Yo Yo Dieting, also known as “weight cycling”, is a diet form that describes an erratic pattern of a weight loss journey. It entails the pattern of losing weight, regaining it, and then dieting again.
Yo-Yo diet has been largely practiced by many people, where they go on a restrictive diet, lose weight, and then revert to their previous eating habits.
This repeated pattern is believed to be anything but good, and the popular notion is it causes muscle loss when calories are over-restricted. Restrictive food intake during yo-yo dieting happens to affect metabolism and slow it down a great deal.
So, what we are going to find out today is how to repair metabolism after yo yo dieting and reverse the negative health effects!
If you’re referring to the cycle of losing weight and then gaining it back repeatedly, it’s a pretty common struggle for many. It can be tough on both the body and mind. This is one of the potent reasons why you should consider the significant ways to repair metabolism and get lasting results.
This cycling somehow affects health due to the fluctuations in weight and the stress it places on the body.
Key Insights:
- Yo-Yo diet is one of the most common ways of dieting to lose weight in an emergency or for an upcoming special event.
- This diet pattern involves extreme or unsustainable dieting methods that focus on quick weight loss rather than long-term lifestyle changes.
- Studies show that the Yo-yo diet slows down the body’s metabolism after the completion of dieting, making it harder to lose or maintain weight in the future.
With that stated, let’s have a closer analysis on how to repair metabolism after yo yo dieting.
How to Repair Metabolism after Yo Yo Dieting?
Yo-yo dieting refers to a cycle of losing weight through restrictive diets, then gaining it back once the diet ends, leading to repeated weight fluctuations.
While you do lose weight due to restricting calories, not eating properly can mess up your normal metabolism. Not to mention, people often lose fat due to obvious calorie cutting. But because the body needs some fuel, it may also burn muscle, leading to muscle loss.
There are plenty of ways to overcome the afterward effects of damaged metabolism symptoms.
#1. Gradual Caloric Increase
Following a restricted diet plan for a specific period of time may inevitably affect your metabolism. To keep it balanced, start by slowly increasing your calorie intake. Try to increase, perhaps 100-200 calories per day, focusing on nutrient-dense foods like lean proteins, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates.
This will eventually help in balancing overall calorie and fat distribution in the body after just being through a specific cycle. Also, try to prioritize sustainable habits that support long-term health rather than quick fixes.
#2. Limit Processed Foods and Sugars
For reversing metabolic damage, limiting the amount of added calories or additional sweeteners is a big no-no. Processed foods and sugars are not easily digestable and lead you to gain weight causing slower metabolism on the other side.
Minimize intake of processed foods and added sugars. Studies have shown that they can lead to blood sugar fluctuations and contribute to metabolic issues. Further, make your meal plan with less caloric and freshly cooked food instead of relying on processed foods.
#3. Adequate Sleep
Sleeping is yet another factor that may help in reversing metabolism after a gradual decline in metabolic rate. Not just after following yo-yo dieting, you need to prioritize quality sleep regularly to get fresh activated day. It helps boost metabolism and supports overall well-being.
Studies have shown that lack of sleep may disrupt hormonal balance and somehow affect metabolism. For healthy overall well-being aim for 7-9 hours of undisturbed sleep to help you most in regaining and boosting metabolism.
#4. Protein Intake
High protein diets are kinda an essential addition to the diet as they significantly help in losing weight. As per a study, there is a positive effect of a high-protein diet on the whole body’s metabolism. Protein-rich foods are filled with have a thermogenic effect on the body.
The thermic effect of food (TEF) refers to the energy expenditure associated with digesting, absorbing, and processing nutrients from food. When you consume protein-rich foods, your body expends more energy (calories) to digest and metabolize them compared to fats and carbs.
#5. Balanced Thyroid Hormones
Increased thyroid hormone levels cause hyperthyroidism, which speeds metabolic metabolism. Ensure a balanced intake of macronutrients (proteins, fats, and carbohydrates). Adequate protein intake is crucial for repairing and building muscle.
This helps in balancing the thyroid hormone and somehow they positively impact metabolism. Your thyroid regulates your metabolism, thus having a healthy thyroid is essential for how to rebuild your metabolism after yo-yo dieting.
#6. Interval Training
Interval training can play a significant role in helping reverse the negative effects of yo-yo dieting on metabolism. Yo-yo dieting often leads to muscle loss along with fat loss. Interval training, particularly resistance-based interval workouts, helps in preserving and even building lean muscle mass.
