Most people who begin a diet fail for a number of different reasons. This is obviously something which I want to help you avoid. Here are 7 of the main reasons why 95% of the diets people start fail.
1. One dimensional:
When any of my new clients sign up with me the first thing I ask them to do is fill in a questionnaire. It's a long list of questions which helps me build a picture of their previous history and learn enough about them. Whenever they answer the "current diet" and "past diets" the answer is almost always the same.
In fact, I can guess the answer. It's always the same options, "chicken and rice" 90% of the time!
Many diets are flawed from a nutritional perspective because they almost always restrict the body from vital nutrients and often lead to intolerances building in the gut due to a lack of variety.
2. Caloric intake too low:
When people begin a fat loss diet especially, they panic and start off with a calorie intake which is far too low! What this does is lead to acute hunger which increases the likelihood of cheating, creates an environment where your energy levels are very low and ultimately you get fed up. It also leads to stagnation quickly once your body responds to the fact it is being under fed.
3. Not enough fat:
I see so many diet plans with far too little fat in! I'm not talking about keto based diets because I tend to opt for a more balanced approach with nutrients from all food groups, built strategically around that individuals needs and goals along with their body type/composition. However, a diet with heavily restricted fat intake is a recipe for low testosterone levels, catabolism, poor energy levels, suppressed libido and sore joints as well as poor cognitive function/concentration.
Going zero fat is not ever needed or advised, it's an "essential" nutrient to the body! All our cells need protein, water, vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids (EFAs) omega 3 and 6 to operate at their best. Udo's Choice Ultimate Oil Blend is a seed oil blend that has been designed to supply the ideal 2:1 ratio of omega 3:6 which are the unrefined essential fats our body needs to work at its best.
4. Poorly planned:
When people have their daily "numbers" (Which is a form of dieting I really dislike!!) they tend to have days where they have little or no structure and end up making poor food choices and cramming a lot of food in at once. You don't need a degree in nutrition and physiology to understand this is not great for optimising body composition changes and performance.
5. Not enough fibre:
Most plans have nominal amounts of fibre, especially from sources such as green vegetables which are essential for numerous reasons. Having enough of the right fibre (common mistake!) is essential for the general health and performance of your GI tract. It's also essential for managing blood sugar levels effectively and therefore insulin health, another KEY factor in building muscle and burning fat.
6. Too restrictive:
Structure is essential to a good diet plan in my opinion in almost all cases, if there is too much freedom and flexibility, you will always find the individual gets lost eventually. However, there is a lot of unnecessary restrictions placed within diets in my experience which just makes the journey harder than it needs to be. Being disciplined and planned with your eating can be challenging enough, let alone with added restriction which is not necessary.
Things like eliminating dairy is a common one, which makes no sense to me unless that individual has an issue with it. I also feel like I said under point 1, there's not enough variety which means the diet is boring. You want at least 3-4 sources of protein in your diet to keep things fresh.
7. Lack of direction:
Many people do not track or monitor their diet in terms of portion sizes. The real issue with this is that you are guessing when you make changes.
If you have no point of reference then how can you know if the changes you are making are needed? This is why, every week I ask my clients to advise on a list of changes within their stats and ALWAYS check there has been no deviation within the diet.
I hope this has helped you today.
Writen by: Neil Hill
