Top 4 Reasons Why Diets Fail

The statistics are scary. The average person gains 11 pounds for every diet they go on. Even worse, when they lose the weight, they lose fat and muscle and when they gain the weight back, they gain back all fat. If that’s not bad enough, since muscle burns seven times as many calories as fat, their metabolism is slower than it was before they started the diet requiring even less calories just to maintain their weight.

There are a couple of simple things that are key to losing weight and keeping it off. The first is to automatically reduce your appetite, not by starving yourself, but by fixing the out-of-whack hormones and brain chemistry that drive hunger and overeating.

The second is to automatically increase your metabolism so you burn more calories all day long. But how is that possible if yo-yo dieting has destroyed your body’s ability to burn?

Here are the four reasons most diets fail and how you can succeed.

Fail #1: You use willpower instead of science to control your appetite.

Unfortunately, if you go this route, less eating will most likely trigger more hunger.

How to succeed: Eat enough to satisfy your appetite, but only with real, whole, fresh food. Add more protein to your breakfast to keep you satisfied longer and compose your meals to balance blood sugar and insulin levels. Combine protein, fat and low glycemic, non-starchy carbs (think vegetables, fruits, beans) at each meal. Fat, protein and fiber all work to slow insulin spikes.

Fail #2: You focus on calories and use the mantra of calories in/calories out.

Science is quickly discovering that all calories are not created equal and any food that spikes insulin (sugar, flour and excess grain) drives the fuel in your blood from the food you just ate into your hungry fat cells causing your body to think it’s starving, which increases hunger and slows your metabolism

How to succeed: Focus on what foods your calories are coming from. Very low-glycemic foods should be the staples of your diet. Nuts, seeds, chicken, fish, grass fed meats and low-glycemic veggies are all great options.

Fail #3: You eat a low-fat diet.

In the 30 years that low fat has been the rage, Americans are fatter than ever with reports showing 70% of us are overweight.

How to succeed: Don’t fear the fat! It actually makes you feel full, speeds up your metabolism and helps you lose weight. Every meal should include good fats such as avocado, seeds, coconut butter, organic eggs, chicken, fish, etc.

Fail #4: You don’t have a plan.

Health is not something that happens to you, it’s something you have to plan for like a vacation or retirement. Most people fail because they don’t design a road map to health.

How to succeed: Create conditions for making it easy. Have the right foods in your house and schedule your weekly sweat sessions for the coming week just like you would any other appointment. Doing things with a buddy also makes them easier. Whether it’s your partner at home helping you with the healthy home cooked meals or your tribe at Bootique encouraging you to sign up for classes, things are always easier when you have a support system that shares your goals. Find what works for you and plan for it!