{"id":8579,"date":"2026-04-12T17:07:43","date_gmt":"2026-04-12T15:07:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/danihofstetter.ch\/sport-alone-is-not-suitable-for-losing-weight\/"},"modified":"2026-04-12T17:07:43","modified_gmt":"2026-04-12T15:07:43","slug":"sport-alone-is-not-suitable-for-losing-weight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/danihofstetter.ch\/en\/sport-alone-is-not-suitable-for-losing-weight\/","title":{"rendered":"\u00abSport alo\u00adne is not sui\u00adta\u00adble for losing weight\u00bb"},"content":{"rendered":"

My \u00abwing\u00adman\u00bb at the Tages\u00adAn\u00adzei\u00adger, Tobi\u00adas M\u00fcl\u00adler, inter\u00adview\u00aded me at the begin\u00adning of the year on the sub\u00adject of losing weight. It was published some\u00adwhat bela\u00adted\u00adly in a the\u00admed spe\u00adcial. For once, it\u2019s not just about per\u00adfor\u00admance, but abo\u00adve all about sus\u00adtainable health. The num\u00ade\u00adrous comm\u00adents under the artic\u00adle were cor\u00adre\u00adspon\u00addin\u00adgly exci\u00adting. The topic\u2026 stirs<\/em> up
Or should I say: moves? Here is the full text (\u00a9 tages\u200ban\u200bzei\u200bger\u200b.ch 08-04-2026) <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Lose ten kilos, exer\u00adcise more, be fit\u00adter and healt\u00adhi\u00ader! The first few months of the year are over and the New Year\u2019s reso\u00adlu\u00adti\u00adons have pro\u00adba\u00adb\u00adly long sin\u00adce been for\u00adgot\u00adten. Why do many peo\u00adp\u00adle find it dif\u00adfi\u00adcult to lose weight in the long term, even though they exer\u00adcise and pay atten\u00adti\u00adon to their diet? <\/h5>\n
Sports nutri\u00adtion expert Dani Hof\u00adstet\u00adter has a clear ans\u00adwer to this: becau\u00adse of evo\u00adlu\u00adti\u00adon. The human body has no inte\u00adrest in being thin and aes\u00adthe\u00adtic, as the will to sur\u00advi\u00adve is stron\u00adger. But how can we still get rid of excess kilos? For Hof\u00adstet\u00adter, one thing is clear: it will be dif\u00adfi\u00adcult with sport alone. <\/h5>\n

Dani Hof\u00adstet\u00adter, many over\u00adweight peo\u00adp\u00adle want to lose weight with the help of sport. What are the most com\u00admon mista\u00adkes they make? <\/strong><\/p>\n

I often obser\u00adve two types of wrong approa\u00adches that many peo\u00adp\u00adle take: Some ove\u00adre\u00adsti\u00adma\u00adte the ener\u00adgy they burn while exer\u00adcis\u00ading and at the same time unde\u00adre\u00adsti\u00adma\u00adte the amount of calo\u00adries they con\u00adsu\u00adme. They chan\u00adge their life\u00adstyle, are con\u00adfi\u00addent that ever\u00ady\u00adthing will now be bet\u00adter \u2013 and still don\u2019t see any results. The second com\u00admon mista\u00adke is that cer\u00adtain peo\u00adp\u00adle approach the diet with too much moti\u00adva\u00adti\u00adon. They want to see quick results and the\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre eat far too litt\u00adle. But then they don\u2019t have the ener\u00adgy for trai\u00adning and so they tor\u00adpe\u00addo all pro\u00adgress. They beco\u00adme ill, in the worst case they inju\u00adre them\u00adsel\u00adves, lose moti\u00adva\u00adti\u00adon and quick\u00adly fall back into old patterns. <\/p>\n

Exer\u00adcise and eat less. Sounds easy \u2013 but why isn\u2019t it in the end? <\/strong><\/p>\n

Becau\u00adse the body does\u00adn\u2019t want to lose weight, die\u00adting is a fight against evo\u00adlu\u00adti\u00adon. Humans don\u2019t want to have a six-pack, they want to sur\u00advi\u00adve. Not so long ago, it was\u00adn\u2019t a bad thing if we had a sur\u00adplus of ener\u00adgy and did\u00adn\u2019t have to exer\u00adcise too much. It meant that we were doing well, that we would sur\u00advi\u00adve the coming cold win\u00adter months. Now, howe\u00adver, we live in a world of excess and com\u00adfort. This is lea\u00adding to an epi\u00adde\u00admic of obesity. <\/p>\n

