4 Reasons Diets Fail: Adjusting Your Weight Loss Diet Plan

Many of the weight loss clients, that I’ve worked with, will admit to being professional dieters. They’ve tried every weight loss plan, scheme or promise and failed miserably over and over again. And 9 times out of 10, their attempts flop because of one–or some combination–of the four reasons I discuss below. That being said, awareness is key and if you know what mistakes to watch out for, you’re already a step ahead of the pack. Here’s what you need to know–and can do–to immediately boost your chance of success.

Reason #1: You’re not fully committed.

I always tell clients at our first session together: Weight loss is at least 50 percent attitude. If you’re not truly ready to make a full-time commitment to losing weight, chances of long-term success are pretty slim. That’s because when efforts are half-hearted from the get-go, people typically lose interest in their diet soon after they start. The sad truth is, it’s not really worth starting a weight loss program if your head isn’t in the game.

How to Prevail:

My best advice is to do some serious soul-searching and identify a significant and enduring source of personal motivation for finally shedding the extra weight. Maybe it’s to better manage health conditions… or to be around for your kids and grandkids… or to finally feel more comfortable in your own skin and boost your energy level.

The bottom line is that this motivation has to come from within YOU. Then, strengthen your resolve and recharge your motivation every single day with positive self talk and daily or weekly goals. I think long term goals are terrific, but short term goals can be even more powerful because they reinforce success every step of the way.

Reason #2: You expect miracles.

Individuals who launch a new diet with unreasonable expectations regarding how much weight they’re going to lose each week–or who have an unrealistic goal weight in mind–are signing themselves up for trouble. If you can’t match your desired pace of weight loss, you’ll more than likely end up terribly disappointed and quickly jump ship.

How to Prevail:

Though you’ll probably see a dramatic drop on the scale during the first few weeks on a new diet, most people eventually average out at a loss of one to three pounds per week for the duration of their plan. And if they do shed pounds more quickly than that–say, by fasting for long stretches of time–they’re more likely to gain the weight back… and then some.

I know television shows and infomercial success stories lead you to believe that you can melt off fat in a matter of weeks, but the truth is, successful weight loss is a slow and steady process. If you can accept this fact and buckle down for the long haul, you will ultimately be handsomely rewarded with better health, a smashing figure, and newfound confidence.  More...