Yo-yo Dieting

Question: Yo-yo dieting? I've been yo-yo dieting for years. I usually eat about 1000 cals a day, unless I end up bingeing! I keep reading that you shouldn't go below 1200 cals a day. Is it possible for me to lose weight eating 1200 cals, or have I done too much damage to my metabolism over the years? Please help.

Answer: That kind of dieting is the worst. Yes, you have messed up your metabolism and you should probably go see a diet doctor to see what suggestions they may have.

Question: How does one "fix" their metabolism after yo-yo dieting and starving themselves for so long? Yo-yo dieting and starvation diets leave a lot of people's metabolism (mine included) messed up, since one goes into metabolic "starvation mode" from major calorie cutting. How can a person stuck in this situation get out of it? How can one get their metabolism running correctly after "starving themselves?" Jesus flipping Christ! This section is nothing but goddamn spam!

Answer: JFC indeed, have just reported the nuisances. If you want to slowly get your body out of starvation mode, start eating plenty of healthy things, like salad and fruit. That way your body will kick start back into its normal metabolic rate, after a while it should be ok to eat normally again without your body absorbing everything that is put into it! Some say small amounts frequently which makes sense to me. Others say 3 well balanced meals a day - also sounds good to me. Choose whatever suits you best.

Question: yo yo dieting? how do i stop yo yoing? since a was about 16 ive always being on sum sort of diet u name it ive done it! im have 1 big problem though, when i was about 17 i discovered meal replacements at the time i loved the things and lost so much weight i thought id won! now im 20 and after years or swaping between them and eating im just getting bigger and bigger.ive gone from 97kgs to 75kgs bak up to 82kgs i no have an unhealthy relationship with food because of this,i hate eating!!! i no how to eat right and i do,i would like to erase past diets from my head but i no i cant what do i do?

Answer: Skipping from one diet to the next is bad for your body. Your body will actually retain more weight that way because your not balancing what you eat when you do that. The best way to loose weight is exercise and stay on a well balanced meal plan. Sit down and plan out all of your meals for a week and even stay on the same schedule with them. Eat breakfast lunch and dinner at a sheduled time everyday. By doing this your programming your body when its going to eat. This will also curve cravings during the day. You dont have to be on a weird diet to loose weight. When you go on those diets its on and off and its causing you to gain more weight. So plan your meals eat healthy snacks and exercise 3 times a week for a half an hour. Then you wont half to worry about what diet comes out next cause youve created your own that you like.

Question: How do I break the cycle of yo-yo dieting? I've lost the same 50 pounds about seven times. I'm a pro at losing it, but I always gain it back. Aside from being in therapy for this problem, I've been on Weight Watchers three times;did Neutra System;Took Meridia (weigh loss drug) to lose weight;went on my own "lifestyle changes.";excercised; did South Beach; Slim Fast; Well, you get the point... I've been through it all almost. I just don't know how to maintain the weight loss once it's off. I know most of my problem is psychological, but I just can't break this vicious cycle of chronic yo-yo dieting.

Answer: Don't stop dieting once you've lost it..... Whatever allows you to lose that weight in the first place should be equally effective at keeping it off... BUT ... it could be that you're uncomfortable with doing that for an extended period of time, and then some sort of alternative must be reached... Then... you haven't specified exactly what you do that leads to it coming back again. Its obviously some lifestyle yoyo transition that leads to the equivalent weight-change.... so what you really need to do is take on a stable and comfortable lifestyle that you can maintain constantly and consistantly.... without needing to change. Maybe take it a little more slowly, if you must. Losing that 50lbs can be slowed down if it puts you in a situation where you can more comfortably continue along the same path and keep it off... Then.... I could just give my usual weight-loss suggestions: #1. Drink Vodka & Red Bull for fun and frivolous hyperactivity. #2. Do it in the cold... because shivering burns up energy reserves (as opposed to those weirdos who tell you to sweat it out, which is kinda gross).

Question: How does yo-yo dieting mess up our metabolism? People say after dieting on and off its harder to lose weight. Why is that?

