The Dieting Dilemma: Why Weight Loss Diets Rarely Deliver, and the Role of Mindset
Why Don’t Weight Loss Diets Work
It isn’t the fact that they don’t work, in fact most work quite well. BUT… Some diets are ‘fad diets’ and don’t have any scientific backing. So if diets work then why do I not have the results?
This article explores this conundrum and the crucial role of mindset in achieving sustainable success.
The Dieting Culture:
It’s impossible to ignore the omnipresence of dieting in our society. The weight loss industry is booming, but are we any healthier? Many of us turn to diets because we want quick fixes or feel pressured to meet unrealistic beauty standards. Unfortunately, most people that try a diet don’t achieve the results they wanted. The reason for this? Diets don’t give you the basics. They give you guidelines and parameters and, in some cases, pick what you eat for you, when you eat, and how you eat. We will discuss later in the article what truly matters when dieting.
The Diet Cycle:
The diet cycle is all too familiar: restrictive eating, initial weight loss, followed by plateaus or regaining lost weight. It’s disheartening, and the cycle can leave us feeling like failures. But what if the dieting cycle looked more like: consistent progress, intrinsic motivation to keep going (because of the consistent progress), reaching goals, and setting new health goals.
The Mindset Factor:
Our mindset plays a vital role in the success of any weight loss endeavor. It’s not just about following a set of rules. Adopting a “quick-fix” mentality often means neglecting the importance of sustainable, long-term habits. If you change your mindset from trying to find a “quick-fix” mindset to “this is a priority for my health and life” mentality, how would your discipline and commitment to the diet change?
Why Diets Fail:
So why do diets often disappoint? Here’s why:
Mentality. If we don’t make our health a priority in our life then dieting will almost never work. The first step in doing this is desiring change. If you truly want change in your life then you shouldn’t be looking for the “quick-fix” you should be looking for options that will bring about real change in your life.
Unsustainability. Many diets are too restrictive to maintain for the long haul. If someone is deprived of their favorite food for too long it makes it much easier to just give up altogether. On top of this many people have no idea how long to do something and don’t set proper and SMART goals.
- S- Specific
- M- Measurable
- A- Attainable
- R- Realistic
- T- Time-sensitive
Metabolic Adaptation. Our bodies adapt to low-calorie diets, making weight loss progressively harder. Many people don’t understand this point, depending on what you eat and making big changes to that, you physiologically change your body’s biochemistry. When you do something for a prolonged period of time, your body adapts. There should be periods of maintenance, not just going back to binging.
Quick Tips
-
Be Self-Compassionate
Being kind to ourselves and acknowledging setbacks can make a significant difference. Setbacks are a part of the journey, and a reminder to keep moving in the right direction.
-
Shift the Focus
Instead of fixating on diets, it’s time to shift our focus to healthy lifestyle changes.
Gradual, sustainable changes in eating habits, exercise, and mindset are the keys to lasting success.
-
Mindful Eating
Listen to your body, but also understand your cues. If you are hungry and bored, are you really hungry or are you just bored? Think about what you are putting into your body, if you cannot tell the original form of something you are eating it’s often highly processed and the nutritional quality could be much better.
- Build a Positive Relationship with Food
- Find out the healthiest way to make your favorite foods.
- Figure out what works for you.
- Have friends and family hold you accountable.
In conclusion, dieting often falls short, but it’s not a reflection of your worth or abilities. You cannot be at fault for what you do not know, but you can be at fault for not prioritizing a healthy lifestyle. Let’s replace dieting with a dedicated, long-term mindset and embrace sustainable changes for a happier, healthier future and see where we end up!
