Avoiding yo-yo dieting, coming off a diet in stages

Why weight comes back after a diet

Yo-yo dieting means regaining the weight you lost, sometimes more, in the months after a diet. It is not a question of willpower. A diet that is too restrictive triggers 3 reactions.

• The body uses less energy. With less food coming in, it reduces its spending at rest, then stores the difference when your old way of eating returns.
• Muscle goes with the fat. A fast loss low in protein takes muscle with it, and muscle is what uses the most energy at rest.
• Hunger gets louder. After a strict diet, appetite often comes back stronger. Our guide to curbing hunger naturally can help.

The British Dietetic Association advice on weight loss warns against fad diets, which are extreme, restrictive and hard to stick with. Our article on fad diets looks at the most common ones.

Coming off a diet in stages

Each week, add a small extra, a portion of starchy food or a snack, then watch the scales for 7 days. If your weight is stable, go up a notch. If it rises, stay on the previous stage for another week. Allow 2 to 3 months to return to normal eating, and around 6 months before treating your weight as settled.

Habits that protect your weight

• Protein at every meal. Eggs, fish, chicken, pulses or Greek yoghurt keep you full. Protein contributes to the maintenance of muscle mass.
• Daily activity. The NHS physical activity guidelines for adults recommend 150 minutes of moderate activity a week and strength exercises on 2 days. Brisk walking, cycling or swimming all count.
• Enough sleep. A short night increases hunger the next day.
• Mostly home cooking. When most meals are cooked at home, the odd pub dinner matters little. Our guide to eating out has the rest.

A 2kg alert threshold

Weigh yourself each week, on the same day, at the same time. Set an alert threshold 2kg, about 4lb, above your target weight. Below it, changes from water and digestion are normal. Above it for 2 weeks running, go back to your weight loss habits for 10 days.

The NHS suggests a pace of 0.5 to 1kg a week, about 1 to 2lb, when losing weight, in its tips to help you lose weight. Catching 2kg early is far easier than catching 10kg later. This article does not replace advice from your GP or another health professional.

At the Witney club

At our club, the coaches trained in nutrition support members every day, including after they reach their goal. The free assessment sets out a plan that goes all the way to stabilisation.