THE “Biggest Loser” program is a tough challenge and many have fallen off the wagon and experienced a cyclical loss and gain of weight that is also known as the “yo-yo effect.”
Rose Laxamana Diaz shops for a healthy snack.
Contributed photo
Quick fad diets and “insane” exercises are to blame, said Jerry Diaz who had fallen off the wagon himself before he became a Gold’s Gym personal trainer.
“I went from 175 pounds to 150 pounds in two months,” he recalled. “Three months later, I weighed 190.”
He added, “What I didn’t know back then was how to match my fitness and nutrition approach with my lifestyle that included variables such as family life, financial status, occupation and food preferences.”
Now he can provide advice that will help steer an individual in the right direction.
He said the first step is to avoid fad diets and workout programs.
“You may lose weight in a short amount of time, but because it is difficult to maintain a fad diet and workout program, your metabolism will slow down, and you will re-gain all the weight you’ve lost,” he said. “Trying a new fad diet and workout program will simply repeat the cycle.”
Diaz said fad diets and workout programs are unrealistic.
“Our mind and body are intelligent so we need to change our workout routine every 3-4 weeks to avoid plateauing,” he added.
“We also need to learn new wellness habits that are sustainable,” he said.
“As a professional fitness trainer, it is my responsibility to assess and look at the client from outside the box, and factor in every detail of the client’s lifestyle that can affect his or her behavior patterns,” Diaz said.
“As I’ve said, prior to becoming a personal trainer, I was a yo-yo dieter myself. Now, I’m doing my best to counter this behavioral pattern before it leads to serious, unhealthy side-effects such as gut dysfunction, psychological frustration, higher body fat percentage, muscle loss, fatty liver, increased risk of diabetes, heart disease and blood pressure.
“The best professional advice I can provide is to consult with a health doctor, fitness nutritionist or a psychologist to break out of this cycle,” Diaz said.
