The Battle of the Yo-Yo Dieter

Ahhh....another story about weight loss. How many of these stories have you read this year alone? That many, huh? And we're only in the fifth month. But the truth is, that many of us are constantly chasing the magic formula even when we know there is no such thing. Even when we know better. Even when we have been on countless diets, have fallen for countless weight loss schemes, and we have always gained the weight back. The vicious cycle of yo-yo dieting holds many in its clutches. How can we finally break free?

It all starts in your head and not your gut. You have to be ready and willing to make the change mentally before anything else can happen physically, and before the slim down can begin. You can join any one of the numerous programs out there, but many nutrition experts will tell you that diets simply don't work. If they did, why would so many dieters lose the weight and then gain it back? Most dieters are looking for that instant gratification, which is probably what made them gain weight in the first place. Life is stressful. Life is difficult. Food tastes good. Food gives immediate pleasure after a demanding and taxing day. So we eat for the same reasons that a smoker smokes, and an alcoholic drinks. It eases the pressure. It eases the pain. It feels good.

Not all overweight people have addictive personalities; they could simply have less active metabolisms and it's difficult for them to lose weight. We all know that after a certain age, our metabolism slows down and we tend to hold on to extra weight. But I'm talking about the yo-yo dieter. The guy or gal who gains and loses and gains and loses and with every gain, she gains back even more than she lost. In this type of circumstance, you have to look at behavior. The yo-yo dieter definitely has an emotional connection to food, and is probably using food to cope with difficult situations. I speak from experience. I'm a yo-yo dieter from way back.

I think the biggest thing I had to overcome, was to find a way to cope with stress and loss and pain and frustration in other ways than simply reaching for the nearest cupcake. It really helps to think of food as fuel. That's how naturally thin people think. They eat because they need to feed the machine. I'm not saying that naturally thin people don't enjoy themselves while eating, but they know that when they're full, they need to stop. They don't continue stuffing themselves. Staying busy, staying active not using food as an emotional crutch are all ways to avoid the dreaded yo-yo effect.

It's a tough and on-going battle for many of us. But I truly believe that the first step is to change your perception of what food is. Food should not be something you reward yourself with after a particularly trying day. Food is essential. Food is life, and if you're only thinking of food in terms of making you feel less stressed, your relationship with food will be warped from the start. The only way your car will run, is if you put gasoline in it. (Unless it's a hybrid, but you know what I'm trying to say.) It's an old analogy, but it's good one. Don't let your body's engine get sluggish by putting the wrong things into it.

What does boggle my mind, is when we are successful in losing the weight and we vow to never put it back on, we often do. This is exactly why we need to examine our relationship to the food, and why we make the choices we make as to the actual food we eat.

If you are a yo-yo dieter, be kind to yourself. Start a daily journal that will help you track what you eat and why you eat it. This is a tool that is so helpful. And being kind to yourself means if you slip up, don't beat yourself up. Just start again. Take it day by day. Get support where you can. Educate yourself by learning how to eat healthy. Start exercising, even if it means a short walk to the mailbox or a stroll around the block. Get moving, because it will get you out of your head. It's the little things we do on a daily and consistent basis that will helps us out of the vicious cycle of being a yo-yo dieter.