Stopping the Yo-Yo Effect: How to Maintain Weight Loss Success

Nothing is as painful as witnessing the hard-earned weight loss make a comeback. Consequently, averting the yo-yo effect holds as much significance as the initial achievement of shedding those pounds.

The yo-yo effect, often called weight cycling, occurs when an individual loses weight and subsequently regains it. This phenomenon is commonly observed when individuals undertake diets that involve severe food intake restrictions or limitations on the types of foods consumed. Once the weight loss goal is achieved, the temptation to return to previously restricted foods often leads to a resurgence of the yo-yo effect.

Another contributing factor to the yo-yo effect is known as the Summermatter Cycle.

A 2021 study by the University of Basel in Switzerland shed light on this phenomenon. It revealed that when food intake is significantly reduced during a diet, the body’s energy directed towards muscles decreases, resulting in a reduced overall energy expenditure. Consequently, the body adapts to this lowered energy consumption. However, when food intake is increased again, the body stores fat more aggressively to compensate for adapting to lower energy levels. This cycle is referred to as the Summermatter Cycle.

The consequences of the yo-yo effect extend beyond merely regaining lost weight. It often leads to more substantial weight gain than before the initial diet, while the muscle mass lost during dieting remains relatively unchanged, resulting in a significant increase in body fat. This makes subsequent dieting attempts even more challenging.

Therefore, preventing the yo-yo effect from occurring during the dieting phase is of utmost importance.

To prevent the yo-yo effect, avoiding overly restrictive diets is advisable. Extreme diets, such as those exclusively focused on protein while eliminating carbohydrates like rice, bread, and noodles, may result in rapid weight loss. However, maintaining such diets over an extended period can be challenging.

Instead of severely limiting the variety of foods consumed, opting for a balanced diet is better. For adults, aiming for around 1500 kcal for women and 2000 kcal for men can help deter the yo-yo effect.

Setting a concise duration for a diet is also discouraged. Although a more aggressive diet may lead to swift weight loss, it tends to expedite the onset of the yo-yo effect. Furthermore, weight lost rapidly is often composed primarily of water rather than fat. Over time, the rate of weight loss tends to slow down.

As the pace of weight loss diminishes, motivation can wane quickly, and the likelihood of encountering factors contributing to diet failure, such as succumbing to food temptations, increases. A reasonable and sustainable rate of weight loss typically falls within the range of about 4.4 to 6.6 pounds per month.

Evaluating your lifestyle habits, not just your weight, is crucial to thwart the yo-yo effect. While dieting, you may adopt healthier eating choices, increase physical activity, and ensure proper hydration. However, if these habits revert to their pre-diet patterns once the diet concludes, the yo-yo effect is almost certain to reemerge.

To preempt this cycle, it’s advantageous to cultivate a lifestyle characterized by healthy choices. Even when not actively dieting, integrating behaviors that promote overall health into your daily routine can be immensely helpful. This includes maintaining consistent physical activity, ensuring adequate water intake, and refraining from excessive snacking. By adopting these practices, you can enhance your ability to sustain your desired body weight even after the dieting phase has concluded.

By. Soo Jung Shin