Why Diets Don’t Work

They don’t…and I’ve tried many of them. Through the years I’ve tried so many different things. I’ve tried The Grapefruit Diet, Atkins, Weight Watchers, Beach Body Cleanse and The Soup Diet. I’ve done the Ice Cream Diet. I am sure I am missing some, but you get the idea.

Okay, so the Ice Cream Diet wasn’t a real diet that I read about in a book or magazine. My friends and I designed it when we were in college. We were all gaining “ the freshman 15” and figured we were going to eat ice cream regardless so we just cut out everything else! At one point, I can’t remember for sure, we may have even added Otis Spunkmeyer raw cookie dough to the eating plan. Needless to say it was a bad idea and definitely didn’t work. 

How about the Atkins Diet?

When in my thirties I, as usual, wanted to lose about 10-15 pounds so I tried the Atkins Diet. I did the proper research, aka read the book, and then headed to the grocery store. I wanted to be sure I had all the necessary items in my pantry and fridge so I would be properly prepared. At the time I owned a My Gym Children’s Fitness Center and one day at work (after being carb free for several days) a couple of the girls that worked there said they were quitting if I didn’t eat a piece of bread.  I guess I wasn’t that enjoyable to be around. The Atkins bars that I bought upset my stomach and I ate a lot of eggs, cheese and pepperoni, and rarely any vegetables as I didn’t want the carbs. I remember I used to hide my face in the fridge and shoot whip cream straight into my mouth. One evening while yet again sneaking a shot of whip cream my 4 year old son came around the corner asking what that noise was. It wasn’t my finest moment. I laugh about it now but back then it was embarrassing and frustrating.

What about Weight Watchers?

I liked the idea of Weight Watchers and knew a few people that seemed to be successful doing it.  The meetings were helpful and the weekly weigh-ins kept me accountable. Plus I had to pay for it. I think at the time you had to count points which you recorded in a little book and it didn’t seem like too much work. I would always make sure to use the bathroom once I got there, before I stepped on the scale, as you knew your weight loss in ounces. There was always quite a line for those bathrooms. Eventually life got busy, I would miss a meeting or two, get tired of looking up how many points everything was and fall off the wagon. And like all the other attempts, the weight I lost would come back.

How did all the other diets work?

I found that I could lose some weight on all of them.  Sometimes it came off faster than others and the younger I was it was definitely easier to lose the weight. It never stayed off and usually I ended up gaining more back once I went back to eating “normal”.  Each time I dieted I was in a bad mood, felt horrible and just wasn’t happy. Always disappointed in myself for failing. Why couldn’t I do it?  Maybe it is just in my genes to be a little heavy?  I just couldn’t figure it out. 

Calories In vs Calories Out.

After failing at all of these, I decided to do what the “experts” told me to do, which was to count calories and concentrate on eating low fat foods. They said it was simply calories in vs calories out. Move more and eat less. I tried to log what I ate, I worked out a lot, doing TONS of cardio in order to burn more calories.  Measuring and weighing was a pain but apparently an important part of the process.  Do you measure pasta before or after it is cooked? How many ounces of meat equaled the palm of my hand? How many handfuls of pretzels were a serving size? So many rules and things to remember. I ate a lot of yogurt and cottage cheese, low fat of course. Once in a while I would bring a Lean Cuisine in for lunch that I could throw in the microwave (plastic tray and all), which I would chase down with a diet coke. If I was good all week I would lose a pound or two. I was always hungry.  I was always telling myself I could do it, but almost inevitably after a couple weeks I would give in to the candy bowl sitting in the faculty room at work.  Next thing I knew I had eaten two handfuls of M&Ms, which I am sure were way more calories than my two handfuls of pretzels or popcorn. I would be so disappointed in myself.  Why didn’t I have the willpower?  The cravings never went away. Eventually I would give into them, and the weight always came back, usually more than I lost. It didn’t work.

Why low calorie diets don’t work?

Fast forward a few years and I have finally figured it out.  Those diets, or ways of eating, aren’t sustainable.  They are about deprivation. You are always craving more. The Standard American Diet has done me no favors.  The food pyramid is all wrong. Vegetable and canola oil are not heart healthy. Grains are unnecessary. Fat and Cholesterol are not my enemy. Sugar, regardless of its form, is not my friend. Once I figured this out, losing the weight was so much easier.  

What to do instead of fad diets!

I eat real foods and avoid sugar and processed foods. I focus on high quality meats and fish, lots of vegetables and fruit, usually berries. It is simple. I am not a chef and to be honest I don’t really enjoy cooking, but I have learned it isn’t that hard nor does it take a lot of time. I have successfully lost 30 pounds and have kept it off for more than 5 years.  I feel great.  I move more. I have more energy, I sleep better and my joints don’t hurt like they did before.  It took me a while to figure out what works for me. I am a work in progress. It is definitely a journey. 

If I can do it, so can you and I would love to show you how!