How to stop yo-yo dieting

When I first meet with a client regarding weight loss, I always examine their history in the weight loss world.

It is not uncommon to meet men and women who are 'lifers' when it comes to trying to lose weight. These are people who have spent a lifetime battling their weight on an up-and-down roller coaster, trying every program and spending thousands of dollars in the process. From high protein plans to low calorie diets to weight loss shakes, the attempts are endless.

Instead of getting mired in conflicting weight loss fads, use these two steps to break the cycle.

1. Stop yo-yo dieting
Time to ditch the unrealistic, restrictive fad diets which may have had a negative impact on your metabolic rate — and your ego. Here are the kinds of diets or food plans you'll want to avoid:

• Diets that promise unrealistic weight loss rates, such as eight pounds a week, every week.
• Diet programs that rope you into buying only a particular brand of supplements, injections, food, bars, shakes, cookies or other products.
• Eating plans that are overly restrictive, like diets that restrict you to only 600 calories a day.
• Diet plans that offer no maintenance programs to help you keep the weight off. In truth, any program can get you to lose weight, it is keeping it off that counts!
• Any program that does not address the emotional component behind eating. The majority of individuals who need to lose weight have an emotional connection that helps explain why they are overeating.

2. Learn about the hormonal approach to weight loss
Hormones are the most powerful chemical messengers in the body. They play a dramatic role in whether you storing excess fat. Here are some steps you can take to help you lose weight by keeping your hormones (and blood sugar) in check:

• Avoid high glycemic index carbohydrates
High glycemic index foods and beverages feature a lot of white flour and/or white sugar and include things like cookies, cakes and pop. High glycemic index foods trigger an over-secretion of the hormone insulin. In a nutshell, excess insulin is stored as excess fat around the abdominal region.

Page 1 of 2 – more on the hormonal approach to weight loss on the next page!