Dangers of Repeatedly Losing and Regaining Weight

Repeatedly losing and regaining weight can cause havoc on your health. It can lead to increased blood pressure, increased blood cholesterol levels, and increased risk of heart disease – and each time you lose and regain weight, it may be more difficult to lose the weight again.

Not surprisingly, a recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine suggests that repeatedly losing and regaining weight may be especially dangerous for overweight heart patients.

The researchers found that fluctuating bodyweight was associated with higher rates of heart attacks, strokes and deaths independent of typical cardiovascular risk factors.

Therefore, as for anyone – overweight or not – it is best to avoid repeatedly losing and regaining weight.

In fact, losing a small amount of weight and keeping it off (even if you don’t reach an ideal body weight) is healthier than repeatedly losing larger amounts of weight and regaining it.

Use the following strategies to help focus on losing weight and keeping it off.

Start out small. Choose one or two small goals to focus on. For example, eat a piece of fruit at breakfast, or have a healthy snack mid-afternoon. As you reach each goal, and it becomes habit, move on to the next goal.

Focus on health and feeling great. Take the focus off of weight and the scale. Keep the focus on being healthy and feeling great. Feel good about the fact that you are making changes to improve your health, which are also likely improving your energy levels. Pay attention to how good you feel both physically and mentally.

Stick with it. Think of it as a marathon – not a race. Don’t be in a hurry to lose weight within weeks or months, when it likely took years to put it on. As you continue to form healthier habits, you will lose the weight, and most importantly, keep it off.

http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1606148