Why the diet–binge cycle can be so harmful for long-term fat loss

Even when we train and diet in a way that can be sustainable and healthy (gradually cutting calories, weight training, gradually increasing cardio, taking breaks for longer-term dieters etc), separating months of dieting with short periods of all out binges will only make it harder and harder to continue fat loss and to keep the fat off. It is a fact that most diets fail and whilst I can’t remember of hand the studies and figures I recall hearing that 90% of people who manage to lose a lot of weight in a short period end up putting all that weight back on and more within a year! The key hear is metabolic health.

Having helped countless numbers of people with long-term fat loss as well as helping many get in shape for particular dates, something I have often had to do with clients is emphasise the importance of staying on track even once you reach that peak date. Sure the odd cheat meal on holiday may not hurt, but when the odd meal becomes an all-out binge, that is where the trouble starts! I don’t just mean from the weight you gain at that time either, but the way you will then have to lose it again and the cycle this creates. To explain this better, I am going to create a hypothetical example (I know the numbers could probably be better, but work for the sake of the explanation)…

Let’s take a male who weights 200lb, around 18% body fat and their maintenance calories are 2000 cals per day. Ideally the goal for this person would be to get them to the body fat levels they desire and then focus on improving their metabolic health. But, say they start dieting and throughout they train intensely with weights 5 x per week. After 2 months of gradually reducing calories and increasing cardio, they manage to get down to 184lb at 11% body fat. At this stage they are consuming say 1600 calories a day and are completing 4 cardio sessions a week on top of their weight training. They then go for a weeks holiday. 100% happy with how they look and what they have achieved! But this week, it’s an all-out binge, drink, food etc and they come back after a week having gained 12lb! It happens! So, lets say 6lb is water, the rest added body fat, after the water drop they are now at 190lb and 13% body fat.

Ok, so just drop the 6lb right? But the issue here is that from 184lb and 11% body fat they were hitting weekly fat loss goals on 1600cals and 4 cardio sessions per week. Now to burn fat from 190lb and 13% body fat they will still need to start with the 1600cals and 4 weekly cardio sessions as their metabolic health has not changed.

So, they diet for another month, they find that it’s trickier and tougher to lose fat. But going all out, at the end of that month they lose 6lb and are up to 5 weekly cardio sessions and down to 1400 calories. They finish that month at 184lb again and are back to that 10% body fat. However, to get there, they are now currently consuming 1400 calories and doing 5 weekly cardio sessions. This is exactly the same place weight wise that they were in prior to their holiday, but are now on a diet 200cals lower and with an extra weekly cardio session!

That week, they have some personal issues and split with their partner. This sparks another week of all out binge eating. By the end of the week what they are doing hits home and they decide to get back on track! But, in the process they have added another 4lb of body fat so after the water drop are now sitting at 194lb and 16% body fat. Where do they need to start their diet from to attempt to hit the same weekly targets? That’s right! – 1400 cals and 5 weekly cardio sessions! I do not need to tell you where this cycle can end up! But for anyone who weighs 194lb, to have to consume that fewer calories to burn fat is already something they will not be able to sustain! Of course even if they did, after a month or two that will be down to 1200cals and then another binge happens…

Before you know it, a 200lb individual who had a maintenance calorie intake of 2000cals is now a 200lb individual once more with the same body fat, but now they cannot consume more than 1400 cals otherwise they will gain weight!

TAKE NOTE! Live the lifestyle! If you are dieting for a particular date, do not binge to the extent that you need to diet again straight after! Focus on repairing your metabolism! After years of doing things the right way, that same 200lb individual could be at 180lb, 8% body fat and a maintenance caloric intake of 2600cals plus! Now that makes keeping the fat off easy! It means they can indulge with less effect on their weight if they want to! They have earned that because they live a certain lifestyle and have done so for years!