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Yo-yo dieting, or weight cycling, is defined as a pattern of temporary periods of weight loss followed by periods of weight gain, occurring throughout your life. A cycler often follows the latest fad diet, losing weight while following the diet but then going off the diet and gaining the weight back. Then, on to the next diet. Up. Down. Up. Down. That’s why it’s called yo-yo dieting. At least one study has suggested that people who go on fewer diets in their lives are better able to maintain their weight as they get older than those who yo-yo.
Some people believe weight cycling is bad for your health and that it’s better to stay at a higher weight your whole life than to suffer the ups and downs. The fact is, no one knows for sure if weight cycling is hazardous to your health. Certainly, anyone who’s been there knows it’s not good for your mental health. But the most recent studies have found that a history of weight cycling will not shorten your life. So if you’ve been a cycler, you can relax in that respect.
We do know the possible perils of carrying around too much weight, so it still makes sense to try to reach and maintain a healthy weight. Your most sensible goal may be to accept the healthy weight you can achieve by eating well and exercising regularly. That may not be the exact weight you think you should be. If that’s the case, stop worrying about what the scale tells you or how your weight and body shape compares to someone else’s. Focus on fitness. If you’re feeling bad about your weight, the best thing you can do is get off the scale, get off the fashion websites, stop daydreaming, and figure out how to get in your own best possible shape.
Think about it. Are you 5’2” and trying to look like someone who is 5’10”? That’s not going to happen. It’s time to set more realistic goals for yourself. You can’t stretch yourself to supermodel height, change your bone structure or be reborn into a different family with a different set of genes. The key to weight control is accepting yourself at whatever weight you are now, and at the same time, acknowledging the importance of healthy weight goals. Focus on everything you like about yourself at the same time you are finding ways to change what you don’t like.
If you’re frustrated by years of dieting failures, then your self-esteem has probably been down the tubes and back again as well. As you’ve lost and gained weight, chances are you’ve gathered a lot of emotional baggage along the way. If you’ve been trying to lose weight on your own and it hasn’t worked, this might be the time to reach out to others who have struggled the same way you have or to seek individual counseling from a registered dietitian/nutritionist or mental health counselor who specializes in weight concerns. If you don’t know where to start, call a local, well-respected hospital and ask to speak with their expert referral service. Many universities also offer weight management programs. You don’t have to be alone with your food and weight issues.
To stop weight cycling, you have to get off the dieting roller coaster. You have to find a new approach to reaching and maintaining a healthy weight by ignoring fad diets and finding an exercise routine and a balanced, healthy eating plan that you can follow for a lifetime. Along with a sensible plan, it’s just as important to find or form a solid support system. There are plenty of people out there, just like you, who would love to have help and support. Maybe all you have to do is ask.
