Who hasn’t tried once in his life a diet to lose or gain weight? How many diets with extreme sacrifices and no results? But the worst thing is when you reach your goal, you lose those pounds and for a short period of time you regain those pounds again.
In this post we will talk about yo-yo dieting or “weight cycling” facts, effects and how to stop it.
What is yo-yo diet?
Yo-yo diet is one type of many extreme fad diets which occurs when losing significant amount of weight and gain it back again. Also known as “weight cycling” referring to the cycle of repetitive weight loss and weight gain. Initially you will be pleased by results, but consuming few calories, skipping meals can be harmful for your health and the most difficult thing is to maintain that weight in long term. Yo-yo dieting is a common problem but you should not be demoralized. Instead find out the causes and try to stop this cycle by having a healthy nutrition.
Yo-yo diet causes
The primary reason of weight cycling is following extreme diet which means, few calories intake, skipping meals and radical food deprivation. At first dieters can be satisfied by the results but such extreme diets can cause depression, fatigue, lack of energy and slow down your metabolism. That’s why your body starts to seek energy, a normal metabolism for a normal lifestyle. That’s the point when you start to crave again, now added emotional eating letting you to eat more causing a rapid weight gain back.
An important role play also social factors as media, places you frequent most, seeing fitted people in perfect body shapes. The big desire bring you to take extreme decisions for fast results but not successful in long term.
The effects of yo-yo dieting on health
It’s important to know that a rapid weight loss has its side effects such as losing water weight and muscle mass. That’s because your body needs energy, and if it can’t get it by food then it digest muscle cells. Maybe you will be satisfied with fewer pounds but you won’t like your flabbier body. Your skin loses its elasticity and you risk getting stretch marks.
Also this rapid weight loss affects your emotional health, creating stress, depression and eating disorders.
The risk of heart disorders, osteoporosis, losing hair or other health disorders can be higher.
How to prevent or stop Yo-Yo diet
If you want to lose weight and maintain it in long term don’t choose extreme diets with rapid effects. Don’t slow your metabolism, give it a boost by alternating healthy nutrition with physical activity.
- Try to lose weight safely and gradually by consuming healthy and fresh food not any special pills or beverages
- Set realistic and long term weight loss goals, don’t expect miracles
- Don’t skip breakfast
- Control your emotional eating, find out other ways different from food to deal with stress, fatigue, concentration etc.
- Burn more calories than you consume, this is the law of weight loss. Take notice of what you eat and how much you eat
Rapid and unhealthy choices can be replaced by slowly but healthy ways, for long term results and no side effects. So be patient and avoid yo-yo dieting as much as you can.