Why 95% of Diets Fail (and 6 Ways to be in the 5%)
Would you like to achieve amazing weight loss results while outsmarting your body and still eating what you want? Learn how now in today’s Functional Fitness blog.
How many times have you gone on a diet, only to give up because of hunger and frustration before your goals were met? Chances are, you've done this a few times and you've known others who had similar experiences.
That's because when you diet, you set yourself up for failure.
95% of diets simply do not work. Let's take a look at the reasons why, and then learn how to attain that most coveted goal of all dieters: long term weight loss that leaves you healthier and happier.
First, the reasons why most diets fail:
Reason 1: Diets are Temporary.
A diet is a temporary solution to a long-term problem. Dieters often find themselves thinking in the short-term. "If I can just get to my goal weight," they tell themselves, "I'll be able to eat my favorite foods again!"
That's exactly the thought process that leads to failure, because returning to old habits leads to regained pounds. If you want lasting weight loss, stop dieting and make some permanent lifestyle changes you can comfortably live with.
Reason 2: Diet is Only One Half of the Weight Loss Equation.
Trying to lose weight through diet alone is like trying to swim using only one arm. Can it be done? Yes, if your 20 something and don’t have any metabolism issues.
Exercise should be a part of your healthy weight loss plan. Without it, you'll experience a very slow weight loss, or you'll have to cut so many calories that you'll
end up feeling hungry and deprived. Don't do that to yourself. Exercise doesn’t have to consist of insane moves to be effective for weight loss. As a producer of Functional Fitness with Suzanne Andrews on PBS TV, I get to hear lots of feedback from viewers like Julie, a 53 year old lady who emailed me and said, “I started doing your show and at first I thought, the exercises were too slow for me and not fast enough to lose weight but somewhere along the line, something amazing happened. My clothes got too big, my blood pressure got better and my doctor (who insisted on I do your workouts)took me off my blood pressure medicine!” That’s because all of Suzanne Andrews Functional Fitness programs are medically designed with years of proven results and research in every workout.
While you won’t find our workouts free on You Tube because all the doctors, physical therapists and occupational therapists who’ve contributed to each workout are highly regarded experts in their field. On the other hand, at only 19.99 a DVD, we make each Functional Fitness program very affordable as you don’t pay the $280.00 plus fee or ($400.00 plus a month co-pay once your deductible is met) that these experts charge for a session with them. The savings in medical bills, pills and sick days far out weigh the cost of your healthy functional lifestyle!
Reason 3: Diets are not Satisfying
Some diets require you to eat low-calorie foods that contain very little fat. Others require you to eat very small quantities of food. Others encourage you to eat plenty of protein but drastically cut your carbohydrate consumption.
None of these diets will satisfy you for very long. The healthiest and happiest eating plans are those that contain a mixture of lean protein, heart-healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates.
Add plenty of fiber and water, and your body will be more satisfied with the fuel you put in it.
Reason 4: Diets Can be Expensive.
Healthy food typically costs more than junk food, but special diet foods can really strain your food budget!
The expense of special bars, shakes, and supplements is pretty appalling, not to mention unnecessary. Diet plans that require you to buy pre-packaged meals are the most expensive of all, and they often contain additives that can sabotage your weight loss.
Don't waste your money on special foods. Get your nutrition through whole, natural foods that you can cook for yourself. Your budget - and your waistline - will be thinner as a result.
Suzanne Andrews Functional Fitness Tip: Cook a bunch of foods at once and put it in correct size portions. Freeze what won’t be eaten in 3 Days. You’ve just saved your stomach, your waistline and your budget with preservative free natural foods.
Reason 5: Diets don't Easily Fit into Your Lifestyle.
Have you ever watched your friends and family eat normally while you had to settle for a liquid or prepackaged meal? Do you spend an inordinate amount of time trimming, weighing, and measuring your food while everyone else digs in?
It's hard to feel like one of the crowd when you're following an inconvenient diet. That's another reason why so many dieters give up in despair and frustration.
Your lifestyle is an important consideration. Don't choose an eating plan that requires a radical departure from the norm.
Reason 6: Too Much Dieting Can Cause Weight Gain.
When you go on a diet, your body reacts by squeezing every bit of nourishment from the foods you do eat. After the diet ends, your body still processes food with
increased efficiency, causing you to pack on the pounds even though you're eating "normally".
This is a survival mechanism that helped our ancestors survive times of famine. Diets are the new famine, and they can actually leave you weighing more than you did before the diet!
How to Succeed
For weight loss to be safe and permanent, it needs to come as the result of a lifestyle change. Find a healthy eating plan you can stick with for the rest of your life. Add exercise 5-6 days a week that doesn’t make you feel like you got hit by a truck or that you have to keep up with a 20 year old. You’ll stick to an exercise plan and won’t injure yourself (which could really set you back). 5- 6 days of working out is best because consistency is key.
With those bases covered, you're free to live your life without constantly worrying about your diet. The weight you lose will stay gone, and you will enjoy greater health and happiness.
You can achieve amazing weight loss results by outsmarting your body with a sensible eating plan and following the program millions of women and men over 40 follow on PBS TV with Suzanne Andrews Functional Fitness.
Get started today and be on your way to a happy healthy you. See results in 30 Days!
Suzanne Andrews founded Functional Fitness in 2008, the most popular fitness series for boomers and seniors broadcasting on over 159 Public Television stations throughout the US and Canada. Read Suzanne’s inspiring comeback story of how she survived a near fatal accident, From Deaths Door to Producing a National Fitness Series. Feel free to send Suzanne a message here.