Why Diets Alone Fail

For years we have heard, “Eat less, exercise more, and you will lose weight”. Sounds simple, right? If it worked… why are we still so overweight? According to an October report from the World Health Organization (WHO), excess weight has reached epidemic proportions globally, with more than 1 billion adults being either overweight or obese. More people worldwide now die from being overweight and obese than from being underweight. And it doesn’t look like the experts will be coming up with a solution any time soon.

After years of trying multiple miracle drugs and pointing the finger at various nutrients (remember the ban on fat in the 80’s?), the experts are now telling us to simply eat less. They have since lifted the ban on fat also by telling us there is such a thing as “good” fat.

Simply cutting back calories does not work for most of us. It works for some, but those are the ones who are more genetically inclined to be fit and trim anyway. We all know a few of them. They are the ones telling us to, “Eat less and exercise more”. The majorities of us try and fail, try and fail, try and fail. If eating less and exercising more works for you, then by all means be grateful for your genetics and go for it. You really don’t have to continue reading. But, if you have tried eating less and exercising more and still can’t quite reach your weight loss goals, then please continue reading. You might find something that helps here.

The most common reason for failing in our attempts at weight loss is cravings. We can eat but still crave something we love (chocolate, ice cream, cereal, etc.). Have you ever just stood at your open refrigerator or pantry to see what you “might me in the mood for”? There are so very many foods that actually promote cravings such as sugar and other simple carbohydrates. Even many of the so-called “diet foods” contain ingredients that promote hunger and cravings. Many times when we believe we are eating “healthy” we are really sabotaging our weight loss efforts by eating foods that are actually promoting hunger in our bodies. Just because it is considered a healthy food does not mean you can lose weight if you eat it.

The second reason for failure is hunger. We cut back our calories and we are hungry. There is no getting around this. Our body likes to maintain equilibrium. If we eat more than it needs, it stores the excess as fat and tells us to move around a bit in order to burn more. On the other hand, if we eat just a little it tells us, “Stop moving, conserve energy, lay on the couch, watch a move, burn less, eat more, i.e. “hunger”. Hunger is our body telling us it needs energy (food). In order to avoid hunger we cut back our calories only a “little bit” but it is not enough to actually lose significant weight. We may lose a pound or two and in frustration give up. Failed again.

In order to reach our weight loss goals we have to cut back calories enough to make our body continually use our stored fat for fuel. In order to do this we have to eliminate the hunger and cravings. Face it… if it wasn’t for hunger or cravings we could lose weight easily. And try as you might, it is not possible to sustain hunger and cravings for long.

The way I recommend eliminating hunger and cravings is by using one of the commonly-called cookie diets. It's really a logical and sensible solution. The cookies take away the hunger and cravings leaving you able to manage your diet. The product is a meal replacement cookie that you eat during the day followed by a low-calorie, yet balanced dinner. The cookies contribute about 400 calories daily and the meal can be anywhere from 400 to 600 calories. The cookies should contain nothing that will promote hunger. They are engineered to eliminate hunger and cravings so that you are able to stay on your diet. It’s really that simple: the cookies eliminate hunger and cravings and therefore you stay on your diet.

This is a very low calorie diet (VLCD) so you have to be otherwise healthy to consider it. You may want to consult your doctor first. Explain to her that you won’t be on this plan forever… just a month or two (or three) to jump start your weight loss and take advantage of the fast weight loss you will experience at the beginning. Also mention that people have been successfully cookie dieting since the 70’s with no adverse effects.

Here’s to a happier and slimmer you. Finally!