Dieting does not work. If you insist on going on a “diet”, you will gain back all the weight you’ve lost and possibly more within a few months. This because diets are temporary. Once you stop following a strict diet, you go back to all your old habits. So stick to changes you can stick to, even if the weight does not come off as quickly. For example, many a person lost a significant amount of weight using the Atkin’s diet. But once they stopped using the diet, all the weight was gained back. On the other hand, those who used a low carb diet and gradually increased their carbohydrate intake until they find a caloric level they can keep up with on a long term basis may have gained back a few pounds, but mostly maintained.

So for long term results, use long term solutions. First, exercise at least 3 times per week. Exercising burns excess calories, that would become fat cells if left. Exercise will also build muscle, contributing to a better rate of metabolism and therefore greater rates of fat burn in the future as well as to decrease the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, back pain, and osteoporosis. No matter what kind of exercise it is, 30 minutes a day should suffice for most(1).

Another useful lifestyle change consists of eating more fruits and vegetables. They are often rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber, and low calorie options. Many of them also force your body to use more calories in processing them than they actually contain. As an example, 100 grams of grapes contain only 100 calories. So next time you are craving an afternoon snack, instead of grabbing that bag of chips or the fried chicken in your refrigerator, reach for a bag of grapes instead.

Finally, everything in moderation. While cutting out fat is good, cutting out all fat is not. Our bodies need fat, just like other nutrients, to function. And while eating fruits and vegetables is good, eating nothing but could damage the stomach and make your lifestyle change hard to stick to. Moderation is key to making long term changes and achieving long term success.

In summary, if you are looking to lose weight, take it slow. Exercise, eat more fruits and vegetables, and don’t go to extremes. Other methods may result in fast weight loss like “30 pounds in 30 days”, but the results will not last. Moderate lifestyle changes may result in only 2 pounds per week, but you are less likely to gain them back.

1. http://www.webmd.com/diet/exercise-weight-control

Yo Yo Dieting is horrible. We’ve all heard it at least 100 times before. It’s hard on your heart, on your mental stamina, and according to some experts, your skin(Hoffman, MD). By wikipedia definition, yo yo dieting or weight cycling is “a repeated loss and gain of body weight due to excessive dieting.(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yo-yo_dieting)” It usually involves extreme diets meant to replace a healthy change of lifestyle and a lifelong exercise plan. When you lose and gain a substantial amount of weight in short periods of time, it is hard on all your bodily systems, but your body can recover over time. If you keep repeating this cycle, your body is allowed no recovery time and therefore no recovery at all. A more visible sign of this is the fact that after being stretched so many times, your skin will lose its elasticity, and eventually will not bounce back, resulting in stretch marks, wrinkles, and loose skin. In addition, a person who participates in yo yo dieting commonly experiences more trouble reaching and maintaining a healthy weight than a first time dieter(Medicinenet).

Most of the weight gain associated with yo yo dieting happens because people starve themselves on an extreme fad diet. They lose weight, and they get excited and relax, because they have achieved their goal of losing weight. But then they return to all their old habits that made them overweight in the first place. There is no long term commitment, and therefore no long term results.

So, if you are looking to lose weight for purposes of health or looks, remember to be reasonable. Some would even say, do not go on a diet, go on a lifestyle change. This means instead of cutting out all the foods you love, eat them in moderation. Instead of switching to a diet of largely one kind of fruit(ie the grapefruit diet), eat more fruits and vegetables in general, and balance them with other important foods such as proteins and good carbs. Start exercising for 30 minutes a day 3 times a week, or choose to walk up the stairs every once in a while instead of taking the elevator. In other words, make lifelong changes and commitments, and don’t expect to lose 20 pounds your first week. Real and lasting weight loss takes time and effort.

1. Hoffman, Matthew MD. “Aging Skin: Do You Look Older Than You Should?” WebMD Feature. http://www.webmd.com/skin-beauty/wrinkles-8/causes-of-wrinkles
2. Medicinenet. “Weight Cycling…Facts About Yo Yo Dieting.” http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=21745
3. National Institutes of Health. Weight Control Information Network. Weight Cycling.
4. Olson, M.B. et al. Weight cycling and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in women: Evidence of an adverse effect. Journal of the American College of Cardiology. November 1, 2000. 36(5):1565-1571.
5. National Task Force on the Prevention and Treatment of Obesity. Weight cycling. Journal of the American Medical Association. October 19, 1994. 272(15):1196-1202.
6. The Hazards of Yo Yo Dieting, Mayo Clinic, http://www.mayoclinic.com hlp/invoke.cfm?objectid=47C36183-C8B3-4906-924441E357EE1E18