There always seems to be a new diet out every few months that is the latest and greatest thing since sliced bread. It is puzzling sometimes to try and figure how the latest and greatest diets can only last a year or so before they are replaced. After all, if they truly were great diets, wouldn’t they withstand the test of time. Many people are trying to lose weight amidst extremely busy schedules and they buy into the empty promises of these fad diets. People experience the yo yo dieting trend because their bodies adjust to the diets and they end up gaining some weight back. This path doesn’t lead anywhere positive, so it is important to learn how to truly lose weight and keep it off.

The common component in many of the fad diets that lead to the yo yo dieting effect is reduced calories throughout the day. This does not really teach people how to eat sensibly and maintain a healthy diet. When lean muscle mass is built up, that muscle is much more effective at burning calories throughout the day than fat is. Another common trend for these quick diet plans is to have people gain back weight that they have lost because their bodies need more calories and they end up binge eating because they have essentially starved themselves for a few weeks. This up and down weight gain and loss is where the yo yo effect gets its name from.

Many of the fad diets also start out with a period of time where people essentially fast and don’t eat any of the foods they would typically eat. The body doesn’t respond well to this treatment and will start to store fat as a way to protect against losing too much. This can be extremely frustrating for people and can lead them to take further drastic steps in their quest to lose more weight. This frustration can again lead to the pattern of yo yo dieting. The mental toll that this type of dieting can take can lead people to have lower self esteem and eating issues. Fatigue, increased stress levels and depression are also common symptoms of this type of dieting.

It has been proven over and over that yo yo dieting is harmful to the body, but because there is such an emphasis on looks in our society, people continue to hurt themselves with these fad diets. People can become so obsessed with losing weight that it can begin to affect their work and home life because it is all they can focus on. It is much more important to learn the right way to lose weight. Some very simple tips are these: consume enough energy each day to burn fat (this can be done through vigorous cardiovascular exercise), eat the right foods to maintain lean muscle mass, and set a plan to make these things long term habits.