It is estimated that the success rate of dieting is between 2%-5%.  I know that may seem like a morale crushing statistic but all is not lost!  It makes sense that if you know WHY most diets fail then you know HOW to avoid the pitfalls and can increase your chances of success, right?  If you’re walking through a minefield your chances of making it through unscathed are slim but if you have a map of where the mines are located your chances of successfully crossing are greatly improved.

The health and nutrition industry is a multi-billion dollar per year industry and it is largely unregulated.  When you add those two things together you can count on the circling of the vultures.  It seems like you hear of a new, whacky diet everyday and people fork over their hard earned money in hopes that it “can be the one.”  There are some really bizarre diets out there and I’m here to tell you it doesn’t have to be bizarre to be effective.  You don’t have to eat cotton balls or sedate yourself so you won’t eat.  Yes, those were actual diets.

So why do most diets fail?  Is it the diet or the person?  In my opinion it is both.  Here are few reasons why most diets fail and it is my hope that with knowing these few reasons you may increase your chances of success.

1.)  The changes are too drastic

There are some people that can make drastic dietary changes and succeed…and then there is the other 99.9% of us.  If you’re overweight and looking to go on a diet, chances are you didn’t get there eating salmon and asparagus.  Now obviously there is no way to continue your current diet and hope to lose weight.  There are going to be some changes.  However, those changes don’t have to be overly drastic to help you reach your goals.  If you go from pizza and beer to fasting, you can’t expect to have the will power to succeed.  The slower you ease into a diet the better your odds of staying on a diet, changing your eating habits, and keeping the weight off once you lose it.

2.)  Unrealistic expectations

Unfortunately we have become conditioned to want it and want it NOW!  The more pounds you can lose in a week the better the diet!  If only it were that easy…and those selling diets with these claims get richer and while you may end up actually gaining weight.  Sometimes we fall victim to our own success.  When you first start a diet, you will see your greatest losses.  Much of that is water weight but the scale really moves and you are enthused.  Then it seems to all but stop.  Just like that.  Disheartened, many people give up…don’t be that person!  Power through it an you’ll reap the rewards.  The losses will resume and you’re well on your way to a new you.

3.)  Comparisons

Simply put, what works for your neighbor or co-worker may not work for you.  There is nothing quite as demotivating as seeing someone else making progress while you’re still stuck trying to shed that first pound.  It is easy to give up.  It may seem like it just isn’t worth it.  We tend to compare our progress and success to others and it isn’t being fair to ourselves.  There are a ton of reasons why you may not lose weight at the same pace as others but you should be comparing you to you. 

4.)  Unchanged lifestyle

You may be cruising down the weight loss highway and you hit your first speed bump in the form of a night out with your friends.  Not wanting to inconvenience anyone, you go along with the beer and pizza.  It is much easier to just ‘go along’.  Your lifestyle is as important as the calories you consume.  Not only must you change your diet but your lifestyle must change to accommodate it.  To many, this is the hardest pill to swallow.  Many want to lose weight but are not willing to make the necessary social sacrifices to do so.  Again, this is where you can’t make changes too drastic but you do have to make some changes to be successful in the long run.

5.)  Happiness = Food

Looking back on my childhood, I discovered something very startling.  My fondest memories revolve around food.  It was a ‘treat’ to go out to eat once every week or so.  It was something to look forward to and was always fun.  Family reunions were always a blast…and involved gut busting feasts.  Thanksgiving, Christmas…all revolved around food.  I realized that my level of happiness was tied to how good the food was.  This is a difficult hurdle to clear when you get older but you can clear it!  Go out of your way to make fun memories without food for yourself and your family.  In a recent blog post I listed ten family activities to promote fitness.  That could be a good place to start!

6.)  Using food for comfort

We’ve all heard the term ‘comfort food’.  When someone turns to food for comfort it is often associated with some level of depression.  When you eat out of loneliness, boredom or isolation you become more depressed and tend to turn to food for comfort.  I’m am NOT a psychiatrist but I do know that this can be a self-defeating cycle.  How do you beat this?  First, you must realize that you fit this description.  Second, look at the symptoms of depression.  Third, get help from a professional.  Do not rely on yourself or your will power to get you through it.  For most, your depression will only worsen if you continuously fail to lose weight.

7.)  Diet without exercise

You should consider diet and exercise as inseparable.  Dieting without exercise will lead to muscle loss and it will slow fat loss.  Even if you succeed in dropping a significant weight without exercising it will be very difficult to maintain over the long haul.  Exercising raises your metabolism and allows you to consume more calories without gaining weight.  Not only that, but if you drop massive amounts of weight (100+ pounds or so), exercising tends to minimize the excess skin problem associated with it.

If you have anything to add to this list, please post a comment below!