Why Most Diets Fail
The reason that most diets fail is due to a lack of long-term compliance. When this happens, people that lose weight will regain it and most of the time, they will exceed what they lost in the first place.
What is a diet? A diet is a short-term strategy to lose weight. Long-term weight loss and maintenance is the result of behavior modification.
Here’s another way to test a diet. Determine whether or not it can be a long-term plan…just ask yourself, “Can I eat this way for the rest of my life?” After you say that to yourself, many of the fad diets will automatically be eliminated.
The hardest part about losing weight is not getting the weight off but rather keeping the weight off. The missing link for long-term weight loss is exercise. It is a key component of long-term weight loss. If a diet plan focuses only upon your diet and doesn’t incorporate exercise then it fails the long-term weight loss test. A weight loss program that doesn’t stress the importance of exercise is like buying a car without tires. It is also important to note that not all exercise is the same. Some people just do aerobics but don’t do resistance training, which is very important to weight loss.
Another important factor of weight loss is the psychological aspect of why people fail to maintain a long-term weight loss diet. A number of studies have been done that found that some people had a tendency to evaluate self-worth in terms of weight and shape. They also have a lack of vigilance with regard to weight control – they had a tendency to use eating to regulate mood.
The question that you may be asking yourself right now is why don’t all weight loss programs incorporate all of these factors. But you have to realize that for weight loss businesses, that’s exactly what they are– for profit businesses. Telling people what they really need is not going to guarantee that they sell many of their products. The big picture of permanent weight loss is how you can look at a weight loss program and decide for yourself if it’s for you, based upon what has been covered above. You have to remember that permanent weight loss is not about finding a quick fix diet, but making a commitment to life style changes that include nutrition and exercise. Make sure that a weight loss program passes the “Can I eat this way for the rest of my life?” test. Also, the weight loss program you choose should ultimately teach you how to eat and be self-reliant so that you can make informed long-term choices about your nutrition. It’s also important that the program which you choose to pursue includes a combination of motivation, goal setting, and support, but it cannot be a replacement for psychological counseling – if needed.
Key takeaways:
Permanent fat reduction isn’t all about getting a quick fix diet, but instead building a commitment to lifestyle changes which include nutrition and physical exercise.
Any weight loss program you pick has to pass this test: “Can I eat like this for the remainder of my entire life?”
The weight reduction and maintenance program you select should fundamentally coach you on just how to consume and become self-reliant which means you’re able to make informed long-term decisions about your own nutrition.
The weight reduction and maintenance program you select should not leave you hooked on commercial bars, shakes, supplements, or even different food items, for the long-term success.
The weight reduction and maintenance program you pick will need to possess a successful physical exercise component.
The weight reduction and maintenance program you select should make an effort to aid with motivation, goal-setting techniques, and encourage, but cannot be an alternative to emotional counseling if needed.
Conclusion
Do not be frightened away by statements that “you need to eat this way indefinitely” advice. What it does mean is that you will need to learn how to eat correctly even after you get to your target weight. Your manner of eating shouldn’t be considered an enormous departure from your daily lifestyle. After getting into your target weight loss – and – or your target body fat levels – you’ll enter a lifestyle maintenance phase for the long term, which generally contains more calories and also choices of food…and also the casual cure, just like a piece of pizza or any other pleasures that life has to offer.
