Method for operating an internal combustion engine in a vehicle comprising an exhaust gas aftertreatment system, which is arranged downstream of the internal combustion engine and has at least one exhaust gas catalytic converter, comprising the following steps: after an ignition of the internal combustion engine, in which the exhaust gas catalytic converter has a temperature below its light-off temperature, establishing at least one limiting value for a torque that can be provided by the internal combustion engine or for a power that can be provided by the internal combustion engine, wherein the limiting value is below the maximum providable torque of the internal combustion engine or below the maximum providable power of the internal combustion engine, determining a reference value of an operating variable, wherein the operating variable describes a conversion behavior of the at least one exhaust gas catalytic converter, determining an actual value of the operating variable, comparing the reference value of the operating variable with the actual value of the operating variable, wherein the operating variable is the temperature of the exhaust gas catalytic converter or a partial volume of the exhaust gas catalytic converter or the temperature of the exhaust gas downstream of the exhaust gas catalytic converter, or wherein the operating variable is a time elapsed between the ignition process and the reaching of the light-off temperature of the at least one exhaust gas catalytic converter or a time equivalent, wherein the time equivalent is an integrated exhaust gas mass flow, an integrated quantity of an exhaust gas component, a input energy quantity, or a consumed fuel quantity, wherein at least a first and a second limiting value are defined, and the release of the maximum providable torque of the internal combustion engine takes place in a step-like manner and/or in the form of a ramp in the direction of increasing boundary values, after reaching or exceeding the reference value of the operating variable by the actual value of the operating variable, releasing the maximum providable torque of the internal combustion engine or the maximum providable power of the internal combustion engine. after an ignition of the internal combustion engine, in which the exhaust gas catalytic converter has a temperature below its light-off temperature, establishing at least one limiting value for a torque that can be provided by the internal combustion engine or for a power that can be provided by the internal combustion engine, wherein the limiting value is below the maximum providable torque of the internal combustion engine or below the maximum providable power of the internal combustion engine, determining a reference value of an operating variable, wherein the operating variable describes a conversion behavior of the at least one exhaust gas catalytic converter, determining an actual value of the operating variable, comparing the reference value of the operating variable with the actual value of the operating variable, wherein the operating variable is the temperature of the exhaust gas catalytic converter or a partial volume of the exhaust gas catalytic converter or the temperature of the exhaust gas downstream of the exhaust gas catalytic converter, or wherein the operating variable is a time elapsed between the ignition process and the reaching of the light-off temperature of the at least one exhaust gas catalytic converter or a time equivalent, wherein the time equivalent is an integrated exhaust gas mass flow, an integrated quantity of an exhaust gas component, a input energy quantity, or a consumed fuel quantity, wherein at least a first and a second limiting value are defined, and the release of the maximum providable torque of the internal combustion engine takes place in a step-like manner and/or in the form of a ramp in the direction of increasing boundary values, after reaching or exceeding the reference value of the operating variable by the actual value of the operating variable, releasing the maximum providable torque of the internal combustion engine or the maximum providable power of the internal combustion engine.