Yo-Yo Dieting

Today I found an article on fitnessmagazine.com that talks about why yo-yo dieting is bad. For those you that don’t know what yo-yo dieting is, it is when you lose weight, and gain it back, only to start dieting again. I, for one, am a constant yo-yo dieter. I can easily drop ten pounds, but I quickly fall off the wagon and gain it right back a couple months later.

            According to this article, I am not alone, and many people who lose weight will inevitably gain it back. This article also says a typical dieter will have to restart four times a year! That is just crazy! Clearly most of us need to work on or self restrain, and make our selves keep on track with our diets.

            The reason this article gives for so many failed diets is the fact that so many people do not put in the effort to make a lifestyle change. People want fast results, and they want to go right back to most of their regular habits after they have reached the weight they were aiming for.  A lifestyle change is a necessity if we want to avoid yo-yo dieting.

            We want to avoid yo-yo dieting because it is harmful to our bodies. According to Andrea Pennington, "Repeated crash dieting increases metabolic hormones, such as insulin, and elevates levels of sex hormones, including estrogen. These changes cause you to start putting on weight around your middle, which research has linked to insulin resistance, diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease."

            Obviously no one wants to feel like they are constantly starting over on a diet. If you are able to change to a healthy lifestyle, your body will fallow suit and you will no longer be a victim of yo-yo dieting. I for one am going to make a better effort to change myself rather than simply “Diet.”