Why 99% of Dieters Fail?

peterdt

99% of dieters say that they break their diet because they are depressed, stressed or bored. Feelings, not lack of willpower, get in

Getting in touch with these feelings and dealing effectively with them I believe is one of the keys to lifestyle change and keeping the weight off once we lose... or even losing it in the first place.

neandermagnon

that is true

although before anyone resorts to psychology, you need to rule out that the symptoms in question don't actually come from the body's normal physiological responses to too few calories. Feeling depressed and stressed can be the result of not eating enough, or being deficient in a particular nutrient, e.g. not enough healthy fat, not enough carbohydrate to sustain their activity levels.

Once you know that's not happening, then go for it with the psychology, it can be extremely useful. It's just that you can't out-psychology a natural, physiological survival response.

tiffanyheth

One of my mantras is "It's not what I feel, it's what I know". For example, when I don't FEEL like working out, but I KNOW that I if I don't today, I'll be less likely to do it tomorrow, then I try to push the feel away and concentrate on what is truth for me.

Gallowmere1984

Because people who are obese generally got there from emotional crap causing them to stuff their faces to begin with. Why would this suddenly change when they went on a diet? Humans in general come across as emotionally soft sissies who cry over the slightest things. Why food is their 'go-to' for this issue is a combination of hormonal problems, ease of acquisition, and ease of application.

Something tells me that if people still had to hunt and gather their food, you'd see a lot less QQ fatties around.

TL;DR- life is too damned easy now.

Unknown

This content has been removed.

raeleek

Because people who are obese generally got there from emotional crap causing them to stuff their faces to begin with. Why would this suddenly change when they went on a diet? Humans in general come across as emotionally soft sissies who cry over the slightest things. Why food is their 'go-to' for this issue is a combination of hormonal problems, ease of acquisition, and ease of application.

Something tells me that if people still had to hunt and gather their food, you'd see a lot less QQ fatties around.

TL;DR- life is too damned easy now.

I agree. There is no great mystery as to why everyone is gaining weight. There is also no great mystery as to why it's not going to just fix it's self. EVERYTHING is done for us. There are machines that fix machines. I don't think people in the past had some strict diet and exercise routine, they just had to physically work to survive!

peterdt

oops. did not give complete quote.

99% of dieters say that they break their diet because they are depressed, stressed or bored. Feelings, not lack of willpower, get in the way of successful dieting.

Unknown

This content has been removed.

peterdt

I don't know. When I break my diet, it's usually because I say, "kcuf it. I just want to eat Reeses Peanut Butter Cups and Ice Cream." And, then I do. It's not emotional. I just love that stuff so much.

man I love that too. love is not an emotions?

peterdt

The rate of obesity has increased dramatically in the 3 decades too. It's all that cheap, easy and highly advertises processed foods. also, all the crappy diet advise we've been getting. I think good advise is finally coming to the fore though.

quirkytizzy

Because people who are obese generally got there from emotional crap causing them to stuff their faces to begin with. Why would this suddenly change when they went on a diet? Humans in general come across as emotionally soft sissies who cry over the slightest things. Why food is their 'go-to' for this issue is a combination of hormonal problems, ease of acquisition, and ease of application.

Something tells me that if people still had to hunt and gather their food, you'd see a lot less QQ fatties around.

TL;DR- life is too damned easy now.

Wouldn't say life is too easy, necessarily, or that we have become soft sissies. More that it's socially unacceptable to take out your frustrations by pulverizing your neighbor with the club you use to bash in a sabertooth's head. (Or any club, for that matter.) And for good reason - maintaining a global community is harder when murder and general lack of human civility runs rampant.

Returning the hunter/gatherer way of life is also problematic. Humans outnumber our space now - resources are limited. We have to learn to play nice and share for the majority of us to make it.

I would say that in industrialized countries, our shoddy processing of food to produce quantity over quality has very negatively impacted our health. This would be preferable in countries that are suffering from famine (bad food is better than no food), but that doesn't mean that it's okay for us to be caught in the cycle, either.

Anyhow, so yeah, in a way, life is too easy, if I look at it that way.

PonyTailedLoser

I love this post. Thank you Maybe it will make me realize why I am doing some things that aren't going to get me anywhere good.

WendyTerry420

I don't know. When I break my diet, it's usually because I say, "kcuf it. I just want to eat Reeses Peanut Butter Cups and Ice Cream." And, then I do. It's not emotional. I just love that stuff so much.

Personally, the occasional Reese's is a regular part of my diet. I don't eliminate any foods that I like. Rather, I fit it in my diet. IIFYM

anifani4

that is true

although before anyone resorts to psychology, you need to rule out that the symptoms in question don't actually come from the body's normal physiological responses to too few calories. Feeling depressed and stressed can be the result of not eating enough, or being deficient in a particular nutrient, e.g. not enough healthy fat, not enough carbohydrate to sustain their activity levels.

Once you know that's not happening, then go for it with the psychology, it can be extremely useful. It's just that you can't out-psychology a natural, physiological survival response.

