One of the important aspects of managing arthritis pain is maintaining a normal weight. It is easier to move your joints, and you have more energy to power through your day.
According to Dr. Michael Christoper Sobieraj, “losing even just a small amount of weight can improve the health and function of your joints, not to mention reducing pain. For every pound you lose, you lose about three pounds of stress on your knees and about six pounds of stress on your hips.”
Losing weight is easier said than done, and you may miss your favorite foods. In my case, that would be dessert. Too much restriction can lead to yo-yo dieting.
Here are some tips to get off the yo-yo dieting bandwagon:
What is Yo-Yo Dieting?
Yo-yo dieting is essentially when you continue making changes to your diet and/or fitness routine, often to the extreme. Many yo-yo dieters don’t just start and stop the same “diet” or method of losing weight, but often bounce from one diet to the next.
Which diets are the most popular? The Keto diet is all the rage now, but it is very restrictive. Counting calories is my preferred method, but I am often at the end of my calories by lunchtime.
Some prefer to do a juice fast, or if you like group mentality and support, Weight Watchers is always a good option.
You tend to stick to each one very short term, then either stop dieting for a while before starting the next one or jump immediately into a different eating plan.
It’s Better to Not Diet Than to Yo-Yo Diet
First of all, yo-yo dieting does a number on your metabolism. Your metabolism is smart, but it can’t handle constantly restricting calories, then over-eating calories, then restricting, then over-eating.
If your yo-yo dieting includes changing up your macros in between big binge sessions over and over again, your metabolism will likely slow way down to compensate.
It is also really hard on your hormone levels. When you have dietary restrictions, especially extreme ones, you tend to increase the amount of cortisol that your body produces. This can be bad for your heart health, among other things.
Beware of Fad Diets
It is really easy to get caught up in the diets you see on the news, social media, and what all your friends are doing. This makes it hard to stick to just one method, without wondering what else is out there.
Before you consider starting any type of weight-loss method, diet, or lifestyle change, do your research! This alone can often deter you from fad diets that just aren’t for you, or not really based on any scientific studies.
Don’t Follow the Crowd
Just because your friend, sister, co-worker, or social media buddy is doing a specific diet and being successful with it, does NOT mean you will have the same success.
What works for one person is not going to work for everyone. When you find something that works for you, just keep on going.
Consider Food Preferences
A common mistake made with yo-yo dieters is that they go to these extreme diets without really understanding what it will be like.
Remember to look at what foods are allowed, what restrictions there are, and what you will actually be eating. If you can’t have dairy because of lactose intolerance, then going on Keto where you would be eating quite a bit of cream, butter, and cheese, is not your best option.
Summary
Eating healthy can be enjoyable, and it may take some time and effort to introduce new foods into your diet. Find an eating plan that works for you, and keep losing weight. Your joints will thank you.
