Yo-Yo dieting is one of the unhealthier diet trends available. This shouldn’t be called a “diet”, a regimented eating plan that determines the frequency that we eat food and which type of food we eat. Instead, it is more apt to call this diet a dietary method. Yo-yo dieting is otherwise known as “weight cycling” because your weight tends to drastically fluctuate between highs and lows. Many people find themselves yo-yo dieting, oftentimes unintentionally. Close to 10% of men and 30% of women will yo-yo diet at some point in their lives. This type of dieting is bad for you because it doesn’t give you consistent gains and actually instills bad eating habits in you.
Problems Related to Yo-Yo Dieting
There are many different issues that can arise from weight cycling:
1. Increased Appetite Results in Excess Weight Gain
When you diet and achieve fat loss, your body produces less leptin, the hormone your body produces to feel satiated. The less leptin you’re producing, the more your appetite will increase.
2. Higher Body Fat Percentage
Yo-yo dieting can easily lead to a higher percentage of body fat. The weight gain phase of the yo-yo diet makes it way easier for your body to regain fat. It especially affects the amount of belly fat you have.
3. Can Lead to Muscle Loss
When you’re on the weight loss phase of the yo-yo diet, you will lose muscle mass very fast. Muscle weights 3 times as much as fat, so your body will quickly start to burn muscle as you lose more and more weight. It is much harder to put on muscle than fat, so you should try to avoid this result as much as possible.
Instead of yo-yo dieting, try to find a diet that you can absolutely stick to for a long period of time to form new eating habits.
