Why 99% of Dieters Fail?

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!

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.

TrailRunner61

Someone asked me the other day what the hell my eating was all about. My immediate response was that it's an eating style. I didn't want to say diet. LOL.

You're a smart man. LOL

MaraDiaz

People need to stop using food as entertainment. Of course that is easy for the wealthy, they can afford other forms of entertainment. But the poor need to budget in entertainment of other forms besides food, too.

Food is not entertaining. It just sits there until you eat it. Food is not comforting. It never has anything to say about your woes. It just sits there until you eat it.

So I've learned to find other forms of comfort and entertainment. And I'm very poor. So poor that sometimes I have a choice. Entertainment or enough calories for the week. Guess which I choose in a pinch? I choose to go hungry sometimes.

Oh, and as for stress? Being fat is much more stressful than being thin!

mmahair

For me it's all about Carbs. At one time or another I have tried every diet in the book. I even went as far as having a gastric band put in and I still could not get a grip of my eating and diet. I got up as high as 307. In July my son said he wanted to me look at low carbs and told me how much he has lost and how easily he lost it. I did not believe it because years ago I went on the original Atkins diet which at the time required 2-3 weeks of nothing but meat and cheese and I reacted very badly to it. He shared what he is doing and I tried it. The weight just has been dropping off. I eat all I want, whatever I want, but I keep the carb count down (in my case below 100 per day). That is way more liberal than most low carb diets and I am still having great success. I have lost 57 pounds, 50 of those while on low carbs and I feel great and never feel hungry. After the first few weeks of eating lower carb the cravings for almost everything went away and when I did want something, I just had it in moderation as long as the carbs stayed below 100 per day. I have even had to schedule more cheat days because the weight was falling off too fast. I am hoping and planning to be at 200 or below by this July and I am excited I am getting there. It's not all about calories~!

kbitzonefour

Weak minds fail.

SanteMulberry

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

Even when I was still eating sugar I thought that Reeses's Peanut Butter Cups were revolting (what a way to treat chocolate). :laugh:

SanteMulberry

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


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

Yes--there are lots of addictions. People use all kinds of "pleasures" to distract themselves from the lack of perfection in their lives. Drugs, alcohol, food, gambling, sex, shopping etc. Runners have a "runner's high" and even anorexic individuals claim to gain pleasure from depriving themselves of food. There is a happier way to live.

quirkytizzy

Food is not entertaining. It just sits there until you eat it. Food is not comforting. It never has anything to say about your woes. It just sits there until you eat it.

I LOVE THIS!