3 Reasons Diets Don't Work

I've never been a fan of the word "diet."  Actually, I've never been a fan of diets in general.  Growing up I had friends and family that went on diets and it became a negative connotation for me.

I saw these friends going on all types of diet trends - the Atkins diet, the chicken soup diet, the South Beach Diet, weight watchers, etc.  You name it someone I knew was trying it.  They'd rave about how they lost 10lbs on the "so and so" diet and then a month later you'd see them and they had gained back 20.

Watching people fail over and over again at their attempt to dieting made me think twice about the way I wanted to live.  Instead I took the route of ... I'll eat whatever I want and then workout REALLY REALLY hard in the gym to burn it off.  Now I know that wasn't the right way of thinking either, there's a balance but overall diets just don't do too much good. I would rather enjoy my life and not be constantly stressed and angry because of what I'm eating.


Here's 3 Reasons Diets Don't Work

1. They don't last long term

Rarely ever have I seen someone do a diet and actually STICK with it long term.  Have you? In fact, 98% of dieters gain back the weight within 2 years.

Why? The BIGGEST problem with diets is that they are not sustainable.  I can see the benefit if you're simply trying to lose some quick weight for a special event but that is really the only benefit to dieting.  There a much better ways to lose weight and get healthy rather than dieting.

Most diets require you to lower your caloric intake to insanely low levels which generally just makes you pissed off and unhappy at the world (can you say hangry)!?

When you're looking at long term results ask yourself if most of the people following this "diet" have been able to maintain it for 2 years or more and have an improved quality of life because of it.  If not, move on.  Sustainable means that the plan is able to be followed without added stress and the program could easily be incorporated into a person's daily routine.  Was their mental and physical outcome improved?  Are they happier and healthier as a result of the program?

I think the biggest indicator of success on a fitness + nutrition plan is tracking the quality of life which most programs do not track.


2. They're restrictive

In fact dieting and restricting your calorie levels while it may help you lose weight short term will actually cause your metabolism to slow down which long term makes it even harder to lose weight.

Did you know that restricting the foods you enjoy actually causes a stress signal in your body to go off?  Its true that food in certain ways is linked to our mental state.  That joy you get when you're preparing and eating food is lost when you feel restricted and you're left feeling deprived and empty!!

I see it time and time again where women are told to restrict their calories to obscenely low levels for a diet and quite literally eating SO little ends up making them sick, mentally and physically burnt out,  and it certainly doesn't help with toning or building lean muscle.

3. They don't take bio-individuality into consideration

Each person and circumstance is so incredibly unique.  We can't all do the exact same things and get the exact same results.  The way we eat and the way we live often has a great impact on our body and weight than the calories we are consuming.  Diets don't take into considerations our unique body compositions, our personal history or anything personal about you as an individual.  Simply stated diets are one size fits all which is never a good solution.

So what can you do instead of dieting? Learn how to eat whole clean nutritious foods (enjoyably) and find someone who can help guide you to success to eat the right foods without the cycle of guilt!  When you create a long term sustainable lifestyle that's when you'll see success. It won't come in a few weeks but with consistency and without rules or restrictions you will see a transformation of total health.

Check out my "SIMPLE + HEALTHY MEALS FOR REAL MOMS COOKBOOK eBOOK" for recipes the whole family will enjoy!

If you're looking for a total solution to health + fitness WITHOUT crash dieting, without guilt and restrictions I would love to work with you.  You can learn more about my Body Back Bootcamp for moms by clicking here or contact me at jackiepetersonfitness@gmail.com to find out when my next Bootcamp starts.

Click to learn more.