BREAKING NEWS: diets are no fun and don't work

Not exactly a news flash, is it?

I should clarify the headline of this post a bit. Diets actually DO work if you are talking about losing weight. However, if your goal is too STAY thinner, they have a worse success rate than most Middle Eastern peace treaties. There are many reasons for this, but the one I think is most important is the fact that diets, no matter which one you choose, are a temporary regimen of absurdity followed by a great deal of hoping that the weight never comes back. The concept of diets does not pass any reality test. Consider if a co-worker, Cindy, made the following statement to you:

"I have not been doing well at work lately. I have let a number of things slide. So, for the next 2-3 months, I will work 12 hours a day and not take any breaks whatsoever. Once I get to what I feel is a comfortable level of achievement, I will go back to taking breaks, chatting at the water cooler and start my regular work routine again."

Who would like to guess how things will be for Cindy three months after her little project? I think she will be right back where she started. It kind of sounds a lot like this statement:

"I have gained 20 pounds. I have let my eating and exercise habits slide. So, for the next 2-3 months, I will diet and work out seven days a week and not have any sweets or fast food whatsoever. Once I get to what I feel is a comfortable weight, I will go back to my usual dinners, going out with friends and start having my regular lunches with co-workers again."

I would expect Cindy is going to see that 20 pounds again within a year.

Diets fail because they are temporary solutions to systemic lifestyle problems. For most people, the reason they are gaining (or can't lose) weight is related to one of the following issues:

• Their food portions are bigger than they think
• They put too much extra stuff on their food (cheese, butter, cream, sauces, etc.)
• They are eating food that is exceptionally dense in calories
• They are not counting liquid food (alcohol, soft drinks, juices, etc)
• When they diet, it is such a miserable experience that they cheat at the drop of a hat

Read this article about why diets fail and see if you are setting yourself up for disappointment.