Weight Cycling or Yo-Yoing Will Add Body Fat
Weight cycling is the repeated loss and regain of body weight. When weight cycling is the result of dieting, it's called "yo-yo" dieting. A weight cycle can range from small weight losses and weight gains (5-10 lbs. per cycle) to large changes in weight (50 lbs. or more per cycle). This is something we all have done. If you have gotten past this, you've conquered the biggest problem a dieter has.
Some experts believe that weight cycling may be harmful to your health and that staying at one weight is better than weight cycling, even for those people who are obese. However, there is no convincing evidence to support these claims, and most obesity researchers believe that obese individuals would continue trying to control their body weight despite some weight cycling. Yes, that's true, but having the cycling problem is a big cause for failure. Dieters want to avoid cycling if at all possible.
Most of the time your not losing body fat when you lose, but you're usually gaining body fat when you gain it back. If I see myself gain two pounds, I stop what I'm doing and find the cause and make the change. In my case, it was caused by me skipping exercise or maybe eating a big meal out with friends. Today, I conquered my problem, if I can't eat my normal meals because I'm out, then I will eat less, just leave some on the plate. If it's family style just take less. I either adjust my activity level by doing more or eat less until I'm back on track. My secret is that I pay attention to my program every day. Never forget your goal.
Are Weight Cycling and Yo-Yo Dieting Harmful? So far studies have not definitively shown that weight cycling and yo-yo dieting are harmful. However, further research on the effects of weight cycling is needed. In the meantime, a fear of weight cycling should not stop an obese person from achieving a modest weight loss. Although health problems associated with weight cycling have not been proven, the health-related problems of obesity are well known. If you are not obese and have no risk factors for obesity-related illness, focus on preventing further weight gain by increasing your exercise and eating healthy foods, rather than trying to lose weight.
If you do need to lose weight, you should be ready to commit to lifelong changes in your eating behaviors, diet, and physical activity. Is Regained Weight Harder to Lose? Not necessarily. People who repeatedly lose and gain weight through weight cycling and yo-yo dieting should not experience more difficulty losing weight each time they diet.
If I Weight Cycle or Yo-Yo Diet, Will It Make Me Fatter? Weight cycling and yo-yo dieting don't appear to increase the amount of fat tissue in people who lose and regain weight. Researchers have found that after a weight cycle, people have the same amount of fat and lean tissue as they did prior to weight cycling. Some people are concerned that weight cycling can cause more fat to collect in the abdominal (stomach) area. People who tend to carry their excess fat in the abdominal area, instead of in the hips and buttocks, are more likely to develop the health problems associated with obesity.
However, studies have not found that after a weight cycle, people have more abdominal fat than they did before weight cycling. That last statement was an experts opinion; I don't agree. It's a proven fact that when people lose weight they will lose about 60% muscle and only 30 or 40% body fat and it's not usually all from the waist line. When they gain it back only a small percentage, usually less than 10% will be muscle the rest is fat. Gaining back muscle is very difficult and requires hours in the gym which yo-yo dieters aren't doing.
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My new ebook is in online bookstores now. You can go to Amazon.com and type the title in the search bar: How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight? The price is $3.99. I think you'll find it interesting. I write about myself and my battle with weight and all the mistakes I made and how you can avoid the mistakes and lose the unwanted body fat.
Some experts believe that weight cycling may be harmful to your health and that staying at one weight is better than weight cycling, even for those people who are obese. However, there is no convincing evidence to support these claims, and most obesity researchers believe that obese individuals would continue trying to control their body weight despite some weight cycling. Yes, that's true, but having the cycling problem is a big cause for failure. Dieters want to avoid cycling if at all possible.
Most of the time your not losing body fat when you lose, but you're usually gaining body fat when you gain it back. If I see myself gain two pounds, I stop what I'm doing and find the cause and make the change. In my case, it was caused by me skipping exercise or maybe eating a big meal out with friends. Today, I conquered my problem, if I can't eat my normal meals because I'm out, then I will eat less, just leave some on the plate. If it's family style just take less. I either adjust my activity level by doing more or eat less until I'm back on track. My secret is that I pay attention to my program every day. Never forget your goal.
Are Weight Cycling and Yo-Yo Dieting Harmful? So far studies have not definitively shown that weight cycling and yo-yo dieting are harmful. However, further research on the effects of weight cycling is needed. In the meantime, a fear of weight cycling should not stop an obese person from achieving a modest weight loss. Although health problems associated with weight cycling have not been proven, the health-related problems of obesity are well known. If you are not obese and have no risk factors for obesity-related illness, focus on preventing further weight gain by increasing your exercise and eating healthy foods, rather than trying to lose weight.
If you do need to lose weight, you should be ready to commit to lifelong changes in your eating behaviors, diet, and physical activity. Is Regained Weight Harder to Lose? Not necessarily. People who repeatedly lose and gain weight through weight cycling and yo-yo dieting should not experience more difficulty losing weight each time they diet.
If I Weight Cycle or Yo-Yo Diet, Will It Make Me Fatter? Weight cycling and yo-yo dieting don't appear to increase the amount of fat tissue in people who lose and regain weight. Researchers have found that after a weight cycle, people have the same amount of fat and lean tissue as they did prior to weight cycling. Some people are concerned that weight cycling can cause more fat to collect in the abdominal (stomach) area. People who tend to carry their excess fat in the abdominal area, instead of in the hips and buttocks, are more likely to develop the health problems associated with obesity.
However, studies have not found that after a weight cycle, people have more abdominal fat than they did before weight cycling. That last statement was an experts opinion; I don't agree. It's a proven fact that when people lose weight they will lose about 60% muscle and only 30 or 40% body fat and it's not usually all from the waist line. When they gain it back only a small percentage, usually less than 10% will be muscle the rest is fat. Gaining back muscle is very difficult and requires hours in the gym which yo-yo dieters aren't doing.
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My new ebook is in online bookstores now. You can go to Amazon.com and type the title in the search bar: How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight? The price is $3.99. I think you'll find it interesting. I write about myself and my battle with weight and all the mistakes I made and how you can avoid the mistakes and lose the unwanted body fat.
The ebook is also at http://barnesandnoble.com and they have a special introductory offer right now $2.99. Also available on iBooks, Kobo, Scribd, and others worldwide.
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