How to Stop Yo-Yo Dieting for Good: A Trauma-Informed, Body-Based Approach
Yo-yo dieting is something we have watched our mothers do for generations. It is sad, but true. Yo-yo dieting is characterized by losing weight by following a specific eating plan and then gaining it all back. And then we lather, rinse, and repeat it. The weight fluctuation here can be as small as 5 pounds to count as yo-yoing.
It can be so frustrating and exhausting to be on this roller coaster. I have clients tell me all of the time that sometimes losing weight isn’t even rewarding because there is so much fear inside of gaining it all back. This, among other reasons, is why we should take a different approach to nourishing ourselves and ditch the diets for good.
Today, we will explore different ways in which yo-yo dieting impacts the body and the mind, and specific tools to reach for to stop dieting altogether. I will use my lens of Intuitive Eating, EMDR, and Somatic Experiencing to guide our discussion.
What Is Yo-Yo Dieting and Why Is It So Hard to Stop?
Yo-yo dieting is characterized by finding a diet (usually one that is all of the rage at the time) and then following it to a T and then falling off it and gaining the weight back. It is also characterized by the mental anguish and self-blame of not being “disciplined enough.” This is not the case, however.
The Cycle of Restriction, Rebound, and Shame
Whenever the body feels it is being restricted (for example, of carbohydrates from the ketogenic diet) it will go into a few different modes depending on what the diet choice is. The restriction leads to mental obsession with the food that can’t be eaten. If the caloric deficit is too high, the body will go into fight or flight mode due to thinking it is starving and drive different hormones to get the person to eat. It becomes too much for the person to possibly resist; they are working against their own biology. The will of “sticking to” the diet can only last so long.
Not following through with the diet is not your fault.
How Diet Culture Reinforces the Loop
Diet culture encourages the use of dieting in order to get the “body you want.” The diet industry is currently worth 427.5 billion dollars and is only set to increase in the next ten years. They have a lot of influence with what goes into our brains about how we should look and how to manipulate ourselves to get there.
When Trauma Drives Dieting Behaviors
Trauma also speaks in this dynamic as well. If there is trauma around food, weight, or being ostracized because of either of them, this predisposes a person to want to utilize food to control how they move within society (which should be given a ton of compassion, by the way). Trauma, as we know, lives in the body which makes it so that the choices somebody makes around food can feel out of control. It can be used as a tool to regulate, control, or rebel against something. At times, clients don’t even know for sure why. A trauma-informed approach to weight loss can help.
Why Don’t Traditional Diets Work Long-Term?
Biological Responses That Derail Diets
Biological responses are the main “culprit” here. I want to reframe this, however. As you will see when you look a little bit deeper, all the biological responses to diets are born out of the body protecting itself. It is hard to be mad at that!
Metabolic Adaptation and Set Point
The body craves homeostasis. It does this by changing different hormones in responses to restriction. This creates cravings, food obsessions, and metabolic adaptation. Metabolic adaptation, in short, is a complex endocrinological process that involves helping keep the body at a certain set point of weight in order to survive. I coach all of my clients on this because it is important to recognize that you are not a failure and that your body is designed to throw you off of your diet.
Therefore dieting begets bingeing which begets more dieting, and therefore yo-yo dieting happens.
The Somatic Therapy Approach to Healing Diet Trauma
How Dieting Triggers the Nervous System
Going on a diet is stressful for the nervous system. It is why, if people do decide to “diet,” it should be by not overly restricting. The focus should be on adding in more nutrient dense foods instead of taking things away. The stress that dieting puts on the nervous system can send you into fight or flight mode. After long enough of this, it can go into more of a freeze state.
Symptoms of Fight and/or Flight Mode:
Anxiety
Fear
Agitation
Increased heart rate or breath rate randomly
Feeling “keyed up”
A lot of energy in the system
Being antsy
Worrying/intrusive thoughts
Symptoms of Freeze Mode:
Lack of energy
Feeling sluggish
Not being interested in things you used to be
Withdrawing from relationships
Difficulty starting tasks
Feeling “zoned out” a lot
How Somatic Therapy Increases Body Awareness and Safety
Somatic therapy is a form of trauma healing therapy that helps people to get into contact with their bodies again by increasing interoceptive awareness skills. It guides clients to find more safety while being with their thoughts, feelings, and sensations, making it more tolerable to actually take care of themselves. This means that somatic therapy can increase somebody’s capacity to intuitively eat. It allows them to be with the sensations of fullness, hunger, and satiety with less discomfort and judgment.
Somatic therapy also helps people to address the root trauma causes of why they are yo-yo dieting; whether it be from fear of judgment from others, not wanting to be noticed, or desire for control. It helps to keep people more inside of their window of tolerance, ultimately helping them to challenge their emotional eating behaviors. It is good for so many aspects of somebody’s trauma healing journey to letting go of dieting forever!
How Can Intuitive Eating Help Stop Yo-Yo Dieting?
The 10 Principles of Intuitive Eating
Intuitive Eating has 10 Principles which focus on how to ditch the diet mentality, find food freedom, get good observational data on your eating patterns, find peace with movement, and incorporate gentle nutrition. It heavily relies on the ability of the client to set aside judgment and be in their bodies.
Why Intuitive Eating Is More Than Just Hunger and Fullness
Intuitive Eating is not a hunger/fullness diet, but it is about truly reconciling the damage diet culture has done and learning to respect your body by not stressing it out with harsh dieting methods or over-exercising. Curiosity, gentleness, and self-compassion are key here.
How Can Therapy Help With Yo-Yo Dieting?
I have clients who come in to me all of the time because they talk about having read the Intuitive Eating book or “Waking the Tiger” book by Dr. Peter Levine. They understand it, but they are having a hard time putting the principles of intuitive eating and trauma healing into practice. This is because every person’s experience with dieting is different, and the reason why they might be dieting is different.
Uncovering Your Personal Why Behind Dieting
Discovering why you yo-yo diet requires a reflective and guided trauma-informed approach that can be tailored to your exact needs. That is where therapy comes in! We can help you dig a little bit deeper to understand the root causes of your behaviors and develop caring strategies moving forward.
Happy healing!
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Frequently Asked Questions About Yo-Yo Dieting
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Yo-yo dieting is the cycle of losing weight through restriction and then regaining it, often due to biological, emotional, or trauma-driven patterns. It’s not about willpower—it's your body trying to protect you.
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Diets trigger survival mechanisms that lead to cravings, bingeing, and metabolic slowdown. The body is wired for homeostasis and resists restriction to keep you safe.
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Trauma can drive food-related behaviors through nervous system dysregulation. People may use food for control, comfort, or rebellion—often without realizing the deeper emotional roots.
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Yes. Somatic therapy helps you reconnect with your body’s cues, regulate your nervous system, and process the emotions that drive chronic dieting and disordered eating.
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Intuitive Eating focuses on listening to hunger, fullness, and satisfaction cues without judgment. It encourages body trust, food freedom, and healing from diet culture—not restriction or weight loss.
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Therapy provides personalized support, helping you explore the reasons behind your food behaviors and develop tools to respond with care, rather than punishment or control.
Stevie Olson-Spiegel is a Licensed Therapist and Somatic Experiencing Practitioner located in Kansas City. She uses Somatic Experiencing as her main body-based trauma healing modality, as well as EMDR. As an Intuitive Eating Counselor, she uses these principles to help her clients challenge their relationship with their cultural misconceptions about their body and food.
