Why Diets Fail
Put your hand up if you’ve attempted a fad diet before.
Don’t worry; there’s no shame in this as fad diets are so popular in Hong Kong and Singapore.
You may have tried keto, low-carb, intermittent fasting etc. and experienced some ‘success’. However, you may have then regained all or most of the weight back.
Sound familiar?
Devastated by your lack of progress, you may have heard of the myth that 95% of diets fail, in which most people who diet end up regaining all the weight within a few years.
While the 95% figure is a myth, there is research suggesting significant weight regain following weight loss. Anecdotally, you may have also observed that many people (maybe including you) end up regaining weight after following a fad diet (e.g. keto, low-carb, food elimination, fasting etc.).
Don’t worry, all hope is not lost!
Some studies show 65% of participants maintaining >5% weight loss and 39% maintaining 10% after eight years (1)!
The question is: what made these participants successful?
What we know is that those who successfully maintain weight share certain characteristics (2), such as:
Higher activity levels
Less dietary restraint (i.e. not restricting/eliminating foods)
Higher self-efficacy and self-motivation
The weight loss interventions they engaged in also shared common characteristics, such as:
Incorporation of behavioural change techniques
Incorporation of problem-solving techniques
In-person support
More intensive support from a professional
Support over a longer period of time
Why Fad Diets Fail
Through research on weight maintainers, we can see clues as to why fad diets often fail.
Fad diets are often restrictive. For example, diets such as keto and low-carb often involve eliminating certain carbohydrate-containing foods such as grains, which is unhelpful for weight maintenance.
There is often little to no nutrition education. People implement fad diets by blindly following diet rules rather than understanding food choices, energy balance and how to incorporate flexibility. This means they can’t respond to unexpected circumstances (e.g. high stress, change of plan) with their nutritional knowledge.
There is no coaching on the importance of physical activity. While weight loss is certainly possible in the absence of exercise, movement is important for weight maintenance and health. This is why we support clients in building habits to maintain a certain level of daily movement, whether it be going for a brisk walk, getting off the bus earlier or going to the gym.
Fad diets focus on the short-term. You may be able to stick to a super-strict diet for two or three months, but this means nothing if you can’t be consistent with it for the coming years and be able to adjust your approach based on changes to your life. This is why problem-solving and education are so important if you want to lose weight in the long term.
Fad diets set unrealistic expectations. Unrealistic expectations mean you are very likely to ‘fail’ in reaching your goals within your set time frame. This reduces your sense of self-efficacy and motivation, which, as we now know, seems important for weight maintenance. Being realistic with how much weight you can lose and/or how much muscle you can gain from the get-go is crucial for a sustainable and enjoyable journey towards your goals.
Take-home message
So, what can you do if you’ve tried several diets and failed?
My number one advice would be to seek support from a qualified nutritionist or dietitian if possible.
It may seem like “it’s just food”, but there is often much more going on psychologically and behaviourally stopping you from reaching your goals. A nutritionist or dietitian can help you define your goals, educate you and problem solve when barriers arise.
If you would like to get help from our team, book a call with us using the links below.
