Losing weight without deprivation: what is possible and what is advertising
The essentials at a glance
Weight loss is not possible without an energy deficit. The patient guideline on obesity gives a figure for this: about 500 kilocalories less per day, and elsewhere 500 to 800 (2019). Anyone who promises that weight loss works entirely without reducing intake contradicts every source reviewed for this article.
There is a different truth to “without deprivation.” In its quality criteria for weight-loss programs, the Verbraucherzentrale includes a sentence aimed precisely at this: There should be no forbidden foods. It explicitly lists meal plans under 1,000 kilocalories as a negative point because they are hardly sustainable.
First, you will read what deprivation actually means and where advertising comes in. Then come the figures on the deficit, the Verbraucherzentrale’s criteria, a comparison of three approaches, the question of protein and fiber, the role of exercise, and finally what a test is useful for here and what it is not.
What to expect in this article
1. Two questions that are constantly confused
2. What speaks against prohibitions
3. Why a deficit is unavoidable
4. The guideline figures
5. The lower limit at which it tips
6. Three approaches compared
7. What makes you feel full without providing much energy
8. How to recognize a reputable program
9. Exercise: the number and reality
10. What a test is useful for here
11. Limitations: what this article does not answer
12. What remains of “without deprivation”
Frequently asked questions
Sources
Two questions that are constantly confused
The promise “without deprivation” conceals two completely different questions, and advertising exploits the fact that they sound the same.
The first question is: Do I need to consume less energy overall? All the sources reviewed answer yes. The second is: Do I need to eliminate certain foods? The Verbraucherzentrale answers with a clear no.
Key message
Less energy is unavoidable. Less choice is not. Anyone who keeps these two sentences separate immediately understands which part of the advertising promise is true.
Why the conflation works so well
Anyone who has lost weight before associates deprivation with prohibitions: no chocolate, no bread in the evening, no carbohydrates after eight. An advertising promise that says “without deprivation” taps into exactly this feeling.
What is being sold here is relief from making choices. What is often understood is relief from reducing the amount. The difference only becomes apparent after a few weeks, when the scales show no change.
The term that appears in no source
We specifically searched to see whether any of the institutions reviewed treats “weight loss without giving anything up” as a concept. Neither the obesity guidelines nor IQWiG, the DGE, the RKI, or the WHO uses the term.
It comes from advertising, and that is not initially a reproach. Advertising may invent terms. It becomes problematic when an invented term sounds as though it were backed by an expert statement.
This article therefore examines the term against what is actually documented. What stands up to scrutiny is set out in the following chapters, and what does not is stated there just as clearly.
What argues against prohibitions
The Verbraucherzentrale has published a catalog of criteria that can be used to evaluate weight-loss programs. One of the sentences in it is phrased so concisely that it can be remembered as a standard.
Documented source
“There should be no prohibited foods.”
Verbraucherzentrale
Weight-loss programs: What you should consider when choosing one, as of 2025
The sentence appears in a list of characteristics that downgrade a program. It is therefore not advice on enjoying life, but a quality criterion: From the Verbraucherzentrale’s perspective, a program with lists of prohibited foods meets one criterion fewer.
What else is considered a drawback on the same list
The catalog lists sixteen characteristics, and several of them apply precisely to programs that advertise “without giving anything up.” Among other things, it downgrades having a slimming product at the center, additionally recommended dietary supplements, and the promise of losing weight specifically from certain parts of the body.
Another point stands out because it is rarely mentioned anywhere: The Verbraucherzentrale also considers DNA tests or stool samples as the basis for a weight-loss program a drawback. We reproduce this as stated there, even though we ourselves offer DNA tests. What this means for our own offering is set out in Chapter 10.
Why a deficit is unavoidable
The body obtains its energy from food and expends it through basal metabolic rate, physical activity, and digestion. As long as both sides are equal, weight remains stable.
Everything that helps with weight loss works through this balance. A feeling of satiety helps because it reduces the amount consumed. Exercise helps because it increases the amount expended. No method bypasses the calculation; they merely make it easier to tolerate.
