Why Diets Fail: The Reason You Should Never Diet Again
Posted: Wednesday, May 03, 2006
by Brad Hutchinson
Beyond Kung Fu
The Weight Loss Secret You Haven’t Been Told and Why You Should Never Diet Again
Statistically, 90-95% of people who lose weight by dieting gain most of the weight back, or more, within 3-5 years. Dieting is such a large industry because of repeat customers.
Let’s have a look at some popular diets and reasons they don't work. Then we will explore the real reason diets fail and how to never become a repeat customer of its booming industry.
1: Reduced Calorie Intake Diet: This is a diet that restricts your caloric intake. Seems to make sense, less calories less fat. Logically, the more we restrict our caloric intake the faster we will lose weight. The problem? People gain weight over the course of years and want to lose it in months.
Dieting irresponsibly in this manner can slow your metabolism and create a starvation effect on your body. Then the body will store, not burn, the few calories it gets out of self-preservation. Drastically reducing calories can slow your metabolism and hinder the weight loss process. But this is not the primary problem of why diets fail.
2: Diets Are Too Expensive: Yes and no. Yes the food can be more expensive than your local fast-food joint down the road, but you can substitute expense with time. It is not that much more expensive, in fact it can be cheaper, if you buy raw vegetables and create you own delicious meals. But that is subject for another article. It may be a good excuse but it is not a primary reason why diets fail.
3: Diets Are Temporary: Yes, they tend to be. We set a goal and when we achieve that goal we often go back to old habits and quickly gain back the weight. …An excuse and not the reason diets fail.
4: Diets Require too Much Change in Eating Habits to Work: Maybe, but that is only another excuse of why to give up. Still, not the reason diets fail.
The Primary Reason Diets Fail
Diets fail because we approach them from the negative. What ever we focus on, good or bad, has a strange way of manifesting in our lives.
Realize first that thoughts have a way of becoming reality. We can have whatever we think we can have. The reason for our lives and its benefits, or hardships, is the result of our thoughts. That can be a tough pill to swallow. Sometimes it can be difficult look at out lives and realize that it is not as good as it should be. And take responsibility…
Again, unwanted fat on our bodies does not accumulate over night. It was a slow process that took years. The fact that many people want to lose it overnight is unrealistic and unhealthy. The goal of losing weight and maintaining a healthy body does not start and end with dieting. It starts and stays with creating a healthy self-image.
Unfortunately, our desire to lose weight quickly is preyed upon by “lose-weight-fast" schemes that often do more to put undue pressure on our hearts and internal organs than help us become “healthy, slim, and sexy". Without proper nutrition we can become more susceptible to viruses and prone to depression.
The real problem stems from our self images that have been shaped by the media. Yes we can blame GQ type magazines that decorate young girls who have not fully developed into 30 year old looking goddesses of 90 to 110 pounds. …Or men that spend 10 hours a day at the gym pumping iron. Not many of us have time for that.
Most of our bodies will never look like theirs. Not for lack of effort, or beauty, but because we may have different body types and different goals.
More to the core of the problem is that our internal dialogue can be negative, sometimes downright reproachful, “I’m fat. I’m ugly. I need clothes that cover my fat body, what a loser I am, who could ever love a fat slob like me…?"
This is the chicken and egg scenario. Our negative self-talk may come before the extra, unwanted pounds. That is, our self-image starts off negative. Or the self-reproach can come after we realize we have gained weight. Regardless, this is where the work begins when wanting to lose weight.
Our internal dialogue goes on at over 500 words per minute and becomes the impetus to losing weight. Finally, we are going to do something about this fat! But where thought goes energy flows. If our thoughts are on fat we will manifest more fat in our lives.
The primary reason diets fail is we don’t change the internal dialogue. Even when we lose weight the negative self-images can persist. We then gain the weight back and are quick to jump on the next diet fad all the while criticising ourselves. We will never, ever, keep weight off by negative reinforcement.
Start with the Internal Dialogue
When we come from a position of abundance we can be far more successful in our mission to gain a healthy body and look great. We need to be thankful for our position in life if we expect it to get better.
Things to be thankful for:
1: There is a growing database of free information on the internet valuable tools, to help you become healthier, live longer, and feel great.
2: Healthier food is more readily available in most grocery stores. Competition is driving prices down. And with your new found energy, lively spirit, and confident demeanour you will command more pay in the marketplace which will offset the slight margin of expense to eat healthy.
Putting more expensive, healthier foods into your body is not a waist of money. It is a good step toward valuing and respecting your body, which naturally brings about a stronger sense of self-esteem, which naturally brings about positive self-talk, which naturally brings about better health, and upward we spiral to a better, happier life.
3: Exercise programs to suit your unique physique are also readily available. Again fierce competition in this market is having a lowering effect on price. But, again, don’t undervalue yourself here. Pay somebody to teach you how to exercise properly. Dieting is not your problem if you don’t value yourself enough to shell out a few bucks for an exercise regime. Research and find somebody that suits you.
4: The Shear Enjoyment of Cooking: It can be fun to make new meals. It brings out creativity and can be a great way to spend family time, enjoy an intimate evening with that special someone, and it draws your attention away the stress of the day. There is nothing more rewarding than a tasty, healthy meal that you made yourself.
In Closing:
Diet is a four letter word that has a negative connotation. It automatically sets off negative self-talk which brings about a negative self-image. That adds to the booming weight-loss industry from repeat customers. It is better to set-out a healthy life-style and live it, enjoy it.
Proper eating habits and exercise are required for sustained weight loss. But first a positive outlook is important to that end. Seeing yourself as fat will not help you lose weight and keep it off. Seeing yourself as a masterpiece in the making is better. It is healthy to want to look better. It is not healthy to think of yourself as fat, ugly, unlovable regardless of your weight.
Imagine each trip to the gym or walk along the boardwalk as the sculpture’s chisel toning and removing the unnecessary material around your most perfect form. And note: We are all different, thankfully, and have different body types. Likely you will never look like that person on the cover of a magazine. Admire them for their uniqueness, their beauty Admire yourself for the same reasons.
Through regular exercise, positive self-talk or meditation, and proper eating habits allow your natural beauty to surface. Physically, mentally, and spiritually you will become an attractive vibrant person that never has to diet again.
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