Reasons you need to stop yo-yo dieting right now (backed by research).
Yo-yo dieting, also known as “weight cycling,” describes the pattern of losing weight, regaining it and then dieting again.
It’s a process that causes weight to go up and down like a yo-yo.
This type of dieting is common in 10% of men and 30% of women.
PMID: 9564178, PMID: 25429313
1) INCREASED APPETITE LEADS TO MORE WEIGHT GAIN OVER TIME
As you diet & lose fat, leptin (a hormone that makes you feel full) decreases and appetite increases. This leads to increased appetite as the body tries to resupply depleted energy stores.
When most people use a short-term diet to lose weight, they will regain 30–65% of that lost weight within one year, according to a 2015 study.
PMID: 25614198
Moreover, 1 in 3 dieters end up heavier than before they dieted. This weight gain completes the “up” phase of yo-yo dieting and may prompt dieters to begin another cycle of weight loss. PMID: 25614201
2) HIGHER BODY FAT PERCENTAGE
In one 2017 study review, 58% (11 out of 19 studies) found that a history of yo-yo dieting predicted a higher body fat percentage and greater belly fat.
Also, 50% (4/8 of studies) reported that weight cycling increased the likelihood of future weight gain. PMID: 27773644
During the weight gain phase of yo-yo dieting, fat is regained more quickly than muscle mass. This can result in your body fat percentage increasing over multiple yo-yo cycles. PMID: 25614202
3) IT CAUSES FRUSTRATION
Yo-yo dieters also report poor self-efficacy regarding their bodies and health. In other words, they feel a sense of being out of control.
However, yo-yo dieting is not related to depression, self-restraint, or negative personality traits. PMID: 9385625
Adults with a history of yo-yo dieting report feeling dissatisfied with their lives and health PMID: 8002684
4) IT MAY BE WORSE THAN STAYING OVERWEIGHT
A 2007 long-term study of 15-years including 505 adults aged 55-74 for 15 years found their weight fluctuations were associated with an 80% higher risk of dying during the study period. Meanwhile, obese adults who maintained a consistent weight had a chance of dying similar to normal-weight adults. PMID: 17676383
Yo-yo dieting is worse than losing weight and keeping it off.
PMID: 17283263
5) IT CAN LEAD TO A FATTY LIVER
A study in mice showed that several cycles of weight gain and weight loss caused fatty liver. Another mouse study showed that fatty liver led to liver damage in weight-cycling mice. However, more human research data is needed. PMID: 15513954, 23607320
Fatty liver is when the body stores excess fat inside the liver cells and is associated with changes in the way the liver metabolises fats and sugars, increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes.
6) INCREASE THE RISK OF HEART DISEASE
The New England Journal of Medicine published a 2017 study including 9,509 adults and found that the increase in the risk of heart disease depends on the size of the swing in weight; the more weight lost and regained during yo-yo dieting, the greater the risk. PMID: 28379800
Weight cycling has been associated with coronary artery disease, and a review of several studies concluded that large variations in weight over time doubled the odds of death from heart disease.
PMID: 8002684, 8615341
7) IT CAN INCREASE BLOOD PRESSURE
A 2005 study of 66 adults found that those with a history of yo-yo dieting had less improvement in blood pressure while losing weight.
PMID: 15981894
A 2012 long-term study also found the harmful associations of prior yo-yo dieting were strongest when yo-yo dieting had occurred more recently, rather than decades prior.
PMID: 21760629
 8) SHORT-TERM THINKING PREVENTS LONG-TERM LIFESTYLE CHANGES
The body increases appetite and holds on to fat stores during dieting; all too often, a temporary diet becomes self-defeating, leading to temporary improvement followed by weight gain and disappointment. PMID: 25614201
A 2013 study of 439 overweight women showed that a lifestyle intervention designed to promote gradual and consistent weight loss over time was equally effective in women with or without a history of yo-yo dieting PMID: 22898251
Conclusion:
It’s clear as day that doing more restrictive diets is detrimental to our health.
Here’s a post from a member today after listening to our podcast episode on this:
“I feel like this morning’s podcast spoke directly to me. I come from a Slimming World background of yo-yo dieting (at last try, lost 20lb, gained 36lb ), and I’ve also recently been diagnosed with fatty liver disease which actually terrified me. I was miserable doing SW though I lost weight fast. With Turtle, because my mindset is changing, it feels so different. 2lb down so far and that’s fantastic for me because I also feel like I’m learning and changing the way I think about my own well-being. Thank you so much for the podcast.”
So, where should you start?
You start small, tiny steps towards a new lifestyle.
The best way to start is by using our nutrition app. We work out the calories and macros you should eat to hit your goal.
We provide expert short videos by PhD Paul Rimmer on nutrition, mindset and how to collect your data to “be your own scientist”
You’ll join a community of people who have come from slimming world, weight watchers and the rest of them who want long-term change.
It’s tough, but won’t it make you at peace knowing you’re moving in a beneficial direction for your long term health?
Isn’t it time we took things slow and steady and moved away from the self-harm of yo-yo dieting?
If you’re ready to take the next steps, you can sign up for an annual subscription to our nutrition app for 50% off this month!
Just £59 for 12 months. > sign up here
Or if you’d prefer to chat to us about our total health membership, you can book a free 30-min nutrition strategy call with one of our coaches here.
Whatever it is you do, take action towards total health and away from the extremes of the fitness industry.
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