And yet it should somehow be pos\u00adsi\u00adble to lose weight if someone has too much on their ribs.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Of cour\u00adse, but it\u2019s not that easy, and it only works with con\u00adti\u00adnuous work. It is cru\u00adcial to say that sport alo\u00adne is not sui\u00adta\u00adble for losing weight. <\/p>\n

Why?<\/strong><\/p>\n

At com\u00adple\u00adte rest, i.e. if you just lie in bed all day, your body con\u00adsu\u00admes around 1 calo\u00adrie per kilo\u00adgram of body weight per hour, which for a 75 kilo\u00adgram man is 1800 calo\u00adries \u2013 the so-cal\u00adled basal meta\u00adbo\u00adlic rate. If you want to burn this num\u00adber of calo\u00adries with sport, you would have to jog more than 20 kilo\u00adme\u00adters a day or spend seve\u00adral hours on your bike. Sport is the\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre a small expen\u00addit\u00adu\u00adre of ener\u00adgy com\u00adpared to our meta\u00adbo\u00adlism. And most peo\u00adp\u00adle don\u2019t have the time or incli\u00adna\u00adti\u00adon to train so inten\u00adsi\u00adve\u00adly. In addi\u00adti\u00adon, exer\u00adcise sti\u00admu\u00adla\u00adtes the appe\u00adti\u00adte, which means that we eat more over\u00adall after a work\u00adout and thus com\u00adpen\u00adsa\u00adte for the effect of exer\u00adcise. Tha\u00adt\u2019s why exer\u00adcise alo\u00adne is not enough \u2013 your diet also has to be right. <\/p>\n

As a nutri\u00adtion expert, you look after ath\u00adle\u00adtes of all ages and from dif\u00adfe\u00adrent disci\u00adpli\u00adnes. So what exact\u00adly do you do when an ath\u00adle\u00adte wants to lose five kilograms? <\/strong><\/p>\n

First of all, we defi\u00adne the start\u00ading point: how hea\u00advy the ath\u00adle\u00adte is, and we deter\u00admi\u00adne the body com\u00adpo\u00adsi\u00adti\u00adon, i.e. body fat and mus\u00adcle mass, in the labo\u00adra\u00adto\u00adry. My basic rule is: the hig\u00adher the per\u00adcen\u00adta\u00adge of body fat, the hig\u00adher the dai\u00adly calo\u00adrie defi\u00adcit can be wit\u00adhout over\u00adloa\u00adding the body too radi\u00adcal\u00adly and jeo\u00adpar\u00addi\u00adzing health and ath\u00adle\u00adtic per\u00adfor\u00admance. I then take a look at your trai\u00adning and tail\u00ador your diet accordingly. <\/p>\n

A calo\u00adrie defi\u00adcit ine\u00advi\u00adta\u00adb\u00adly means coun\u00adting calo\u00adries. So do you have to con\u00adstant\u00adly weigh up your food to achie\u00adve a healt\u00adhy weight? <\/strong><\/p>\n

No, defi\u00adni\u00adte\u00adly not, becau\u00adse this can lead to dis\u00ador\u00adde\u00adred eating beha\u00advi\u00ador in the long term. But espe\u00adci\u00adal\u00adly in the initi\u00adal pha\u00adse of a diet, it is neces\u00adsa\u00adry for the ath\u00adle\u00adte to regain a fee\u00adling for how much she is real\u00adly eating and bur\u00adning. As soon as this fee\u00adling has been trai\u00adned, you can do wit\u00adhout kit\u00adchen scales. <\/p>\n

How do I know how many calo\u00adries I burn inclu\u00adding exer\u00adcise and how many I should eat again?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Exact mea\u00adsu\u00adre\u00adments are only pos\u00adsi\u00adble in the labo\u00adra\u00adto\u00adry. On your own, you can use a calo\u00adrie cal\u00adcu\u00adla\u00adtor to get an appro\u00adxi\u00adma\u00adte idea. Data from sports wat\u00adches or wrist\u00adbands usual\u00adly show lar\u00adge devia\u00adti\u00adons. A sports or nut\u00adri\u00adtio\u00adnist is best pla\u00adced to help you here. <\/p>\n

