Yo-Yo'ing

Yo-yo dieting is when you diet off and on and your weight fluctuates up and down. It's simply the process of losing weight and then gaining it back. 30% of women and 10% of men have yo-yo dieted at some point in their weight loss journey. We are going to talk about the harmful affects of this type of pattern and why you do not want to Yo-yo diet ever again!

1. Over time you will gain more weight

• When you gain the weight back that you have lost, most yo-yo'ers will become heavier than when they started.

• If you diet for a short period of time the majority of people will gain up to 65% of that weight back in one year.

• As you gain the weight back and you have a period of being 'off' your diet, your appetite will increase making it even more difficult to lose the weight in the future.

• That is why slow and steady wins the race. Losing weight at a nice and slow pace is an easier diet to stick to and you will be more likely to keep the weight off for good!

2. Muscle Mass Loss = Metabolism Decrease

• As you lose body fat, you will also lose some of that muscle mass that's keeping your metabolism up.

• The problem with yo-yo'ing is that when you regain the weight, you will increase your body fat percentage at a higher rate. This makes losing the weight again even more difficult because your metabolism has slowed down and you don't have as much muscle to burn those extra calories.

• Your best bet, again, is to find a diet that is manageable for you where you don't feel overly restricted. This will allow you to continue your strength training to keep that muscle at bay while you slowly decrease your body fat and weight.

3. Negative Mindset

• Yo-yo dieting has been linked to frustration, hopelessness, and loss of self-esteem.

• Mentally it is so frustrating to see all your hard work and dieting go to waste as you regain all that weight you lost.

• Nobody goes on a diet hoping in a year they will gain the weight back. Everyone wants to shed those pounds for good.

• I can't stress enough how important it is for you to find a diet that isn't too extreme and one you can stick to as a lifestyle choice.

• If you're on a diet and you find yourself having an even amount of cheat days as you do diet days, that's a good sign this might not be the diet for you. Find a diet that you can stick to with minimal cheat days or binge sessions.

4. Health Depletion

• Yo-yo dieting has been linked to Type 2 Diabetes.

• Your insulin levels spike as you regain the weight making it difficult for your body to regulate insulin. Because Type 2 Diabetes is associated with lifestyle choices, this can be avoided.

• Yo-yo'ing can put you at an increased risk for heart disease.

• And the more weight lost and regained puts you at even a higher risk. As far as heart disease is concerned, Yo-yo'ing is more harmful than simply being over weight.

• Yo-yo'ing can also increase your body pressure.

5. The Take-Away

• Yo-yo Dieting is one of the worst things you can do to your body.

• If you find yourself fluctuating when you diet, chances are you fall into this category.

• Find a diet you can stick to for the long haul. This will be key physically and mentally.

If you need help with this or have questions please let me know. If you're not sure if you are a yo-yo dieters please reach out I'd be happy to help you get on the right track and figure it out.