Why Your Fad Diet Isn't Working

“Take your time. Some of these fad diets and quick fixes, they might be quick, but you’re going to crash and burn.” – Julianna Hough

How many times have you tried a fad diet like keto or Atkins just to fall off the wagon? Maybe you lost weight, and were proud of yourself, but soon gained the weight back and reverted back to your old ways quickly after finishing the diet. YOU ARE NOT ALONE. This is extremely common and what I like to call – yo-yo dieting. Long-term success does not happen often on these diets because they are not sustainable, flexible, or individualized and they do not provide you with the support, education & accountability you need.

My next point is very important so read it carefully: you did not fail the diet, the diet failed you!

Sustainability

I want you to consider the following: is the keto diet sustainable? Is it something you think you can follow for the rest of your life? If your answer is yes, you must not love pasta as much as I do! Restrictive diets that require strict adherence to a specific macronutrient profile are simply not sustainable. What happens at a family gathering when that food is not available and your stomach is grumbling? What happens on your vacation when you don’t have your usual fridge stocked with “diet” foods? What happens when you get sick and tired of eating a strict diet and want a freaking donut!? The key to success here is to find a lifestyle you can sustain long-term, not a diet. In addition, it is important to have the knowledge of how to pick the foods that will properly nourish you and ensure you meet your fitness goals while on vacation or at a family function. Jumping on the fad diet train will not supply you with either of these. Say it with me, sustainability is sexy!

Individualized

Have you ever been given a meal plan with food combinations you dislike or vegetables you have hated since you were five years old? Time to throw that meal plan out! A meal plan or fad diet may not take into account your likes, dislikes, schedule, etc. Something important to remember – the foods you eat and fitness routine you adapt should fit into YOUR LIFE. You should not be trying to fit your life into a diet or exercise routine! If you are not a fan of fatty foods, the keto diet will not fit your personal diet preferences. If you exercise in the morning, intermittent fasting till the afternoon may not be feasible for you due to high hunger levels and properly recovering following your workout. I highly encourage you to consume foods that fit your preferences but still provide you with the nutrients and total calories you need to reach your health goals. It will be much easier to stick to your healthy lifestyle if you enjoy the meals and the workouts you are completing!

Missing Ingredients

Although fad diets are especially not recommended, any diet or fitness journey will be lacking in a few key areas without the help of a dietitian. A dietitian coach will provide vital ingredients that will guarantee your success! Amongst the many important tools a dietitian supplies, accountability, support, and education are three monumental contributors. A plan for food intake and exercise can be absolutely perfect, but without someone holding you accountable, what is motivating you to execute your plan? When you fall off the plan, make a mistake or successfully accomplish your goals, your personal dietitian will be there to help you snap back or guide you and celebrate! Lastly, dietitians supply reliable education that you can retain and utilize throughout your fitness journey and the rest of your life! When you find yourself navigating new foods or situations, the education you receive from a dietitian will help you make the right decisions! Schedule your first free visit with one of our dietitians today so you don’t miss out on any of these key ingredients to success!

Missing Ingredients

The Truth to the Matter

I know what you may be thinking. If keto and intermittent fasting are not the best approaches to reach my goals, why do people see significant weight loss or body composition changes in these diets? When it comes to weight loss, one concept will ALWAYS be true. Think back to seventh-grade science class – the first law of thermodynamics: energy can neither be created nor destroyed. So stated more simply – if you are burning more calories than you are eating, you will lose weight. There is no magic secret to the keto diet or metabolism booster to intermittent fasting. The people who see results on those diets saw results simply because they were burning more calories than they were consuming. This is why someone eating nothing but fast food but still only eating 1500 calories a day while their body burns 2000 calories can still lose weight! (Not recommending an all-fast food diet here!) Moral of the story: want to lose weight? Eat a little less and move a little more, don’t overthink it!

If you are currently feeling defeated from not reaching your goals on a fad diet, just remember, these diets were not programmed with the right ingredients to result in success! The diet failed you!

Please reach out to one of our dietitians so you can ditch the diets and find a lifestyle change that is sustainable, flexible, individualized, and nourished with support, accountability, and education!