3 Reasons Why Weight Loss Diets Fail

In my life I have been on tons of diets. I have tried Atkins, Weight Watchers, South Beach, no eating, “cutting down”, pills, shakes, juices, powders, bars and just about anything you can think of.

Of course, my skinny friends have also told me that weight loss diets are so easy, just do it! I don’t know about you, but one thing I don’t like is when people who have never had a weight problem try to tell you how to lose weight easily. They think that overweight people have some kind of control problem and that our weight is our fault!

Now, I’m not trying to say that I’m not responsible for where I am today, because I am. But at the same time, I know that gaining weight is easier for me than for most people. I feel like if I walk past a burger joint I can instantly pack on 3 or 4 more pounds lol.

But it does not have to be like that.

We all have a choice at the end of the day. We decide how we want to look, how we want to feel, and most importantly, what we are going to eat. One of the reasons I think weight loss diets fail is because they are set up to fail.

I’m not necessarily talking about the food you eat, although that can be a big part. What I’m really talking about is our mindset and the way we see ourselves.

1) Weight loss diets fail because we don’t adjust who we are as we lose weight. You can still lose 5 pounds if you had to. And if you can do it once, you can do it over and over again. But too many times we start to lose weight and something triggers in our head, something that prevents us from reaching our goal weight.

This is called the “Snap Back” effect because, like a rubber band, we’ve been stretched to our limit and now we must snap back because we’re afraid of snapping. We have to learn to stretch the way we see ourselves so that we can continue to grow and accept our new appearance.

2) We are not eating for life. Most weight loss diets fail because we are not eating for life. We are eating to lose weight. This will NEVER work in the long run because you need to adjust your eating habits to a lifestyle you can live with. I am learning this now as I switch from eating large meals at the end of the night to eating smaller meals during the day.

I’m not always perfect, but I’m getting there, step by step, day by day. And that brings us to the final point of why weight loss diets fail.

3) We expect perfection, and when we don’t reach it, we binge. This is probably the saddest of all realities for dieters. I know that I have done this many times in my past, sabotaging myself and my diet.

I could get it right for weeks and then suddenly be wrong. Maybe I’d have a sugary drink or eat some kind of carb-laden sandwich. Instead of accepting that and sticking with my diet, I would justify eating more.

Oh well, I already cheated, I might as well eat whatever I want. This kind of thinking is the kind of thing that has kept me from reaching my goal weight. Not anymore. And I hope not for you either.

When you deviate from your diet to lose weight, that’s okay. Accept it and move on. You have to, or you’ll find an excuse to quit again.

And those are the 3 reasons why weight loss diets fail. In the end, it’s up to you (and me) to make a bold decision and stick with it. You can do anything if you put your mind to it. I know you all know that you could lose weight if you had to. It’s just a matter of your mind getting wrapped up in the idea.