Weight loss plans require practice to reduce the yo-yo effect

"I'm really going to start losing weight starting tomorrow!" Have you heard this sentence before? When it comes to losing weight, girls always say they will start losing weight from tomorrow after eating and drinking their fill. However, after a period of strict control, even though they do lose weight, the fat always comes back quietly after a few months. This yo-yo effect is something that many people have experienced firsthand. A US study found that if you have a "warm-up period" before a weight loss plan, you can get rid of excess fat once and for all.

Haste makes waste when losing weight. You should first train yourself to have the skills to maintain your weight and then be mentally prepared enough to avoid the yo-yo effect. (Photography by Huang Zhiwen)

Professor Michael of Stanford University School of Medicine arranged 267 overweight and obese women to be divided into two groups for research. One group started a diet and exercise plan on the day of the experiment, while the other group implemented an 8-week "weight maintenance warm-up period" before starting the weight loss plan.

The so-called "warm-up period" requires women who are mentally prepared to start losing weight to stabilize their weight first, that is, to maintain their weight at the original level within 8 weeks. If the weight drops accidentally, it must be restored. The purpose is to train themselves to maintain weight first. In this way, after successfully losing weight, the chance of gaining weight again will be greatly reduced.

After 20 weeks, both groups successfully lost an average of 17 pounds (7.7 kg). However, after one year, it was found that the group that did not go through the warm-up period before weight loss regained 7 pounds (3.2 kg), while the other group only gained 3 pounds (1.3 kg). This study, published in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, aims to use this result to remind people who want to lose weight not to push themselves too hard in order to achieve results quickly, as this will cause their weight to rise again if they relax a little, making all their previous efforts go to waste.