Ready to Take Back Your Health? Best Kept Diet Secret Revealed Today (Spoiler...You Might Be Shocked!)

By Erika Fehrenbach Prell

Ready for the BIG secret to diets? They. Don’t. Work. 

Ouch. I’m sorry to break that one to you, DreamChaser. But, that’s not the best kept secret...the secret the billion dollar diet industry doesn’t want you to know. Before I get to that, I want your buy-in to ditch the diet because the BIG secret requires a BIG shift in thinking. Let’s get to it!
Get this, studies have shown time and time again that most people gain back any lost weight from diets in 1 to 5 years. By most people, I am talking at least 80%! Know what else? It doesn’t matter which diet you select, the results are the same across the board. This rebound effect is caused by many things but the 5 consistent reasons why diets fail are the following: 

1. Diets Aren’t Forever: By definition, diets are a short term fix. Since diets are not designed to be a long term solution, they simply will not work. 
   
2. Willpower Driven: Many diets are designed to give you a quick win, which is what is appealing. Diets rely heavily on your willpower. As your metabolism slows down and the weight stops dropping off quickly, willpower starts to wane as weight loss plateaus. This typically results in returning to prior behaviors.
   
3. Too Restrictive: To get the short term results, diets are based on restricting certain food classes from the diet, which can deprive the body of needed nutrients. This can trigger cravings as well as the body’s starvation mode, decreasing metabolism resulting in a decrease in both weight loss and energy levels. Many restrictive diets cause a nearly immediate yo-yo effect once the diet is discontinued, meaning weight lost returns quickly. Restriction can also contribute to negative food associations and eating disorders.
   
4. Drastic Measures: Many diets require drastic changes in behavior. Let’s be real; you didn’t get to your current state of health overnight, so it’s actually going to take a little time to reverse your behavior. The more drastic the plan, the harder it is to follow and less likely you will stick with it.
   
5. Ignores the Emotional Component: It’s called comfort food for a reason, right? There can be a huge emotional component to eating from what we crave to when we crave it. Typically, diets do not address this. If this is a big driver of your eating habits, no diet will fix this.
   

So, why do we still jump on the diet train? The answer is simple, but you might not like it...I sure didn’t, lol. We, you and I, want immediate results without doing the work. A magic potion that poofs us into whatever healthy state we desire, which is what diets often promise. Sigh...the classic case of “if it’s too good to be true, it probably is”.

Now, are you ready for the BIG secret? For all the reasons we have already addressed, diets just aren’t the solution for a healthy lifestyle. So what is? Making simple and consistent exchanges in your daily life, swapping an unhealthy option for a healthier option mixed with time will result in you becoming your healthiest self. It’s really that simple, without the drastic measures. Just picking one small thing to change at a time in a positive, healthier way.  Getting on the right track isn’t as hard as you think. Here’s where to start!

1. Mindset Reset: Like all change, it all starts here. It’s time to ditch the diet mindset and upgrade to the healthy lifestyle mindset. Focus on designing a simple, healthier plan that you will be able to follow for your entire life.
   
2. Embrace Small Changes: It’s your small, everyday decisions that add to or take away from you living your healthiest life. Start by focusing on one area at a time. For instance, replace 1 can of soda or coffee with water. Here’s a great example of the compounding effect of small changes. If you were to eliminate 1 can of regular soda for 1 year and made no other changes to your health, you would lose approximately 15 pounds...and you would save $153!
   
3. Stick With It: Remember the goal is a healthy life, not a skinny moment. Small changes may take a bit longer to see the results, but the results will come. Know what else? These small changes that fit into the healthy lifestyle YOU designed means you will stick with them while not feeling deprived or restricted.
   

That’s your homework for this month, DreamChaser! Work to ditch the diet mindset and embrace your healthy lifestyle journey, one that will be a sustainable lifestyle rather than a short term band aid approach. Pick one small healthier change to focus one, like exchanging soda for water or walking 10 minutes every day. Commit to sticking with it. Stay tuned for more health and wellness support next month! Let’s get started, and, as always, Shine On!