Yo-Yo Dieting

There are a few celebrities that seem to always be in the news for their weight loss and gain. The first two that come to my mind are Oprah and Kirstie Alley. It seems like every time I’m standing in line at the grocery store the tabloids are full of unflattering photos of celebrities gaining weight, paparazzi photos of them eating in public, embarrassing bikini shots.

Sometimes I wonder if Oprah is more famous for her weight struggles than for being an iconic TV host.

Recently, Kirstie Alley lost 100 pounds because of being on the show Dancing With the Stars and eating an organic diet.  She said, “There was nothing positive about being fat.” She used to weigh around 230 pounds, now 100 pounds lighter she’s showing off her body:

I’ve always thought that Kirstie Alley is a gorgeous woman–even when she weighs a little more. She has nice curves, enviable curves. I think she looks amazing in that latest photo! Good for her! I really hope that she’s done yo-yo dieting and that this time she’ll keep it off.

I understand why diet companies (Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, Nutrisystem, etc) want celebrities as their spokespeople. They are recognizable and well-liked. The problem is that some of these celebrities rarely keep the weight off. They are constantly on diets, going up and down, up and down, instead of just making a commitment to real change.

Do you relate to these celebrities who yo-yo diet? Do you yo-yo diet?

Studies show that two-thirds of dieters regain more weight within four or five years than they initially lost the first time. It’s a sad statistic and I’m trying my damndest to NOT become a statistic.

Constant yo-yo dieting makes it harder to keep the weight off because when body mass decreases by 10 percent or more, it ends up slowing down your metabolism. Going on and off diets also changes other aspects of your physiology, such as increasing hunger hormones and making it difficult to lose the weight the second time around. As this article states, yo-yo dieting is an  “unlivable eating plan” with consequences.

I wish there was a real celebrity that has lost weight without yo-yo dieting and has kept it off by maintaining their healthy habits. Is there anyone out there? For the life of me I can’t think of one. I wish there was this kind of spokesperson out there to encourage people in their efforts.

I’ve written about dieting in the past. I stated that it was a lifestyle change, not a temporary fix that is maintainable without the hard work. So stop dieting, stop yo-yoing up and down. You’ll feel better for it. Be a success story!

Avoiding the Yo-Yo

• Address the emotional aspect. This is the hardest part for me. The emotional eating, the stress eating, the eating to feel better are all detrimental to keeping it off. It’s a slippery slope once the emotional monster rears it’s ugly head. Therapy helps me. Talking to friends helps. Writing gets it all out.
• Is your goal realistic? If you are 5’4 you might never weigh 110 pounds. Try making a realistic, achievable goal. When I was 250+ pounds I knew that I would never weigh 120 pounds but I knew I could do 150. And I did.
• Find a program that works in the LONG RUN–Weight Watchers, counting calories, whichever fits you best. It needs to be a program that you will stick to. If you need the support of a group, take advantage of that.
• Exercise. At least4-5 days a week. And I’m not talking mild exercise. Really work up a sweat and get your metabolism going! Make exercise a part of your life, make it something you LIKE and will continue doing.

And finally: don’t QUIT once you get to that goal weight. The work continues. It will continue forever and that’s okay. Don’t be discouraged or overwhelmed. Just tell yourself that it’s all part of life: maintaining the loss is now part of your norm.

QUESTION: Are you a yo-yo dieter? What steps are you taking to stop the cycle?