Regaining Weight Isn’t the Catastrophe You Think It Is

Yo-Yo: Regaining weight after working hard to lose it can be a big psychological blow — made all the more frustrating given the conventional wisdom that repeatedly losing and regaining weight wrecks your metabolism and leaves you worse off than if you’d never tried. A recent paper published in BMC Medicine, though, suggests your body may actually be more resilient than that.

The Study: Researchers conducted two weight loss trials, five years apart. About 80 people from the first study returned, and it’s probably no surprise that many had regained what they’d lost. But even at the same weight or heavier, they showed lower visceral fat and better metabolic health. Experts surmise that dieting draws down visceral fat first, and when weight returns, it tends to come back as subcutaneous fat, a less harmful form stored under the skin rather than around the organs.

The Takeaway: Weight regain doesn’t necessarily undo the health benefits of dieting. Your body may hold onto metabolic improvements even after the number on the scale increases — so you shouldn’t be discouraged from working to drop weight. 

Keep In Mind: The study didn’t track muscle tissue, which matters. Repeated cycles of yo-yo dieting could affect muscle composition in ways that carry their own health risks down the line.