WHY DIETS DON’T WORK! FOUR PRINCIPLES TO LOSE WEIGHT PERMANENTLY
Many individuals find losing weight easier than keeping the weight off after a diet. Why? Because short-term solutions don’t last. Successful weight loss involves a permanent lifestyle change. So, let’s look at the top reasons why diets fail:
Inability to stick to the diet
Statistics show that 40% of the individuals quit within the first seven days, 20% last about a month and 20% last about 3 months. Only 20% stick to a diet for a longer period.
Not feeling good
Strict diets can cause mood swings, headaches, brain fog, physical and mental fatigue.
Hunger
The lack of calories or the infrequent meals can cause hunger making it very challenging to follow the diet.
Cravings
Restricting certain foods in addition to hunger will create the need to cheat to be successful and stick to the program.
Social Pressure
Most of our eating takes place in a social context, we eat with family, friends, co-workers, etc. Dieters that turn down food are guilted to eat foods that they need to avoid.
Lack of results
Depending on our expectations, we can get frustrated with the amount of weight loss and the length of time is taking to lose weight.
Too Restrictive
If the diet is too rigid and complicated, most likely we will not stick to it.
Budget or Lifestyle
Our budget dictates the groceries we buy. If we have a busy life, we travel or do not cook at home, it will hinder the diet success.
Boredom
Lack of variety and food choices will cause us to fail.
Consider making a positive Lifestyle change instead of going on a diet. Most diets will help you lose weight but cause you to lose nutrients and have harmful rebound effects.
There are a couple of steps that will help you achieve your weight goals permanently.
Determine why do you want to lose weight
Do you want to look better? Get healthier? Have a medical condition? or perhaps a combination of all of them? Whatever is your why, own it, know your motivation.
Decide to make small simple changes
Start by taking small steps towards a healthier lifestyle, like adopting healthier food substitutions. Make one simple change every week, this way you will be making positive choices in your nutrition and improving your overall health one step at a time.
Incorporate a support system
Having a friend, family member or a coach to provide support and encouragement will create accountability and will guarantee success in making positive changes.
Behavioral Changes
Behavioral changes are not just dietary, you need to incorporate physical activity into your routine. The best exercise for you is the one that you will do. The best probability of sticking to an exercise routine is by doing what you enjoy, so pick a sport or physical activity that you really like.
As a Dr. Sears Wellness Institute Certified Health-Coach I can help you achieve your weight and health goals. I promote a healthy lifestyle that is build on the four pillars of Health: Lifestyle-How we live; Exercise- How we move; Attitude- How we think and Nutrition-How we eat.
Don’t overcomplicate yourself with short-term solution diets, instead, adopt simple solutions that will guarantee long-term success, make you healthier and happier.
Nothing in this article is to be construed as medical advice, nor is it intended to replace the recommendations of a medical professional.
My mission is to empower individuals to take care of their health by adopting simple lifestyle changes so they can live healthier, happier lives.
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