8 reasons why most diets fail, according to a dietitian and health coach

It’s safe to say that, for many Americans, life occurs between unsuccessful diets. The obesity pandemic that weighs down not only the country—but the world—reflects a lack of success to acquire or maintain a healthy body weight. Diets abound, with more than 1,000 devised or authorized by recognized specialists, and even more propounded in the media.

Although most folks—physician or otherwise—have failed diets, few doctors are experts on why diets fail. In an exclusive conversation with MDLinx, Isabel Maples, MEd, RDN, a spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, reveals the whys and wherefores of diet failure, and some recommendations on how to overcome them.

Hunger

Diets contribute to weight reduction since they offer up fewer calories than people are accustomed to, according to Maples. “The finest diets have a balancing act of their own: achieving weight reduction rapidly enough to keep us motivated but yet supplying enough food so sensations of starving don’t encourage us to throw in the towel and quit.”

Pro tip: Don’t miss meals! Eat three meals a day. If required, add one or two nutritious snacks each day, so as not to feel hungry.

Muscle loss

“In an ideal world, when our body weight goes down, all we lose is fat,” said Maples. “More likely, part of the weight we lose will be muscle. That’s not ideal, since muscle drives our metabolism. If we lose more muscle, we require fewer calories, and it makes weight control increasingly harder.”

Pro tip: Refrain from eliminating too many calories. Women should eat a minimum of 1,200 calories every day, while males should ingest no less than 1,500 calories a day. Additionally, exercise combined with a diet containing 60-70 g of protein a day can also assist maintain muscle. Weight exercise, in particular, may help fend off muscle loss.

Physical inactivity

Intake is just half the calorie equation, with activity being the other. Per Maples, “Our bodies are built to move! Physical exercise is vital for weight reduction—but it’s more important for sustaining that weight loss. Find a workout you enjoy and simply do it. Walking is an excellent start. If you don’t enjoy any form of exercise, think of the physical activity as merely something you do to be healthy, much like cleaning your teeth. Whatever you do, strive for—or build up to—a minimum of 150 minutes [of exercise] a week.”

Pro tip: Those who have been successful at losing a lot of weight and keeping it off are more likely to exercise an hour a day, according to the National Weight Control Registry.

Unrealistic expectations

“Our weight may creep up, ounce by ounce, pound by pound,” stated Maples. “But when it comes to getting weight off, we want huge results, quick! Think about the Tortoise and the Hare; attempt to achieve lasting improvements. Lifestyle improvements cause weight reduction that is more likely to remain off.”

Pro tip: Aim to lose no more than 1-2 lbs a week (or 0.5% to 1% of your body weight).

Feeling deprived

When you’re nibbling at carrot sticks, it looks like everyone else is ordering dessert. “We may feel deprived when we can’t indulge on holidays, special events, and even routine, day-to-day dining circumstances,” said Maples.

Pro tip: Switch your mentality. Instead of concentrating on what you can’t have in your diet, think of your choices as active decisions that you are making to be healthy. Tell yourself you can have that meal if you want it, but that you only want to pick it when it provides you the greatest pleasure.

Getting disheartened

Nothing that’s genuinely good is ever easily achieved, and weight loss is no different. “When we lose weight, it’s not at a consistent pace,” said Maples. “Slow-downs and speed bumps along the road make us feel quite disappointed that we aren’t receiving the outcomes we desire, particularly when we are working so hard.”

Pro tip: Track actions and results that you can influence. The scale says what it says, but only you determine your actions. Remember that the scale is not your sole measure of success. Instead, measure other behaviors, like portion sizes, calories, selections of low-calorie veggies, as well as gym time and cheer words.

Getting sidetracked

“Sometimes the best-laid intentions may go astray,” said Maples. “Our surroundings are packed with triggers, including the sight and scent of food, which might take us off the correct track. Just because you ate something you don’t believe you should have, doesn’t mean you utterly botched it. Focus on making progress, not being perfect.”

Pro tip: In the long run, the hardest aspect about feeling like you went off-track is your perspective. It may be a good idea to find out where you were “led astray,” and consider how you may handle that issue more effectively next time. And despair not; get back in the saddle again to keep making progress.

All or nothing mindset

The hardest aspect of a diet could be the idea that we are either “on a diet” or “off a diet.”

Pro tip: Your body is tracking all the calories, even if you’re not. Healthier habits that may be implemented into how you normally eat can further aid to keep the weight off in the long term.

Maples cautioned that when most people hear the term “diet,” they imagine a new way of eating—one that sets constraints on choice and quantity. “After all, diets are meant to induce weight reduction by shifting the balance between the calories we take in, from food and drink, and the calories we burn off, via exercise and physical activity. In other words, ‘diet’ becomes a four-letter word because it pushes us out of our comfort zone and makes us do something different,” she observed.