Yo-yo dieting is also known as weight cycling and refers to the repeated cycle of losing weight and regaining it. This often happens after following restrictive or fad diets. This pattern gets its name from the up-and-down motion of a yo-yo, mimicking the fluctuating weight that dieters experience. While the initial weight loss can be encouraging, the tendency to put the weight back on after stopping the diet can be demoralising. In addition, the long-term consequences of this approach are often negative, both for physical and mental health
Dadsnet has teamed up with Hims, which offers access to personalized, doctor-trusted treatment plans to help fuel sustainable weight loss programs. Together, we’ll explore why yo-yo dieting is not a long-term solution for losing the dad bod.
What is Yo-Yo Dieting?
In its simplest terms, yo-yo dieting occurs when a person embarks on a weight loss plan, successfully sheds pounds, but eventually regains the lost weight—sometimes gaining even more than they initially lost. After regaining the weight, the individual typically starts another diet, and the cycle repeats itself.
This phenomenon often happens with highly restrictive diets that promise quick results. These diets tend to limit caloric intake drastically or eliminate entire food groups, making them difficult to maintain in the long term. Once the dieter returns to their usual eating habits, the weight comes back, and the urge to start dieting again leads to another round of weight loss and gain.
Why Do People Fall Into the Yo-Yo Dieting Trap?
The promise of fast results is one of the biggest reasons people fall into the yo-yo dieting cycle. Fad diets that promote extreme calorie restrictions or unbalanced nutrition plans can lead to rapid weight loss. When people see the numbers drop on the scale, they feel motivated, but the body eventually adapts to the reduced caloric intake. This adaptation can cause a plateau in weight loss, leading to frustration.
This is because these diets focus solely on a quick reduction of calories, they don’t address the dieter’s lifestyle and behaviors. Without changing those elements, a diet is less likely to succeed. This is why medical providers through Hims personalize the treatment for all dieters, working on a 360-degree care program that supports all aspects of your weight-loss journey.
Why Yo-Yo Dieting is Unsustainable
While yo-yo dieting can deliver short-term results, it is not a sustainable approach to weight loss. Here’s why:
1. Slowed Metabolism
One of the major consequences of yo-yo dieting is its impact on metabolism. When you dramatically reduce your calorie intake, your body enters a survival mode, slowing down its metabolic rate to conserve energy. This metabolic slowdown means that when you return to a more normal way of eating, your body burns fewer calories than before, making it easier to gain weight.
2. Loss of Muscle Mass
Rapid weight loss often results in muscle loss, especially when the diet is highly restrictive or lacks sufficient protein. Muscle tissue is metabolically active, meaning it burns more calories at rest than fat tissue. Losing muscle mass can further reduce metabolic rate, making it more challenging to maintain weight loss over time.
When you regain weight after a yo-yo diet, it typically comes back as fat, not muscle. This shift in body composition can make it even harder to keep weight off in the future.
3. Nutritional Deficiencies
Many fad diets are not nutritionally balanced and may require eliminating essential food groups or nutrients. Over time, this can lead to deficiencies in key vitamins and minerals that are vital for overall health. For example, low-carb diets might lack fiber and essential micronutrients found in whole grains, while extremely low-fat diets can deprive the body of healthy fats necessary for brain function and hormone regulation.
These nutritional imbalances can also lead to other health problems, such as weakened immune function, hair loss, and fatigue.
4. Mental and Emotional Toll
The constant cycle of losing and regaining weight can take a serious toll on mental health. Yo-yo dieting often leads to feelings of frustration, guilt, and failure, as people blame themselves for not being able to maintain the weight loss. This can damage self-esteem and contribute to disordered eating patterns, such as binge eating or emotional eating.
What’s the Alternative?
Hims provides access to a sustainable alternative to yo-yo dieting with personalized, doctor-trusted treatment plans that take place entirely online. You can check in as many times as you like and receive answers to your questions and ongoing care to support you with sustainable weight-loss. See the Hims website for more information.
*Compounded products are not approved nor evaluated for safety, effectiveness, or quality by FDA.
Not available in all 50 states. Weight Loss by Hims & Hers is a holistic program that includes nutrition support, technological tools, and compounded GLP-1 injections or medication kits including customized compounded medications prescribed based on what your provider determines is medically appropriate and necessary for you. See website for full details, important safety information, and restrictions, including online provider consultation requirements.
