The weight blog

Why diets fail (hint: it's NOT your fault)

Written by Dillie | Jul 25, 2023 12:30:00 PM

Have you tried every fad diet, but never had any success?

Do you believe your lack of diet success is caused by a lack of discipline?

Drop this belief! It's NOT your fault.

It's easy to get discouraged while dieting, especially if you end up gaining more weight than you've lost. 

The diet industry is for profit, not for health, generating billions of dollars per year. Companies in the diet industry want to sell you miracles and dreams, and trick you into thinking there's a shortcut to weight loss. Truthfully, dieting is typically not sustainable for losing weight. It can even cause weight gain. The most effective weight loss plan is to follow a lifestyle, not a diet.

Diets aren't sustainable

Most diets aren't sustainable because they're too restrictive and unrealistic. This can make you feel like you're incapable of achieving your goals, when in reality, the method is impossible for anyone to maintain. Restrictive diets typically make binge eating more tempting, which can lead to weight gain. Moderating your consumption of certain foods is more effective than eliminating your consumption of those foods. Eating foods you enjoy is harmless as long as the portions are appropriately sized!

Diets create feelings of failure

Diets promote the belief that foods are either "good" or "bad." This type of black-and-white thinking can be discouraging and can create feelings of failure, shame, and guilt. Furthermore, dieting can lead you to feel like food is in control of your body, rather than you. The loss of feeling of control of your body is dangerous as it can potentially lead to the development of disordered eating habits. 

Key Takeaway

Dieting is not a long-term solution. Most people end up regaining the weight they lost on a diet. Believing in a diet makes realistic methods of long-term weight loss seem less reliable, which can deter you from practicing them. The real solution is to have a healthy lifestyle--prioritizing health and wellness in all areas of your life, not just what you eat!