WHY DIETS DON’T WORK

An estimated 45 million Americans begin a diet plan each year to lose weight, but many gain the weight back, sometimes more than when they started the diet. Popular fad diet programs help individuals lose weight, but why do people struggle to keep the weight off?

How to spot a fad diet

Fad diets are popular plans not based on long-term results, sustainability, or other regulated dietary recommendations. They usually don’t take into consideration health promotion and disease prevention. If the results sound too good to be true, they probably are.

Characteristics from fad diet plans:

• Fast unsustainable results

• Rapid weight loss

• Specific food combinations

• Rigid menus

• Restriction

• Cutting out whole food groups

The cycle of fad diets

Restricting food choices or cutting out whole food groups will decrease the total calories consumed. Therefore, you can expect to lose weight due to reduced calorie intake. Initially, your body will lose weight relatively quickly. After that, however, your body will adapt to the reduced calorie intake, removal of food groups, reduction in muscle mass, and initial diuretic effect. Your body adapts by decreasing metabolism to compensate for the reduced calories consumed.

Your body’s adaptation to the diet will decrease the initial effects of a diet, which is why a diet may have worked for you initially, but the effects of the diet may not continue over an extended period. When the diet stops producing results, is too restrictive, or becomes unsustainable, it is easy to abandon the diet, resume normal eating, and increase calorie intake—sometimes in excess due to the strict restrictions diets place on consumers. All of this causes a quick increase and rebound in weight, sometimes gaining back more than when you initially began the diet.

Sure, fad diets do work. You often will see desirable weight loss results. However, the long-term effects of fad diets are often not discussed. In the long term, fad diets may cause a decrease in metabolism, digestive issues, and a distorted relationship between food and body image. 

THE SOLUTION? CREATE BALANCE IN YOUR LIFE AND ON YOUR PLATE.

1. Consume balanced meals while allowing room for fun.

Focus on consuming fiber and protein at every meal, as both protein and fiber keep you full for longer. Fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are excellent sources of dietary fiber, which helps keep you full from fewer calories and has many digestive benefits. In addition, lean protein sources have less saturated fat and help regulate appetite and blood sugar. Lastly, anti-inflammatory fats help you feel satisfied after meals and are heart-protective.

How to create a balanced plate:

• Make ½ of your plate colorful from fruits/vegetables

• Make ¼ of your plate from whole grains

• Make ¼ of your plate from lean protein

• Sprinkle in 3-4 servings of anti-inflammatory fats throughout the day

• Incorporate your favorite fun foods daily

It is important to focus on what you can add to your plate, not what you need to take away from it. Having an abundance mindset with food can help you trust yourself with foods you may not feel in control around. In other words, normalize foods by intentionally incorporating them into your lifestyle. For example, do you feel out of control when around pizza? Start making pizza at home, add more fiber from vegetables and protein from lean meat, and pair it with a side salad. Or what about ice cream? Keep single-serving ice cream pops in your freezer to prioritize portion control. When these foods make regular appearances in your daily diet, it is less overwhelming when they are in social settings. 

2. Sustainable weight loss

A healthy rate of weight loss is half a pound to two pounds per week. This steady rate of weight loss helps you keep the weight off. However, if you lose more than two pounds per week, you may risk losing muscle mass, thus lowering your metabolism and making it challenging to achieve sustainable weight loss. 

3. Strength training

Prioritize strength, or resistance, training. Strength training with weights, like dumbbells or barbells, or resistance training with bodyweight exercises, like squats and pushups, can help an individual gain lean muscle mass, which will help increase metabolism by increasing the number of calories burned at rest. An added benefit of strength training is that it helps decrease bone loss and increase bone density—helping you prevent osteoporosis.

4. Low-intensity cardio

Prioritize low-intensity cardio over high-intensity cardio, as excessive amounts of high-intensity cardio can be perceived as stress to the body, which causes a spike in cortisol levels. A chronic increase in cortisol can negatively affect metabolism and weight loss, so focus on exercise, like walking, throughout the day. Set a daily step goal to challenge yourself. 

5. Work with a dietitian

Registered Dietitians are food and nutrition experts. Fad diets lack an individualized approach, but dietitians have a knowledge base backed by science to give you an individualized, structured plan for your goals and lifestyle. Be careful what information you consume on the Internet. All dietitians are nutritionists, but not all nutritionists are dietitians. Nutritionists can practice without having prior formal education or work experience. However, in order to become a dietitian, an individual must complete a bachelor’s degree in food/nutrition science, in some cases, obtain a master’s degree, complete a residency/internship with supervised practice, and pass a national board exam before being recognized as a dietitian.

Bottom Line

Fad diets aren’t inherently wrong, especially if they promote increased intake of foods that help prevent diseases or promote exercise, but they may not be suitable or sustainable for everyone. Talk with a dietitian to find the best-individualized, sustainable eating plan that suits you and your current lifestyle.