Dieting: The New "Don't"

By now you may have heard the news: Diets don’t work. It's been confirmed.

Researchers at UCLA pored over 31 long-term weight-loss studies and found that long-term dieting does not keep the pounds off. Individuals may lose weight initially, but like the old saying goes, it comes back...and then some.

The study, published in the April issue of American Psychologist, did not look at fad diets or organized weight-loss programs like Weight Watchers. What researchers discovered was that individuals who diet typically lose 5 to 10 percent of their starting weight in the first six months. However, at least one-third to two-thirds of people on diets regain even more weight than they lost within four or five years. Even worse, the true number may be significantly higher. Essentially, dieting may be a predictor of future weight gain rather than a way to stave it off.

Why do diets fail? They can be boring and tedious; temptation rears its ugly, calorie-laden head; plateaus can be discouraging; and sometimes people lose too much, too soon.

So what works? It's that one special word we hear over and over: Mod-er-a-tion.

So I guess it's a good thing I got rid of my tub of chocolate-covered raisins.

Exercise is also key, which I think we all know. Also, according to the National Weight Control Registry, people who have been able to keep their weight off share some common habits, including: eating breakfast daily; enjoying a moderately low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet; keeping track of progress through weigh-ins and food diaries; and exercising 60 to 90 minutes daily. (This sounds like a lot to me, but I’m hoping you can count things like taking the stairs, walking to lunch, and singing out loud to Beyonce in your car.)

I guess this study just confirms what we all know - dieting doesn’t work. But it can be so easy to eat something fattening and follow it up with the standard, "My diet starts tomorrow." I definitely think the moderation element is so important, especially when it comes to weight loss, which impacts not only our everyday activities, but our long-term health and emotional well-being. How about you - has your experience been that dieting does not, in fact, work? Is moderation just a four-syllable word? Share your experiences so others can learn from your successes and bloopers.

Comments

I think you are onto something. I exercise though not as much as I should, and I do lose weight when I diet, but it all comes back and then some. I am trying the "If I don't LOVE" it, why am I eating it and wasting calories approach? Even if I am very hungry this seems to be the way to go. I have any thing I want because I know I will LOVE everything I eat. That thinking seems to help me get over the feeling of being deprived and eating stuff I don't like or are not satisfying.

A lot of different factors come in to play to determine whether I lose weight or not. First off, I believe if you are content on the inside with whatever you have been given, be that your personality or your appearance, you will be less likely to obsess about weight loss. I've found that when I don't obsess about weight loss, I often have an easier time of losing the weight. This is because the little critic in my mind does not get the chance to put me down constantly through self-deprecating thoughts. And when you are constantly putting yourself down, you have a hard time standing up and getting ready for action.
Secondly, I have to have meaningful goals in life--be that my career or my education or motherhood. If you can't find meaning and purpose in your everyday activities, you tend to be less happy. For me, I know that my life as a student means I have to study to get to a career which is very fulfilling and meaningful.

Thirdly, I have to lead a very active lifestyle where I am moving more than being sedentary. I have to make time for the gym or any other activity I can do at home or outside.

Lastly, I make sure to follow what Leslie says as well as have my regular four meals a day (while portion-controlling).

I think that dieting does work. I've been on several diets and several different types of diet pills did really good but, when I hit a plateau I started feeling like this is useless. I then realized that it was not the diet that was failing but, in fact me failing the diet found it hard to stick to a diet for more than a week or so but, than thought to myself the weight will keep coming back unless I change my eating habits and exercise so that's what I did and slowly but surely the weight is coming off and staying off. yea
Donna S.

Yes, dieting works. It only works, though, if individuals choose to maintain a healthy lifestyle after losing that initial weight. I don't think that' the fault of the weight loss program; I think it's the fault of the individual not making good choices.

This post is old, but I was just wondering, how is singing in your car considered exercise?
I sing in my car all the time, it would be awesome if i could count it!