What this means for advertising claims
A product that promises weight loss without any reduction in energy intake claims something that does not appear in any of the sources reviewed. Under the German Therapeutic Products Advertising Act, such a statement would be considered misleading.
Put more honestly, the promise that a good program can fulfill is this: It helps you tolerate the deficit. That is less spectacular and much closer to what the guidelines describe.
Where the energy actually goes
Anyone who wants to understand the balance should know how it is divided. IQWiG gives an approximate figure: Resting energy expenditure accounts for about 70 percent of daily energy needs on average.
The figure puts the role of exercise into a new perspective. If seven out of ten units are spent simply keeping the system running, the balance is determined primarily on the intake side. Exercise remains important, but it is the smaller lever.
This leads to a practical point. An extra half hour of exercise rarely offsets a significantly larger portion. Anyone balancing the two against each other regularly underestimates how much exercise would be needed.
Resting energy expenditure is also the component that changes during weight loss. We will return to this in the chapter after next, when discussing weight loss that happens too quickly.
The guideline's figures
The Patient Guideline for the Prevention and Treatment of Obesity cites three figures that together provide a realistic picture.
What the guideline quantifies
500 kcal
less per day than the requirement; elsewhere, 500 to 800—the stated figure for reducing energy intake
5 %
of initial body weight over 6 to 12 months is considered a realistic target for a BMI between 25 and 35
150 min
At least this much endurance training per week is recommended for effective weight loss
Source: German Obesity Society and others, Patient Guideline for the S3 Guideline on the Prevention and Treatment of Obesity, AWMF Registry Number 050-001, 2019 edition
What 5 percent means in practice
At 85 kilograms, five percent is just over four kilograms. Spread over twelve months, that is around 350 grams per month. This figure is far below what weight-loss programs claim in their advertising.
The current 2024 S3 guideline also sets the threshold for success at at least five percent, maintained over the long term. It even identifies clinically verifiable effects starting at three to five percent. For an initial BMI above 35, losing more than ten percent within six to twelve months is given as a target.
The scale is the real finding of this chapter. Anyone expecting to lose five kilograms a month is working against all three figures above.
The lower limit where things tip
A larger deficit sounds like faster success. The consumer advice center draws a clear line there: Programs providing less than 1,000 kilocalories are difficult to maintain because of the intense hunger.
For medically supervised programmes, the same source specifies minimum amounts of 1,200 kilocalories for women and 1,500 for men. Below these levels, a programme can no longer be followed independently according to this catalogue.
What happens when weight loss is too rapid
The consumer advice centre describes two consequences. With crash diets, the risk of the body breaking down muscle is particularly high. After such diets, the basal metabolic rate decreases because the body conserves energy, which is cited as a cause of the yo-yo effect.
The 2024 S3 guideline identifies further adverse effects of particularly rapid and substantial weight loss, including gallstones and loss of bone density. The lower limit is therefore not a matter of convenience.
IQWiG also describes the mechanism behind the decline in energy expenditure: weight loss also reduces muscle mass, meaning the body needs less energy. Anyone who loses weight quickly therefore changes the balance against which they subsequently work.
Why a larger deficit does not work proportionally
The obvious assumption is that a deficit twice as large works twice as fast. Two findings from the sources reviewed contradict this, and both concern the same variable.
First, according to the consumer advice centre, crash diets lower the basal metabolic rate because the body conserves energy. Second, IQWiG describes how muscle mass decreases along with body weight, thereby reducing energy requirements. Both effects reduce the side of the equation against which the deficit works.
A moderate deficit therefore has a double advantage over a large one. According to the criteria of the consumer advice centre, it is more sustainable, and it places less strain on muscle mass. Both points work toward the same goal, but through different mechanisms.
