Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Are you a yo-yo dieter?

While working on my new book, I came across an interesting study that shows when women bounce their weight up and down over the course of several years through dieting and overeating, their body weight tends to settle more in their midsections than it did before.

I was wondering if any of the women out there experienced this and if so, I'd love to hear about it.

If you agree, I would put you in my book as an example of a woman that this has happened to. - If you don't want to be in the book (i.e. not your name), we don't have to go there.

Either way, just wanted to hear from ladies on this one.

Thanks!

7 comments:

Ivonne W. said...

Hi Cass,

When you say "bounce their weight up and down" how big of a bounce in either direction are we talking about? What would you (or the study you mentioned, rather) consider a healthy fluctuation up or down that wouldn't really be statistically significant for the purpose of the study?

Cathy said...

I wonder about this. I have several lean and several "fluffy" phases. When I lose weight the first place it leaves is my breasts. When I gain, the last place it returns is my breasts. For me it depends also on timing, how fast is the weight gained or lost. Long term loss with exercise will finally lean out my hips and thighs. That area between navel and pelvis is the LAST to go on me. aging? I tend to be bottom heavy so a slow gain of a few pounds over say 4-5 months will settle for me between navel and mid-thigh. But when I lose fat, it generally comes off all over equally and then will redistribute with time and exercise.

Cassandra Forsythe said...

HI Yvonne,

(Finally figured out how to reply to comments... lol)

Any swing more than 10 lbs would be considered yo-yoing.

Cassandra Forsythe said...

Hi Cathy,

Unfortunatley, for most women, the first place fat leaves is our breasts... (except with me lately, for some reason the fat there has hung on).

If the weight loss is slower (which is the case for me)I have seen that breast tissue will be prreserved and abdominal fat will finally leave. But, this also depends on your exercise selection, your daily activities (i.e. do you slouch all day while you sit?) and your past weight loss results/history.

Unknown said...

Hello Cassandra,

My weight has yo-yo'd over a 30 year period between 115 to 215 pounds. I'm currently, age 50 at 150lbs, standing 5ft 6in.

In my early twenties (pre yo-yo), when my hips and bust measurements measured 36 inches each, my waist measured 24 inches. Now, my hip and bust measurements are 37 inches, but my waist measurement is 30 inches. What was once a 12 inch different is now a 7 inch difference - the mid body weight redistribution has held true for me.

Unknown said...

Cass,
I was a big yo-yo dieter. I have lost and gained close to a ton of weight. Size wise I have been as small as a size med and as large as a 6x. Finally ending up nearly 400 lbs. I had gastric bypass surgery(WLS) in 2004-----now I'm down to 154. I follow nearly a ketogenic diet---averaging 70 to 75 percent fat, but I do that because of the effect a ketogenic diet has been shown to have on Bipolar disorder. Otherwise it would be more in the line of Atkins protocols. My carbs are nearly non existent----less than 30 gms a day and that comes from leafy green veggies only---I very, very rarely eat fruit.
I was definitely an apple shape. You would think after losing over 200 lbs I would have lots of sagging skin everywhere, arms, thighs, etc. Nope--I've got a HUGE amount of belly flap---it hangs mid thigh. I have to wear a special support garment recommended by my neuro doc to ease the strain on my back. It is the only reason my insurance company has agreed to a tummy tuck.
I do have some skin on my arms and thighs but it is only about an inch, not the batwings so many of my fellow WLS friends have.
My sis is a pear shape---she didn't have a weight problem until she hit her mid 30's. She just let it pile on and stayed there-----no yoyoing for her.

Cassandra Forsythe said...

Hi Vivian and Bamagirl,

Thank you for sharing your story with me. Please let me know if you'd be interested in being in my book as a testimonial. We don't have to use your name if you don't want.

Thank you again!