Blick: Ms. Ellenberger, you advise patients on diet at the Nutrition Center in Zurich. When will requests for dietary advice increase?
Ruth Ellenberger: After all the snacks and celebrations in December have left one pound or the other on the ground, this will definitely be January. Before the swimming season, i.e. around March/April and finally just after the summer break, when one or the other jeans suddenly don’t come on us.
When dieting, is there a rule, for example, for the amount of calories?
Once you know your individual calorie needs, you can save about 500 calories a day until you reach your target weight. A balanced diet is still very important. I have to be honest, I’m not a big diet fan. It is much better to optimize your diet in the long run and incorporate a healthy amount of exercise into your daily life. Then you will eventually reach your goal weight on your own.
Does Alcohol Affect Fat Loss?
First of all, it should be said that alcohol and weight loss do not necessarily go hand in hand. However, there are proven downsides to consider when trying to lose weight. For example, the number of calories: One gram of alcohol has about seven calories. Extrapolating to one deciliter of dry wine with twelve percent alcohol, this results in 70 to 90 calories. It is also important to know that alcohol increases appetite.
Is it better to avoid alcohol in snacks while dieting?
Absolutely! Especially since there is a wide variety of non-alcoholic alternatives.
Are there other disadvantages of alcohol in the diet?
Fat burning is controlled by the same organ as the breakdown of alcohol: the liver. When the liver is faced with both breaking down alcohol and burning fat, it gives priority to breaking down alcohol because the body perceives alcohol as poison. While the liver is busy breaking down alcohol, fat burning is also impaired. This negatively affects the diet.
So, should you avoid alcohol altogether when losing weight, including a glass of wine with your meal?
It is not mandatory as long as the upper calorie limit is followed and you have a balanced diet. While on a diet, I recommend establishing three to four alcohol-free days a week, for example, not drinking alcohol every other day. By the way, it is very important to drink enough water. Drinking too much water does not break down alcohol faster, but drinking too little takes much longer to break down alcohol.
What do you think of Dry January, ie abstaining from alcohol completely during the month of January?
I actually think the idea is pretty good. Not because of diet, just to see if you can stand a month of abstinence from alcohol. Much more in terms of the addiction aspect and less on the background of a diet.