Three approaches compared
Three approaches are typically available. The table compares them based on the same four criteria.
| Criterion | Moderate deficit without prohibitions | Diet with a prohibition list | Crash diet under 1,000 kcal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy deficit present | Yes, around 500 to 800 kcal per day. | Usually yes, but indirectly through the elimination of entire food groups. | Yes, significantly greater than stated in the guidelines. |
| Consumer advice centre assessment | Meets the criterion that there should be no prohibited foods. | Prohibition lists count as a minus point in the criteria catalogue. | Meal plans under 1,000 kcal count as a minus point. |
| Sustainability | No indication of a fundamental problem in the sources. | We found no reliable figure for this. | Difficult to sustain because of the intense hunger |
| Described side effects | Muscle loss is possible with any weight loss, but is described as least likely here | Depending on which group is eliminated | Muscle loss, a declining basal metabolic rate, gallstones, loss of bone density |
The third line is the most honest. We found no reliable figure for the sustainability of a restrictive diet, so we do not provide one. The only substantiated statement concerns the lower limit of 1,000 kilocalories.
What makes you feel full without providing much energy
If the deficit must remain and the range of choices should not shrink, the question changes. It then becomes: How can the same satiety be achieved with less energy?
For fiber, the DGE gives a reference value of at least 30 grams per day for adults and states that fiber promotes a long-lasting feeling of satiety. Thus, the satiety effect is linked to a specific amount.
Protein and the reference value behind it
For protein, the DGE gives a reference value of 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight per day for adults up to 65 years of age. At 75 kilograms, that amounts to 60 grams per day.
This value describes the intake considered sufficient. It is not a recommendation for a weight-loss phase, nor do we present it as one here. What it provides is an order of magnitude against which one’s own intake can be measured.
In practical terms, this means that anyone who does not want to eliminate a food can reduce the space it occupies on the plate and place something alongside it that provides volume and fiber. This is not a rule from a guideline, but an application of the two reference values mentioned above.
Why volume matters, not just the calorie content
The stomach registers quantity, while the energy balance registers energy. The link between the two is energy density—that is, how many kilocalories are contained in one hundred grams of a food.
An example makes the range clear. Vegetables and fruit contain a lot of water and therefore fall at the lower end, while oils and nuts are at the upper end. The same amount of energy visibly fills the plate in the first case and barely fills it in the second.
So anyone who wants to avoid feeling deprived without abandoning the overall balance will find the most effective starting point here. The goal is not to eliminate oil, but to fill the rest of the plate in a way that still makes the portion filling.
The DGE’s 30 grams of fiber point in the same direction. Fiber-rich foods add volume without increasing energy density. The reference value and the satiety effect thus point to the same conclusion.
How to recognize a reputable program
The four points summarize what can be deduced from the consumer advice center’s criteria guide when choosing a program.
Ask about the calorie count
If the plan contains fewer than 1,000 kilocalories, that is a negative point according to the guide. Under medical supervision, 1,200 for women and 1,500 for men are considered minimum amounts.
Look for the list of forbidden foods
According to the consumer advice center, there should be no forbidden foods. A long list of excluded food groups is a warning sign, not a sign of strictness.
Look out for products
A weight-loss product at the center of the program, along with additionally recommended dietary supplements, each counts as a separate negative point in the guide.
Ask about follow-up care
A lack of follow-up care is a negative point. The consumer advice center recommends a duration of at least six months.
Four more points from the same guide
The guide goes beyond the four steps above. Unqualified staff and a lack of medical supervision also count as negative points. Both concern the question of who is liable in case of doubt and who notices a deterioration.
Another point is the most important in terms of content: A program that does not examine the causes of excess weight is rated negatively. Anyone who focuses only on intake without asking about sleep, medication, illnesses, or living circumstances is working only on the surface.
Insufficient support for increased physical activity, the absence of a health check before participation, and problematic contract terms are also rated negatively. The last point is the only one that can be fully checked before starting.
A financial note belongs here because it is rarely mentioned anywhere. The guide also addresses the question of cost reimbursement, and the consumer advice center typically cites 50 to 80 percent covered by health insurance.
Physical activity: the figure and the reality
The patient guideline specifies at least 150 minutes of endurance training per week for effective weight loss. The same figure appears in the World Health Organization’s physical activity recommendations, supplemented there by muscle-strengthening activities on at least two days per week.
Only 26.3 percent of adults met the combined physical activity recommendation.
