Beating Yo-Yo Dieting

When New Fairfield resident Charlene Schosser was 13, she decided to go on a quick diet. She and her family had just moved from New Jersey to California and, having always been overweight, she was feeling pressure to fit in as the new kid in town.

"I had a friend who had a copy of a grapefruit diet," says Schosser, now 53. "It was very high in protein with almost no carbs."

Within three months, she lost 35 pounds. Yet she was never satisfied with her weight and had poor self-esteem issues about her body image. In high school, she became a binge eater and her weight fluctuated back and forth -- up 10 pounds and then down 10 pounds. Over the next 20 years, that number grew to 15, and then 20 pounds.

Schosser was a classic yo-yo dieter, which, according to Dr. Allen Davis, an internal medicine specialist at Western Connecticut Primary Care in Danbury, is someone who experiences repeated rapid weight loss followed by rapid weight gain. "Whenever you stick with a very restrictive diet -- such as ones that are severely low in carbs or fats -- you can get caught in that yo-yo cycle."

And once someone begins to yo-yo diet, it's very hard to get out of the cycle, he adds. "They will say, `Since I had good results when I did this before, perhaps I can do this again and stay on it even longer.'"

Serious health concerns can accompany quick weight loss, says Davis. "If you are eating less than 50 grams of carbohydrates a day, your body goes into starvation mode. When this happens, the body breaks down too much protein, which can cause fatigue and loss of bone mass and bone density," he says. "In addition, low-fat and high-protein diets can cause kidney stones and bone loss."

To lose weight healthfully and keep it off permanently, Davis recommends the Mediterranean diet -- high in fruits, legumes, grains, vegetables and fish, and low in meats and meat products. "With this diet, a person will experience gradual weight loss with well-balanced healthy food," he says.

When helping yo-yo dieters, Davis recommends a team approach. "The best results will be achieved by involving multiple experts in this field, such as a registered dietitian or diabetic educator, or -- in instances when depression is involved -- a counselor," he says. "Each of these professionals has different areas of focus, training and experience, and it's very hard for one doctor to reinforce all these services."

According to certified clinical nutritionist Karen Laramie of Westport, yo-yo dieters should keep a food record. "If you record everything you eat, the person you are working with will learn your eating habits in great detail and will better be able to help you," she says.

But the most important point to remember, she says, is not to obsess over everything you eat. "Food should be about being social," says Laramie, in practice for 18 years. "If you want to eat a cookie or have popcorn with butter at the movies with your friends, you shouldn't deprive yourself."

Ending the cycle of yo-yo dieting doesn't happen overnight. "While you may see positive results after your very first visit, it's essential to come to your follow-up appointments," Laramie says. "Until your weight is stabilized, you should come in every two weeks. Even after this point, you should continue to come in periodically."

Once a person has stopped yo-yo dieting, there are no guarantees he or she won't ever go back to it again, Laramie adds. "Throughout your life, your body is always changing, and you have to be in tune with it. Changes can include your energy level, sleeping, mood, stress level, libido and food sensitivities. All of this can affect you, and can put you back on the path to yo-yoing."

Easton resident Nancy Purcell -- who is now in her mid-50s -- was a yo-yo dieter until she was 50. "I tried every way to lose weight that exists -- low-carb diets, fasting, cleansings and even hypnosis. You name it, I did it," she says.

About four times over the course of a year, she would lose 10 pounds -- and then gain 15 back. "It was like a casino game, only I was playing with my heart and body. My doctor said if I didn't lose weight and keep it off, I was in trouble."

In 2004, after joining a Jenny Craig weight-loss program, Purcell learned the only way to keep her weight off permanently was to "take a food, body and mind approach to weight loss. I was shown non-food ways to handle my stress and anxiety," she says, adding that the program worked so well for her she is now a center director at the organization's Stamford location. "I learned that lifestyle changes work. Diets don't."

For Schosser, age made a difference: once she reached her late 30s, her self-esteem improved and her weight stabilized. "As I got older, got married and had a family of my own, I realized I look pretty good for my age. I now eat balanced meals, I don't count calories and I exercise regularly." She also turned her passion about yo-yo dieting into a business and works as a consultant with NutraMetrix® Advanced Nutraceuticals in New Fairfield.

"I've learned to embrace my body shape, forgive myself if I eat something I shouldn't and not get caught up in what the media tells us we should look like." HL

Avoid the yo-yo diet trap

Follow our experts' tips to stay healthy and centered.

1. Stay away from diets that are too restrictive, such as ones that are extremely low in fat and carbohydrates.

2. Don't deprive or starve yourself of food. You should be able to enjoy food without obsessing about the numbers on the scale.

3. When going through a stressful time, avoid overeating. Instead, turn to exercise or a hobby you enjoy.

4. If you feel overwhelmed or have signs of depression, seek the help of a professional in this field.