Are You Tired of Yo Yo Dieting?

Are you tired of yo yo dieting and your weight consistently going up and down? You may also find yourself having mood swings, feeling really happy when you have lost a few pounds only to quickly regain them again and then feel so guilty and bad about yourself.

The problem with yo yo dieting is that when you cut down on calories your body goes into starvation mode and your metabolism slows down. The body will then start to think that there is a famine. In order to maintain your weight while it "thinks" you are starving, your body's metabolism rate will actually slow down and your body will then start to store the calories into your fat cells.

In the long run, very low calorie diets can actually make you fatter. Eventually, they lead to binge eating and weight re-gain and you end up with less muscle and a slower metabolism than when you started.

Some of the consequences of the body going into starvation mode include:

1. Your body releases fewer fat- releasing and fat-burning enzymes such as hormone sensitive lipase and lipoprotein lipase.
   
   
2. Your fat cells release less of the hormone leptin, which is the signal that tells your brain you are well fed and not starving.
   
   
3. Fat burning hormones crash, including your levels of T3, which is the active form of thyroid hormone, the "metabolism-regulating hormone".
   
   
4. You lose muscle. Muscle is metabolically-active tissue, which means it takes a lot of energy just to keep it. When you are "starving," excess muscle is the last thing you need. Muscle becomes expendable, and your body cannibalizes your own lean tissue.
   
   
5. Appetite hormones rage out of control. When you are starving, a part of your brain called the hypothalamus switches into high gear and flips the appetite switch, sometimes to the point where you become ravenous and cannot fight these physiological cravings with willpower.

It is therefore hormonally, metabolically and physiologically impossible to achieve permanent fat loss by starving yourself. Any program that is extremely low in calories may work in the short term, but the results never long lasting.

If you are tired of yo yo dieting and having a slow metabolism a good way to speed up your metabolism and to feel good about yourself is to start a regular exercise program. Aerobic and weight lifting exercises are very good because they speed up your metabolism and build muscle, as muscle cells are crammed with power sources called mitochondria, which are where your calories get "burned" or oxidized. So the more muscle you have, the more power sources you have to break down fat. This means that the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn, even while sleeping.

Therefore if you are tired of yo yo dieting and feeling bad about yourself, maintaining sensible eating habits and regular exercise are all good ways to a healthy balanced lifestyle.