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The yo-yo effect, i.e. cyclical weight loss and weight gain, affects many people who have tried to lose weight permanently at least once. Its main reasons are choosing overly restrictive diets that cannot be used for a long time, lack of physical activity and returning to old eating habits. The yo-yo effect affects not only physical but also emotional he alth.

The jo-jo effectis a phenomenon that affects most people who struggle with excess body weight. It determines the process of cyclical, alternating weight loss and weight gain. This phenomenon is detrimental to both physical he alth and mental condition, as it weakens motivation as well as faith in success and one's own abilities.

The yo-yo effect is said to be when, within 5 months, weight gain exceeds 10% of the weight that was achieved during weight loss. At first, weight gain is barely noticeable, and after a few months we cannot fit into our clothes again.

Contents:

  1. The yo-yo effect - what is it?
  2. Yo-yo effect - causes
  3. Yo-yo effect - effect on he alth
  4. The yo-yo effect - how to avoid it?

The yo-yo effect - what is it?

It turns out that while a large proportion of people are able to lose weight, a small percentage is able to maintain the gained weight. It is said that only 5 years after the end of the diet, people who are slimming will not be in danger of the yo-yo effect and return to their previous weight. Such a long period of time is needed to establish he althy eating habits and lifestyle that allows you to stay in the desired body weight.

The yo-yo effect usually occurs when, after the end of the diet, we return to the old eating habits and increase the caloric content of the menu too rapidly. This is a common mistake because we think that since we have lost weight, we are allowed more again. Unfortunately, this is not true.

The mechanism of accumulating reserves in the form of adipose tissue was inherited from our ancestors, who experienced hunger and had access to food alternately. Diet is a period of hunger for the body, so when we start to supply ourselves with much larger portions of energy in an unlimited way, the body will not use them on a regular basis, but will largely transform into adipose tissue, preparing for the next time of hunger.

Yo-yo effect - causes

The main reason for the jo-joeffect is the lack of common sense and misunderstanding of the needs of your body. The use of miracle diets and unbalanced mono-diets, and above all fasting, guarantees the yo-yo effect. The main reasons for the fact that we are not able to maintain the weight gained while losing weight are:

  • Too fast weight loss- high caloric limitations and giving up product groups, and what is worse, going on a fast makes you lose weight quickly, but also makes you feel drastically saving energy. As a result, each additional calorie supply feeds fat tissue to prepare the body for the next period of starvation. There is also a slowdown in metabolism. After a sudden reversion to the old diet, we burn fewer calories than before losing weight, and therefore more is stored in adipose tissue.
  • Lack of physical activity- this is a common mistake when losing weight. In combination with a strict diet, it results in the loss of muscle mass, which is very much needed in the process of fat burning. It is mainly muscles that use energy, and the greater the muscle mass, the more efficient it is to burn. Regular training increases the rate of metabolism and allows you to easily maintain a proper energy balance. Moreover, even a little physical activity is good for your he alth.
  • Returning to old habits- using a diet instead of learning new eating habits means that the period of "being on a diet" is treated as an unpleasant experience that must be forgotten as soon as possible after reaching the goal weight. Then we usually go back to old habits, start eating more and without any control, forgetting that the body needs to be taken out of the diet and get used to the increasing amount of calories.

Yo-yo effect - effect on he alth

Unfortunately, the yo-yo effect is visible not only in the increasing size of clothes. Losing weight on extreme diets causes a loss of body weight from adipose tissue, but also from muscle mass. When we put on weight again, only the amount of body fat increases.

The ratio of muscle mass to adipose tissue decreases, which is detrimental to overall he alth. According to studies published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association and Clinical Nutrition, the amount of fat stored in the abdominal area increases as a result of the alternation of weight loss and weight gain, which is the greatest risk for developing diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

The yo-yo effect affects not only physical he alth, but also mental he alth. Persons,who alternately lose weight and lose weight, have lower self-esteem and are less satisfied with their own body. They also have a greater risk of depression. Subsequent gains in weight are often the cause of losing faith in one's own abilities and motivation to act not only in the field related to slimming.

The yo-yo effect - how to avoid it?

In order to enjoy your dream and developed figure once and for all, you should change your approach to losing weight. We should not "go on a diet", but change our lifestyle and eating habits. In order to avoid the yo-yo effect, follow a few rules:

  1. Eat a rational dietthat loses 0.5-1 kg per week. It is a he althy and safe weight loss rate that does not burden the body and allows it to adapt to changes. It is absolutely necessary to give up miracle diets, which provide less than 1,200 kcal per day, because they are deficient diets.
  2. Verify your goals.Losing weight for a friend's wedding or vacation is not a good motivation. Opportunities pass, and he alth is given to us once in a lifetime, and realizing it should be a great help in maintaining weight.
  3. Practice . Activity 2-3 times a week is one of the most effective ways to avoid the yo-yo effect and maintain the effects of the diet.
  4. Return to the normal-calorie diet gradually.It is good to increase the energy of the menu, e.g. by 100-150 kcal per week, so that the return to normal eating takes several weeks.
  5. Don't go back to old habits.Give up absolutely unhe althy foods, which doesn't mean you have to get rid of your favorite foods. You can prepare them in a he althier form or leave them as a cheat meal - a cheated meal that makes it easier to stick to he althy eating habits.
  6. Find a way to deal with emotions other than eating stress.When under stress, we often turn to unhe althy high-calorie foods, and this ruins maintaining a proper caloric balance. It's a good idea to prepare a list of activities that take 15 minutes - that's all it takes to forget about emotional hunger.

Yo-yo effect - how to avoid it

Did you lose weight? Way to go! However, this is not the end of the way to a slim figure. Maintaining the weight achieved is just as demanding as the diet. How to avoid the yo-yo effect. How to eat after a diet? Listen to the dietitian and he alth coach Elżbieta Lange.

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Slimming