Do You Struggle with Yo-Yo Dieting?

If you remember making a New Year's resolution to lose weight, but can't remember why you've decided to abandon your resolution, keeping your weight within a healthy range and/or working to move in that direction can help protect your heart and allow you to live a longer, more rewarding life. Many people who are sincere in trying to lose weight struggle with Yo-Yo dieting because they are mistakenly attracted to fad diets that can allow someone to lose five pounds quickly for a class reunion. When you shed a few pounds from your body, you lose both muscle and fat. Unfortunately, when you suddenly gain the weight back, fat gets to ride shotgun and replenishes fat stores first and your appetite remains in high gear until your muscle mass returns.

Problems with Fad Diets

Not everyone who Yo-Yo diets ends up binge eating but it does set your body up for it. Sometimes when you've been so intent on losing weight, once you let go of all that tension and stress, it is a perfect storm, since:

• crash diets not sustainable for weight loss
• fad diets are not based on nutritional balance
• calorie restrictions reduce metabolic rate
• fad or crash diets rely on food gimmicks
• monotrophic eating leads to poor diet
• disordered eating leads to weight regain
• you might lose muscle instead of fat

Unfortunately, fad diets don't work for the long-term and subsequently allow you to regain more than you lost. However, if you never step out of your comfort zone, your body shape will never change. But, avoid setting unrealistic weight loss goals.

Replace the Negative Voices in Your Head

How you think about yourself and the decisions you make can have a major impact on your weight loss success. So, face your challenges with a positive outlook and learn how to replace any negative voices in your head that do not boost your self-confidence. Extreme behaviors seldom work. If you continuously restrict food choices following a crash diet, it will likely lead to a food binge that can set you back far worse than enjoying an occasional serving in moderation. But, avoid sudden free-for-alls where anything and everything goes. Changing your outlook can help you see that eating healthy is not just about weight loss. Consuming healthy, nutritious food provides the energy your body needs, improves your overall health, and increases your daily productivity in both your work and personal life.