Still Yo-Yo-ing
Diet Blog did some investigation into the issue of yo-yo dieting.
I agree with the conclusion, which is basically, no wonder we're all so confused!
I agree with the conclusion, which is basically, no wonder we're all so confused!
7 Comments:
I think the confusion may stem from the fact that multiple studies have shown that when you lose weight, your metabolism does slow down. Some researchers had postulated that this change was permanent, and that every time weight was lost and regained it got worse. But subsequent studies showed that if you regain that weight and go back to what you were before, your metabolism will go back to normal as well, it won't stay slowed down.
-La Wade
I don't know what to think on this one. Certainly, anecdotal evidence among people I know suggests that yo-yoing is Not a Good Idea, and that things do get harder.
On the other hand, I would guess that if you've gained weight back after dieting, you might be rather demoralised and, deliberately or not, not be as stringent with yourslef on the next effort, which might confuse matters. This is just a theory - I'm not saying everyone would experience this effect, but that if it exists it might muddy the waters...
I believe that as long as you are in caloiric deficit (on the famine feast cycle or diet binge cycle knowingly or not) you will have a low metabolism.
you can check your metabolism without all the hoopla and expense by tracking your temps. after about 2 hours after getting up take your temps with a murcury thermometer for at least 7 minutes, do this for subsequent days to get your average, if it is in the 97 or 96 ranges you have a reduced metabolism which may be due to undereating or due to a thyroid problem.
mine was in the 97 and 96 ranges for 15 years before I realized that I wasn't eating enough (was on the famine feast cycle and didn't know it) once I started to eat enough, after about 2 years my temps were 98.6 to 99 on average.
RR
Unfortunately, body temperature is not a very accurate way to gauge metabolic changes associated with reduced body weight, because resting energy expenditure is only one of several components of metabolic rate, and metabolic rate is only one of many factors contributing to body temperature.
But I think it's kind of immaterial anyway. Weight loss will cause you to use fuel more efficiently, which is one of the reasons why it's so hard for people to maintain. Regular exercise has been shown to blunt this effect, but doesn't eliminate it. Still, some people do manage to maintain weight loss, so it's a challenge, not a barrier.
Yup. It's confusing alright. Anecdotally (which I sure is a word in some alternate dimension), I've yo-yo dieted for years and I'm pretty sure that my metabolism is suffering for it. What I know objectively is that after six months of eating 1350 calories a day my RMR (as measured by the BodyGem calorieometer) was 1100 calories a day, which is very low. The nutritionist I'm working with now has me eating 1500 calories a day and restricting the amount of higher intensity cardio I do so that my body stands down the starvation mode 'red-alert' it's on. I take the test again next month. Hopefully, the news will be a whole lot better.
I think there's still confusion as to what is exactly meant by "yo-yo dieting". It's pretty obvious that dramatically starving yourself to loose weight quickly will set your metabolism into starvation mode, and doing so repeatedly, with binging and rapid weight gain inbetween, that's going to mess with your metabolism too.
So far I haven't seen any strong evidence to suggest real long-term ill effects once a person levels out to a "sensible" eating and exercise plan that includes resistance training, not just high intensity cardio. However, living your life alternating between famine and feast has got to be hard on your body, and some people may develop serious medical conditions like insulin resistance, which will make it harder for them to be healthy even with a healthy lifestyle. It all depends on how far you take the yo-yo-ing. '
so I guess what I'm trying to say in a really big rambly nutshell is that rapid weight loss and gain are oging to be hard on your body and metabolism, but it's entirely possible to reverse the ill effects by pursuing a more balanced "dieting" approach...unless some serious damage (like developing diabetes) has already happened.
What I've seen happen to my cousin, who yo-yos in the most typical way (tons of cake followed by cabbage soup diet followed by chocolate binge followed by Atkins; repeat) is that her body composition changed visibly when she lost the same 20lb over and over; I look at pictures and at her body at the same weight looks very different, way more overfat.
So maybe this is the metabolic slowdown from yo-yo dieting, it is the worse body composition that causes the slower metabolism.
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