Feb 23, 2013

Have you been a Yo-Yoer?

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By Jamee Gunther


Have you already been dieting your entire life? Have you actually gained and dropped excess weight many times? In that case, you're a yo-yo dieter. Yo-yo dieting or "cycling" is known as a major increase or decrease of fat (generally 10 pounds or maybe more) happening multiples times. We've all seen it go on with celebrities. Kirstie Alley has gained and lost multiple times; Oprah has done it; Maureen "Marcia Brady" McCormick got even heavier after she was on "Celebrity Fit Club." It really is an epidemic.

The statistics are generally not good. There are a few estimates that more than 80 % of people that have dropped pounds regain every bit of it, or more, after 24 months. Women who want to lose weight know these painful numbers all quite well.

Dieting can be an emotional rollercoaster. We're so happy and delighted with ourselves after we drop a few pounds, just to beat ourselves up when we gain it back later. Usually, the excess weight is gained back due to life experiences for instance going back to school or maybe a divorce, or possibly raising a family. It happens. Life may seem to be in the way sometimes.

Besides emotional toll you'll find is a physical one. Not only is the extra pounds a health risk, but recent studies have connected the gain-lose-gain cycle to such potentially life-threatening situations such as elevated blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, depression, problems with heart disease, and cancer.

Researchers have discovered that yo-yo dieting generally happens because people tend to go on really strict diets. Studies reported inside of the journal Obesity discovered that people who followed an exceptionally low-calorie diet regained significantly more weight than those on a more forgiving plan. You could lose weight on a 1200 calorie daily diet, but the minute you go to a 1300 calorie diet, you begin increasing body weight.

Once you go on really strict diets and put on the excess weight back quickly, you could possibly actually lose muscle and gain fat. Then that is whenever your metabolism starts operating slower and might make it harder for you to drop extra pounds in the future.

Quite possibly the most dangerous thing about yo-yo dieting is the effect is has on the body's defense system. As documented in the first study of the long-term outcome of yo-yo dieting, women who repeatedly lost and gained weight had lower immunities, particularly lower counts of \"natural killer cells.\" These cells are what fight off infections and are generally critical in fighting the early stages of cancer.

So, when you start an eating plan, make certain that your food eating regimen is one that one could tolerate. Don't think of it to be the temporary situation, consider it as your new way of life. Be patient on your dieting and don't make an effort to drop a few pounds too soon. Also, it is recommended possess a good support system. Socialize with people with successfully dropped pounds. But don't forget to be flexible - in the event you have a nasty day and ate something you know you must not have, it's okay to start again the next day. But don't forget to forgive yourself. No one is flawless.




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