If you’ve found yourself trapped in the cycle of trying every diet available, it’s probably not surprising that most of them don’t work for you. Although many diets cause an initial rapid weight loss, they are not designed for long-term living. So, why don’t these diets work? Let’s take a closer look at a few of them…
Diets That Cause Rapid Weight Loss
If you lose weight quickly at the start of a diet, it’s likely due to water and carbohydrate loss — not fat loss! This happens because your body uses stored carbohydrates, along with the water that’s stored with them, to make up for the calories you’re not consuming. Once you return to eating normally, your body will restore the carbohydrate and water stores, and your weight will increase again.
Diets That Severely Restrict Your Energy Intake
Your metabolism relies on a steady stream of energy to function effectively. Our source of energy comes from food, and we need to consume enough to carry out daily activities. Diets that severely restrict calorie intake can lead to many problems, including tiredness, fatigue, lethargy, grumpiness, and hunger. In fact, your body may even hold on to its fat stores if you don’t feed it enough. Restricting intake also reduces the amount of nutrients you can consume. These types of diets are unsustainable in the long term and can lower both physical and mental performance.
Diets That Restrict You to One Type of Food
If a diet restricts you to eating only one type of food, it’s bound to fail. Not only does this limit your enjoyment of eating due to lack of variety, but it also restricts the nutrients your body gets. A low intake of essential nutrients over time can lead to deficiencies. Eating only one type of food may also test your willpower, and it’s unlikely you’ll be able to stick with it long-term. Additionally, it’s not conducive to an enjoyable social life, as dining out becomes difficult — you’ll find it nearly impossible to stick to your diet when you’re eating at restaurants.
Diets That Restrict Meal and Snack Times
Some diets restrict when you can eat. While it’s important to regulate your intake, restricting entire meals or snacks won’t help you lose weight in the long term. A prime example is the “no carbs after 7 p.m.” diet. Proponents of this diet claim that you should never eat carbohydrates (like fruits, vegetables, grains, and cereals) after 7 p.m. This is not true. While it’s best not to go to bed on a full stomach, you can still eat after 7 p.m. In fact, for individuals who exercise in the morning, this meal is especially important to help replenish muscles and the liver with glycogen (stored carbohydrates) overnight. The body needs energy throughout the day, so restricting when you eat is not a sustainable solution.
Diets That Restrict Food Groups
While some people must avoid certain food groups (e.g., those with lactose intolerance who can’t consume dairy), cutting out entire food groups can be dangerous. Each food group provides unique nutrients, often in larger amounts than other groups. For example, cutting out dairy means missing out on important sources of calcium and vitamin D. If you cut out fruit, you’ll lose out on vitamin C, fiber, and antioxidants. The body needs a variety of foods from each group to ensure it gets the nutrients required to function. Without these, you could become deficient in essential vitamins and minerals.
Restricting protein can also leave you feeling hungrier, as research shows that protein helps you feel fuller for longer.
Diets don’t work because they’re unrealistic. They don’t allow for occasional indulgence and are often not sustainable in the long term. If you’re looking to lose weight, focus on making small, manageable changes that you can continue doing long-term. For example, you might be better off reducing your portion size at dinner than skipping an entire meal or food group. Or, you could swap white bread for whole grain. Making changes that you can sustain for life will lead to long-term health and a healthy weight. You’ll also enjoy the social aspect of eating much more!
