• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
BlackDoctor.org
Where Wellness & Culture Connect

Where Wellness & Culture Connect

  • Health Conditions
  • Wellness
  • Lifestyle
  • Longevity
  • COVID-19
  • Find A Doctor
  • Subscribe
Home / Wellness / Weight Loss / 6 Reasons Why Your Diet Isn’t Working

6 Reasons Why Your Diet Isn’t Working

woman standing on scale in disbelief
Want to know the best way to gain weight? Go on a diet. Sad, but depending upon the diet, this is sometimes scientifically true.

In a review of long-term diet studies by UCLA, researcher Traci Mann found that although most people lose five to 10 percent of their weight on a diet, the weight comes back for most. Over four to five years, a third to two-thirds of dieters gain back more than they lost. It’s no wonder so many people think that all diets don’t work.

“Doomed,” you’re thinking. “I’m doomed.” But nothing can be further from the truth. Except for your DNA, which may genetically wire you to carry a little extra weight, all the reasons you diets don’t work are within your power to change. You just need to know what they are and the steps to take to thwart them.

 

Here are six reasons diets don’t work… and how to prevent them:

1. You think of yourself as “on a diet.”

If you’re on a diet, you can go off it. This is a major reason diets don’t work: They are temporary. Eating right is for a lifetime. You can lose weight eating only cabbage soup, foods that aren’t white or low-calorie, low-fat meals, etc., but if you think that once you lose the weight you can go back to your old ways, you’re sunk.

You May Also Like
Ready to Ditch Daily Insulin Injections? Try the Only Tubeless Pump Free for 30 Days

Fix: Turn your weight loss diet into a learning experience so you can maintain your healthy weight. Learn portion control, for example. Your Nutrisystem meals are perfectly portioned so you can get a good idea of what a serving of protein, starch, grain and produce looks like. Practice creating your own healthy and delicious meals to learn how satisfying they can be.

2. You deprive yourself of food.

Unlike booze and cigarettes, which you can live without, you need food for survival. Your body is hardwired to avoid hunger and you can get anxious if you’re, for example, cutting out whole food groups, skipping meals or eating less than 1,200 calories a day. When you’re trying to lose weight, stress is not your friend. Studies have found that the hormones your body produces under stress, such as cortisol and insulin, actually make you eat more. Stress also makes you reach for “comfort foods” that are full of fat and sugar… which can be the reason you’ve found that diets don’t work for you.

Fix: Simple: Don’t deprive yourself. All your favorite foods—even your comfort foods—can be tailored to fit on a weight loss diet. On Nutrisystem, you can eat pizza, mac and cheese, burgers and even ice cream! Who is going to feel deprived on that? Experiment with recipes that scale down fat, sugar and calories on all your favorites for your flex meal options so you’re armed when you’re in your lifelong maintenance phase. Also, consider learning to meditate or practice relaxation. One 2009 study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics found that learning relaxation training skills helped a group of women significantly reduce their episodes of emotional eating.

Continue Reading

The Latest In Weight Loss

Man dedicated to working out.

Crush Your Fitness Goals Without a Gym

Yes, you can make your new year’s fitness resolutions happen this year and you don’t need a gym to get it done.  This is all thanks to SWEAT Season, the new 8 Week Fitness Challenge from Get Fit Like That. read more about Crush Your Fitness Goals Without a Gym
Twelve hour intermittent fasting time concept with clock on plate.

Intermittent Fasting: The Best Kept Weight Loss Secret

Intermittent fasting is a popular health and fitness trend these days. It is not a diet but an eating pattern that cycles between periods of fasting and eating. It's used to lose weight, improve one’s health, and simplify one's lifestyle. read more about Intermittent Fasting: The Best Kept Weight Loss Secret

Does rapid weight loss affect your immune system?

Viola Davis recently came under fire for gaining weight for her portrayal of buxom blues legend, Ma Rainey. Social media critics suggested that the actress took space already fuller-figured artists, but another issue that needs examining is how the rapid read more about Does rapid weight loss affect your immune system?
African American woman lifting dumbbell weight

Weight Loss Challenge: Lose 10 Pounds In 2 Weeks!

Can you lose 10 pounds in 2 weeks in a weight loss challenge? The short answer to this question is yes! There are many factors that go into shedding pounds fast. If you want to drop 10 pounds within two read more about Weight Loss Challenge: Lose 10 Pounds In 2 Weeks!
Man doing push-ups with dumb bells on the side.

6 Steps To Kick-Start Your Fitness Journey

Starting a fitness journey is one of the first steps to living your best life. It's one of the best things you can do for yourself and your loved ones, but it can be a bit overwhelming or intimidating if read more about 6 Steps To Kick-Start Your Fitness Journey
Cucumber and pineapple juice on a table.

Cucumber Pineapple Juice: The Powerful Weight Loss Combo

Cucumbers and pineapple juice are the perfect combinations to help you achieve your 2021 weight loss goals. Everybody (and their mama) is literally talking about juicing "this" or blending "that" to get the ultimate drink for your body. But we've read more about Cucumber Pineapple Juice: The Powerful Weight Loss Combo

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to our newsletter

Poll

Popular Posts

  • Mrs. Parker From ‘Friday’ at 70 & Still Turning Heads!Mrs. Parker From 'Friday' at 70 & Still Turning Heads!
  • Rihanna: The Healthy “Thick” Weight PlanRihanna: The Healthy "Thick" Weight Plan
  • This Exercise Gets Rid of Mucus in Your ChestThis Exercise Gets Rid of Mucus in Your Chest
  • This is How Much Weight You Can Lose if you Clean Your ColonThis is How Much Weight You Can Lose if you Clean Your Colon
  • 6 Cereals That Slim You Down6 Cereals That Slim You Down

Podcast

Diabetes prevention and management podcast

Dr. LeNoir is joined by Dr. Lenore Coleman, a Pharmacist and Founder of Healing Our Village, as they offer you the tools you need to prevent and manage diabetes.

Listen Now

Footer

Where Wellness & Culture Connect

BDO is the world’s largest and most comprehensive online health resource specifically targeted to African Americans. BDO understands that the uniqueness of Black culture - our heritage and our traditions - plays a role in our health. BDO gives you access to innovative new approaches to the health information you need in everyday language so you can break through the disparities, gain control and live your life to its fullest.

Connect With Us

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Learn More About

  • Hepatitis C
  • Diabetes
  • Sickle Cell
  • Mental Health
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Advertise With Us
  • BlackDoctor.org Advertising and Sponsorship Policy
  • Daily Vitamina
  • TBH

Copyright © 2021, BlackDoctor, Inc. All rights reserved.