Yo-Yo is No Go!

Today we have a guest post from Mr. Elyashiv... I had the pleasure of getting to know him and a few other "weight-loss" tweeters during last weeks twitter party for Cherrios & The Biggest Loser. I asked him if he would be willing to do a guest post and here it is:

How to prevent the Yo-Yo diet effect

By Ozzie Elyashiv www.twitter.com/trainwithoz

Ozzie Elyashiv is a Certified Personal Trainer, Holistic Nutritionist, Group Fitness Instructor and Performance Nutritionist.  He has years experience in personal training, group fitness, nutrition advice and selling supplements and health foods.

So many of us have suffered from the up and down effect of yo-yo dieting.  We lose an AMAZING 40lbs, and then we add 45... Lose 45 then add 50... And so the roller coaster goes.  If so many of us have experienced this, can it be prevented?  Why does this happen to SO MANY people who try and lose weight.  The quick answer, it is because of your approach to diet.

Fad diets DO NOT work.  Cutting carbs completely DOES NOT WORK!  Eating only grapefruit for 6 weeks is insanity!!!  So then, what does work?  Easy, a simple thing called small steps and balance.

For most people, food is associated with family, comfort, good times and enjoyment.  What this leads us to do is over eat.  In North America, portion size has increased by over 300% in the last 20 years.  We are eating more calories than we need, and most of us are less active due to technology, traffic and desk jobs.

What seems to happen is that people will go on an all out diet.  They stop eating ice cream, stop putting sugar in their coffees, stop having fast food etc...  The good news is they lose tons of weight because they are eating well.  What happens next is not so nice, they slip up... they cave to that piece of chocolate cake and then the flood gates open.  It becomes a non stop eating fiasco.  If that does not happen, once people reach their goals, they loosen up a bit, and before you know it, you are eating the exact same way as you were before.  Next step?  Weight goes right back on.

Before you start a weight loss journey, you need to ask yourself why you want to lose weight.  You also have to be ready to answer that very honestly.  Is it because you want to feel sexier?  Do you want to look like a super model?  Do you need to lower your cholesterol?  Are you afraid of diabetes?  Is it because people call you fat?

I have noticed that those who best succeed long term are those whose answer is simply, I want to get healthy and enjoy my life!

No matter what shape you are in right now, no matter what your overall health status is, it can be changed.  The key to success is small steps.  If you overhaul your diet you will follow it to a tee for a few weeks and then you’ll derail badly.  Make small progressive steps.  You drink a lot of soda; make that step 1, cut out the pop.  Next step, bread and pasta goes from white to brown.  Make these steps slowly, every 10 days or so, this way the transition isn’t hard.

You also need to get active.  No need to join every single Zumba class in town.  To be very honest, aerobics is ok, but you are much better off with a short weight lifting routine.  But Ozzie, I HATE the gym!!!  No problem, find a sport or activity you like and go for it.  Want to try ballroom dancing, PERFECT!!!  Basketball?  Excellent!  Swimming?  Splendid!

Getting healthy should never feel like a task, it is a life choice.  You are not on a diet; you simply changed your diet to include healthy choices, and to exclude processed high sugar high fat foods.

People often tell me that this is great but it will be a slower weight loss this way.  That may be true, it may take a few weeks longer to reach your ideal weight, but if you keep this lifestyle, it will stay there.  The Yo-yo effect is gone, and you will have your health.

I know this seems a bit much, so if you need any recipe tips, foods not to eat, foods to try etc... Please follow my blogs at www.mytraineroz.blogspot.com and www.trainwithoz.weebly.com

Happy Health!!!