Why Diets Don’t Work

I used to be a chronic dieter.

If there was a diet, it’s almost a guarantee that I tried it.  

Like many of you, I spent years struggling with my body.  I was desperate to find something…anything…that would help me to lose weight.  I’d spend money on products and food I didn’t even like, and I stopped eating foods I loved because they weren’t “on my program”.  I remember promising myself that I’d get used to it, especially if I saw results. 

And I did see results. 

But here’s the problem: I couldn’t maintain my results.

Typically within a few months, I found myself back to my old eating patterns.  Eventually a few pounds would come back, I’d tell myself it was ok.  Then a few more pounds, and then a few more pounds.  Before I knew it, not only had I gained all the weight back that I had lost, but I added a little more as well.  I’d tell myself Ok, that was the wrong diet.  Clearly I need to find a better diet.

And the whole cycle would start again.

Does this sound familiar?  

Here’s the thing: diets don’t work!  If they did, you wouldn’t need to keep restarting, or changing to another one to get your results.  

Diets are not sustainable

Anyone can achieve weight loss on a diet.  Being able to sustain it for the rest of your life is where diets fall short.  

Many diets claim success because they keep you in a calorie deficit, meaning you are taking in less calories than you are using each day.  It isn’t their “special approach” that is helping you to lose weight, it is simply the fact that you are eating less calories.  

Many diet plans put their members into extreme calorie deficits in order to achieve these incredible results very quickly. But how long can you sustain a diet at 1200 calories?  Eventually the body needs more fuel in order to function.  Running your body at a permanent or long-term low caloric intake is a recipe for disaster: low energy, chronic fatigue, poor workout performance, hormone issues, etc.  

The longer you stay at a low caloric intake, two things happen. 

First, the body begins to adapt to taking in a low number of calories, and the weight loss stops.  In order to keep losing weight, you have to cut the calories even lower.  I’ve seen and heard of people eating as low as 900 calories a day just to keep their weight loss journey moving. 

Second, the harder it is for your body to recover.  And the minute you go back to eating at your normal calorie intake (once you’ve hit your goal and you’re “done” with the diet), the weight starts to creep back up and the inches come back on.

Diets have rigid rules

I can’t think of a single diet that doesn’t come with it’s own set of rules.  More times than not, the rules are part of the diet’s “special action plan” to help you lose weight fast.  

No carbs, or ultra low carbs.

No fruit. No grains. No dairy.

You can only eat within an 8-hour window.

You have to stay within a certain number of “points” per day.

Again, how long can you live your life this way?  Are you going to go your entire life without eating fruit?  Are you never going out to a restaurant again to enjoy a celebration meal because it might have carbs?

There’s nothing but problems here as well.  Once you achieve the results you want, many of us go back to eating like we used to. You’ve felt so deprived for so long, it’s hard to maintain control around those foods you were told you couldn’t have.  And eventually, you start having those foods again and you watch your results fall apart.

You have to remember: how you lose weight is how you maintain that weight loss.  You have to be able to keep doing the same thing in order to keep your results.

So What Can I Do??

The key to a sustainable weight loss program is being able to do it for the rest of your life.  It’s not a diet, it is a lifestyle.  One that comes with all the things that happen in life: vacations, parties, special occasions, crazy sports schedules, holidays, etc.  If you can’t navigate normal parts of your life while on a weight loss journey, then maybe you’ve picked the wrong plan.

Here is what your weight loss program should include:

• A guideline for how to incorporate more nutrient dense foods into your meals.  This would include education on the importance of protein, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats.

• Balance: being able to include foods that you love while still prioritizing whole foods.  Yes, you can enjoy a night of pizza and cake and still achieve your goals!

• Non-scale victories: yes, the scale is an important tool to help you track your progress.  But there are so many other ways to celebrate success besides a number on the scale: your clothes fit differently, you have more energy during the day, your sleep is better, etc.  Focusing exclusively on the scale means you’re missing out on the other ways you are making progress.

Not sure where to start? Maybe it’s time to partner up with a coach.

Our team is ready and waiting to help you break up with your diet and start living again. Here at Phoenix Transformations, the coaches do not encourage any type of restricted eating patterns or rigid diets.  We support and encourage you to work on improving your relationship with food, so that you are able to eat what you love, add what you need, and still have success with your weight loss goals.

Message us today to get started!