Rebound Weight Gain: What Research Shows About How to Prevent It

It feels good to reach your weight loss goals. Whether it was to lose ten pounds or fifty, the fact you were disciplined enough to stick with it is cause for celebration! Most people get frustrated and quit when they reach their first plateau. Now that you’ve reached your ideal body weight, there’s a second bugaboo you have to deal with – the reality of rebound weight gain.

Rebound weight gain is your body’s attempts to bounce back to your earlier weight, back into its “comfort zone.” After all, your body doesn’t like change and it wants to make sure it has plenty of caloric resources so it can maintain homeostasis. Therefore it fights your attempt to look svelte in a pair of jeans in a number of sneaky ways. You feel a little hungrier, nibble a little more and fidget less. Taken over many days or weeks, these seemingly small changes in calorie balance add up to noticeable weight gain.

Why Rebound Weight Gain Happens

It’s not just a lack of willpower that causes the weight to come back on after you lose it. Physiological changes take place after weight loss, including changes in appetite hormones like ghrelin and leptin that increase the desire to eat. Hunger is a strong driving force and it doesn’t take a major change in calorie consumption to gain weight if it’s sustained. An extra nibble here and an extra bite there add up, especially if those nibbles and bites are calorie-dense. Once the weight comes back on, some people start the “dieting” cycle all over again. Repeated cycling, commonly referred to as yo-yo dieting, makes your body conserve energy even more, although a recent study found no link between yo-yo dieting and changes in metabolism. Still, it’s a cycle that’s frustrating from a psychological standpoint.

Are There Ways to Prevent Rebound Weight Gain?

According to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, participants that ate a high-protein diet and used portion-controlled meal replacements were less likely to experience rebound weight gain. This meta-analysis looked at the results of 20 published studies involving more than 3,000 participants so it drew from a number of sources. Why meal replacements? Meal replacements are likely effective because they emphasize portion control. Most people overestimate what a single serving of food really is and end up overeating.

Why protein? Meals high in protein increase satiety and modestly increase energy expenditure. According to a study published in the International Journal of Obesity, increasing protein intake by as little as 20% offers weight control benefits. Another study published in Clinical Diabetes also supported the role of a high-protein diet for maintenance. According to this study, a low-glycemic diet, high in protein, containing moderate amounts of fat was more successful than a high-glycemic diet that contained less protein for preventing rebound weight gain. This was true even when the high-protein diet wasn’t calorie restricted.

Are there Risks to Eating a High-Protein Diet Long Term?

A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition not only found a high-protein diet was effective for weight loss and weight maintenance – it actually improved markers for chronic health problems such lipids, glucose level, C-reactive protein and markers for bone health. The health benefits of a high-protein diet partially stem from the fact they help to control cravings for carbs. A diet high in sugar and high-glycemic carbs is a risk factor for metabolic syndrome, a precursor to other medical problems like heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

Rebound Weight Gain and Exercise: What Role Does Exercise Play?

Even though this most recent study didn’t find a protective effect for exercise, numerous other studies show regular physical activity may be the best predictor of whether an individual maintains their new weight after weight loss. In addition, resistance training improves body composition by increasing lean body mass. This has a modest effect on resting metabolic rate. According to data from the National Weight Control Registry, nine out of ten people who lost significant amounts of weight and kept it off exercised. That’s a pretty strong endorsement! Exercise is one of the best defenses against rebound weight gain.

What Does This Mean?

If you want to avoid regaining weight after losing it:

Exercise regularly – both aerobic and resistance training

Eat a high-protein diet with moderate amounts of low-glycemic, high-fiber carbs and fat

Practice portion control. It’s also a good idea to keep a weight maintenance journal so you’re more aware of how much you’re eating and when.

The Bottom Line?

Your body makes life difficult for you after you lose weight. Rebound weight gain impacts more than 90% of people who successfully lose it. Now you know how to “tip the scales” in your favor so you can maintain your new, healthier body weight.

 

References:

Internet Scientific Publications. “Promoting Homeostasis to Avoid Rebound Weight Gain In Yo-Yo Dieters”

Science Daily. ” Yo-Yo Dieting Does Not Thwart Weight Loss Efforts or Alter Metabolism Long Term, Study Finds”

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2013; DOI: 10.3945/ajcn.113.070052.

International Journal of Obesity (2004) 28, 57-64.

Clinical Diabetes April 2011 vol. 29 no. 2 73-74.

Am J Clin Nutr January 2008 vol. 87 no. 1 23-29.

Best Pract Res Clin Gastroenterol. 2004 Dec;18(6):1009-29.

 

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