I agree....always rule out the physical before saying psychological is the reason. any good therapist would advise this also. It is important to have a doctor who is knowledgable about the latest research in weight loss.....or a doctor smart enough to refer to a nutritionist/dietician who is up on the subject.

Unknown

This content has been removed.

CarmenSandiegoInVA

I am always telling people that I'm not on a Diet. I'm changing my lifestyle. It's why I've had success and I have been able to stick to it.

Unknown

This content has been removed.

Rosplosion

I don't know. When I break my diet, it's usually because I say, "kcuf it. I just want to eat Reeses Peanut Butter Cups and Ice Cream." And, then I do. It's not emotional. I just love that stuff so much.

You may find, if you stop for a second when you want to eat things like that and examine what you feel at that moment, that you are emotionally eating. For me, whenever I reach for sweets, or fatty foods I am attempting to bury my feelings. I don't consciously think, "man, I feel like shyte, I'm going to go eat a box of Oreos". It has become a pattern after many many years of comforting myself with food that its more of a reflex. A very difficult pattern to break.

3RachaelFaith3

I think it's mostly because they are "dieting" instead of making lifestyle changes.

fuzzieme

99%, you have a point, but you wrecked it with that statistic

Unknown

This content has been removed.

rduhlir

99% of dieters fail because they want instant results and quit after seeing no improvements after "5 days" or "10 day".

Also, they have not yet cleared their minds of anything else. In order to succeed in something, to truly succeed you have to want it more than anything else.

"When you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe, then you will be successful." ~ Eric Thomas

whatascene

I don't know. When I break my diet, it's usually because I say, "kcuf it. I just want to eat Reeses Peanut Butter Cups and Ice Cream." And, then I do. It's not emotional. I just love that stuff so much.

See, I don't think this is breaking your diet. This is part of the "bad things in moderation" part.
To other responses in this thread, the talk about being so strict on a diet is kind of sad. We make fun of "fat people" because they are slaves to food consumption, but a lot of times of MFP I see people who are slaves to their own control over food, which I think is equally as miserable and unhealthy as being "fat".

SanteMulberry

99% of dieters say that they break their diet because they are depressed, stressed or bored. Feelings, not lack of willpower, get in

Getting in touch with these feelings and dealing effectively with them I believe is one of the keys to lifestyle change and keeping the weight off once we lose... or even losing it in the first place.

I would agree. Getting control of one's feelings is as easy (and hard) as getting to the "heart" of the issue that drives one to abuse food (or any other substance, i.e. alcohol, drugs, etc.) Technically, one does not abuse food, one abuses one's body WITH food. Since it is more or less impossible to focus on the negative long-term (that one must STOP doing something) it is a good idea to focus on the positive to carry one forward in the long term. I never think that I am deprived (that just makes people feel frustrated and angry--and guess what happens?) I think that I am now properly nourishing my body with appropriate foods and exercise. That attitude of the heart, leads to emotions that are healthier. I have been diet-compliant for over two years now and I would never want to go back to being "that other person".

ninerbuff

People are fat and obese for ONE reason: over consumption.

Skinny people are depressed, emotional, bored, stressed too. They just happen to deal with it differently than fat people do.

Don't make it an excuse. Quit over consuming and the weight will go down.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

SlimReggieBack

I believe its because most dieters think that a diet is temporarily. No a diet is not temporarily its a lifestyle! I don't say I'm on a diet I just say I'm on a healthy lifestyle and it works!

Unknown

This content has been removed.

monty619

many dieters fail because they go balls to the wall right off the bat... this isnt the biggest loser competition you need to lose little weight at a time and slowly reduce caloric intake and slowly increase caloric expendature.

AllenWins

People are fat and obese for ONE reason: over consumption.

Skinny people are depressed, emotional, bored, stressed too. They just happen to deal with it differently than fat people do.

Don't make it an excuse. Quit over consuming and the weight will go down.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Too true. I've used stress as an excuse over and over throughout my years of "dieting", failing, starting over, dieting, failing, starting over again, etc. I'm determined to break this cycle. I'm no longer "dieting". I work every single day to not eat emotions, and really, it's not much fun dealing with emotions. In fact, some days are down right exhausting. However, I'm tired of being that "diet fail" statistic, so no more temporary thinking. No more diets. Eat well. Get my butt off the couch. No more excuses.

TrailRunner61

Usually it's because they "DIET" and deprive themselves of food. Then, when they are stressed, physically or mentally, they eat, and eat and eat. Then, because they feel like a failure, they eat some more.
Who wants to be on a diet? No one. Learn how to eat correctly and you won't feel deprived, hungry or the need to binge.
Like it's been said before, it's a lifestyle change, for LIFE, not a diet, that will get you where you need to be.

runnerchick69

I find that people around me fail because they start with calling it a diet. This is not something you take up and then stop when you have reached your ideal weight or size. You have to change how you live or the chances are great that all the weight lost will slowly, or even quickly, creep back in.