How many calo\u00adries can you save every day?<\/strong><\/p>\n

This depends on the per\u00adson and the amount of trai\u00adning. Most peo\u00adp\u00adle can save bet\u00adween 400 and 600 calo\u00adries for a cer\u00adtain peri\u00adod of time wit\u00adhout any pro\u00adblems. A few points should be fol\u00adlo\u00adwed to achie\u00adve this. <\/p>\n

Which ones?<\/strong><\/p>\n

First\u00adly, you should eat well and eat enough around your work\u00adout, whe\u00adther it\u2019s a 10-kilo\u00adme\u00adter jog or an hour in the gym. This pro\u00admo\u00adtes the qua\u00adli\u00adty of trai\u00adning and pre\u00advents cra\u00advings from striking after\u00adwards. Second\u00adly, the amount of pro\u00adte\u00adin should be increased during a diet. Becau\u00adse we want to lose fat, not mus\u00adcle. For the body, howe\u00adver, mus\u00adcles are a luxu\u00adry during a diet that it can easi\u00adly do wit\u00adhout. You can coun\u00adter\u00adact mus\u00adcle loss by incre\u00adasing your pro\u00adte\u00adin inta\u00adke. And third\u00adly: don\u2019t be afraid of car\u00adbo\u00adhy\u00addra\u00adtes, they are a cru\u00adcial source of ener\u00adgy for ath\u00adle\u00adtes, even when dieting. <\/p>\n

Low carb or the keto\u00adge\u00adnic diet, in which pas\u00adta, rice and sugar are avo\u00adided, have long been tou\u00adted as effi\u00adci\u00adent slim\u00adming methods.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Car\u00adbo\u00adhy\u00addra\u00adtes are the super fuel, they ensu\u00adre a good ener\u00adgy sup\u00adp\u00adly so that we can train with high qua\u00adli\u00adty and reco\u00adver fas\u00adter. They are indis\u00adpensable. Fats, on the other hand, i.e. oils, sau\u00adces and most des\u00adserts, are very ener\u00adgy-den\u00adse and have the grea\u00adtest saving effect in a diet if they are avoided. <\/p>\n

Any other tips on nutrition?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A few simp\u00adle basic rules: The\u00adre are no bans, even cho\u00adco\u00adla\u00adte and a glass of wine are accep\u00adta\u00adble from time to time. Extre\u00admes lead to us quick\u00adly losing moti\u00adva\u00adti\u00adon and fal\u00adling into old pat\u00adterns. I also preach eating food that is as unpro\u00adces\u00adsed as pos\u00adsi\u00adble. Pota\u00adtoes and rice are bet\u00adter than pas\u00adta or white bread, nuts or fruit are bet\u00adter than arti\u00adfi\u00adci\u00adal des\u00adserts. The\u00adse may tas\u00adte good, but they con\u00adtain a lot of unhe\u00adalt\u00adhy sub\u00ads\u00adtances and few vit\u00adamins and die\u00adta\u00adry fibers. <\/p>\n

What do I eat when I go on a long bike ride or hike?<\/strong><\/p>\n

It is important to eat enough during the\u00adse acti\u00advi\u00adties, even if you want to lose weight, as this pre\u00advents hun\u00adger pangs. Car\u00adbo\u00adhy\u00addra\u00adtes are the most effi\u00adci\u00adent sources of ener\u00adgy. During high-inten\u00adsi\u00adty trai\u00adning, pure sugar in the form of sports drinks or gels is a good idea. On a hike or lei\u00adsu\u00adre\u00adly bike ride, I recom\u00admend nor\u00admal foods such as sand\u00adwi\u00adches, but Biber\u00adli or bars also work well. <\/p>\n

Is endu\u00adrance sport more effec\u00adti\u00adve than strength trai\u00adning for losing weight?<\/strong><\/p>\n

The com\u00adbi\u00adna\u00adti\u00adon makes the most sen\u00adse, alt\u00adhough I high\u00adly recom\u00admend strength trai\u00adning for peo\u00adp\u00adle over 40, as mus\u00adcle loss pro\u00adgres\u00adses from this age, which leads to a num\u00adber of pro\u00adblems in old age. But of cour\u00adse, you burn more calo\u00adries per hour with endu\u00adrance sports. <\/p>\n

