The problem with yo-yo dieting

"I have tried to lose weight ... but I just can't seem to keep it off!"
I have heard this statement from hundreds of people who are trying to lose weight: they're stuck in a yo-yo dieting cycle and unable to break the unfortunate lose-gain-lose sequence.

I don't blame people for feeling frustrated by the weight-loss world. With all the nutritional messages out there – points to count, low protein, low fat, shake for breakfast, eat like the French – it's no wonder so many people are giving up and throwing up their hands in nutritional bewilderment.

In an attempt to find out how to lose weight, people continually end up in my office asking me the same questions. Should I eat high protein or restrict calories? Perhaps counting fat grams or drinking a shake for breakfast would be better? The choices appear endless and can cause motivation to wane and temporary results to occur. After seeing the frustration of so many people on and off fad diets, I decided it was time to put an end to the yo-yo dieting cycle once and for all.

What is the yo-yo diet cycle?
When I first counsel people on how to lose weight in a healthy manner, many tell me about their weight-loss history. I've met people who are "lifers" in the weight-loss world: name a program, they've been on it. In a nutshell, their frustrating loop of yo-yo dieting looks like the following scenario:

1. They follow the latest fad diet, which causes them to lose a large amount of weight quickly. Examples of these diets may include extreme caloric restriction with injections and/or diets that are extremely high in protein.

2. Finding the diet overly restrictive or feeling rather unwell – tired, hair falling out, constipated or achy joints – they quit their diet.

3. They return to eating as much or more food as they did before their diet. Whether depressed, self sabotaging or sick of feeling deprived, it is not uncommon for them to have "food binges" on all the wrong choices. In addition, and even more frustratingly, their metabolic rate is likely lowered due to the chronic dieting.

4. As a result, they gain back weight beyond what they previously weighed.

5. Feeling frustrated and depressed, they go back on a diet.

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