4. Discussion
bloating, FM, shakes, metabolic syndrome, weight loss
METABOLIC SYNDROME
The aim of this study, which was to facilitate weight loss in postmenopausal women with overweight, was fulfilled. Another positive result is the significant and lasting reduction in waist circumference. An increased waist circumference is associated with an increased risk of metabolic syndrome [Another factor that enabled success was the close interaction between nutritionists and participants. Wishes, concerns and problems were discussed in face-to-face conversations and telephone calls, which established a relationship based on trust and mutual respect. This meant that the challenges of dieting, such as bloating, drinking shakes and maintaining motivation, were communicated and discussed honestly, and eye height protocol violations were reported, as shown by the feedback summarized in The decreasing trend in the attendance of women at the training sessions was compensated for individual post-training meetings. Using this approach, women were empowered to change their dietary behavior and implement what they had learned in the intervention stage during the follow-up. This was shown by significant weight loss of almost 5 kg (at tComparison of the range of weight loss, which reflects interindividual differences in response to the intervention, with previous studies remains difficult as generally only a standard deviation or confidence interval is reported in other publications. Gardner et al. [We found an inverse association between energy intake and FFM, with rapid weight loss particularly detrimental to lean mass. Therefore, in future studies, it should be communicated to participants that losing weight too quickly could result in a high loss of FFM and muscle mass, especially in older women who have an increased risk of a decrease in FFM in contrast to an increase in absolute FM [In this study, an energy deficit of 750 kcal/24 kcal (circa 30%) based on total energy expenditure (TEE = REE × PAL) was targeted. This should result in an average weight loss of about 500 g per week, which was achieved by women who followed the protocol (The success of the intervention with individual meal plans in this study is in agreement with other studies that have shown PN to be effective in promoting dietary change. In the Food4Me study [The delivery of information is also important in weight loss strategies: Hartmann-Boyce et al. [