Why Diet's Don't Work

One of the first things we tell clients when we talk to them about our practice is that we are strictly non-diet dietitians. For some, this is exactly what they have been looking for. But for others, they are caught by surprise, wondering how they will lose weight without a diet. As dietitians, we are passionate about educating people about why diets don’t work. We focus on helping people make lasting lifestyle changes that will last long after they stop meeting with us. Below are just a few of the reasons this is the approach we take. 

1. Diets exist to make money off of you. 

Some of the first things that come up when you search “profit in the diet industry” online are articles by entrepreneurial sites telling people how they can “cash in” on the obesity epidemic. Estimates of profit made by companies selling diet plans, products, and content range from 60-75 billion dollars. That’s right: billion. Thousands of companies each year make billions of dollars by claiming their products are the key to achieving the goals you’ve always sought after. However, you will find that as soon as you stop buying that product or following that company’s rules, then you will be right back where you started. As a result, most people find themselves in a vicious cycle of weight gain and loss based on the amount of money they are willing to spend. 

What diet companies don’t want you to know is that you can achieve the same results they give you without spending all of the money. In weight loss and healthy living, what matters is that you learn how to combine real food in real ways on your own. It’s not about buying the right product or brand in order to reach your goals, it’s about learning how to create healthy meals and make healthy habits that fit your unique life. 

2. When you are told you can’t have something, that’s what makes you want it all the more. 

Diets in our culture thrive off of rules. They tell you what to eat and when to eat it, and convince you that going off of that plan in any way will ruin all the progress you’ve made towards your goals. But, psychologically as soon as you tell yourself you aren’t allowed to do something (i.e. eat a brownie, skip a workout to rest, etc.) then you are going to want it even more. As a result, as soon as you go off of your diet, you will more than likely end up overeating all of the foods you weren’t “allowed” to have before.

But food isn’t about what you are and aren't “allowed” to have. Healthy eating is made up of all types of foods, including foods we would typically label as “off limits.” All foods can fit into a healthy diet as long as it’s in moderation. Should you eat multiple brownies every day? No. But are you allowed to celebrate yourself with a sweet treat occasionally? Absolutely. It’s all about finding balance, making healthy choices daily, and realizing that eating what diet culture labels as “bad” foods can add value to your life in so many ways.

3. When you go off of the diet you don’t know what to do next. 

I will never be one to say that people never see results from the fad diets they buy into. In fact, I have seen tons of people experience amazing results quickly from diets. But, what matters is what happens over the long term. When people go off of a diet or stop buying into a product, then they are lost as to what to do next. Instead of teaching about what healthy living looks like long-term, diets teach us how to follow strict rules to see quick results. As a result, weight inevitably comes back on and goals fall by the wayside again because diets focus on change in the moment, not long term. 

Real change and long lasting results happen when goals are achieved by learning about food, fitness, and your own body. It’s about understanding what you eat and why you eat it, and creating a healthy pattern that suits your body’s specific needs and goals. Rules won’t ever get you very far, but lifelong habit change will. 

4. Diets focus on weight loss rather than habit change.

Weight loss can be such a helpful thing. Being at a healthy weight can open up so many doors for our health and body and allows us to enjoy our lives to the fullest. However, diets teach you that as long as you are losing weight, nothing else matters. They use weight as the definition of progress and personal health. As a result, people come to learn that no matter what they are putting in their body, as long as the scale is showing them what they want to see then they are fine. However, there is so much more to health than just weight and the number on the scale. If we limit our health to that, then we are missing out on so many other health benefits food has to offer.

Nutrition is about the nutrients food provides you with. Vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, fiber, energy, and more all contribute to our weight, skin clarity, healing speed, heart health, energy level, brain function, and so much more. It is important that health and nutrition goals keep in mind all food has to offer and helps you learn what you body needs from food. Nutrition is about eating right, not always less no matter what diet culture tries to convince you of. 

Here at Nutrition 502, as you can probably tell, we are so passionate about helping people see results by making lasting changes in their everyday lives. Food is about so much more than rules, structure, or products. Food is about freedom and honoring our bodies for all they can do for us. We exist to help you break free from diet rules and help you find a healthy lifestyle that works for you. Learn more at Nutrition502.com or email us at natalie@nutrition502.com.