95% of dieters fail to maintain weight loss over a five year period. The Yo-Yo dieting phenomena is increasing prevalent and more people suffer from obesity than ever before. Many of us are successful in loosing weight and feel confident and inspired by our new figure. However weight gain post diet is more familiar and as most dieters appreciate preventing weight gain after dieting is as hard as loosing weight initially.
The theory behind yo-yo dieting is that the dieters RMR is lowered (resting metabolic weight) through frequent dieting. However, many contest this theory arguing that whilst on a strict diet the body a dieters RMR (resting metabolic weight)will drop when normal eating patterns are resumed the dieters RMR returns to normal.
Weight Gain after dieting is usually caused by two things:
- Over eating after the diet - having dieted uccessful many people binge post diet success. Experts argue that dieting supress our natural appetite and lowers self-esteam. The denial is often too severe and when we do resume a normal diet when we eat previously restricted food we over eat.
- Another reason why we gain weight after dieting is simply because our glycogen stores fill out. Through dieting our glycogen may become depleted and post diet our body begins to store glycogen again. For every 0.5kg of Glycogen stored 1.5kg of water is stored - this means you gain weight, not owing to increased fat, but glycogen and water.
