[horsey]

Every time your weight yo yo's it's harder to lose the "next round"... I read this in some diet book. And it appears to be true. I'm working hard, cutting calories and it's not just melting off as easy as my last few rounds. I know, I know, easiest way to lose weight is to NOT gain it back! So NEXT TIME, I'm heading to "maintenance" and am not tossing the diet/exercise journal OR this site.

Has anyone else yo yo'd and found it harder to lose the next time around? After a month of hitting almost every day right on my target calories and exercise - not much came off. So I'm revving it up, increasing the exercise and cleaning up the diet more (cutting carbs back). And heading to more muscle training...

[PhotoChick]

Yeah. An article that I read recently had what I thought was an interesting explnation for that. It said that in addition to the regular screwing around with your metabolism that yo-yo dieting does, every time you lose weight you lose both fat and lean muscle mass (even when you exercise, unless you're doing hard core strength training).

When the weight comes back, it comes back as fat (you don't gain lean muscle mass by not exercising and eating too many calories! ). Then you lose again and you have more fat and even less lean muscle mass. Every time you yo-yo you lose more and more lean muscle and gain more fat back to compensate.

So not only are you having to lose *more* fat each time, but you've further messed with your metabolism by trying to do it with even less muscle.

I never thought about that aspect of it before, but it makes sense to me.

.

[JayEll]

And this is why regular exercise is so important to maintenance.

I haven't read any articles, but this has been my experience as well. My weight has been slowly drifting up over the last year and a half, and I'm sure it's not that I'm building big muscles. It hasn't been a one-way thing--it's like ennay was saying in another post--up 2, down 1, up 2, down 2, up 3... The up is much easier than the down.

Jay

[recidivist]

Originally Posted by PhotoChick

Yeah. An article that I read recently had what I thought was an interesting explnation for that. It said that in addition to the regular screwing around with your metabolism that yo-yo dieting does, every time you lose weight you lose both fat and lean muscle mass (even when you exercise, unless you're doing hard core strength training).

I was talking to a friend chiropractor about my niece's recent liposuction, saying I would be afraid of it coming out all lumpy, and having scars, and why would anyone want to do that? And he told me something I'd not heard before.

When you gain weight, your fat cells don't just get bigger, your existing fat cells plump up with fat, and you create new fat cells. When you lose weight, you don't ever lose those extra unwanted fat cells, they just shrink down. So losing it becomes harder with each new diet and gaining it back becomes easier, because you are dealing with more fat cells. Those cells want to store fat, and if you eat the wrong things, they will.

He said that's why some people do the lipo...because then the excess cells are really gone and gaining weight is slower because you have to create all new fat cells.

I don't know if this is true, but he claims he learned this in his medical training. If it is true, it kind of puts a new perspective on the dangers of letting your body become obese. As if there aren't already enough challenges with that.

[Tomato]

I agree with Jay except that I would amend it in the sense that "that is why regular exercise is so important to weight loss and maintenance."

[Marms]

I totally agree with this. I lost 70 lbs in a relatively short time 14 years ago and was able to maintain that weight for 10 years. The weight just flew off. Now, I have to work really hard just to drop 1 lb a week.

[JayEll]

Originally Posted by Tomato

I agree with Jay except that I would amend it in the sense that "that is why regular exercise is so important to weight loss and maintenance."

Oh, I agree! But some people drop the exercise when they get to goal, thinking that their work is done...

Jay

[me4life]

gee and i always blamed it on the age thing

[CruiseCAT]

I can only share my experience and that is IF I am consistent with both exercise and diet the weight comes off even though I am in my mid 40's and have yo yo'd for over 25 years.

[horsey]

I'm sure part of this is the big "40" that I hit this year. I've read in a number of articles that 40 is the turning point, you can go one way or the other! I lost a ton of weight and it didn't seem that hard after i had a little boy at 36, but THIS is HARD. It appears that the articles are right, don't regain, if you do to try to lose it is harder, and if you are 40+ just plan on double the cardio plus weights that someone younger would do. Thus is reality. And to maintain, it's going to mean eating less calories then when I was younger and continual exercise.

[kari1980]

it is harder the next time around...for me, at least. I'm such a yo-yo dieter and my weight fluctuates up and down all the time. Too many temptations, a break up last month, etc (too many excuses, lol)

[rosemarie0007]

I would agree its harder. I've gained back ten plus pounds. I think exercise is just so much more important. I do exercise but probably not enough, but I think its the exercise which has kept it from climbing too high. I plan on increasing the exercise.

[horsey]

Yes I think it's about exercise this time around, not just cutting calories or low carbing it. And it's about muscle/weight training too. When I gained back I was eating a lot of junk, lost muscle, gained FAT. Good thing is I've read that muscles have "memory" and I'm finding it to be true. The scale moved 4-5 lbs in a month but I'm gaining muscle and I KNOW my clothes are fitting better - my fat pants are hanging a bit (yeah). I think I understand if you yo - yo'd then if you cut calories to lose and don't weight train you'll lose muscle too, more then before - and fat. I liked my Body for Life plan, not sure why I quit - just got busy and personal life stuff. It appears it's not about my usual 8-12 week challenges though to blast fat and get in shape, this is going to be life long FIGHT to keep it off, to maintain. I don't want to YO again!

[JulieJ08]

You do gain some muscle when you get obese by eating a lot and not exercising. You have to gain some in order to support the added weight of the fat that you're lugging around. Not that that is really an upside ...

[kittycat40]

I'd say this thread provides some mighty good motivation to follow thru with that REGULAR weight training I've been promising myself. Oy.