Why Popular Diets Don't Work?

Currently, there is a huge weight management industry out there with hundreds of popular diets and products for losing weight. Although strict adherence to the dietary guidelines (which is extremely difficult) can help us get rid of the fat quickly, these results do not last long.

It seems that loosing weight is a non-so-linear pathway. We need to change our thinking or life can be even harder.

But we don't want to see our dreams and plans end up in failure, so we keep on pursuing them fixedly.

One possible reason why we fail at loosing weight (permanently) might be our inherent, natural aversion to being constrained or forced to do something over prolonged period of time. This is particularly the case with self-imposed food restrictions.

We might also be genetically predisposed, or hormonally driven, to accumulate fat, especially if middle-aged. It indicates that human body, through its complex physiological mechanisms, has the tendency to resist changes such as rapid and permanent weight loss.

Early preferences and eating behaviours during our childhood largely affect our habits later in life, warn psychologists. Pushing kids to “finish their plate”, or forcing them to eat large portions of food, will certainly backfire one day causing obesity, they say.

And there is a range of other possibilities out there, because everything in nature arose for a reason. However, real reasons behind weight gain and obesity commonly remain unknown.

But sometimes we just need to look at the correlation between events, to focus on the tie that connects them in order to redirect certain compulsive behaviours.

Stepping back

There are several things we could do before even considering dieting. Firstly, we need a well-structured strategy. This practically means that we need to plan and schedule our meals well ahead. Outsmarting the brain when it craves food can be extremely difficult at times, you can count on that.

Furthermore, we need to change our attitude toward nutrition and health in general.

There is no magic wand to fix things over night. Long-term weight loss is actually achievable for people who, in spite of early disappointments, never give up.

In the process of mental preparation for dieting we also need to rethink our motivation and commitment to long-term goals.

Is it the right thing for the right reasons?

Do we have appropriate coping skills?

What about crisis and back up planning?

Since we know that overeating, like other compulsive needs, is a coping mechanism, we need to be aware of the problems we have in the first place.

The understanding of what we are feeling and thinking and what triggers impulsivity and anger can help us regulate and adjust our own behavior and channel the emotions in a more constructive way.

No Diet Fits Us All

Because each human being is unique, and has got their own attitudes, beliefs, needs and preferences, an effective weight loss program must be tailored to meet those specific needs. There is no diet to be widely and safely prescribed to everyone.

Therefore, a dietary regimen of caloric restrictions and physical activity should be personalized and based on an individual’s health status. Particularly if the obesity is being associated with certain health conditions such as hypertension or diabetes, or hormonal flux/imbalance. Health check-ups, at least simple blood tests, must be performed regularly.

Moreover, intensive informative research into the subject will help you look at the problem from wider perspective and stay focused to prevent binge eating relapses. Also, support groups that connect people experiencing similar situation can assist you with emotional difficulties.

To maximize our efforts and stay focused, and smile contently one day when it’s all over, we need to make realistic plans and learn to be patient.

More precisely, we are talking here of lifelong developments of specific behaviours if we want our results to last: it is high time we stop chasing serotonin, the good old happiness hormone.

Finally, nothing's wrong with Atkins, Blood type diet, Paleo, and similar diets; this isn’t just about something out there, but hugely about our own capacity and willingness to learn and change throughout the life.

Look forward to it!

L