Yo-Yo dieting, is often described as ups, downs and ouch!
Another common name for this type of dieting is weight cycling which outlines the pattern of losing weight, recovering it and then losing it again.
The dieting process involved in this type of diet can easily make your body weight creep up and then sneak down like a yo-yo!
Yo-yo dieting is extremely common and approximate 10% of men and 30% of women have adopted this method of dieting every now and then in their lifestyle.
The process of gaining and losing weight more rapidly than an elevator can affect more than just your waistline.
This process can take a toll on your overall health while affecting your long-term health!
Here’s what Yo-Yo dieting can do to your body:
- Increase in hunger: Leptin is a hormone that is formulated by your fat cells and it assists in keeping you feeling fuller. When you lose weight, you lose fat which means low levels of leptin in the body. This in turn increases your hunger and appetite and can hamper your energy levels. So, once you abandon the Yo-Yo dieting, you will go through an enhanced appetite while less calorie burn and often end up weighing more than your actual weight.
- Muscle loss: While following the weight-loss diets, along with the body fat you also lose muscle mass. After quitting the diet, fat can easily be regained and muscles are not which leads to a decrease in muscle mass over time. Losing muscle mass can affect your strength and stamina while hampering your day-to-day chores along with physical exercises.
- Increase the risk of heart diseases: Heart diseases and weight are directly connected! Weight cycling involved in the Yo-Yo dieting can affect the arteries while stressing your heart which can increase the risk of heart diseases. As per a study, “the more your weight goes up and down, the more you’re likely to have heart problems like angina, heart attack, and stroke.” And the higher the fluctuations, the greater the risk.
- Muddles with the gut bacteria: Your gut health consist of bacteria that are extremely beneficial for digestion. Weight cycling can easily hamper the number and types of bacteria in your stomach which takes you closer to various gut complications. And since your gut is the core of your overall health- a bad gut means total bad health too.
Yo-Yo dieting includes various dramatic changes in the dietary pattern along with restrictions while losing weight that can easily wreak havoc on your hormones and overall health. Moreover, the game of losing and gaining weight has negative effects on your health that can give you bad health in the long run. It is advised to not rely on such diets and instead follow a well-balanced diet and active lifestyle to manage your weight and to keep yourself hale and hearty.
