What are the 2 main reasons why your weight loss diets fail?

Set yourself up for weight loss success at all times.

Weight loss requires much determination, stamina and self discipline to stick with and commitment. It’s essential to activate these characteristics, because losing weight is not a walk in the park for most people. It takes time, effort and can sometimes leave you very disheartened. These are the moments that some of us quit or proclaim it’s too hard.

Not all weight loss journeys are terribly difficult to stick to, but over time with many clients, I’ve heard many stores of reasons why some diets did not produce necessary results, and left the client in a place of uncertainty, therefore setting them up to fail. I will touch on 2 reasons, although there are multitudes of situations I can refer to.

2 main reasons why diets fail in the long run.

1. Restricting calories long term, is not sustainable & not fun at all!
   The problem with calorie restricted diets, is they leave you feeling depleted and lacking energy. You begin to lose muscle mass, as it will become your main source of calories during active gym sessions. When muscle diminishes, your metabolism plummets, and you will either do even more activity or eat less in order to lose more body fat. This is what can spiral out of control in one way or another.

   What can happen is you are dissatisfied with the way you feel, and the minimal food you are eating daily. We all need a certain amount of calories in order to function optimally. Over time, this can really increase or rate of hunger, making us a lot more susceptible to weight gain, even when we eat minimal amounts.

   There will come a time when you begin eating more again, and because your body has become accustomed to surviving on less, the excess is converted to body fat. You were basically in starvation mode, and the consumption of food sends the body into “store more” just in case the famine happens again.

   This is when you start to put on body fat, and perhaps even more so than what you were in the beginning. Of course, this can be extremely frustrating considering the hard work that was involved along this journey. It’s not fun and it’s absolutely not fair.

   This is what calorie restricted diets can and will do to you and your body. I know you are shaking your head in agreement. I’ve been there and done this myself, and it’s taken years to get back on track, after many attempts. Unfortunately, we don’t know the consequences until it actually happens to is.

2. Lack of clear and focused goals on what you want to achieve, that’s realistic and manageable within your lifestyle
   This is a huge one, as most people want to rush through a diet and exercise program, only to find that it’s not happening in the same day, or the same week! Hold up here, as we need to go through the basics of weight loss.

   Weight loss happens over time, due to a deficit in calories consumed. This is the accumulation phase. It’s the result of some hard work and focus over time. This includes activity, what you eat and when you eat it. It’s being mindful of when you are hungry, and staying on course to achieving your goal.

   No one really knows how long weight loss takes for each and every person. This is based on many factors, and we can never be sure. But one thing is certain, it takes time, and it will take as long as your body requires it to be. Reducing calories or increasing activity, may help you in the short term, but in the long run, it’s pointless.

   When we set the intention for weight loss, we must decide exactly how much weight we want to lose, or body fat for that matter, and then break it all down into manageable goals. This could be:
   – Food prep day and recipe research
   – Exercise planning and scheduling
   – Seeking the help of a trainer, nutritionist or your doctor
   – Making the time to schedule in your allocated workouts
   – Deciding what will be your incidental activity
   – Solutions to setbacks that are your weak points

   It’s very important to really thing through all the obstacles that can occur, how you can overcome them, as well as what you will be eating and how to plan your recipe and shopping list. These things, no matter how tedious, will really get you the results you want.

   Setting all of this in motion, according to your lifestyle, is very important. What I mean about this is, if you are travelling for work regularly, have you looked for a gym close by or some supermarkets where you can purchase your food and cook it appropriately? If you are going to a function for work, have you made plans with the host to have salad and protein served as your meal? These factors are crucial for your success.

With any weight loss plans, the key to your success is setting yourself up for it, by making the diligent choices on a daily basis, and sticking to your plan, no matter what life may bring you.

Facebook: Ange Dim
Instagram: Ange Dim (@angedim10) • Instagram photos and videos