Why popular diets don’t work (and what to do instead)

My fat loss journey began in August 2011. Just before my sophomore year of college, I went to my doctor for a routine check up and was shocked to learn I was prediabetic. I was only 19 years old, far too young to be teetering on the precipice of a serious, chronic and preventable disease. I knew I needed to make a serious effort to change if I wanted to stop heading down the scary path I was on.

Initially, my approach was simple. I counted calories and logged my food. I focused on eating protein and vegetables. I went to the gym five or six times a week. I slowly built a new routine around grocery shopping, cooking and regular exercise.

My results were impressive. I lost around 60 pounds in six months of dieting. However, this was not the end of my story. In fact, this is the point where I started to run into trouble.

Unsatisfied with my progress thus far, I decided I needed to resort to more extreme measures to lose the last 10 pounds to get to my (arbitrary) goal weight. I was intrigued by the promises of intermittent fasting, the paleo diet, Whole30, the keto diet and others. I believed if I reduced my eating window, engaged in lengthy 24-hour fasts and removed certain food groups from my diet, I could trick my body into shedding those last 10 pounds. These diets appealed to my inner perfectionist and need for control.

Read more: My thoughts on keto and intermittent fasting

I severely restricted what and when I ate. I refused to eat at certain restaurants or outside of my eating window, and I would freak out if I didn’t have diet-friendly options. I was legitimately terrified that eating off-plan would result in a cascade of negative health effects and instant weight gain.

Following a period of restriction, I would inevitably reach a breaking point and binge on off-plan foods. Afterwards I was filled with anxiety, shame and self-loathing. I vowed to be even more restrictive moving forward. Unfortunately, I always ended up stuck in the same cycle. Ultimately, I gained a lot of weight back and nearly destroyed my relationship with food.

I’ve spent years repairing the damage caused by my failed experiments with fad diets. Today, a central part of my mission as a coach is to help my clients avoid the same mistakes. In the rest of this article, I explain why fad diets are a bad fit for most people and share my strategies for healthy, sustainable weight loss.

The problem with fad diets

I define a fad diet as any popular diet that promises impressive results if you follow a restrictive eating plan. These diets usually claim they alone have the secret to fast fat loss, health and longevity. They may lean on scare tactics or fear mongering to convince you of their validity.

Many people experience some initial success following fad diets. All diets work by creating a caloric deficit. If you remove entire food groups or eat in a limited window, chances are good you’ll be consuming fewer calories than you were before. You may also experience a rapid initial weight loss due to decreased water retention. It’s normal to feel encouraged by these great initial results and think you’ve stumbled upon a real secret.

Unfortunately, it’s very difficult to stick with a fad diet long term. Problems arise once the diet is finished, or when life gets complicated and you can no longer stick to the diet.

Here are a few reasons people struggle:

Fad diets are too restrictive. If you are a competitive athlete or bodybuilder, controlling your body is your number one priority and you can build your entire world around it. For the rest of us, some degree of flexibility is essential.

Many fad diets place so many restrictions on what you can eat that it’s difficult to travel, go out with friends or enjoy a holiday meal with family. If your diet isn’t adaptable to the rest of your life, you won’t be able to stick to it long term.

As a result of prolonged restriction, many people experience a strong pendulum swing after their diet. They binge on everything in sight (especially foods that were “off limits”), stop going to the gym, and/or drink to excess. The more deprived you felt on the diet, the more extreme your reaction tends to be when you’re finished.

Many fad diets are built upon questionable science. Be wary of any diet guru who promises one solution for everyone and shit talks other styles of eating. Different styles of eating work for different people, and most don’t need gimmicks, expensive supplements or weird tricks to look, feel and perform better.

Fad diets tend to focus on small details and miss the big picture. In my experience, fad diets rarely address the things actually standing in our way. We usually need to zoom out – not in – to get to the heart of our problems.

Are you eating in a caloric deficit for an extended period of time? Are you focusing on foods that help you feel satisfied, nourished and energized within your deficit? Are you getting enough sleep and managing stress? Are you engaging in regular exercise?

Unless you answered yes to all of those questions,  you don’t need a fancy or specific diet. You just need to get honest with yourself about what’s holding you back, and then decide if you are ready, willing and able to tackle those things.

A sane and sustainable approach to fat loss

I want all my clients to develop their own framework for healthy eating. This requires more effort than following a fad diet because you don’t have someone else telling you what to do; YOU need to figure out your own best practices. But if you’re serious abodut losing weight and keeping it off while still enjoying life and keeping a healthy relationship with food, you have to do the work

Only a few things have a big impact on diet results. I refer to these as “big rocks,” and they’re where I try to focus my clients’ attention. Moving the big rocks means creating simple and sustainable daily habits my clients can seamlessly integrate into their lives. 

Here are a few examples of big rocks for fat loss:

• Eat fewer calories than your body needs This is the biggest rock of all.
• Eat mostly whole foods, but allow some room for occasional treats.
• Get enough sleep. 
• Move your body every day.
• Practice patience and self-compassion.

Read more: The only 3 things you need to lose fat

Changing your body, habits and lifestyle is hard work. There will be many ups and downs, and I guarantee the process will take longer than you expect. Following a fad diet won’t speed up your success, and may actually cause more harm than good in the long run.

Do you want to learn the exact method I recommend for simple, sane and sustainable fat loss? Sign up for Sane and Simple Fat Loss, a six-week group coaching program help you learn this system and discover the best fat loss approach for your unique body and lifestyle. Learn more and join us here.