Both those trying to lose some weight and those who are making an effort to maintain their ‘ideal’ weight are familiar with those annoying and highly frustrating instances of weight fluctuating in spite of the best efforts to keep it in check with strict dietary regimen and exercise routine. This weight cycling, also known as yo-yo effect is caused by a number of interconnected factors, with some of them being under a person’s control. So, let’s take a more in-depth look into the issue.
What’s on this page?
What is weight cycling or yo-yo effect?
As of now there is still no consensus on the precise definition of weight cycling or yo-yo effect, since this phenomenon is still in the domain of colloquial definition. It can be described, in the simplest terms, as weight loss that is successful in the immediate or short term, but unsuccessful in the long term. For example, the person’s weight may radically drop due to lifestyle changes and extreme dietary regimen, but will rise again after the changes prove to be unsustainable.
When it comes to the exact amount of weight gained or lost, there are no rules – weight cycling can happen with both small and large amounts of weight are lost and regained. However, some studies indicate that losing and regaining between 10 and 20 pounds is the most common amount.
Why does weight cycling happen?
There are numerous reasons why yo-yo effect might occur and there are numerous factors contributing to it. However, it would seem that the single most common reason for weight cycling is so-called crash dieting.
Crash dieting is a harmful practice involving skipping meals or fasting for long periods of time while severely reducing the calorie intake. Highly popular method among those looking for quick results, crash dieting has proven to be not only unsustainable and hence inefficient, but also rather dangerous since it directly affects the way the body metabolises food.
Calories are an essential part of the metabolic process, as they are what ends up being converted into energy, allowing the muscles and organs to function properly. Different individuals will process fat at different rates, but regardless of these differences, when there is a severe deficit of calories, the metabolism will respond by slowing down in an attempt to conserve the energy available. As a result, once the calorie intake gets increased (usually, when the extreme dieting proves to be unsustainable), the body will not adapt to the change quickly, metabolising calories at a slower rate and subsequently continuing to store the perceived excess energy in reserve, leading to easier weight gain.
What are the effects of weight cycling?
Weight cycling has proven to be rather harmful for the individuals experiencing it. These adverse effects can manifest in several different ways. For starters, weight cycling can have devastating effect on self-esteem and motivation needed to make an effort and lose weight the healthy way. Gaining weight shortly after finally losing it can be very discouraging. And if the cycle repeats, certain studies indicate, mood swings and even lethargy may follow.
How dangerous is yo-yo effect?
When it comes to physical effects of weight cycling, there seems to be significant disagreement between the experts. While most doctors experienced in this matter agree that weight cycling does indeed have short-term physical effects, the debate is much more intense when it comes to long-lasting consequences.
Some studies focused on hormones managing appetite and metabolism, showing that weight cycling can have a measurable adverse effect on their balance, while others claimed that there are no detrimental long-term effects on health and wellbeing, or on the future weight loss attempts. However, the study in question relied exclusively on the self-reported data from respondents, making it limited in scope and severely criticised by other experts.
So, the bottom line is, the medical community still has to make its final verdict when it comes to yo-yo effect, but despite this, there is a general consensus stating that those who are overweight and are looking to lose weight should do so at a limited, yet consistent rate. This will not only help prevent yo-yo effect (and thus preserve positive mental approach and determination), but will also prevent numerous other very real health problems which are commonly associated to crash dieting.
Finally, whatever you do, be it weight loss medication, a new diet or a workout routine, you should always consult with your doctor in order to sketch out your general weight loss programme. Never make any changes, especially radical ones, without your doctor’s approval.
