How to Overcome (and Avoid) Yo-Yo Dieting

Weight loss isn't everyone's goal, nor should it be. But for those looking to go down a pants size or two, the phenomenon of weight loss followed by weight gain — called yo-yo dieting — can be downright frustrating.

Fortunately, you can overcome the vicious cycle and finally reach your goal weight. But first, to overcome these weight fluctuations, it helps to understand the fundamentals of this common phenomenon.

How Common Is Yo-Yo Dieting?

There's a debate about what yo-yoing can really do to you, healthwise. Some people say that any success at losing weight — no matter how temporary — is a win, and data on the ill effects is mixed.

If you recognize this process and feel you may be caught up in it, know that it's okay and there's no shame. Diets that preach restrictions often lead to "overcompensation" or binge eating. "Over time, this goes into a chronic cycle," says the Seattle-based registered dietitian Ginger Hultin.

The need to eat and feed yourself adequately is a matter of biology. Experts like to sum it up this way: You didn't fail the diet — the diet failed you.

"What you're dealing with is actually biology. It's so strong, and no amount of willpower or diet plan will let you overcome what the body is programmed to do. As soon as you restrict too much, limiting a macronutrient (carbs, fat, protein) or calories, the body rebels by slowing the metabolism," Hultin says.

In short: You don't lose weight as quickly and you are likely to gain weight over the long term.

Besides changes in metabolism, the nature of extreme weight loss and its surrounding lifestyle is difficult to maintain over time. Here's what researchers found was key to maintaining weight loss: exercise.

This back-and-forth cycle can set you up to feel like a failure if you're set on losing weight. "It's so frustrating," says Hultin. "Many of my clients have a lifelong history of weight cycling, a pattern that started as children and continued into their teen and adult years," she says.

But you can get off the roller coaster. It's possible to break free of the fads, put in the mental work, and come out healthier and happier than before.

Here's how to begin.

Cut the Restrictions

Watch out for any diet that restricts an entire food group or forces you to cut out everything that you love, says Hultin. "It's these unrealistic plans that cause this weight cycle," she says.

Make a Mental Shift

"A large part of yo-yoing is not changing the fundamental psychology behind eating," says Tiffany Wright, PhD, aka the Skinny Coach, a weight loss expert in Los Angeles who has studied the psychological and behavioral factors that lead to overeating.

Because our daily environment tends to be littered with triggers (like the neon sign of a fast-food restaurant on your way home after a stressful day of work), losing weight may not be about how well you can follow diet rules. "While most people can go on any diet for a certain amount of time, it doesn't address the triggers or associations that lead you down a path of weight gain in the first place," says Dr. Wright. That's why it's so easy to go back to your former habits.

Find Help

Whether your goal is to lose weight or adopt healthier habits that will improve your health (with or without weight loss as the end goal), tap into the wisdom of someone who knows this stuff and can guide you along the way.

"There's this sense that you can do it on your own, but I think that people need help from a professional," Wright says. "I think of this as a skill that needs to be learned, like gymnastics or cooking. It's okay to get help."

Consider Your Headspace

It’s important to address your relationship with food, particularly if you've developed fears involving it. "Is there a potential for disordered eating? I think many people walk around in that space without support," says Hultin.

Look Beyond the Scale

Weight isn't everything. Are your labs normal? Are you sleeping okay? Exercising appropriately? While it may seem easier to mark your progress with the scale, there are other, often overlooked changes that also affect your overall health, says Hultin.

• Yo-yo dieting or weight cycling is the process of losing weight and gaining it back, only to lose and regain it again.
• Sustainable weight loss may ease the negative effects of weight cycling on your physical and mental health.
• Breaking the cycle is possible through strategies like consistency, exercise, addressing the mental aspects of dieting, enlisting professional weight loss support, and finding ways to measure your progress that don’t involve the scale.