The 4 Crucial Reasons Why Your Diet Doesn’t Work

You’re trying to lose weight yet nothing works? Fret not, because we can fix that, but you need to take a harsh look at what you do.

1. You Eat Too Much

If you aren’t losing weight despite being on a diet, this is why. Many people, and I wager it includes you, are very bad at estimating how many calories they eat.

Check how good you are at guessing calories with this older video of mine:

You can easily rectify this by learning how to count calories by yourself, or using a point system like Weight Watchers that does the job for you.

2. You Concentrate On Banning One Nutrient

Atkins and the low-carb people tell you that carbs are what make you fat. Atkins’ polar opposite Pritkin said it’s fat that has to be avoided. The paleo people get hung up on nightshades (potatoes, eggplant etc.).

Yet it doesn’t matter what nutrient you emphasize or avoid. There’s a pile of reliable research demonstrating that whatever you eat or not eat, you will lose weight as long as you eat fewer calories than you burn.

In addition, these “elimination diets” have the risk that you run into malnutrition, if some vitamins and minerals are only in foods you’re not supposed to eat.

3. You Overestimate The Effect Of Fitness

Why are gyms so full on January 2? Because all them people with sacred new year’s vows hit them and sweat in the hope of losing weight. By March most are disillusioned and the treadmills and weights again belong to the usual suspects.

The hopefuls give up because two or three months of exercising saw their weight stay the same or move down much less than they expected. For some it even went up!

Exercising makes you healthier and can aid weight loss,  but it doesn’t replace getting your eating habits under control! You can always outeat your fitness efforts! First think about your diet, then contemplate exercise.

4. You Think Eating “Healthy” Is Enough

It’s commendable that you switched your entire nutrition from pizzas, burgers, sodas and candy bars to whole grains, salads and tofu. But it isn’t the golden ticket to weight loss. Because you can overeat on healthy foods.

Four whole grain waffles with blueberries, pecan nuts and maple syrup have as many calories as three bowls of Kellog’s Frosted Flakes in whole milk.

Picture courtesy of Dani Lurie.