The Psychology of YoYo Dieting: 7 Steps to Breaking Free

By Liz Royle and Cath Kerr

Have you been on lots and lots of different “diets” and lost the same half a stone several times over?!!
Does part of you know what you should be doing, and another part seems to sabotage you?
Is your relationship with food a constant battle?
Is there a part of you that just can’t be bothered because it is too hard, and another part that is scared to stop trying?
Do you know there isn’t a magic wand, but you keep looking and hoping for one?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, then this book is for you.
Developed by Counselling Psychologist Cath Kerr and Dr Liz Royle, the book provides a rich combination of both professional and personal experience. Cath was a yo-yo dieter herself for over 30 years. With her colleague Liz, the authors have over 40 years’ experience of working with people whose lives are disrupted, limited and challenged by deep emotional issues. They wanted to apply what they considered the most effective psychological approach to help people break free from yo-yo dieting and issues with weight and live a richer, happier, more fulfilling life.
Using the psychological concepts in this book, Cath lost over 3 stones (20kg) but most importantly has kept it off for over 3 years. Although losing the weight has been a bonus, the most important aspect for Cath has been that she has totally changed her mindset, stopped yo-yo dieting and stopped looking for the next “quick fix”.
The book offers the seven key steps that will help you to stop feeling frustrated and helpless and will give you the tools to have a focused and empowered mindset. This in turn will enable you to take action towards optimum vitality and having the best body for you.
As Cath herself says “I have maintained this way of thinking by using the strategies we are going to share with you. I am happy in my own skin and with who I am, and I cannot begin to tell you how different my life is in ways I couldn’t have imagined because I have worked from the inside out.”
This book is not a diet or exercise programme. You probably know plenty about nutrition! It’s about the inner psychological battle that prevents you from achieving what you want. It’s about making real, long-term changes. It’s about reclaiming your power and your life by working from the inside out.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Liz Royle
• Release date: Jul 23, 2018
• ISBN: 9780463120033

Liz Royle

For over 20 years, I worked as a psychotherapist and crisis interventionist helping people who have been through distressing or traumatic events. Sometimes I would see them immediately after an event, other times it could be many, many years later. My specialist area of clinical work was trauma and I recognized that trauma, often from early childhood, lay behind many other issues in adulthood. With my clients, we would trace back the origins of their problems and use powerful techniques such as EMDR and ego state therapy to heal the original wounds. I realized that some of the approaches from my psychotherapy practice could be adapted and developed to help people with emotional eating and particularly with the conflict of yoyo dieting. I have always aimed to empower people to regain control of their life and their happiness through understanding their inner selves. I hope my books go some way towards this.

Book preview

The psychology of yoyo dieting: 7 steps to breaking free

Catherine Kerr (CPsychol) and Dr Liz Royle

Copyright KRTS International Limited

Smashwords Edition

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favourite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

What people have said about this learning programme

"The programme has changed my life. Since doing it, everything has slotted into place. It’s the first time in my life that I feel content. I have dropped two dress sizes and recently bought new clothes for myself, which is something I would have never done before. Me and my partner are having more structured meals and I find myself not picking as much on biscuits and sweets. It’s helped me in other areas of my life too. I have stopped ‘people pleasing’ and I’m starting to do what I want. I’ve had my hair cut, and for the first time in my life, I’ve had a facial and my nails done. I have started swimming again, I go on five-mile walks with my dog and feel happy as I’m getting back to the person I used to be. This has helped me to feel like I’m not just me doing this on my own, there are others that have struggled and that’s been a massive help for me… after 30 years I am no longer hiding."

I feel it made me look at everything in my life and break a lot down which led to building my confidence and accepting small goals. I've started healthy eating again and achieved 6 pounds loss in 3 weeks. I'm not being so hard on myself if I make mistakes. I'm more determined. It's changed my attitude.

I realised that there are a lot of things I do that sabotage myself, having an understanding of this helps me make changes.

To realise that I was not on my own and that lots of people feel and live this nightmare. It gave me confidence to start my new life of healthy living and if I fell off my plan then no problem and not to feel guilty if you have a treat. Not to use that word DIET just life style change.

Since doing the programme, my life changed. One of the things I put on my list was to do my CV and apply for a job. Well, I did - and I got it!

I feel like I have started a new chapter in my life. My kids have all grown up and I now have a new job. For so long it was all about the kids, now it’s about me. I am making breakfast every day and have been going for morning walks. I have lost weight, but I feel like it’s happened naturally without the pressure. I feel like I have got loads more energy, feel happier and more confident.

