Starting a new diet requires optimism. Especially if you have a long history of failed attempts. (And most of us do.)
We have to convince ourselves that this time will be different. Otherwise, why even bother?
One of the ways we muster that optimism in the face of so much damning evidence is to focus on the details of the diet itself. Maybe our past attempts failed because we hadn’t picked the right diet.
But if you are overweight, the real problem is not your diet. Lose all the weight you want on whatever diet regimen you choose. If you haven’t fixed the underlying habits and mindset, you are almost certain to regain the weight.
A study published in the International Journal of Obesity found that overweight adults who lost weight through focusing on changing their eating and movement habits (as opposed to following a certain diet) were more likely to maintain their weight loss for up to 12 months.
“Maintaining weight loss is often the hardest part of the weight-loss journey,” researcher Gina Clea says, “yet it was successfully achieved by our participants on the habit-based programs, without the need for dieting or strenuous exercise.”
This is exactly what we see with our members in the Weighless Program. Although we certainly talk about food and movement, there is no prescribed diet or exercise program. We focus less on what you’re eating and more on how and why you’re eating it. We work on dismantling that dieter’s mindset and creating the habits and mindset that lead to weighing less, permanently. (Here’s what that looks like.)
And it’s working! Just last week we got a note from one of our members who started the program two years ago. By the end of 12 months, he’d lost 10% of his starting weight. Even better, he’s now kept it off for an entire year! It’s exhilarating to witness people finally break free of destructive yo-yo dieting patterns and discover what it’s like to weigh less.
It’s enough to make an optimist out of you!