"Don't be afraid of chocolate!"

Interview with the qualified teacher and bestselling author Andreas Winter on " Losing weight is easier than gaining weight "

"Don't let anyone tell you that you have to watch your exercise or calories to lose weight! To put it bluntly: It is not the food itself that causes people to gain weight - it is the emotional significance of food that programs our metabolism to 'hold on' to it and store it as fat. An overweight person usually has a feeling of deficiency, suffers from feelings of stress or anxiety, they practically starve emotionally. But in childhood they learned to associate food with protection and love, which is why they eat - and therefore their body holds on to excess food instead of simply excreting what is superfluous."

Andreas Winter, successful coach and author of the bestselling series “Losing weight is easier than gaining weight” – now also available as a paperback – helps his clients to uncover the subconscious, hidden reasons behind their excess weight and to lose weight effortlessly and permanently.

Ten years after the first publication of your successful book, you are now publishing a completely revised paperback edition of “Losing weight is easier than gaining weight.” What is the difference between the new version and the original?

Andreas Winter: Ten years is a long time in research. New figures, facts and results have been incorporated into the new version of the book. I have also separated out the audio CD that was originally included and made it into a more comprehensive version with an audio book that I recorded myself as audio coaching. The new book is not only up to date, but also somewhat more up-to-date in terms of language - back then I was still very cautious in trying to "pick up" the medical professionals among the readers. I've spared myself that now, because the facts are overwhelming: anyone who still wants to convince people that they have to pay attention to exercise or calories in order to lose weight is not only making themselves unbelievable, but also morally guilty. It was time to speak clearly and unequivocally.

Despite your successful coaching method and the lively discussion that the depth psychology approach triggers, there are people who fail. Why do people fail to lose weight, even though it seems to be their greatest wish?

Winter: The difficulty lies in conveying the non-materialistic world view to a person. That it is one's own thoughts that control the body, that one has made oneself overweight, and not even by eating too much, but by the feeling that one has too little - this obviously overwhelmed many readers. So I have started again from the beginning and am now trying to explain how the body and metabolism are controlled by the psyche/soul. My hope is that the reader will get an idea of ​​how they have always shaped their body and now achieve a different result with a different strategy.

You claim that in the information age we have the chance to understand that the body itself does not do what it wants, but that all bodily functions are subject to "control commands". What consequences does this have for medical and therapeutic treatment?

Winter: To use the analogy: a computer doesn't need better power or different screws to run well - it needs optimal programs. It's exactly the same with the body. What a body needs isn't medication, exercise programs or discipline, just the realization that its food is food again and not a symbol of praise, gratitude, love or peace. As soon as a person eats his food to nourish himself and not to make himself feel good, he loses weight. Gastric reduction or gastric banding, Reductil, Weight Watchers or all other diets cruelly mock those who want to lose weight, because the mechanism of conditioning has been known to every scientist since the 1920s.

In your opinion, the accumulation of fat in animals is caused by feelings and not by diet per se. What are these reasons and what actually makes us fat if it is not food alone?

Winter: To be clear: It is not the food at all that makes people gain weight. It is not the school bell that makes a student feel free in class, or the cigarette that makes a smoker feel relieved, but rather the significance of the respective stimulus. Animals are fundamentally wired to hold on because of a sense of lack. In the wild, food is not always available when you want it, but only under certain conditions; an animal could easily starve to death. As soon as a body is programmed to "hold on," it turns everything that is scarce and rare but is obviously needed into fatty tissue. Does an overweight person think they are starving? No! But they are starving emotionally, so they eat. In childhood, food was associated with protection and love.

One goal of your book is to regain conscious control over your eating habits. What is necessary for this, and how can you successfully defend yourself against the well-intentioned advice of doctors and nutritionists?

Winter: With a little common sense, anyone can see that a medical system that doesn't heal but instead prescribes, prescribes and tinkers over and over again doesn't provide a permanent cure or remedy for a problem, but rather profits from the fact that this is precisely what doesn't happen. Permanent dependence on nutritional advice, diets, exercise programs - these are all declarations of immaturity for formerly free people. As children, we did everything right: we slept when we were tired and ate when we were hungry. We played when we wanted to try things out and develop ourselves, and asked questions when we needed an answer. And we didn't eat when we weren't hungry! We've lost that because food has become a symbol, a currency. Food must once again be pure nourishment for the body. Trusting that the body only evaluates what it needs and simply excretes the rest helps us to eat without stress. And without stress, no fat!

False beliefs, false dietary motivations and the hidden benefits of being overweight are the main reasons for weight gain. In your opinion, what connection is there with the alleged global increase in obesity?

Winter: It is the same reason why terrorism and incurable diseases are on the rise in the world: economic interests! Who profits from people feeling helpless, hopeless and dependent? It is the industries that want to sell you the antidote in the long term. But it is very easy to become independent. You just have to understand the madness of conditioning, you just have to open your eyes and see: is there an exception to the phenomenon? Is there someone who eats without gaining weight, someone who doesn't exercise and still loses weight? Is there someone who is free of anxiety and happy without being simple-minded? If so, what is the mechanism? What does someone who has no problems do differently from someone who has been suffering for years? The medical and nutritional industries in any case do not want us to free ourselves, which is why they teach children in kindergarten what is supposedly good for the body - and in doing so they stoke fear.

For a long time, being overweight was considered a sign of wealth and power - nowadays even top managers and politicians outdo each other in their ascetic and mindful lifestyle. As a psychological consultant, what do you think of the new health awareness and the trend towards self-optimization?

Winter: Anyone who disciplines themselves to be healthy is not an authentic role model. Anyone who thinks they can lie to their fellow human beings will eventually notice that people will no longer believe their lies as soon as they no longer feel dependent on them. Adonis figure, vegetarian diet, fitness programs, these are all things you can do, but you should never do them to achieve something. They should be an end in themselves, otherwise you will quickly lose your credibility. Personally, I prefer a clumsy person who thinks they are OK to a six-pack that is struggling, because when it comes down to it, discipline breaks down and then the moment of truth comes. My advice: be happy with who you are and after a while you will look that way too. The body follows your thoughts. Always!

Book tip:
Andreas Winter: Losing weight is easier than gaining weight. Mankau Verlag, 1st edition March 2017, paperback, 12 x 19 cm, approx. 142 pages. 9.95 euros (D) / 10.30 euros (A) ISBN 978-3-86374-370-3.

Audiobook tip:
Andreas Winter: Losing weight is easier than gaining weight. With start-up assistance and accompanying coaching. Mankau Verlag, 1st edition March 2017. 2 audio CDs, total running time approx. 134 minutes. RRP €15. ISBN 978-3-86374-373-4.

Link recommendations:
More information about the guide "Losing weight is easier than gaining weight"
More information about the audio book "Losing weight is easier than gaining weight"
To the reading sample in PDF format
More about Andreas Winter
To the Internet forum with Andreas Winter