Repeated cycles of weight loss and gain can be demoralizing to the person who is constantly battling obesity. Commonly referred to as "yo-yo dieting," the constant shifting between periods of calorie restriction and feasting has some with two different sets of clothes in the closet. To solve this phenomenon you must make a commitment to a long-term diet plan as well as a new relationship between food and your body.
Cycling Effects
The effects of repeated cycles of weight loss and gain are direr than originally thought.
The real problem is the damage done to the inside lining of your blood vessels. This lining is called the endothelium. The endothelium is like an inner tube in a tire that all the blood goes through to protect the blood vessels.
In the Feb. 23, 2006 issue of the "Cardiovascular Diabetology Journal," notes it is this damage that is not seen by the human eye that leads to start of all the health problems experienced. It is the stress put on this organ that you should be concerned with. A dysfunctional endothelium is the major factor that leads to, diabetes, atherosclerosis, and cardiovascular disease.
Metabolism Misconceptions
The number one myth is that our metabolism slows down or becomes more efficient after each episode of dieting; that your body goes into a starvation mode, protecting you from effects of starvation. This is true in a period of calorie restriction but then changes back to normal when your body goes back to feeling that it is feasting. The only true fact you have to deal with is because you are getting older, your metabolism does slow down. According to a May 2005 article in "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition," affecting your metabolism even more is the natural loss of muscle mass as you get older. This alone can explain why losing weight in multiple repeated diet cycles becomes harder.
Health Considerations
Repeated cycles of weight gain are detrimental to health. After you get off a diets, you tend to go back to your bad habits. Skipping meals, eating too much at one time, as well as eating the wrong foods are the major factors in higher associations with obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension and cancer. Weight fluctuation can only intensify the preexisting conditions that our bad habits overtime have caused.
Diet Failure
The real effect that repeated cycles of weight gain and loss is the feeling of failure. There are periods of time that you do everything just right only to let life get in the way. Through food restriction, dieters also make food more important, causing internal mental conflicts and stress. Explained clearly in a study by the UK's National Centre For Eating Disorders, dieters are more likely than non-dieters to turn to food when they are emotionally anxious or depressed. This phenomenon is created by dieting itself.
Diet Solution
The trick to finally defeat the repeated cycles of weight gain and loss is to acquire a new strategy or relationship with food. Start thinking as food as medicine for your body. Adopt a long-term diet plan for life. Never again think about the process of losing weight only. Include an eating plan that is also concerned with the process of maintaining your goal weight forever. Thinking long term of what you eat daily gives a sense of control that leads to a healthier and happier life.
References
- Archives of Internal Medicine: Weight Change, Weight Fluctuation, and Mortality
- National Centre for Eating Disorders: Psychology of Dieting
- "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition": Weight Cycling: The Experience of Human Dieters
- "Cardio Vascular Diebetology": Endothelial Dysfunction: A Comprehensive Appraisal
- "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition": Aging Muscle
Member Comments