In this article, we are going to discuss and answer the question “Why can not I stick to a diet?”.
Why can not I stick to a diet?
There are many reasons why it is hard to follow a diet. I will be discussing them in detail in this article. From unhealthy eating patterns to fad diets, to poor food choices. So many factors play a role in the inability to stick to a diet.
Poor dieting
Poor diet is one of the reasons why it is so hard to stick to a dietary plan. The rise of many fad diets with high weight-loss promises. Restrictive diets are the diets that starve you, and would not provide enough calories that would make you feel full.
This lead to yo-yo diets, which means you are on a pedestal, you lose weight, and then you gain the weight back again after stopping the diet. This creates a frustrating process, so you would rather have a vicious cycle of going on and off the diet.
Fad diets would mark certain food as bad or good. This creates a perception and belief that eating a certain food would cause weight gain. It would point fingers at carbs as bad for your weight loss journey.
High expectations
The high expectations you build would cause you to fail when you put high expectations on your weight loss goals. Your goals should be specific and realistic when losing weight. Losing 5 pounds a week, for example, is not realistic.
You should go for realistic goals that are attained for your body and its needs. A healthy weight loss should be between one to two pounds a week. Gradual weight should be your aim rather than quicker options.
Thinking it is just a phase rather than a lifestyle
A diet should include a lifestyle makeover. A diet should not include a short diet for a short amount of time. It should be a lifestyle where you have to change your food choices and habits. Making healthier food habits like replacing fries or chocolate with fruits as snacks.
Environmental choices
The food choices surrounding us are hard to resist, with social media, more food options are shown that are mouthwatering. They are hard to resist and not as tempting as a bowl of salad.
Self-blaming
Excess self-blaming would do more harm than good. Sometimes it is tough to resist, and you would break your diet. What matters is to keep trying, even when you fail. It is not very far from it.
This will lead to a cycle of self-blame and you will end up hating yourself eventually. Remember what you feed your body, it gives back. You might feel bad thoughts because you broke your diet and you will feel miserable. Instead, you should be kind and gentle to yourself, and try again.
Using food as an outlet
Some people use food as a source of comfort. They eat when they are angry or when they are sad. Some people eat excessive amounts of food when they are frustrated, or having a bad day. The key is not to use food as a coping mechanism, instead use healthy outlets like walking or journaling.
Check your portion size
Portion size matters while dieting, you should limit your portion size instead of eating on a big plate, you have to reduce your portion size by eating on smaller-sized plates.
Being part of the diet culture
The need for being on a constant diet is rather unhealthy. The trend that you should be on a diet constantly is like a trap you can not escape. Restricting eating will produce negative emotions that will lead to you thinking negatively.
Alternatively, the diet would take control of your life. Your life would rotate around the latest diet trend, what to eat to beat the fat and the weight gain process.
You need to adapt to a healthy way of eating that eliminates a certain food group or would put you on an unhealthy eating pattern. Make sure to eat in moderation and to include a variety of food groups in your diet.
Conclusion
In this article, we discussed and answered the question “Why can not I stick to a diet?”.
References
Why You Can’t Stick to a Diet: 5 Questions to Ask Yourself | Psychology Today
The Real Reason Why You Can’t Stick To Your Diet by Neha Sangwan M.D. – HealYourLife
Why can’t I stick to a diet? Here’s what to do about it. – Sweat Sparkles (sweatsparklesfitness.com)