Is it bet\u00adter to train short and inten\u00adsi\u00adve\u00adly or long and slow\u00adly so that the fat melts away?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Recent\u00adly, a stu\u00addy was published high\u00adlight\u00ading the best type and inten\u00adsi\u00adty of trai\u00adning for maxi\u00admum results: for 12 weeks, ath\u00adle\u00adtes had to go to the abso\u00adlu\u00adte maxi\u00admum for 45 minu\u00adtes every other day, and on the days in bet\u00adween they com\u00adple\u00adted a long, inten\u00adsi\u00adve inter\u00adval trai\u00adning ses\u00adsi\u00adon. Sounds gre\u00adat, does\u00adn\u2019t it? (he laughs) Not even the most moti\u00adva\u00adted ath\u00adle\u00adte in the world could pull off this pro\u00adgram long-term, but tha\u00adt\u2019s the key to fit\u00adness and a healt\u00adhy weight: con\u00adti\u00adnui\u00adty. Tha\u00adt\u2019s why I recom\u00admend a mix of sport\u00ading acti\u00advi\u00adties that you enjoy. If you like hiking, then go hiking. If you pre\u00adfer cycling, gre\u00adat. At least 30 minu\u00adtes of exer\u00adcise at a time, seve\u00adral times a week, is a good start. Exer\u00adcise at a lower inten\u00adsi\u00adty most of the time, but get your heart rate up from time to time to keep your trai\u00adning varied and effective. <\/p>\n

Can fas\u00adting trai\u00adning, i.e. exer\u00adcis\u00ading wit\u00adhout eating before\u00adhand, help to speed up the diet?<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you want or need to jog in the mor\u00adning straight after get\u00adting up becau\u00adse you don\u2019t have time after\u00adwards, you are wel\u00adco\u00adme to do so. Howe\u00adver, you should bear in mind that fas\u00adting trai\u00adning is an addi\u00adtio\u00adnal stress for the body. The\u00adre is also a high risk of cra\u00advings after\u00adwards. In the end, it is the nega\u00adti\u00adve calo\u00adrie balan\u00adce over the who\u00adle day that is decisi\u00adve. Whe\u00adther someone does fas\u00adting trai\u00adning or not plays a mar\u00adgi\u00adnal role. <\/p>\n

And if a healt\u00adhy diet and exer\u00adcise don\u2019t help, wha\u00adt\u2019s wrong with the now fashionable weight loss injection?<\/strong><\/p>\n

The\u00adse GLP\u20111 ago\u00adnists have an impres\u00adsi\u00adve effect on the body, they curb the appe\u00adti\u00adte and ensu\u00adre that the fee\u00adling of satie\u00adty occurs more quick\u00adly. We the\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre have to star\u00adve less if we want to lose weight, but we also enjoy eating much less. Wha\u00adt\u2019s more, stu\u00addies have shown that around 50 per\u00adcent of the avera\u00adge weight loss achie\u00adved comes from lean body mass if we don\u2019t exer\u00adcise at the same time. In other words, such injec\u00adtions not only cau\u00adse us to burn fat, but also to lose mus\u00adcle or even bone mass. In addi\u00adti\u00adon, the\u00adre is depen\u00adden\u00adcy, as you have to take the\u00adse injec\u00adtions for the rest of your life. And what about the long-term effects? I am very skep\u00adti\u00adcal. For peo\u00adp\u00adle who are mor\u00adbidly obe\u00adse, the\u00adse drugs are an exci\u00adting opti\u00adon. But I can see that they are most\u00adly used as a lazy shortcut. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

My \u00abwing\u00adman\u00bb at the Tages\u00adAn\u00adzei\u00adger, Tobi\u00adas M\u00fcl\u00adler, inter\u00adview\u00aded me at the begin\u00adning of the year\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":8580,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[238],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-8579","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-media-en"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/danihofstetter.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8579","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/danihofstetter.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/danihofstetter.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/danihofstetter.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/danihofstetter.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8579"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/danihofstetter.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8579\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/danihofstetter.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8580"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/danihofstetter.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8579"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/danihofstetter.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8579"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/danihofstetter.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8579"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}