Answer: Yoyo dieting is bad over all but it also stresses your metabolism. Since you diet a certain way for a long period of time (your regular habits), your body is used to the way you do things. Your body is aware of when and how much you usually eat etc. so it digests accordingly. When you starve your self all of a sudden for awhile, your body uses up all your stored energy and digests slowly so that you will not run empty. So by changing your diet so dramatically and suddenly, you force your body to go into emergency mode basically. After your period of starvation, you are bound to eat again, but even if it is VERY little, your body will be like "oh my god! food, what do I do?" but by then, your metabolism would've gotten used to being that certain way. It's like going from 100 to -1, it's very difficult, if possible, to get your body back into a healthy state. Even though you might loose those pounds after a hard week of eating next to nothing, you are bound to gain some back, then it would be very difficult to use a proper healthy diet to change your body. Dangers of yoyo dieting: your body resorts to consuming energy and nutrients from your muscles, which will leave you will decreased mobility. people who go on crash diets have higher chances of going blind, getting arthritis and diabetes. and plus, why would you always want to look tired?

Question: What are the side effects of yo yo dieting? I go on diets,but go back to old habits,then binge,and end up feeling lower than ever because I came off the diet. Anybody have any tips on how to stick to the diet?

Answer: heart and b/p problems as well as depression

Question: What are the dangers of yo yo dieting? I was on a proper diet for about 4 days and then on the 5th day i cracked and stuffed myself with sugary treats such as chocolates and biscuits. This happens every time i go on a diet so i need to know what effects it will cause on my body. The more i know about how bad it is the less likely i will let it happen again.

Answer: This is one of the most common problem many dieters face. Sadly, the misconception of "sugary cravings" is that the body is deprived of "sugars", hence the brain sends a "craving" signal and the will-power caves in. Believe it or not, there has not been any conclusive scientific evidence to support this "sugar craving" notion. However, there are many hypothesis in the scientific field of nutrition & physiology. One of which is that dieting causes glycogen depletion. After few days, glycogen (body's main energy source) is low, hence stimulating the urge to feed on carbohydrate foods. This is known as the glucostatic hypothesis. Unfortunately, the sugary cravings for chocolates & biscuits are socially constructed and a learned human behaviour. No doubt chocs and biscuits do contain carbohydrates which is what the body is lacking, however, such treats do come with saturated fats and trans fats. Thus, increasing your body fat stores than before you started the diet. Well, things aren't so grim - there is light at the end of the tunnel. Contrary to popular notion that sugar/carbs/alcohol are fattening, they are NOT. Only fat is fattening. If you consume excess carbohydrates (don't matter if it's simple or complex carbs), the body will wastefully oxidised (burn) the excess & given off as body heat. This is the same with protein and especially alcohol as it is toxic. However, eating more carbs than what your body requires DELAYS fat oxidation (burning). This is because carbs get moved in front of the oxidation line, thus pushing fat back at the end of the queue. Many might ask "so how much carbs is considered excess carbs?". Evidence has shown that one would have to consume 20L of coke (not the diet ones) per day for at least 5days to be considered excess. Also the subjects were bedridden for that experimental length of time. In short, one can never consume excess carbohydrates as the body's primary fuel is carbs. So the next time you are sick of proper diet foods (yes they can be boring & bland) and want some sweet treats, your options are jelly beans, marshmellows, chewy fruit drops etc. They do not contain fat; they are almost pure glucose; they are not in the proper diet food list; they will not make you fat. Always read the nutritional label before you put anything in. This way, you are less likely to suffer the headaches and other dieting side effects and still keeping your energy level up to be active. In addition, you'd probably reach your goals faster & feel great.

Question: What effects does yo-yo dieting have on the body? I keep hearing that it takes its toll on the body, but in what way?

Answer: My wife did yo-yo dieting all through her teen years. At 26 she was taken into hospital after a week of incredible pain and diagnosed with gall stones. The doctors explained then that the cause was most likely to be yo-yo dieting. I kid you not - even with very high levels of morphine she was still in agony. Don't do it! Sensible weight loss is 2lbs a week tops. Also - if you starve yourself your body will then store future food as fat (as emergency stores) - therefore you are more likely to put on weight when you eat normally.

Question: How do I stop yo-yo dieting? I have been doing this for the past few years and I can't stop.? My weight has fluctuated up and down about 6 kilos (14 pounds) and now i am over weight by about 10 kilos. I can't seem to stick to a normal way of eating anymore. Everytime i eat something I wonder if its bad for me. its driving me insane! please help. How can i stop this cycle, and loose the weight i need to. (my doctor said i need to loose this weight) and not worry that i am going to go up again?

