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Weight Loss Tip: The truth behind yo-yo dieting
...and how to lose weight without regain.
Nameera Temkar
January 15, 2024
When was the last time you went on a diet? A survey performed by the US Center for Disease Control (CDC) over several years showed that 17.1% of US adults over the age of 20 were following a special diet on a given day. Many of diet to lose weight, then stop the diet, put the weight back and start all over again. Today we take a look at the yo-yo dieting issue, why it isn’t good for you, and what to do to lose weight more sustainably.
What is yo-yo dieting?
Yo-yo dieting refers to someone starting a new diet, losing weight and then regaining the weight or maybe even putting on more weight. This up-and-down motion of weight loss and weight gain resembles a yo-yo hence the name. It is also called by its clinical name ‘weight cycling’ which was coined by Kelly D. Brownell and refers to the cycles of weight loss and weight gain, experienced by many.
Weight loss and weight gain can put you in a frustrating cycle and can strain your relationship with food further. People can fall into yo-yo dieting for various reasons; you may start with an initial goal of losing weight to improve health conditions such as PCOS, or just to be healthy in general. Once you start cutting down on food and restricting different food groups, you may see a decrease in weight which is logical. However, once that weight is lost, and you hit the plateau phase you can get tired of following the diet and start eating ‘normally’ again leading to weight gain. This cycle of weight gain and weight loss may cause physical and mental harm.
Though anyone could be affected by this harmful process, certain groups are at a higher risk. Obese people are more likely to attempt weight loss and thus face a risk of falling into this cycle. Young people, heavily influenced by celebrities are also more likely to experience yo-yo dieting. Societal pressure from family and friends can lead to weight cycling.
Understanding the cycle
The cycle of yo-yo dieting can be divided into three phases - initial weight loss, plateau phase and diet fatigue and relapse.
The initial weight loss phase begins with the goal of losing weight, restricting food groups such as carbohydrates which leads to a calorie deficit and eventually weight loss. The plateau phase is the second stage and as the name suggests, the individual reaches a stagnant point with weight loss. Research has shown that individuals who lose weight secrete higher levels of the hormone ghrelin which causes an increase in hunger and promotes the conservation of fat stores. This plateau phase may be the period where hormones are readjusted.
The third and final stage of one cycle is diet fatigue and relapse. The combination of no weight loss in the plateau phase, increased hunger and fatigue can lead to discouragement, abandonment of the diet and weight gain. There can be psychological and hormonal effects of the plateau phase:
An increase in ghrelin and an increase in hunger can lead to rapid weight gain.
Weight loss in an uncalculated manner can lead to the loss of a large amount of lean mass compared to fat. Regaining weight can lead to an individual having more fat than lean mass. This combined with other factors can lead to the person feeling worse mentally.
Why is yo-yo dieting harmful?
Besides the possible mental and hormonal effects, it may lead to other medical conditions.
Yo-yo dieting may lead to cardiovascular conditions
Research has shown that there is fluctuation of energy in yo-yo dieting. Fluctuation of energy for a long continuous time can lead to potential fluctuation in the risk factors of your cardiovascular system. These risk factors include fluctuations in heart rate, blood pressure, workload of your heart, blood glucose, and fats in your blood and these can overshoot during periods of weight regain. These repeated overshoots may cause stress on your heart that does not reduce in periods of weight loss. This may lead to injury to your cardiovascular system.
Yo-yo dieting may lead to slower metabolism
Your body’s metabolism is how your body digests food and spends it in the form of energy. If you are someone with a slow metabolism, you may notice bloating and difficulty in losing weight. Weight cycling may be associated with altered body composition and there can be an increase in fat but a decrease in lean mass. A decrease in lean body mass and an increase in fat reduces basal metabolic rate.
Yo-yo dieting may lead to an increased risk of Diabetes
Though not all studies confirm this, yo-yo dieting is considered a risk factor for developing Diabetes. Weight fluctuation is known to lead to higher levels of insulin and insulin resistance which can lead to diabetes. This can be explained by two mechanisms:
Weight gain leads to insulin resistance
Fluctuations in glucose and lipids can lead to vascular injury and insulin resistance
What can you do instead?
If you want to reduce your weight, a weight loss method that does not cause harm should be considered. After all, losing weight at the expense of other possible health conditions such as eating disorders should not be encouraged.
Set realistic expectations
The goal of losing 20 pounds in a month is unrealistic. If lost unintentionally or intentionally, this weight loss may require medical attention. Setting unrealistic goals can lead to frustration, stress and unhealthy eating habits. An unhealthy relationship with food can further lead to severe conditions such as disordered eating.
Aim to lose a realistic amount of weight every month. “A long-term change in how you eat is always better than fast weight loss through fad diets” says Katie Lips founder at Eatiful. A long term approach is better for your body and mind. With a long term approach, you can still eat that piece of cake or order takeout. You just have to eat food more mindfully.
Follow hunger cues
If you want to lose weight more sustainably, it can be helpful to know when to stop eating. Hunger importantly tells your body when you need to eat. As your stomach gets filled and reaches a certain limit, it along with your intestines sends signals of fullness or satiety. Satiety is controlled by gut peptide hormones such as GLP-1, cholecystokinin (CCK) and PYY. Learning to listen to your body, and what it truly needs, is key. If you were previously weight cycling you may find you suffer from a hormonal imbalance that may cause you to feel overly hungry. You may need to build strategies to remedy this.
Eat slowly
When was the last time you ate slowly and took time to process the flavours and sensations when eating? If you have a fast lifestyle, you are more likely to eat quickly wihtout paying much attention to food, while trying to get to your next task. A study done in Japan showed that changes in eating speed can affect changes in obesity and waist circumference. Eating quickly is also associated with impaired glucose tolerance and insulin resistance. Eating slowly is a key component of the Eatiful method which helps people to slow down, enjoy food more and lose weight.
Yo-yo dieting, or rather weight gain after rapid weight loss is something that would-be dieters should aim to avoid. However most weight loss programmes encourage extreme and rapid weight loss, and can contribute to the problem. If you’re considering starting a diet or weight loss regime, make sure it allows you to learn about what works for your body, and importantly lets you lose weight in a slow controlled and sustainable way. Ultimately if you know you can’t stick to a diet, it’s probably doing you more harm than good.
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