Isn't that the $64,000 dollar question of the year ...
Honestly, my first thought was -- 'Dunno, but if you ever find out the answer, please do share it with the rest of us, ok?'
BUT SERIOUSLY, when I think of YO-YO-ing -- I think of losing and gaining part or all of the weight back (sometimes with interest); and the only way I know to stop that is to stop dieting and eat healthy all the time. Now that may slow weight loss down considerably, but the alternative might be worse for our health in the long run.
Now there is such a thing as fluctuations in weight that can come from water retention and that can be anywhere from 3-5 lbs or even 10-20 lbs, if you have a serious problem with that issue. I have a problem with that myself, so my weight can yo-yo just from that. So what I look for is a loss that is continuous, and stays off for a longer period of time (ie 1-3 weeks).
If you go down 3 lbs, but it comes right back on -- then that could be a fluctuation becuz it is highly unlikely that you gained 3 lbs in a couple of days, esp if you have been eating well. If you keep that 3 lbs off and the next week stay the same or lose even more; that is likely a true loss. I know that hormones can also affect water retention too, as in TOM or menopause.
But if your problem is that you can't stick to a healthy eating plan of your choice for the long term, then maybe you should try another way; maybe tweak it or look for something that suits you better.
Sometimes there may be other reasons that can interfere ~ like going off plan; eating more than we realize; eating foods with too much sugar and fat; eating the wrong kinds of food (like too much salt); not getting regular exercise; hormones and TOM adding water gain; eating too little; and exercising too much ...
Sometimes, I think that yo-yoing in itself can cause the body to retain weight or fight you when you try to lose becuz it may feel that you are starving. The best thing for that is to eat a small amount of very healthy high-nutrient foods several times a day; and take a vitamin/mineral supplement as well, so your body won't panic and feel it is being harmed.
Now, all this is a guess, becuz you didn't share much basic info about yourself or your situation, but I hope that you can find something that will help you eventually. Some suggest that you try to eat LEAN & CLEAN; get regular exercise (not too much and not too little); and just keep going ...
Good luck ...
How do you control YoYoing??
