The yo-yo effect destroys any success in losing weight. You can find out what is behind the effect, how it is promoted and which diet you can use to maintain your desired weight in the long term in our guide.

With a lot of willpower and discipline, the desired weight is reached, but within a very short time the pounds that have been painstakingly slimmed down are back on your hips. When things go really bad, it’s even more than when you started the diet. This is the yo-yo effect.

The goal of losing some weight is desirable for many people: According to the German Society for Nutrition, 59 percent of men and 37 percent of women are overweight. This is accompanied by an increased risk of a variety of diseases, such as cardiovascular problems.

This is the yo-yo effect

This is how the yo-yo effect is created:
When dieting, you avoid certain foods and often reduce portion sizes as well. The more you restrict your calorie intake, the more your brain interprets an imminent danger from starvation. So to give you a good chance of surviving during a food shortage, your metabolism works more slowly. Muscles are broken down and the basal metabolic rate decreases.
If you have now reached your desired weight after tedious weeks, the restrictions in your diet are a thing of the past. You’re consuming your usual amount of calories again. However, your body still metabolizes them too slowly and puts them on so that you are prepared for the next famine. You’ll be back to your starting weight in no time.
Another problem is that when you eat less, your brain releases stress hormones. When stress persists, cravings and cravings for sweets increase. These have a particularly high glycemic index, which causes the blood sugar level to rise rapidly. Even if saturation occurs quickly, the sugar is immediately stored in the liver. When insulin levels drop, the food cravings begin again.

Prevent yo-yo effect – tips & tricks

The real problem with losing weight isn’t the yo-yo effect, it’s the diet itself. Every body is different and should therefore be treated differently. A diet can never work the same for everyone. In addition, utopian promises tempt you to restrict yourself completely insanely and one-sidedly.

Use these tips to prevent the yo-yo effect:
Give up diets! In order to reduce your weight, you should monitor your diet closely for a few days. What are you eating and drinking? Do you take your time with your meals? Where is hidden sugar?
Approach your diet carefully and slowly. Become aware of which foods are unhealthy and not good for you. Gradually remove them from the menu. This can include replacing fruit juices with unsweetened tea in the first week, for example. Next, the frozen pizza can give way to a healthy evening of cooking with friends. Get used to the change step by step so that you don’t get the feeling that you have to do without something.
In particular, remove ready-made products from your menu and replace them with fresh recipes that you can prepare yourself. We recommend that you use regional and seasonal fruit and vegetables. With short transport routes you can reduce your CO2 footprint. In addition, fruit and vegetables are rich in vitamins and important nutrients.

According to the New England Journal of Medicine, you should eat a high-protein diet and make sure your food is low on the glycemic index. This means cutting out sweet and fatty foods. Instead, you grab too many vegetables, nuts, legumes and tofu. Lean meat or fish is also recommended. However, due to the overfishing of the seas, we advise against the latter.
There is often a deeper reason behind excessive eating habits. Does stress or grief make you overeat? do you eat out of boredom If you are aware of the trigger, you can counteract it more easily. For example, by integrating more relaxation and deceleration into your everyday life.

Eat a balanced diet and lose weight

Here’s what you can do every day to lose weight:

Start your day with a balanced and high-fiber breakfast to lose weight. This fills you up, boosts your metabolism and prevents annoying cravings.
Drink a glass of water before every meal. This fills the stomach and makes you feel full faster.
Don’t over-pack your plate. Try moderate sizes and get a second helping if you’re not full.
Take your time to eat. Practice mindfulness and avoid distractions like the TV or cell phone.
Protect yourself from impulse buying by only going shopping with a list once a week. This saves you additional trips and money.
Integrate movement into your everyday life. Muscles increase your basal metabolic rate and ensure that you burn more calories. You don’t necessarily have to go jogging. Maybe you’ll find a great club in your area or try to walk 10,000 steps a day.