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Weight Cycling

By Jennifer R. Scott, About.com

Updated: December 29, 2008

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Weight cycling is the repeated loss and gain of weight.

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Definition: Weight cycling refers to losing and gaining weight over and over. Weight cycling is often called yo-yo dieting (going on a diet to lose weight, going off the diet and gaining weight back again, then repeating the process). A weight cycle can range from small weight losses and gains to large weight changes (50 pounds or more). Research links certain health risks to weight cycling.

Learn More: What is Weight Cycling?

Also Known As: yo-yo dieting
Alternate Spellings: weight-cycling
Common Misspellings: weight cycleing
Examples: When April lost 30 pounds and quickly regained 10 pounds, only to return to her diet and start losing weight again, she was weight cycling.

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