Proactol Blog

Does Yoyo dieting ruin your body?

Yoyo dieting is a term that is becoming all too common among those seeking to lose weight nowadays. In reality, it has become a new way of life for some people in their weight loss journey as it is easy for dieters to get caught up in a cycle of healthy eating and binge eating, causing them to lose and gain weight repeatedly.

Yo-yo dieting refers to “the act of repeatedly getting on and off of a diet, which is usually a result of a diet that is too extreme and therefore cannot successfully be maintained for any prolonged period of time.”

However, only now, most of the diet advice seekers are beginning to realize the unwanted effects associated with this type of dieting. It has been shown in several studies that yoyo dieting is a complicated weight loss journey in which you lose weight, you gain weight, you lose the weight all over again and you gain it back again (and then some.)

In fact, in yoyo dieting, people stock up on special foods and clean out their kitchen. They hit the gym two hours a day and have a stressful day. They notice your food cravings growing strong. Eventually they give into their cravings and overeat to push down the uncomfortable emotions. The food tastes so good and it does the trick for a little while, easing the stress and calming them down. It is a slippery slope from there and it can easily turn into binge eating, making it difficult to get back on track with the diet..

There is a real danger in yoyo dieting. You put yourself at risk for many serious health problems by losing and regaining the weight rapidly and repeatedly. Some of these include

• Liver problems
• Loss of muscle
• Lower metabolism
• Heart disease
• High blood pressure
• Stroke
• Diabetes
• Cancer
• Shortened life span

However, if you are a yoyo dieter that is lucky enough not to develop any major health risks, the loss of muscle and lower metabolism alone will make it nearly impossible for you to lose weight. Muscle burns fat, so the less muscle you have the harder it is going to be to lose weight.

Alternatives to yoyo dieting

• Adapt the real diet advice, stay away from fad diets
• Eat naturally but frequently (4-5 small meals a day)
• Find new ways to manage stress (for example yoga, hypnotherapy etc,)
• Get plenty of sleep (about 6-8 hours is recommended)
• Have healthy foods (rich in calcium, protein and fiber)
• Drink plenty of water (at least 8 to 10 glasses a day)
• Make a list of things you can do other than eat
• Make daily exercise a habit to burn fat (at least 30 minutes daily)
• Choose a natural and safe dietary supplement like Proactol

Remember, according to the best diet advice, the key to successful weight loss journey is not what you put in your mouth. It is what goes on in your mind. What goes into your mind affects your thinking; your thinking affects your behavior. When you choose behavior, you choose consequences. You create your own experience by what you choose and do. As mind controls our body and behaviors, if our mind can guide us to the proper way of eating, we would be able to complete our weight loss journey successfully.