How to Finally Stop Yo-Yo Dieting

Too many people spend a lifetime losing excess weight only to gain it back again. Many say that each time, more weight is gained than was lost. This is frustrating and an unhealthy method of managing your body weight. This pattern is called Yo-Yo dieting. It’s a constant rise and decrease of body weight over years that can lead to a decline in health by causing a decrease in good cholesterol resulting in heart disease or a shorter life-span.

Yo-Yo dieting leads to depression and physical ailments and for this reason I suggest we make Yo-Yo dieting a thing of the past! This can easily be done by realizing the cause. Once you recognize triggers, you can break old habits by forming new ones. Yo-Yo dieting is usually caused by dead-end dieting trends that are visible in both physical and mental processes. By putting a stop to these trends, a healthy body weight can be achieved for a lifetime.

The common dead-end dieting trends are the ones that affect the most people. If you have experienced any one of them, you know how quickly they derail your weight-loss efforts, and when you avoid them you are able to manage your weight.

Dead-End Dieting Trends:

Everything that tastes good is off limits. Once you start to believe you can no longer eat food that you find enjoyable and must eat boring bland food in an attempt to lose weight, you have just entered the dead-end zone. In my Five-Finger Food Guide, I break food choices into two categories; Staples and Specials.

1. Staples are food items that promote good health and sustained weight loss. They also provide energy, eating satisfaction, and necessary vitamins and nutrients. They are Fruits/Vegetables, Proteins, Healthy Carbohydrates, and Healthy Fats.

2. Specials are food items that have no nutritional value, yet you enjoy them. They are sweets, alcohol, chips, processed food, etc. Eat your staples always, but never be fearful to add specials from time to time. No food is off limits, but there must be limits on food.

I must feel hungry to lose weight. Believing that in order to lose weight you must feel hungry for long periods of time will lead to overeating. Hunger is a normal feeling and it is your body sending a message that it’s time to eat. When you become familiar with true hunger you will know exactly what your body is hungry for, but living in the state of hunger will only accomplish the opposite of what you desire. You will soon binge, and if not, your body will go into starvation mode for survival. Your metabolism will slow, burning fewer calories. You will not lose weight; in fact, you may begin to gain weight. It is normal to feel hungry about three to four hours after you last ate. It’s time to eat, not to wear hunger as a badge of courage.

You easily allow people and situations to derail your weight-loss efforts. When you blame poor food choices or overeating on others or conditions outside your control you have made yourself a willing victim. You have lost sight of the most important component in any situation: You! When choosing healthy food is your normal pattern, you’ll find that at times you will make unplanned choices due to situations, but always remain cognizant of the best choice that can be made.

I’ll start Monday. Whenever you put aside your true aspirations to resume at another time, face it, you have given up! It is not only on Monday, but you might hear yourself say, “It’s just this one time,” or “Just this one won’t hurt.” It is not so much the ‘just one’ thought; it is the attitude that accompanies it. You have 365 days a year to make smart choices or 365 days a year to allow a poor attitude to invite weight-gain.

Using cleanses, juicing, fasting, or detoxing as a weight loss method. Unless you are using any of these methods for religious observance or prescribed by a doctor for a medical condition, these methods are not for sustained weight loss and can be considered dangerous to health. Just avoid!

Recognizing the pitfalls of dead-end dieting trends, a balance between food intake, exercise, and patience, you will end Yo-Yo dieting and lead to life-long sustained weight loss.

Margaret Marshall is an international speaker who specializes in corporate wellness programs. She enjoys three decades in the wellness/weight loss industry. She had a seventeen- year run as a speaker and trainer for Weight Watchers and now presents wellness programs for corporations such as:

Amtrak, Pepsi, JDA, Amex, Metlife, Cannon USA, National Grid, Sterling Equities, Fort Hamilton USAG, Time Inc, Time Warner Music, Verizon, Morgan Stanley, Sterling National Bank, KPMG, Neuberger Berman, Fordham University, Hofstra University, Molloy College, The New York College for Health Professions, IPRO, United HealthCare, St. Francis Hospital, Winthrop Hospital, The Catholic Health System, The Mets Organization, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines and Princess Cruises.

She employs realistic strategies to maintain a healthy mindset and lifestyle that result in improved health and successful career paths for her audiences.

She is the creator of “The Five Finger Food Guide”, and the author of “Body, Mind & Mouth” and “Healthy Living Means Living Healthy”.

Her articles are published in The Huffington Post, Forbes.com, Thrive Global, and, news outlets, government publications, and women’s magazines nationally and internationally.

Margaret Marshall is a past executive board member for The National Speaker’s Association in New York City and a past Area Governor for Toastmasters.

Learn more at www.MargaretMarshallAssociates.com