My favourite parts have been 1 and 2, as they helped me to no longer feel like a freak and on my own. It has definitely got me back on track, as I know there are other people who can and have done it. I know I am getting more confident. My clothes are getting looser. I used to have my own ‘special meals’ but I am having meals with the family. Even my husband has noticed how much happier I have become.

The programme has made me reflect on other areas of my life. I have realised how safety is a massive issue for me and how my world has shrunk compared to who I used to be.

I feel like I am back. I am starting to reassert my boundaries with people in work instead of being the ‘people pleaser’…this is my new life plan.

Table of contents

Please read me first!

Step 1: Create intention and inspiration

Step 2: Understand your inner conflict

Step 3: Take the driving controls

Step 4: Have the confidence to change

Step 5: Love yourself

Step 6: Take responsibility and claim your power

Step 7: Take action and keep going

Please read me first!

Welcome to The Psychology of yoyo dieting: 7 steps to breaking free!

The first thing we want to say is Congratulations! It takes a lot of courage to do this kind of work, and we already know that you are determined because you’ve taken a leap of faith, taken that first step, and decided to do something different.

Some serious stuff first - it is important to say right at the beginning that this self-help book does not constitute therapy, nor does it replace therapy. If any of the book’s material feels too heavy or the job too big, take a break from it. Go and do something soothing and relaxing.

This book and associated activities are for any individual who is/would be considered overweight by their doctor. It is NOT a diet, it is a coaching book that is primarily intended for adults who are struggling with their relationship with food. The aim is to take you from feeling frustrated and helpless, to having a focused and empowered mindset, enabling you to take the necessary action to achieve and maintain your weight loss goal and feel more comfortable in your own body.

But please note: If you suffer from an eating disorder, clinical depression or have major unresolved trauma, this book may not be appropriate and therefore please act responsibility and seek whatever advice and support is required.

Throughout the book, we will be reminding you when it may be appropriate to seek additional support. We hope that this will encourage you to do so if this is something that you would benefit from. It can also be helpful to talk about how you are reacting with a trusted friend or family member or a health professional.

Here are a few more important bits that will help you get the most out of your journey through this book.

While you are reading the book and doing the activities, have FUN – although this is a serious matter it can help if you take yourself lightly. It can be helpful to keep an open mind, as you are here to learn and do things differently.

Be kind to yourself - remember this book is about being curious without judgement! Take your time and allow yourself to see this as a brand-new start by looking at things from a totally different perspective.

It can help to keep a learning journal as you work your way through the book and do the activities. This can be a simple notebook where you record any thoughts, feelings, insights, and new learning as you progress through the book.

As you will learn, a lot of the strategies are common to people who struggle with losing weight. With support and guidance and the use of some simple self-help strategies, hopefully you will find that these methods focus and motivate you. If, however, you feel you need or want to do more in depth work on any area, we would strongly recommend that you seek professional support.

This book is NOT a diet or nutritional programme, it is based on the neuropsychology of success and motivation. However, when you are ready, we do encourage you to find the healthiest and most beneficially nutritional programme for you and then use the learning alongside it.

Now let’s get going!

Back to top

Step 1: Create intention and inspiration

Cath’s story

There’s an old saying that goes something like this if you keep on doing what you always did, you will continue to get what you always got!

And unfortunately, that’s what I did with my weight for over 35 years. My name is Cath, and I consider myself to be relatively intelligent and quite successful in many areas of my life. Yet the one thing I couldn’t conquer was my struggle with food. I had spent decades exploring why I was eating and trying every diet in the book. You name it, I tried it. I was even wrapped in bandages to lose inches. I had acupuncture which involved placing small needles in my ears, I was instructed to press them when I wanted food, but, as that was a constant need for me at the time it just made my ears bleed!

I went on slimming tablets and tried every new-fangled thing that came on the market; I must have spent tens of thousands of pounds looking for the answer. I would wake up (usually on a Monday) and be so motivated and determined and this was going to be it, and then by lunch time (if I made it that far) I would be munching on goodies. The doctor told me that if I didn’t lose weight I was a probable stroke victim, which initially scared me, but still didn’t stop me! I felt like even more of a failure because, being a professional helper, there felt like both an internal and external expectation that I should know what to do … but that was the thing, I did know what to do, but I always felt like there was an internal battle going on between what I should be doing and what I was doing.

And then I found my answer, it didn’t happen overnight, but I learned how my brain was processing old messages which helped me understand the conflict that was going on.

So, this was me before, on the left, and this is me now …

I have lost over 3 stones (20kg) and kept it off for over 3