Stop! These Diet Plans For Women Don't Work. Here's Why
So many women sign up for diets that never help them achieve their weight loss goals. Why do so many diet plans for women fail? What can we do to change our approach to eating and weight loss in order to achieve and maintain the ideal weight? Read on for what the experts say on failed diet plans
Why are we not losing weight? Studies show that up to 65% Americans on a diet lose weight in the first 2 months and regain it all back within a year. Yet, we have hundreds (probably thousands or more) of diet plans for women and men designed by expert dieticians and nutritionists. Why then is the goal of a slim, healthier person so elusive to most of us?
It Starts With The Mindset
You are what you think. It’s cliche, but that’s how we are wired. If you think you’re on a diet, then you have put yourself in some temporary mindset and you can just as easily get off your diet.
To succeed, you have to remember that diets are temporary, while eating is for a lifetime. You can easily lose weight by sticking to a kale and cabbage soup diet. But is it a realistic lifetime nutrition plan? Sooner or later, you will find yourself binge eating on fries, burgers, and ice cream.
The best diet plans for women approach is to find a nutritional plan that works around your body’s needs and your lifestyle. This is ideally a diet plan you can stick to forever because it’s not a temporary diet. It does not limit you to only “healthy” foods but actually lets you indulge responsibly in what you love to eat. The Beverly Hills Rejuvenation Center’s Dr. Angie has seen fantastic results with clients who switch to a lifestyle-based nutrition plan.
Most Diet Plans for Women Go Against Biology
If you eat less, you should lose weight, right? Wrong! Dieting is actually counterintuitive as the body experiences it as a stressor. When the body is stressed, we produce more adrenaline and cortisol. These are stress hormones that slow down the rate at which we burn down calories.
Think about it. When you’re hungry, do you feel like being physically active? No. In fact, a feeling of lethargy washes over you. This is just your body’s way of trying to keep you alive. It’s shutting down non-essential systems to save energy and keep you going, albeit at a slower pace.
Calorie-restrictive diet plans for women may work for a brief period, but your body will quickly adjust and do all it can to use as little energy as possible. Additionally, the body will react by storing up extra fat and water to store energy because it assumes food is scarce. Thus, you will get fatter instead of leaner.
To circumvent this, you need a nutrition plan that provides you all the calories you need, depending on your lifestyle. A nutrition plan that not only considers what you take in, but what you need to function optimally.
Diets Aren’t Fun, Are They?
Not many people enjoy these diet plans for women. They seem like punishment. Hence, immediately we embark on a diet, we keep watching our weight. Because achieving our ideal weight is the reward. And it’s our signal that we can now stop dieting.
Constantly weighing yourself each morning in the bathroom introduces its own stressors. And the frustration of delays in achieving your weight goal demotivates you. Taking such a beating daily is unsustainable and morale depraving.
A better option is to look for a lifestyle change plan that allows you to enjoy your food while at the same time gradually reducing your weight. Your body will feel better, your mind will be more at ease, and you will most likely be a far happier person.
Moreover, you get two additional bonuses. Your gradual weight loss is easier to manage for a lifetime, and you avoid those unsightly stretch marks that appear with drastic weight changes.
Unstructured Diet Plans Lack Accountability
We are in the information age. You go online and find all these helpful advice and you want to take action. We are a generation of DIY experts. And that’s not a bad thing. However, going it alone comes with some challenges. You have no one to answer to, and that means you have no one to motivate you either.
While self-help remains a noble undertaking, being in a structured weight loss program keeps you accountable to yourself and others. Having people who motivate you, encourage you, and correct you gives you direction. Having a cheer squad celebrating your weight loss milestones boosts your morale and helps you stay the course.
If you have an expert nutritionist on your side, you will get qualified advice to quickly achieve and maintain your ideal weight without adverse side effects. A positive buddy such as a close friend, a spouse, or partner will not only make the journey bearable but enjoyable too.
Your Diet Plan Lacks A Physical Aspect
Diet plans for women help you manage your caloric intake. However, most diet plans don’t take into consideration your individual rate of physical activity. The same diet plan with set daily calorie counts will be peddled to a marathoner as to a lawyer.
Our bodies are different. We don’t all have the same resting metabolic rate. Our different lifestyles mean we all have different caloric needs.
To successfully attain and maintain your ideal weight you need to focus on all the 4 factors of weight loss. These are:
- Daily calorie intake
- Maximum heart rate
- Target heart rate
- Body fat percentage
Your nutritional plan needs to be complemented with a sustainable and individualized exercise plan. Physical activity helps in maintaining lean mass by strengthening muscle and burning fat.
Plus, while your overall weight is important, your body composition is the best measure of how healthy you are. Maintain a body fat percentage of between 16 and 25 percent with a consistent nutrition regimen and a sustainable workout plan.
Why Diet Plans for Women Fail
If you’re on temporary diet plans for women, your results will be less than satisfactory and difficult to maintain. Instead, opt for a lifestyle change that is enjoyable and sustainable for a lifetime.
Most commercially available diet plans for women introduce biological stressors, which prompt the body to store energy sources such as fat and water. Instead, go for a structured weight loss program that eases your body into burning more fat without losing lean mass.
Diet alone will not achieve and maintain your ideal weight. Incorporate exercise in your plan. Customize your exercise plan to be in line with your current lifestyle. Go with what you enjoy and it will be easier to maintain.
Sign up for a structured weight loss program to enjoy the benefits of having an expert nutritionist and a team or partners behind you for accountability. Be consistent and always use weight loss methods that you can enjoyably sustain for a lifetime.
Are you on a weight loss program that has worked wonders for your weight and figure? Or are you frustrated by many failed diet plans for women? Share in the comments. We want to hear your story
References
Brian Wansink’s Book “Slim By Design: Mindless Eating Solutions for Everday Life”
