Why Dieting Doesn’t Work (and What You Should Do Instead)

Roughly 65 percent of dieters regain 100% of their lost weight within three years, according to Gary Foster, Ph.D. (clinical director of the Weight and Eating Disorders Program at the University of Pennsylvania). Diets aren’t new, of course, and they’ll likely never go away. There’s plenty to choose from, too: the Atkins Diet, the Paleo Diet, the Zone Diet, the Keto Diet, Weight Watchers, South Beach, the list goes on and on. The differences between these diet types are immeasurable, but they all have one thing in common: they require the dieter to put their own intuition in the back seat. If following one of these diets correctly, you must let go of your hunger cues and stop listening to what your body is trying to tell you. Instead, you’re obligated to stick to the strict set of rules that probably promise to “not be strict”. That doesn’t sound very instinctive, does it?

Although these strategies may be well intentioned, nourishing our bodies is not something that is supposed to be overly calculated or meticulous. Each of us have a very unique genetic makeup, which means we also have a unique need for certain nutrients (including what amount, when we eat, etc.). A fad diet that is being marketed towards millions of people certainly doesn’t know your individual body and what it needs to be at it’s healthiest.  

In case you didn’t already guess by the first two paragraphs of this post, I am completely and utterly against dieting for weight loss. I fully understand and respect that there are certain diets that individuals need or choose to stick to for health reasons (ie. gluten free, vegan, etc.). Those aren’t the types of diets I’m talking about here. What I’m referring to are crash diets that promise quick weight loss or other drastic physical results.

45 million Americans will attempt a diet this year, so I in no way mean to offend anyone who has dieted in the past. Actually, I applaud and admire your efforts to better your health if weight loss is something necessary for you. However, in my experience as a professional, it’s a rare case when someone sustains long term success after extreme dieting and, as a dietitian, I feel it is my duty to clear the air on this. So then, why don’t they work? Why aren’t they effective in the long term? And, what do I suggest you do instead?

Crash Diets Simply Don’t Provide Enough Food

The only way (I repeat: the only way) to lose fat is through calorie deficit. It doesn’t matter if it’s done by cutting out carbohydrates, only eating at certain times of the day, drinking nothing but juice for 7 days, etc. Any diet that results in weight loss is a result of you expending more calories than you are consuming. That’s it. Nothing fancy about it.

As mentioned above, fad diets rarely take your personal weight loss goals into account and really only focus on delivering the promised “quick results”. This is done by limiting its users to a very low number of calories per day, without taking the individual’s needs into account. They aren’t concerned with your physical makeup, unique nutrient requirements, your physical activity level, metabolic rate, reason for weight loss, your goals, etc. The end concern for fad diets is typically not your overall health, but rather the number on the scale for a brief moment in time. Yes, I said brief. The main issue with these diets is that they are not sustainable. In order to obtain these fast and drastic results, the dieter is restricted to unrealistic measures. So unless you plan on following this regimen for the rest of your life, you will eventually gain a reasonable amount of weight back after you begin reintroducing more food (which, I mean, who wants to only drink green juice for the rest of their life?).  

When we jump full force into crash dieting, our bodies assume we are in trouble and go into “survival mode”. Because our bodies are so smart, they assume there is a shortage of food when we drastically and suddenly decrease our food intake. As a result, our bodies slow down our metabolism in order to hold on to more fat. In a real life survival situation this would be great (thanks, body!), but it’s less ideal when making weight loss efforts. My point in explaining this biological process is to highlight why and how it’s so easy to put weight back on after losing it fast (The key word here is fast. Gradual weight loss as a result of sustainable lifestyle change is a completely different story).

What’s this “gradual” and “sustained” weight loss I speak of? I’m talking about making overall lifestyle changes in order to become healthier as a whole. It doesn’t involve dieting, rules, or restriction. It’s enjoying your favorite foods in moderation, eating a variety of fresh and whole foods, exercising regularly, getting enough sleep, and staying hydrated. This plan doesn’t require you to cut out your favorite food groups. It doesn’t cause you to feel like you’re missing out at parties. It allows you to fully enjoy your life, which for most of us, food is a big part of. The popular name for this strategy is called “intuitive eating”, which I could (and will) write an entirely separate blog post on.

