Why diets don’t work

Comment:

“I’m starting my diet on Monday!”

That’s great, shame it’s likely to be abandoned by the weekend.

Restrictive diets bring a sense of deprivation and any promise of a “quick fix” simply means that weight loss is only temporary: Atkins, Dukan, The Fast Diet, The Alkaline Diet, The Baby Food Diet, The Blood-Type Diet, The French Woman Diet, The Paleo Diet and the 5:2 diet all limit calories and use a “one-size-fits-all” approach.

In a survey of 2,000 British people sponsored by Alpro it was found 2 out of 5 people trying a new diet will abandon it within a week.

You often hear dieters say “I have tried every diet in the book and none worked for me”. Realistic and sustainable weight loss is based on attitudes and behaviours, working with feelings and emotions around foods and embracing new routines gradually.

Restricting calories can make you feel weak, lethargic, irritable and anxious. Most dieters feel miserable and dream about calorie-rich foods.

Food cravings are the main reason why diets fail: allowing yourself the occasional indulgence is the way to achieve balance. Communicating your health goals to friends and family is also helpful to keep you on track. Sometimes family dynamics come into play when it comes to eating so if there’s a pattern of over-eating in the family there might be additional pressure to sabotage your diet.

It can be helpful to approach dieting differently and even ask other members of the family to participate in the process – group coaching sessions can make a real difference.

Here at Weightmatters we offer both one-to-one and group sessions including family therapy to achieve a more balanced approach to eating.

Source:

http://news.health.com/2013/09/19/5-reasons-most-diets-fail-within-7-days/