlete wants to lose five kilograms?
First of all, we define the starting point: how heavy the athlete is, and we determine the body composition, i.e. body fat and muscle mass, in the laboratory. My basic rule is: the higher the percentage of body fat, the higher the daily calorie deficit can be without overloading the body too radically and jeopardizing health and athletic performance. I then take a look at your training and tailor your diet accordingly.
A calorie deficit inevitably means counting calories. So do you have to constantly weigh up your food to achieve a healthy weight?
No, definitely not, because this can lead to disordered eating behavior in the long term. But especially in the initial phase of a diet, it is necessary for the athlete to regain a feeling for how much she is really eating and burning. As soon as this feeling has been trained, you can do without kitchen scales.
How do I know how many calories I burn including exercise and how many I should eat again?
Exact measurements are only possible in the laboratory. On your own, you can use a calorie calculator to get an approximate idea. Data from sports watches or wristbands usually show large deviations. A sports or nutritionist is best placed to help you here.
How many calories can you save every day?
This depends on the person and the amount of training. Most people can save between 400 and 600 calories for a certain period of time without any problems. A few points should be followed to achieve this.
Which ones?
Firstly, you should eat well and eat enough around your workout, whether it’s a 10-kilometer jog or an hour in the gym. This promotes the quality of training and prevents cravings from striking afterwards. Secondly, the amount of protein should be increased during a diet. Because we want to lose fat, not muscle. For the body, however, muscles are a luxury during a diet that it can easily do without. You can counteract muscle loss by increasing your protein intake. And thirdly: don’t be afraid of carbohydrates, they are a crucial source of energy for athletes, even when dieting.
Low carb or the ketogenic diet, in which pasta, rice and sugar are avoided, have long been touted as efficient slimming methods.
Carbohydrates are the super fuel, they ensure a good energy supply so that we can train with high quality and recover faster. They are indispensable. Fats, on the other hand, i.e. oils, sauces and most desserts, are very energy-dense and have the greatest saving effect in a diet if they are avoided.
Any other tips on nutrition?
A few simple basic rules: There are no bans, even chocolate and a glass of wine are acceptable from time to time. Extremes lead to us quickly losing motivation and falling into old patterns. I also preach eating food that is as unprocessed as possible. Potatoes and rice are better than pasta or white bread, nuts or fruit are better than artificial desserts. These may taste good, but they contain a lot of unhealthy substances and few vitamins and dietary fibers.
What do I eat when I go on a long bike ride or hike?
It is important to eat enough during these activities, even if you want to lose weight, as this prevents hunger pangs. Carbohydrates are the most efficient sources of energy. During high-intensity training, pure sugar in the form of sports drinks or gels is a good idea. On a hike or leisurely bike ride, I recommend normal foods such as sandwiches, but Biberli or bars also work well.
Is endurance sport more effective than strength training for losing weight?
The combination makes the most sense, although I highly recommend strength training for people over 40, as muscle loss progresses from this age, which leads to a number of problems in old age. But of course, you burn more calories per hour with endurance sports.
Is it better to train short and intensively or long and slowly so that the fat melts away?
Recently, a study was published highlighting the best type and intensity of training for maximum results: for 12 weeks, athletes had to go to the absolute maximum for 45 minutes every other day, and on the days in between they completed a long, intensive interval training session. Sounds great, doesn’t it? (he laughs) Not even the most motivated athlete in the world could pull off this program long-term, but that’s the key to fitness and a healthy weight: continuity. That’s why I recommend a mix of sporting activities that you enjoy. If you like hiking, then go hiking. If you prefer cycling, great. At least 30 minutes of exercise at a time, several times a week, is a good start. Exercise at a lower intensity most of the time, but get your heart rate up from time to time to keep your training varied and effective.
Can fasting training, i.e. exercising without eating beforehand, help to speed up the diet?
If you want or need to jog in the morning straight after getting up because you don’t have time afterwards, you are welcome to do so. However, you should bear in mind that fasting training is an additional stress for the body. There is also a high risk of cravings afterwards. In the end, it is the negative calorie balance over the whole day that is decisive. Whether someone does fasting training or not plays a marginal role.
And if a healthy diet and exercise don’t help, what’s wrong with the now fashionable weight loss injection?
These GLP‑1 agonists have an impressive effect on the body, they curb the appetite and ensure that the feeling of satiety occurs more quickly. We therefore have to starve less if we want to lose weight, but we also enjoy eating much less. What’s more, studies have shown that around 50 percent of the average weight loss achieved comes from lean body mass if we don’t exercise at the same time. In other words, such injections not only cause us to burn fat, but also to lose muscle or even bone mass. In addition, there is dependency, as you have to take these injections for the rest of your life. And what about the long-term effects? I am very skeptical. For people who are morbidly obese, these drugs are an exciting option. But I can see that they are mostly used as a lazy shortcut.