Along with this, targeting stubborn fat stores can contribute to a healthier body composition, and positively impact metabolism. Some studies suggest that yo-yo dieting may affect insulin activity but indulging in proper training has been found to improve insulin sensitivity.
#7. Regular Eating Patterns
A regular healthy eating pattern is significant when it comes to improving the body’s metabolic function. It’s suggested to establish regular eating patterns to overcome the negative impacts of yo-yo diet over metabolism.
Aim for consistent meal times to regulate your body’s internal clock and optimize metabolic function. Establishing a regular and healthy eating pattern can indeed significantly impact and improve the body’s metabolic function, especially in the context of recovering from the negative impacts of yo-yo dieting.
#8. Strength Training
Strength training is also one of the most effective ways to burst out damaged metabolism by yo-yo dieting. Yo-yo dieting often leads to muscle loss along with fat loss. Strength training helps preserve existing muscle mass and, with consistent effort, can even facilitate muscle growth.
Further, it also elevates the body’s energy expenditure during and after the workout. The metabolism is also boosted when your body pushes additional efforts to lift weight and do heavier sets in a row.
#9. Hydration
Keeping yourself hydrated is certainly the most significant process to balance out overall bodily function. Plus, hydration plays a crucial role in supporting overall health and can indeed contribute to improving a damaged metabolism caused by yo-yo dieting.
The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism clearly has given evidence that drinking 500 ml of water increased metabolic rate by 30%. The same study also states that incorporating 2 liters of water daily influences energy expenditure by approximately 400 kJ.
#10. Balanced Nutrition
Some practitioners shared a query can you fix your metabolism after an eating disorder, is clearly the answer must be a yes. This is because following balanced nutrition aids your body through sufficient nutrients and supports it to heal naturally.
Practice mindful eating. Pay attention to hunger and fullness cues, eating when hungry, and stopping when satisfied, to avoid overeating or bingeing. Also, Steer clear of extreme or overly restrictive diets. Opt for sustainable eating patterns that provide adequate nutrition without severe calorie deficits.
Definitely, the tips shared here help to repair the metabolism after yo-yo dieting, but do you have any idea how long for metabolism to recover after dieting?
How Long Does It Take to Fix Metabolism?
Well, the specific timing depends on the damage you have to the metabolism. If you’ve got mild metabolic damage, the maximum time you can get to fix your metabolism is 8-10 weeks to fully repair.
If the damage is moderate, the time taken for the metabolism to get back to normal will be around 10-12 weeks, and if the damage is extreme, it will take more than 12 weeks.
These aforementioned tips help minimize the period to get a repaired metabolism. Further, it will also balance out the amount of energy you’ve always felt lost during your yo-yo dieting cycle.
Overall, the time it takes to repair or improve metabolism after yo-yo dieting varies significantly among individuals.
Several factors influence the timeline, including the extent of metabolic damage, overall health, age, genetics, lifestyle factors, and the strategies implemented for metabolic repair.
Moreover, these strategies shared the potent answer to “how to repair metabolism after yo yo dieting supplements”. But is it safe to practice yo yo diet for the long term?
Is Yo Yo Dieting Safe for Long Term?
Yo-yo dieting is basically categorized by cycles of weight loss followed by weight regain. Well, the diet form isn’t considered a safe and effective way to get a perfect shape. Following it in the long term may influence some adverse complications that somehow impact overall health.
While it’s common for people to try various diets aiming for quick weight loss, the pattern of yo-yo dieting poses several risks and challenges:
- Yo-yo dieting can negatively affect metabolism.
- Extreme or restrictive diets lead to nutritional imbalances or deficiencies.
- Yo-yo dieting may increase the risk of heart disease.
- The constant cycle of weight loss and regain can take a toll on mental health
- Long-term yo-yo dieting is associated with increased health risks like obesity.
Significantly, yo-yo dieting is not safe for a longer period. However, you can follow other diet forms if your intention is to lose weight safely.
Final Note
Overall, there are significant ways to reset metabolism and balance out metabolic rates naturally. Yo-yo dieting is eventually not the best way to get rid of excess body fat and calories.
Research suggests that repeated cycles of weight loss and regain are associated with an increased likelihood of overall weight gain. This weight cycling pattern can contribute to an increase in body fat percentage over time.
Also, it affects the basal metabolic rate after ensuring active weight loss. This is why instead of focusing on short-term fixes through extreme dieting, prioritizing sustainable lifestyle changes that include healthy eating habits, regular physical activity, stress management, and adequate sleep is crucial for long-term health.