The Effects of Yo-Yo Dieting

The thyroid is our metabolic motor, and controls our metabolism (metabolic rate), when we ‘crash diet‘ a biologically-programmed interruption in its function is created, which actually results in weight gain – the opposite to what you are looking to achieve. As the thyroid talks to all the other hormones, this interruption disrupts the hormonal flow, and consequently, other metabolic processes along the way.

The thyroid gland secretes its hormones in the following proportions: 80 percent of T4, the inactive form, which is ultimately converted to T3 in the bloodstream to become the active form, and 20 percent of T3. When we crash diet a physiological response in the body takes place, which most likely dates back to Paleolithic man and the risk of starvation. T4 is then converted into reverse T3 (RT3), instead of T3. Reverse T3 is not metabolically active, and will result in the ‘shutting down‘ of our basal metabolic rate (metabolism).

When there is a lot of crash dieting going on the body sees this as a sign of famine and slows everything down, so whatever we are doing we will not lose weight. With persistent yo-yo dieting we are technically lowering our basal metabolic rate. Our metabolism will get stuck on neutral and we will gain weight on fewer calories whatever programme we are following, be it a high protein, low-carb, high vegetable, or whatever – the results are always the same; metabolic ‘shut down’.

Yo-yo dieting has gained its name because it truly is a yo-yo effect; as soon as we stop the severe food restrictions, the weigh piles back on and at a greater rate. This short-term solution does not work. If we restore our body with bioidentical hormones, adapt healthy eating habits and include exercise, the weight will come off and stay off!

Note: The same mechanism occurs in people under intense and increased stress. Stress raises the hormone, cortisol, which interferes with the conversion of T4 to the active form T3, this results in more reverse T3 being made, and again, it slows down the metabolism. This is known as stress-induced weight gain.

Balance your hormones, your systems, your body. Restore your body!