Answer: All those fab diets die hard. The South Beach diet, the Atkins diet, etc. Just count calories!!! eat about 1200 per day and you will lose weight. (don't stress about carbs, or protein, just count calories! .. you can't go wrong!) you can lose up to 4 lbs a week that way! (that's how I lost all my baby weight! :) 30lbs of it!

Question: How do I repair my metabolism and lose weight after months of crash dieting, yo-yo dieting....? and fasting then binging cycles? I think I'm stuck at a plateau with a sluggish metabolism because of my past efforts. How can I start to lose weight again?

Answer: The first thing you should do is maintain a healthy diet. Make sure that your diet is rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and good fats/oils such as omega 3's found in fish. Instead of eating three large meals throughout the day, eat 4 or 5 smaller meals (just enough to get you satisfied so that you avoid eating too many calories), 3 or 4 hours apart. This won't increase your metabolism, but it will prevent it from slowing down because it's constantly at work. To increase your metabolism, do some strength/weight training. Muscle burns fat and increases metabolism. Also try interval training, such as running on the treadmill for 45 minutes at a time, alternating between all out sprinting for a minute and then steady paced jogging for two. This will also increase your metabolism and help you burn calories. If you burn at least 500 calories a day, you'll burn 3500 in a week which is the equivalent of one pound of fat. Along with the strength training and healthy dieting, you could lose a significant amount of weight in a matter of months.

Question: How do you jumpstart a sluggish metabolism caused by yo-yo dieting?

Answer: There is a flaw in the reasoning implied by the question. A metabolism cannot be "jumpstarted". It takes 6 weeks for the body to adapt to a new physical regimen. If you consistently exercise 20-30 minutes 3-5 times per week for six weeks, your metabolism will be chugging along like the Little Engine that Could. Several herbal supplements can help this out, but all have side-effects that can be quite serious. Guarana and Yohimbe bark are the two with the highest success rate. Good Luck to you. You'll need it. After I was injured in a car accident, it was very difficult for me to return to my pre-injury level of fitness, so I understand and empathize with your dilemma.

Question: What health problems does yo-yo dieting cause to the body? (if any?)

Answer: I am adamantly opposed to low calorie dieting because most people lose a good portion of lean tissue (including vital organs like the heart) along with fat stores. Most people get impatient and lower their calories and increase their exercise to a point where they lose so much lean tissue that when they return to what was maintenance level eating they are now accumulating more fat stores because their caloric needs have dropped due to the loss of this tissue as well as their metabolism slowing down to work more efficiently on fewer calories & it becomes a vicious cycle of dieting and more loss (including vital organs like the heart). This stress to the vital organs cannot be healthy.

Question: Is it possible to gain back lost muscle permanently lost during yo-yo dieting? i actually started strength training and gained some muscle.will it b permanent or goes away wen we stop strength training

Answer: The muscle stays if you keep eating your daily protein, but the strength will slowly decrease. Yes, it is possible to gain muscle back, but if your skin became loose from past muscle breakdown then your gonna have to gain more than before to tone up.

Question: How is "yo-yo" dieting bad for the heart? I have cyclic vomiting, so this just happens to me naturally, so to speak. I go through periods where I can eat barely anything, then I get my appetite back, and eat a great deal. How is gaining a lot of weight, then losing a lot, then gaining, etc. bad for the heart?

Answer: It adds undue stress. Changes like that can raise your blood pressure and many other things in the circulatory system. Vomitting is especially bad because it causes the person to continuely vomit out electrolytes. These electrolytes are what allows the muscles in the heart to contract. Thats why you see the skinny 20 year die of hypokalemic heart attack.

Question: what are some disadvantages to yo-yo dieting ?? I have been yo-yo dieting for 2 years now , what harm can it do to my body ??

Answer: Your metabolic system is an amazing creation. It learns, it adapts, it changes. The problem with this type of diet is that your body will eventually "catch on." So, during times of reduced calories, carbs, etc., your body is waiting for them to return. And when they do, it will store everything. In other words, your weight return will be worse. The best solution is moderation in everything. Don't diet. Establish a life-style.

Question: Can exessive yo yo dieting cause uneven skin tone eg discoloration and brown patches? i know that it causes sagging and damages collagen fibres but does that actualy effect your overall skin tone? or is that only sun damage and poor circullation?Please explain.

Answer: Well, if you are trying those diets that eliminate complete food groups, you can develop nutrient deficiencies that can lead to broken blood vessels in the face, scaly skin, dark circles under the eyes, patches of discoloration (looks sort of like light liver spots). Depends on the type of dieting you are doing...