The figure comes from the Robert Koch Institute’s health reporting, using data from 2019. It shows that 150 minutes is not a low bar, but one that three out of four adults fail to meet.
The age difference behind it
The same analysis breaks the results down by age. Among 18- to 29-year-olds, 43.4 percent met the recommendation, compared with 10.2 percent of those over 80. The factor between these two figures is four.
For planning, this means taking your own starting point seriously. Anyone starting from zero does not plan for 150 minutes but for the path to get there. The figure is a goal, not a prerequisite.
150 minutes, spread across the week
As a weekly total, the number sounds large; divided up, it becomes smaller. Five 30-minute sessions add up to 150 minutes, as do three 50-minute sessions. The IQWiG recommends 30 to 45 minutes of lightly strenuous exercise three to five times a week for everyday life, such as brisk walking.
The DGE puts it in even more everyday terms, describing 30 to 60 minutes of moderate physical activity per day as beneficial for health and weight regulation. All three figures describe roughly the same range, with different emphases.
The wording “lightly strenuous” is important. It means a pace at which speaking is still possible but singing is not. Anyone following this guideline needs neither a watch nor a heart-rate measurement to assess the intensity.
For muscle strengthening, the WHO recommendation calls for at least two days per week. This aspect is often overlooked in weight-loss contexts, even though it concerns muscle mass, whose decline the IQWiG describes as a consequence of weight loss.
What a test is useful for here
In Chapter 2, we stated that the consumer advice center considers DNA testing as the basis for a weight-loss program a drawback. Simply omitting this sentence would have been the more convenient option. It is included here because it is part of the evidence.
This clearly distinguishes our own offering. A DNA test is not a weight-loss program and does not replace one. It provides no calorie target, no nutrition plan with proven effects on weight, and no indication of how much someone will lose.
mybody®x works with a certified specialist laboratory in Germany, conducts its analyses in compliance with the GDPR, and has been active since 2016, serving end customers since 2022. The following test describes genetic predispositions, nothing more.
DNA test from saliva
WeightLoss | SLIM DNA Test
More than 80 genetic variations from a saliva sample, evaluated in 24 analysis reports. What the test does not do: It is not a weight-loss program, does not predict weight trends, and does not provide a diagnosis. It does not replace an energy deficit. The consumer advice center takes a critical view of DNA testing as the basis for a weight-loss program, and this also applies to this test.
Information from the product page, accessed 11.08.2026
Chapter at a glance
A test describes predispositions and does not replace a calorie deficit. The Verbraucherzentrale lists DNA tests as a negative factor when used as the basis of a weight-loss program, and we reproduce that assessment here. Anyone who wants to lose weight needs the balance, not the test result.
Limitations: what this article does not answer
The widely cited figure that most diets fail does not appear here. We did not find a reliable percentage relapse rate in any of the sources reviewed. Stating a number just because it appears everywhere would be the opposite of evidence-based practice.
A specific percentage for the proportion of muscle mass lost during rapid weight loss could not be substantiated either. The sources warn about this without quantifying the amount.
None of the institutions reviewed has examined or recommended “losing weight without giving anything up” as a concept. The term comes from advertising, and this article evaluates it against the available evidence rather than confirming it.
Finally, the most important caveat. Obesity is a disease, and once your BMI exceeds 30, planning should be handled by medical professionals. This article describes general principles and does not replace consultation, diagnosis, or treatment.
What remains of “without giving anything up”
If you take one sentence away from this article, let it be this: Don't eliminate any food; simply reduce the space it takes up. That is the practical translation of the criterion that there should be no forbidden foods.
The reason is unremarkable. A prohibition creates an exception, and an exception creates a guilty conscience. A smaller portion creates neither, yet affects the same balance.
The question at the beginning was whether it is possible without giving anything up. The honest answer is: as far as food choices are concerned, yes; as far as quantity is concerned, no. Anyone who interprets the promise differently is reading the advertising, not the guideline.
Frequently asked questions
Can you lose weight without giving anything up?
