More than half of the people who live in the United States are currently trying to lose weight. Many will succeed, but the bad news is that most people who do lose weight are unable to keep it off long-term. According to research, people tend to diet heavily four times a year keeping a $59 million industry alive and well.
We all know this up and down pattern of weight-loss, called yo-yo dieting, is bad, yet many of us struggle with it. The good news is that a 2012 study published in the journal Metabolism found that yo-yo dieting may not be as detrimental to metabolism and long-term weight-loss as once believed. According to senior author Anne McTiernan, M.D., Ph.D., “A history of unsuccessful weight loss should not dissuade an individual from future attempts to shed pounds or diminish the role of a healthy diet and regular physical activity in successful weight management.”Inspired by that, we found 15 ways to prevent the radical weight shifts associated with yo-yo dieting. Here’s to taking it off and keeping it off once and for all!
1. Don’t revert to old habits.
Once you’ve reached your goal weight, you can’t expect to keep it off if you go back to eating the way you did before your diet. We’re not saying you have to be ‘on a diet’ forever, but long-term weight-loss is about making healthy eating part of your lifestyle.
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