The likelihood of long-term success on a crash diet of living off kale and almonds or sticking to 1,000 calories a day is “almost zero,” medical weight loss expert Charlie Seltzer, MD tells The Daily Beast. Stelzer says he tries to shift patients’ thinking from the scale to other health factors such as how well they sleep or whether they can deadlift. as well as addressing issues such as emotional eating. However, “Weight cycling,” the official term for yo-yo dieting, may be okay if you’ve lost weight in the past through smart, consistent strategies such as healthy eating and moderate exercise but then got flipped off the wellness path, Tiffany Wright, PhD, founder of Skinny Coach Solution. “Every minute that you’re at a healthy weight is beneficial for you. It’s less stress on your heart and arteries, reduces your risk of disease, and increases your lifespan tremendously,” she says.