Why Diets Are Failing You

Want to know the secret to losing weight? Ready to finally lose weight once and for all?

Look no further, I have the answer!

Continue reading for the magic recipe.

Ready?

Here you go……

STOP DIETING!

Yes, you heard me correctly..

Dieting does not work. Hear me out because much like you, I’ve personally been there, “dieted” that.

As a nutrition coach, I get a lot of questions about diets, cleanses and detoxes: “What do you think of xxx diet”? “Should I be fasting?” “I need to cut carbs, right?!” With soo much (mis)information out there, a quick Google search or social media scroll leaves you convinced that YES! ____ DIET IS THE BEST ON THE MARKET! It’s a never-ending, constant influx of the latest and greatest dieting fads and trends, especially this time of year.

As we kick off the New Year, you’re likely being inundated with tricky marketing boasting products and programs that will make all your weight loss, health and fitness goals come true! I hate to burst your bubble but, these are quick fixes that over-promise and under-deliver.

Sure, you may have dieted in the past and perhaps in some way, the diet worked BUT, it’s highly unlikely you were able to sustain said diet.

Welcome to the vicious dieting cycle!

Typically, the dieting cycle leads you back to where you started: frustrated, hopeless and seeking the “next best thing” for instant gratification. This is not what I want for you – you deserve more – and why I feel so strongly that diets are failing you.

What I do want is for you to learn how to create a healthy relationship with food so life doesn’t feel like one big diet but instead, a happy place where you properly fuel your body (nutrients aplenty!) and still enjoy foods you crave.

In today’s blog, I am sharing the 3 reasons why diets are failing you PLUS exactly what you need to be doing instead to make all your health, fitness and nutrition dreams come true in 2024!

3 Reasons Diets Are Failing You

Here’s the challenge with diets: Diets will work IF you are in a calorie deficit. This simply means burning more calories than you’re eating. A calorie deficit is science and how weight loss happens.

However, the route you choose to lose weight 100% determines your long-term success. Herein lies the challenge because diets:

• Severely restrict your intake of any one food group.

• Drastically limit overall food intake.

• Involve short term fixes like shakes/detoxes for rapid weight loss. Spoiler alert: If you’re drinking this stuff, you’re just peeing out water weight.

This dieting mentality is a super slippery slope and leads to 3 unhealthy beliefs and coinciding behaviors:

#1. It’s healthy to lose lots of weight in a very short window of time.

Change is a process that takes time. The healthy range for weight loss is 1-2 lbs/week and there are MANY variables that play into that so don’t read it as “Coach Amie said i should lose 2lbs/week”.

My point is sustainable weight loss takes time. If you’re going to put in the effort to make changes, you want them to last –amIright?

#2. Diets force you to create unhealthy relationships with food. Dieting programs your brain to identify food as “good” and “bad” instead of educating you on HOW to properly fuel and feed your body nutrient dense foods that keep you healthy, your body properly functioning and alive!

#3. Diets lead to RESTRICTION. Restriction leads to bingeing. Bingeing leads to regaining your losses and wasting your efforts.

At any given time, roughly ⅓ of the American population is following a specific eating plan or diet. That is A LOT of people trying the next big craze.

Why so high? Because fad diets do not cause steady, attainable, weight loss that can be easily maintained. When our progress slows or we can no longer maintain the restriction, we move on to the next plan.

So, what DOES work?

Stop Dieting, Do THIS Instead!

Yes I am a nutrition coach but, I am also human. Again, much like you, I have been there, dieted that!

Before becoming a nutrition coach, I personally struggled with nutrition and for a long time, did not understand what to eat or how to properly fuel my body. After years of dieting, spinning my wheels and NEVER being able to maintain results or create a healthier lifestyle, I decided to end the madness.

The good news? Those years of frustration lead me here! I’ve spent the last several years learning and studying to become a certified nutrition coach so I can teach you what to do so you, too can stop the dieting madness! Here’s what DOES work! These are my top 5 habits and behaviors that will 100% lead you to sustainable, long term weight loss WITHOUT DIETING, restriction or missing out on life:

#1. Eat balanced, nutrient dense meals

Your body needs and relies on REAL foods to thrive and survive, and this absolutely includes carbs and fats! Much of the dieting mindset is built on misinformation like carbs and fats are bad. This is simply not true.

The first barrier is not knowing what to be eating or, how much. As a nutrition coach, I can help you understand how to fuel your body for your goals, albeit weight loss, building muscle, improving health markers, fat loss, etc.

#2. Strength train and move daily

Exercising- especially strength training – provides endless benefits: improves overall health by reducing risk for chronic disease, enhancing lung, brain and heart health, improves bone density, increases mobility, alleviates daily aches and pains, reduces stress, releases endorphins, makes us feel and look good, provides quality of life, combats anxiety and depression….the list goes on!

Basically, there’s no reason NOT to do it! Aim to exercise a minimum of 3 days per week. Bonus points if that includes strength training (exactly what you can do with a coach at Results Fitness).

Mindful movement is any activity performed daily, outside of exercise. A great example is walking / getting in your steps! Walking is one of the easiest ways to improve your health and live longer! Aim to hit 8,000-10,00. steps each day!

#3. Get 7-9 hours of quality sleep per night

When it comes to your health and fitness, getting 7-9 hours of QUALITY sleep per night is crucial for fat loss and muscle growth (tone and definition). Research shows not getting enough sleep can cause unwanted weight gain since you’re more prone to overeating processed foods.

#4. Stay hydrated

Water plays a key role in the lubrication of joints, body temperature regulation and aids in metabolism as a natural appetite suppressant. Often times our brain triggers ‘hunger pangs’ when in reality we just need to chug some water and not go after the snack drawer.

#5. Keep stress levels in check

Elevated levels of cortisol, your body’s stress hormone, is caused by stress. If you are super stressed most days, your body releases more cortisol to help regulate and this response can lead to weight/fat gain due to an increase in appetite and because cortisol encourages your body’s cells to store fat – particularly in the midsection.

So, if you’re starting out the New Year searching and scrambling for the latest and greatest quick fix diet, ask yourself the following:

• Will I be majorly restricting any specific foods?

• Can I do this long term for the next 6-12 months?

• Do I need non-food, specific products (pills, shakes, teas, etc.) in order to follow the plan?

If you answer “yes” to any of the above, chances are you are looking at a fad diet.

Stick to my top5 behaviors because these are 100% effective, sustainable for the rest of your life and 100% proven to work so that you can achieve your goals, improve your health and get the results you want!

And, if you want help learning what to do so you understand what to eat and how much for your goals, book a FREE intro session now with our team!