Yo yo dieting

Yo-yo dieting, also known as weight cycling, is losing fat then gaining it again, over and over again. This can be an accidental process, although it’s common amongst athletes and bodybuilders. This can also apply to crash dieters, who lose weight quickly by heavily restricting calories for an event or a holiday etc. Then once it’s over they reward them selves by over eating, then they pile the fat back on. It really isn’t good for you to starve and then over eat. Continuously shocking your system will put your organs under stress, as they will have to work harder under the extremities of dieting, this will affect your immune system and digestive system; continuous yo-yo dieting could cause problems in later life such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure.

Neglecting exercise and yo-yo dieting puts you at risk of being skinny fat! This means you can be thin on the outside but fat on the inside, which you can’t see from appearance. Visceral fat is worse than having fat on your thighs or muffin-top, instead it covers your internal abdominal organs; affecting your insulin sensitivity and putting you at risk of type 2 diabetes. Each time you lose fat through dieting, you also lose muscle mass, Then each time you regain weight, you mostly gain fat. The faster you lose weight, you're more likely to lose mainly water and muscle, rather than fat. Aim to lose no more than 2 lbs. per week if you don't want to lose too much muscle mass. You don't want to cut too many calories, as it's better to lose weight gradually over time. Yo-yo dieters lose the muscle mass that would help them burn the visceral fat and control blood sugar. Regular workouts is the only way to shed visceral fat, and prevent the loss of muscle mass, even moderate exercise can help lower blood sugar levels.

 

The body is at greater health when a constant routine is maintained, losing weight and putting weight on continuously is not natural, and although it isn’t known if yo-yo dieting definitely causes problems in later life, it’s a risk that should be avoided.

To maintain a sustainable healthy weight, you should obtain the right amount of nutritious calories for your body type, and have a regular exercise routine.

Work out you basal metabolic rate, this gives you an estimate of how many calories you would be burning at rest over a period of 24hours. This is a minimum amount of energy required for normal bodily functions such as breathing. This does not include calories for everyday activities or exercise.

Try my fitness pal BMR calculator-

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/tools/bmr-calculator

Referenced from - http://www.nhs.uk/

researchers defined a 'yo-yo diet' or weight cycling as follows:

• women who lost 20 pounds (10kg) or more on three or more occasions before putting it back on were defined as 'severe weight cyclers'
  
• women who lost between 10 and 20 pounds before putting it back on were defined as 'moderate weight cyclers'