As far as food choices are concerned, yes; as far as quantity is concerned, no. In its quality criteria for weight-loss programs, the Verbraucherzentrale states that there should be no forbidden foods (2025). At the same time, the patient guideline on obesity recommends reducing energy intake by around 500 kilocalories per day, and elsewhere by 500 to 800 (2019). A calorie deficit is therefore unavoidable.
How many calories am I allowed to eat at minimum?
The Verbraucherzentrale gives 1,000 kilocalories as the lower limit, below which programs are difficult to sustain because of intense hunger. For medically supervised programs, it specifies minimum amounts of 1,200 kilocalories for women and 1,500 for men (2025). Below these values, planning should be done under medical supervision.
How much weight loss is realistic?
The patient guideline defines more than 5 percent of initial body weight in 6 to 12 months as the target for a BMI between 25 and 35, and more than 10 percent over the same period for a BMI above 35 (2019). The 2024 S3 guideline sets the threshold for success at at least 5 percent, maintained long term, and notes clinically detectable effects starting at 3 to 5 percent.
Why are crash diets problematic?
The Verbraucherzentrale explains that the risk of muscle loss is particularly high with crash diets and that basal metabolic rate then decreases because the body conserves energy; this is cited as a cause of the yo-yo effect (2022). The 2024 S3 guideline additionally mentions gallstones and loss of bone density with particularly rapid weight loss.
How much exercise is necessary?
The patient guideline recommends at least 150 minutes of endurance training per week for effective weight loss (2019). The WHO recommendation specifies the same amount, plus muscle-strengthening activities on at least two days. According to health reporting by the RKI, only 26.3 percent of adults met the combined recommendation in 2019.
Next step
One plate, two changes
Don’t eliminate anything; instead, reduce the portion of the most energy-dense component and add volume with fiber alongside it. Anyone who wants to know which genetic predispositions play a role can find out with the WeightLoss DNA Test.
WeightLoss DNA Test Healthy rather than rapid weight lossRead more
You might also be interested in
The question of pace, when it’s less the restrictions than the speed that concerns you.
The phase that follows, which according to the evidence is more difficult than losing weight itself.
Sources
- Consumer Advice Centre: Weight-loss programs – what to consider when choosing one, as of 2025, and From metabolic diets to food combining: Prospects of success and risks, as of 2022 – verbraucherzentrale.de
- German Obesity Society and others: Patient guideline for the S3 guideline on the prevention and treatment of obesity, AWMF Register number 050-001, as of 2019, as well as the S3 guideline in the 2024 version – register.awmf.org
- Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG): Severe overweight (obesity), as of 2022 – gesundheitsinformation.de
- Robert Koch Institute (RKI): Physical activity behavior from age 18 onward, Federal Health Reporting, as of 2024, data year 2019 – gbe.rki.de
The verbatim quotation regarding prohibited foods, the complete list of criteria with the deductions, the calorie minimums of 1,000, 1,200, and 1,500, the reimbursement range of 50 to 80 percent, the six months of follow-up care, and the information on muscle loss and declining basal metabolic rate during crash diets come from source [1]. The energy reduction of 500 or 500 to 800 kilocalories, the target values of 5 and 10 percent, the 150 minutes of endurance training, and the information on gallstones and bone density come from [2]. The relationship between weight loss, muscle mass, and energy requirements comes from [3], while the proportion of 26.3 percent and the figures of 43.4 and 10.2 percent by age group come from [4]. Also cited are the reference value of at least 30 grams of fiber per day and the protein reference value of 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight, both from the German Nutrition Society (as of 2022 and ongoing, respectively). Information on price, scope, sample type, and laboratory comes from mybody®x's product page, accessed on August 11, 2026. All sources were accessed and reviewed on August 11, 2026.
mybody®x Editorial & Expert Team
Laboratory diagnostics Nutritional science Blood analysis interpretation Nutrigenetics
This article was created by the mybody®x editorial and expert team. The team combines laboratory diagnostics, nutritional science, and the interpretation of blood analyses. Contributors are listed on the authors page.
Published on May 24, 2024 · Last updated on August 11, 2026
The content is intended for general information and does not replace medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Reference ranges depend on the laboratory, method, and age; the information on your test report is always authoritative.
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