Every other day, a new weight-reduction program or food plan debuts on social media, promising quick and amazing weight loss results. But, while it may be appealing to hop on the bandwagon of something new, doctors advise that many of these diets are unsustainable and may result in a person gaining weight if they stop following that regimen. This pattern of starting and terminating diet plans is referred to as yo-yo dieting. Continue reading if this seems like something that happens to you from time to time.
What Exactly Is Yo-Yo Dieting?
Yo-yo dieting is a term often used to describe the cylce of starting a new diet, losing weight, stopping the diet, and gaining the lost weight. Yo-yo dieting is sometimes referred to by the clinical term “weight cycling,” which refers to the system of losing and regaining weight as a result of starting and stopping diets on a regular basis. Typically, new diets claim that their plan can help you look and feel your best, which can lure someone who believes that losing weight would improve their life. The difficulty is that this form of dieting frequently returns the individual to the weight loss-weight gain cycle.
Why Is Yo-Yo Dieting Dangerous?
Dieting can sound like a beneficial thing to do for your health when society focuses so much attention on a person’s weight or BMI (body mass index). While maintaining a healthy weight for your gender, age and body type is essential, so is how you get there. Unfortunately, some popular diets promoted on social media are not sustainable or are extremely restricted, leading to yo-yo dieting since they cannot be maintained long-term. When this transpires on a regular basis, it might have detrimental repercussions. Here are some of the main reasons why yo-yo dieting can be harmful to your health.
Your Metabolism May Slow
To function properly, the human body requires nutrients and calories from meals. As a result, yo-yo dieting’s low nutritional and caloric intake has a variety of negative consequences. Your body responds to under-eating by raising hunger hormones and reducing metabolism. This habit can lead to decreased thyroid function, less endurance, increased weariness, and mood changes—there is, after all, a physiological rationale for hangry.
According to research, weight reduction is frequently accompanied by a decrease in resting metabolic rate (RMR). This mechanism, known as “metabolic adaptation” or “adaptive thermogenesis,” counteracts weight loss and may contribute to weight regain. The metabolic adaption that the participants experienced lasted for several years after the competition, according to the researchers.
Furthermore, RMR remained suppressed at the same average level after the weight reduction competition, making it difficult for participants to lose weight again. Even those who were the most successful at sustaining their weight loss after six years exhibited increased continuous metabolic slowing. As a result, the researchers conclude that long-term weight loss necessitates people to combat persistent metabolic adaptation that undermines their ongoing efforts to lose body weight. To do so, you should be mindful of your food intake, increase your physical activity level, and be kind to yourself.
Increases the Chances of Establishing an Eating Disorder
Yo-yo dieting and taking some of the fun out of eating can raise the chance of developing an eating disorder. Indeed, research has shown that an unhealthy and unbalanced relationship with food can lead to disordered eating and potentially put a person at risk for an eating disorder like anorexia or bulimia.
Promotes the Accumulation of Abdominal Fat in the Body
Yo-yo dieting can promote the accumulation of visceral fat in the midsection. In fact, according to one scientific review, 58% of studies found a connection between weight cycling and increased weight around the abdomen or midsection. Unfortunately, fat or visceral fat, or fat that accumulates in the center of the body, is linked to various life-threatening conditions, including stroke, heart disease, and heart attacks.
Enhance the Risk of Type 2 Diabetes
While being overweight can increase your chances of diabetes in general, yo-yo dieting can reverse the impact, even raising your risk of acquiring type 2 diabetes. Conversely, a restrictive or binge eating behavior, frequent in weight cycling, can result in prolonged blood glucose increases, which may increase the risk of type 2 diabetes.
May Reduce Muscle Mass in the Body
Muscle mass is essential for strength, mobility, and healthy aging, but yo-yo dieting can undermine our body’s muscle mass and current body fat.
When people talk about reducing weight, they really want to modify their body composition by shedding fat by burning more calories than consumed while either maintaining or building muscle. If you lose a pound of fat but adds a pound of muscle, your weight will remain constant, but your body composition will be healthier because your body fat percentage will be lower.
How to Get Rid of Yo-Yo Dieting
If you’ve relied on diets to lose weight for years, or even decades, it might be challenging to break the pattern of yo-yo dieting. However, it is critical to develop a long-term eating plan.
Stop Classifying Foods as “Good” or “Bad.”
Depending on your relationship with food, you may be tempted to label certain foods as “good” or “bad.” However, doing so may skew your perception of what is and isn’t nutritious. When it comes to many of these items, the issue isn’t always the food itself, but rather how much or how frequently we consume it. The problem is that making them off-limits gives them absolute power and removes your perception of self-control. The key is to allow foods in moderation and to let yourself know that you are allowed to have them, which eliminates the restriction power as well as the fear that you will never be able to have them again.
Include Intuitive Eating.
Intuitive eating is the polar opposite of dieting; it entails tuning into your body’s natural cues, such as hunger, fullness, and any side effects that may occur when you consume certain foods. Research shows that intuitive eating habits improve health and a lower risk of type 2 diabetes. By tuning into your body’s unique and particular demands without limitation or deprivation, intuitive eating encourages balanced and diversified food choices, leading to greater satisfaction and happiness than yo-yo dieting.
Self-care and Stress Management Should be Prioritized
When our metaphorical cup is empty and overstressed, we generally turn to food for energy. However, a solid stress management plan incorporating stress-relieving activities like meditation, yoga, and journaling can become a yo-yo dieting prevention savior.
Consult with a Medical Professional
Seeking the help of a healthcare provider, whether a registered dietitian or a mental health professional specializing in unhealthy eating behaviors, may assist you in developing a nutritious, balanced, and tailored meal plan for your specific needs. Understanding the concepts that drive food decisions and getting to the base of your desire to lose weight will help you break the cycle of weight cycling.
Kim’s Final Thoughts…
When it comes to yo-yo dieting, remember that weight loss is not a one-time event, but rather a pattern of conduct that might put you at risk for a number of health problems. While it can be difficult to break the cycle of yo-yo dieting, making small modifications and steps toward altering your relationship with food might add up to major results over time. Suppose you are struggling with yo-yo dieting and are unsure how to change your eating habits. In that case, you might consider speaking with a mental health expert or registered dietitian who can help you evaluate your goals, form new habits, and develop a long-term eating plan.
