Most of us have gone on a diet to lose weight, but when the diet stops, the weight
comes back. Why can’t we stick to diets, lose weight and keep it off?
One reason is, we expect change instantly. Turn on the TV. Put it in the microwave.
Order it over the Internet. Hop in the car and go. And that’s the way we sometimes
approach weight loss.
We go on diets to quickly lose weight. We make drastic changes, and after three weeks
or three months, we have lost some weight. But the change starts to be too much to
handle. We start to go back to our old habits, behaviors that we’ve developed over our
lifetime.
Another reason diets don’t work is the fact that one plan doesn’t fit all. This sets you
up for short-term success and long-term failure.
Also, many factors determine the size of our bodies. Some we can’t control like our
age, gender or family history.
Researchers have studied people who have lost weight and kept it off. This is what
we’ve learned: a healthy weight loss goal is about a pound a week.
Quicker weight loss diets tempt us because we want overnight success. But if we want
to stay in that size for the rest of our lives, small, gradual steps are what it’s going to
take.
Talk to your healthcare provider about what steps you need to take for healthy, and
permanent, weight loss.
This content is reviewed regularly and is updated when new and relevant evidence is made available. This information is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with questions regarding a medical condition.
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