Have a hard time losing weight? Tired of strenuous workouts and yo-yo dieting? If so, you’re not alone. Believe it or not, over 95 percent of diets fail. Most people regain the lost weight within one to five years. What’s even worse is that prolonged dieting puts you at risk for eating disorders and metabolic damage. Plus, there are many other factors that may affect your weight loss progress, such as your hormones, stress levels, genetics and overall health. Without a doubt, there are diet plans that work—you just to cut through the hype and find an approach that fits into your lifestyle.
Before getting started, check out these five reasons why your diet isn’t working and what to do about it!
5.) Not Getting Enough Calories
Contrary to popular belief, weight loss isn’t all about calories in versus calories out. If it was that easy, obesity rates wouldn’t be on the rise. Health experts advise against going below 1,200 calories a day for good reason.
The more you lower your calorie intake, the less energy you’ll burn. When you’re on a strict diet, your body enters starvation mode. This means it begins to use fewer calories for its daily functions. As a result, your metabolism slows down and the stress hormone cortisol levels go up.
Crash diets are notorious for their ability to cause metabolic damage. That’s why most athletes and fitness models go on reverse diets after long periods of cutting. Reverse dieting allows their bodies to recover from stress and become more efficient at burning calories.
Need more proof? Check out the Mediterranean diet, the Atkins die and other diet plans that work. Some don’t even require counting calories. The whole point is to make clean eating a habit rather than skipping meals or starving yourself.
