Dangers of Yo-Yo Dieting.

PortiaZabrina

Here is something that I would like to share with you fellow MFPers... because quite frankly, i'm seeing a lot of you think you know everything because you're on a "diet" or because you lost a pound or two. You're kinda like the Body by Vi people... talking the talk without actually having anything to back up most of your theories, and it frustrates me to a whole new level. This is from my course. I'm Copy/pasting some things and you can connect the dots. I'm throwing in random things sort of make it a bit clearer for you.

""Maintaining a healthy weight is a lifelong commitment. Fast weight loss programs don’t help people keep weight off for extended periods because they don’t teach them anything. People can restrict their calories for several weeks and lose weight. However, after the diet they often return to their "normal" eating patterns, which caused the weight gain in the first place."
"Consider the following facts. A 16-ounce glass of cola has about 200 calories and about 45 grams of sugar. The 32-ounce supersize version has up to 400 calories and about 95 grams of sugar. Do the french-fry math. An average order of french fries has about 350 calories and 16 grams of fat. Supersize that and you can get up to 600 calories and 30 grams of fat. Just as a reference, an average, moderately active adult male should consume about 2,500 calories and 85 grams of fat. An average, moderately active adult female should consume 1,800 calories and 60 grams of fat. Better enjoy that super scoop of fries, because they contain one-third to one-half of most people’s fat needs for the day."


"Too many calories, especially from fat and sugar, help to put on the pounds and keep them there. It takes 500 extra calories a day to gain a pound a week, using the calculation of 3,500 calories contained in one pound. It’s been estimated that most Americans are eating at least 200 extra calories a day. That translates into a weight gain of 15 to 18 pounds a year."
And keep in mind that as you age you're body requires less and less calories starting as early as the age of 18. Wonder why you're gaining when you've been eating the same food for 2, 5, 7 years?


The Dangers of Yo-Yo Dieting

"At least 50 percent of women and 25 percent of men are trying to lose weight at any one time, but only 10 percent keep it off for over a year. Some people have a cycle of losing weight, gaining it back, and then losing it again. This cycle is called yo-yo dieting. After a while, it becomes almost impossible for a yo-yo dieter to lose weight. The body becomes so efficient at saving the calories it’s given that a person can’t restrict calories to a low enough level to lose weight. The body says "I don’t know if you’re starving me or fattening me up this week, so I’m not taking any chances. I’m saving all the calories I can." The body is efficient, and it learns to extract every calorie it can from the food it’s given. Starvation just causes the body to crave high fat to replace the lost body fat. "
This is why someone with an eating disorder often craves peanut butter for example.

"Another side effect of yo-yo dieting is that the body redeposits fat in the abdominal area (stomach) when it can. Fat above the waist is easier to lose than fat below the waist. This is simple physics. Your heart has to pump blood to all areas of the body. Gravity helps the heart with the distribution of fluid. Anything above the heart is more work, because it makes the heart work against gravity. Anything below the heart requires less work. You’ve probably known someone who was dieting. The first noticeable place they lose weight is usually in their face. The body works from the top down, getting rid of the weight in areas that require more work to maintain. So, if there’s extra fat, the body is going to deposit it below the waist, where it doesn’t require so much work. You thought you had a choice where you lost your weight? Think again. There’s no suchthing as "spot" reducing."

"A variation of yo-yo dieting is eating only once a day. Peoplewho eat only once a day have a very low resting metabolism. This means they need fewer calories. Their body has adapted to the idea that it won’t be getting very much food, so it reduces its calorie needs. Their metabolism rises after each meal to burn calories. Unfortunately, they probably also find themselves with very little energy, because their blood sugar levels are so low for most of the day. It would be almost impossible to get all the nutrients needed at one meal a day. If people following this eating pattern then decide to eat several times a day, they’d see a weight gain, because their bodies would store all of the extra, unneeded energy."

"Remember the basic tenet of weight—calories in equals calories out. You have to come up with a plan that you can follow, with allowable exceptions, for the rest of your life that allows for the right amount of calories for you. Look at how and what you like to eat and work with that to devise a comfortable eating plan."

"Think about an eating pattern as a marriage you plan on keeping for life. Are you prepared to go through life eating bacon, burgers, and beef, hold the bread, potatoes and tomatoes? If you answered with an emphatic "yes," consider the consequences. Depending on your genetics, you might be losing weight but eating yourself into early coronary artery disease, hypertension, diabetes, or arthritis. The excessive amounts of cholesterol and saturated fats in the Atkins and Zone diets can lead to clogged arteries that can, in turn, lead to heart attacks and strokes. High-fat diets can also cause constipation. Is that something you want to look forward to for the rest of your life? And, because of the limited amounts of carbohydrates, very few nutrients and little fiber are found in these diets."

"So, why do "miracle" diets work at all? Although they accomplish it in different ways, all of these diets require that certain foods be eliminated or reduced, which means that, calorie intake is reduced. But once the calories and eliminated foods are returned to the daily intake, the pounds also return."

"In many cases, the weight loss generated by such diets is mostly artificial. Carbohydrates hold water. If you don’t eat carbohydrates, your body holds on to less water. Eating fat decreases your appetite, and eventually you might reduce the amount of food you’re eating every day. In the end, the pounds come back, because no one can maintain this eating style over the long run."

"When it comes to losing weight and keeping it off, there’s no easy, painless solution. Any diet that contains 1,400–1,500 calories or fewer per day will produce short-term weight loss in most adults. You can live on 1,500 calories of chocolate and bacon and lose weight. However, you’ll probably destroy your health; Most diets, no matter how weird, produce some weight loss for a short amount of time. After that, weight comes back with a vengeance, as your body attempts to stabilize its metabolism."

Ways to help loose weight:
1. Use low-fat cooking methods, such as poaching, roasting, barbecuing, grilling, and steaming.

2. Avoid extreme calorie restrictions. Don’t skip meals or fast.

3. Eat at least 1,200 calories per day.

4. Lose weight slowly, only 1 or 2 pounds per week. Remember, 3,500 calories equals one pound.

5. Select a diet that fits your lifestyle and food preferences. Plan for special events.

6. Exercise at least 30 minutes most days.

7. Be realistic. Look at your body type and heredity.

8. Forget the scale. Weigh yourself once a week at most.

9. Reward yourself with something other than food!



There ya's go. I'm just sharing this with you because of things I'm noticing on this website.

nikinyx6

I agree with this 100%

although there are always people in the forums who are gonna try to tear it apart...

*waits for it*