Is Yo-yo Dieting Really Harmful?
Research indicates that at least 70 percent of women have engaged in at least one round of “weight cycling” or more commonly known as “yo-yo dieting.” That same 10 to 20 pounds that comes off when you try the latest fad diet, jump on an intensive exercise trend or engage in some other type of short-term weight loss. And when the “hard work” is done, you watch the pounds sneak back into place.
If this story sounds familiar, you should know that recent research is finding that much like obesity, the off-again, on-again pounds increase your risk for chronic disease, including cardiovascular disease and, as of a 2025 study, kidney disease. It has long been known that yo-yo dieting contributes to advanced aging—even struggling with as little as 10 pounds.
The Risks of Weight Loss Fads
In the era of GLP (glucagon-like peptide) Agonists, many believe obesity is a thing of the past—at least for those that can afford it. However, some have seen this movie before citing the phen-fen disaster that killed many in the late 1990s.
How long will it be before the dangers of GLPs rear their ugly heads? Patients with certain thyroid disorders should not take tirzepatide, known by its brand name Mounjaro®. Patients at risk or affected by pancreatic disease should not take semaglutide. Side effects go beyond nausea and vomiting, including gastroparesis (gut paralysis) and muscle wasting. The money to be made from GLPs has many medical professionals and business owners taking shortcuts to get them into the hands of patients, including telehealth visits and direct to consumer sales online.
And, even if you safely lose weight on GLP Agonists, will the weight stay off or do you have to be on the drug for the rest of your life to maintain the results? You will pay a monthly premium forever. Worse yet, do drugmakers, researchers, or healthcare professionals know the impact of lifelong use of these drugs for weight loss? Muscle loss is already a problem for the aging population.
The Truth about Weight Loss Results that last
It is no doubt that some diet drugs, diet books, and diet plans can give people the jumpstart they need. After all, there is no better motivation to keep going than seeing great results fast.
But what so many people do not realize is that no diet plan can offer lasting results, if you don’t make one key change: how much do you love your body? How much do you love yourself?
It can all sound very “woo-woo.” You might even have rolled your eyes and stopped reading, debating if you should read this next sentence.
I’ve heard that one before. The power of positive thinking and all that….
I’m not talking about positive thoughts.
Licensed master practitioner of NLP, Polly Hamp, has developed a program that leverages the science of psychoneuroimmunology, epigenetics, and neurolinguistic programming (NLP) to support people in losing weight and keeping it off.
If you want to talk about root cause medicine, nothing gets to the root cause of disease and dysfunction like rewiring your brain and shifting your mindset.
Hamp’s program, aptly named “TDAH!,” which stands for Think Differently About Health, takes clients on a journey through their past, unraveling its effect on their present to transform their future. She describes it as a paradigm shift in your mind. You have to forget the diet culture that we all seem to buy into. It’s not just what we eat or how much we work out. You must do the emotional work to impact the longevity of the change.
TDAH! literally changes how you think about health. Her clients not only fall in love with their bodies (and lose weight), but they also transform how they experience life.
On the Happy Life Agenda podcast interview with her, Hamp cites the experience of a client who struggled with her weight because she was always jumping to the next thing and the next thing. On the program, she lost weight, but she also became more present in her life. It all had a very dramatic impact on her relationship with her grandkids as much as her own health.
Health is not just about the size of your waistline. It is also emotional security and the mental focus to be present in each moment.
Why Love and Presence Matters Most for Weight Loss
I have been in the fitness, nutrition and wellness space for more than 20 years. As a woman, my weight has been a near obsession for at least three decades. As an adult who has made a career of being curious about true wellness, the one thing that has remained true no matter how much science evolves: health and weight management are highly personal. There is no “one size fits all” plan.
What TDAH! taps into is love for yourself (i.e., your body). That self-love makes it easier to be present in each moment and to make the best right choice in that moment.
Most people rush from activity to activity, task to task, almost thoughtlessly. Food and exercise get swept up in that rush. Presence of mind and training your brain to “think differently” turns healthy choices into an almost autonomic response.
You begin to recognize when you’re eating emotionally versus because you are hungry.
You start to recognize when you are full and know that you don’t need to clear your plate.
You start thinking about whether certain foods will serve your body and your goals.
You ask yourself if you should even order dessert, but if you do, three bites are enough.
You make conscious food choices.
You actually taste your food.
You show up mentally to your workouts (when your mind is on the work, it is scientifically proven to increase calorie burn and muscle development).
Distraction is one of the biggest killers of efficacy—for anything you do.
TDAH! is the tool to make any weight loss and maintenance plan wholly effective and it just might change your whole life too.
Ready to Lose Weight and Keep it Off?
Learn more about TDAH! or listen to the podcast featuring Polly Hamp, CEO and Founder of TDAH! The risk of continuing the yo-yo diet rollercoaster or wrestling with the dangers of excess pounds is too high not to take action. TDAH! doesn’t ask you to buy supplements or eat some bland selection of foods. TDAH! pairs with any current diet or exercise plan or works on its own. If your goal is to lose weight and keep it off—visit TDAHyou.com now.
