What is yo-yo dieting?
The lure of fast weight loss can be hard to resist, with the promise of a new body and a new life. But most eating plans or fad diets that help you to lose a lot of weight quickly are very hard to stick to over the long-term.
The weight that’s lost will often rapidly return once you go off the diet, resulting in an up-and-down pattern in body weight. That’s where the term yo-yo dieters originates, describing people who are constantly going on and off fad diets. It’s also referred to as weight cycling, and there is new research to show that it may be associated with some risks to your health.
The research
A study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology suggested that habitual dieters who constantly lose weight and then put it back on again may develop lower levels of HDL (good) cholesterol – which can have a negative impact on heart health.
The researchers suggested that women who lost at least 4 kg three or more times had 7% lower HDL cholesterol levels than women who maintained a stable weight.
According to the researchers, this may be particularly important for women, because HDL cholesterol is a significant marker for heart health in women.
How to avoid yo-yo dieting
The following tips may help you to lose body fat and prevent dangerous fluctuations in weight associated with fad dieting.
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Be active – Weight loss without exercise is rarely effective over the long-term. It’s thought that rapid weight loss may slow the body’s metabolic rate due to lost muscle mass, so the weight returns quickly. This also makes it even harder to lose body fat in the future. On the other hand, boosting your body’s metabolic rate is a key step in losing weight over the long-term and keeping it off. The key to a healthy, faster metabolism is to regularly use and move your muscles during physical activity.
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Think differently – Weight cycling can put you on an emotional roller coaster that can impact upon your confidence and self esteem. You may need to change mentally in order to change physically. Remember, the way you eat to lose weight has to be the way you eat when you have lost weight. Try to gradually adopt a healthy pattern of eating that you never want to stop.
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Make small, progressive changes - If body fat is reduced gradually, it is more likely to stay off, because it requires only slight changes in your eating and exercise behavior. Gradual lifestyle changes are also easier to maintain over the long-term.
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Expect slow change - You need to make slow, gradual changes, and expect slow, gradual results. Know that it will be challenging, and that it will take time. If you approach lifestyle changes thinking realistically, you will be much more likely to succeed.
References available on request