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Comfort Eating and Yo-Yo Dieting - Is There a Connection?

Yo-Yo dieting is associated with strict diets that are not sustainable, slowing down the metabolism and generally being unhealthy and counter productive.

However, it has a strong link with comfort eating. As discussed in previous articles, comfort eating is driven by the need to feel good fast and we associate food with this feeling and know we can get a quick fix by using it in this way.

So how is it associated with Yo-Yo Dieting

When we go on a strict diet we normally have a goal in mind. This could be as simple as losing an amount of weight to look good or an up and coming event such as wedding, holiday, special anniversary.

At the point of going on the diet we are very focussed and the goal is there waiting to be attained. However, most of us are impatient and do not want to lose weight in a controlled healthy way. We want immediate fast results and to get these we tend to go on strict unhealthy diets that are too low in calories and deprive us of essential nutrients and foods types that we need and crave.

Initially we get a fast weight loss, often 5lbs or more in the first week, 3lbs in the second week, incidentally this is water or muscle loss. Followed by very slow weight loss or no weight loss at all due to the type of restricted diet we are on.

The first time we have a situation good or bad in our lives we turn to comfort eating, eating all of the foods that we crave and have been deprived of in large quantities. This makes us feel great for a short period, however, it throws our metabolism into confusion as it cannot work out what we are doing so it slows down the burning of this fat for energy and reserves it for a later date.

This leads to weight gain, we go back on the restricted diet and again find this impossible to maintain and go back to comfort eating.

This type of dieting is very unhealthy and plays havoc with our system and levels of nutrients necessary for us to function on a daily basis. We will often feel lethargic and irritable and crave food that are full of sugar and give us a burst of feel good factor which in itself is comfort eating.

To overcome this cycle it is important that when cutting down on your food intake to lose weight you follow a sensible eating plan that incorporates all of the food groups with small treats. Be conscious of your desire to comfort eat and try to avoid this as much as possible.

Copyright (c) 2009 Karen Fullick

Article Source: http://articles.directorygold.com

My name is Karen and for many years I have struggled with my weight - until I lost 49lbs and discovered an amazing way to effortless, permanent weight loss. Visit my site to see how I did this www.freetheslimyou.com

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