Yo-Yo
Dieting - Stop the Madness
By Sharon Stewart
Yo-yo dieting refers to repeated weight
loss and weight gain. The syndrome begins
when someone loses a noticeable amount of
weight, usually on a restricted-calorie diet,
and then regains the weight.
More
often, dieters will regain all of the pounds
lost, and then some, when returning to their
normal eating habits. This may cause them to
restrict calories again, lose more weight and
begin the yo-yo dieting cycle again.
Besides
being terribly discouraging - gaining, losing
and regaining weight can be very dangerous to
your health, specifically the cardiovascular
system, the digestive system and the skin.
Most
weight-management experts and physicians now
agree that a far better approach to long-term
weight loss requires a combination of good nutrition
and exercise.
By
only restricting caloric intake, chronic dieters
condition their bodies to survive on fewer calories,
thereby putting themselves at greater risk for
weight gain with the slightest increase in caloric
intake.
Exercise
can help offset metabolic slowing by increasing
lean body mass, which means your body will burn
more calories at rest. Sticking with your exercise
program is crucial to maintaining your optimum
weight. It helps prevent the regaining of weight
and the beginning of the yo-yo dieting syndrome.
If
you find that your weight is starting to creep
back up, re-evaluate your nutrition and exercise
program to get you back on track.
Become
Aware of Danger Signals