Studies have shown that gradual weight loss of 1-2 pounds per week is more likely to be sustained long term in comparison to drastic and sudden weight loss. This is most commonly due to the fact that the lifestyle choices I described above are life-long strategies for the healthiest you. You can consistently make these choices without feeling deprived. Extreme food restrictions are short lived, have no longevity, and usually end with the dieter over indulging later on, after the diet period has ended. Nicole Avena, Ph.D., a researcher from Princeton, has proven this biological response in a study. Rats who were deprived of food for 12 hours, and then given sucrose added to their next regular meal, showed signs of bingeing.

The “Forbidden Fruit” Mentality

Have you ever noticed how children always seem to want what they know they cannot have? Well, the same goes for adults who are dieting. When we deprive ourselves of our favorite foods and are told they are off limits, we become hyper aware of them. We crave them even more. These foods somehow seem more rewarding and appetizing than they ever did in the past. Cravings are a normal human behavior, but the questions here is, how long can we put them off before we break and binge? Eventually, and usually with a vengeance, we will satisfy these cravings…it’s human nature. It doesn’t mean you’re weak and it certainly isn’t something to be ashamed of. But, it does mean that long term restriction probably isn’t the best solution for weight loss. For this reason, I’m constantly reminding my patients to enjoy their favorite foods in moderation. They often find that after allowing themselves the occasional piece of chocolate or slice of pizza, intense cravings for these foods (and the urge to consume them in large quantities) often subside.

The Need For Perfection In Order To Succeed 

It’s common that dieters feel as though they have completely failed when they eat something not on their diet plan. Self-berating thoughts soon kick in, and the cycle begins. These negative feelings often lead to what I call the “f*uck it” attitude, which can sometimes result in an all out binge episode. The logic is “I’ve already messed up, I might has well just eat whatever I want now”. Sound familiar? It does to me… I had this mentality before finding my current relationship with food.

This behavior, if performed frequently enough, is commonly associated with binge eating patterns. I’m not suggesting that fad diets cause eating disorders, but they certainly don’t set an individual up for a healthy relationship with food. 

Guilt truly doesn’t serve much of a purpose, and can cause you to spiral downward quickly. Guilt seems to be a huge player in restrictive diets. Without much wiggle room, it’s inevitable that it’s participants will eventually experience it. This feeling can drag you into the pits, causing you to believe that change isn’t possible for you, that you’ll never succeed. Rather than give you a pep talk, I’m going to suggest that you accept the fact that you will mess up from time to time. And that’s okay. Think of your weight loss journey as a diagonal line making it’s way upward. When we “mess up”, we don’t make a U-turn and bee line it back to the starting point. Instead, the line takes a slight (and temporary) dip. After you’ve given yourself grace and have hopped back up on the saddle, it shoots right back up and progress begins again. 

But to drive my point home yet again (and to defy almost every fad diet out there), it is absolutely key to “mess up” and eat the cake every now and again. By occasionally treating yourself and enjoying the food you truly desire, you will see overall upward progress. Even the occasional binge, although not necessarily recommended, will certainly not set you back to square one. My best advice here is to take these mis-steps and use them as learning experiences. What worked? What didn’t work? What caused you to over-indulge? What can you do next time to keep from doing that again? 

The Solution

Finding and forming a healthy relationship with food isn’t something that develops overnight. It took me years to finally enjoy food without worrying about either over indulging or over restricting. For a long time, it seemed I was constantly doing one or the other. It wasn’t until a few years ago that I truly found balance. It took many years of trial and error. I would take mental note of how I felt after eating certain foods. I found that when I honestly listened to my body and responded accordingly (for example, giving in to a little chocolate fix after lunch), I actually felt fulfilled in a way I never had before.

I no longer feel “naughty” for enjoying the chips and dip at a party. I find myself craving healthy foods now, too (I used to only crave sugar and fat, because I never allowed myself to have it). Food has taken a back seat in my life, and I’m now focusing on how the energy it provides allows me to enjoy things like social gatherings, my daily run, walks with my husband, or hey, even lazy movie nights on the couch.

If you’re ready to find balance and rid yourself of food worry, but aren’t sure how to take those first steps, I (or most other dietitians) would love to be that partner for you. Your goal is worth the journey. There’s light at the end of the tunnel if you just keep pushing. 

If you’re interested in finding food freedom and ditching diet culture forever, check out my 10-week, self-paced, online intuitive eating course by clicking here.