I’ve tried more diets than I can even remember, so as you’re reading this article, remember that I’ve been there, too.
I’ve been the girl that lost and regained the same 15-20 pounds over and over again.
I’ve been the girl who jumped from diet to diet hoping that the next one would be IT!
I’ve been the girl who promised I wasn’t gonna diet again, then would turn around and jump on another diet on Monday.
And there’s a reason why we do that stuff. Diets give us built-in control mechanisms. Control mechanisms, like a points system, a certain calorie bracket or pre-determined portion control containers and a food lists that tell us what we are allowed and not allowed to eat.
These control mechanisms are exactly what we think we need to be successful and they’re exactly how we get sucked in! Diets make fat loss look so freakin’ easy. All we have to do is follow the plan, and we’ll get the results. And sure, that can certainly be true, if we follow any diet which cuts our calories or cuts out food groups, naturally we’ll lose weight.
The problem is, most people that come to me for coaching come to me because they can’t keep the weight off. They can lose it when counting points or cutting out carbs, but the second they get tired of tracking or having to say NO to bread, the weight creeps right back on.
And there’s a reason for that, too.
It’s the reason why, even though we’re on a diet, weekends feel so hard to stay on track.
It’s the reason why, even though we’re on a diet, we suddenly feel that magnetic pull to the popcorn.
It’s the reason why, even though we’re on a diet, we can’t stay away from the food table at a party and leave feeling stuffed.
It’s because every popular diet out there has some element of restriction.
Think about it…
- In Weight Watchers we only get a certain number of points
- 21 Day Fix has an approved food list where pizza, chips, popcorn, wine, etc is nowhere to be seen, plus a calorie bracket to stick to and set portion sized for each food group
- Keto cuts most carbs- even fruit!
Think about how many times you or your friend has done Weight Watchers. Maybe four, five, six times? They can get that initial drop, but eventually get tired of tracking and counting and thinking about every single thing they eat and if it’s too many points or not.
That’s also why people do so many rounds of the 21 day fix- because they can get the inital drop, but when it comes down to it, it doesn’t actually fix anything.
Yet we keep going back, time and time again because we don’t trust ourselves anymore if we don’t have that point system or forbidden foods list to keep us in line.
Whenever someone tells me “No but it really does work!” my question is- if it really worked, would you still be struggling or doing another round of the same diet…again?”
Of course not! You’d be good to go after a round or two, learn the lifestyle and be good to go.
The major problem I have with diets is that we think there’s something wrong with US when a diet doesn’t work longer than a few weeks or months.
But the reason why people keep falling on and off the wagon or why they keep trying diet after diet is because they’re not approaching weight loss as a lifestyle change. They don’t think about if or how a diet will fit in with their lifestyle or not. They don’t think about the bigger picture. It’s just about what will get them results…fast.
Ultimately dieting is like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. Because dieting is so rigid, we don’t learn how to make it fit for US, and don’t allow ourselves the flexibility needed to make it work for the long term.
So if you’re thinking of going back on the same old program again, or are considering cutting out entire food groups to lose weight, I want you to try something different first- and yes, you can still get pretty amazing results right off the bat!
If you’re ready to put the dieting behaind and start getting your mind right around food and your body, I am opening up applications for my 1:1 coaching program Fresh, Fit & Fearless!
In this program, I teach you how to live a healthy lifestyle with ease. No ridigity, no hardcore meal plans, I meet you where you’re at, and we make small tweaks as we go, because remember- if the ridged stuff worked, you wouldn’t STILL have this weight loss goal. It would be a thing of the past and you’d have moved on by now.
CLICK HERE to get all the info on Fresh, Fit & Fearless and apply for a spot TODAY to see if you’re a good fit for the program and if the program is a good fit for you!