Why Sticking with Your Diet is So Hard

Written by: Tom_Venuto

Clearly, we have an obesity problem in America and many other countries across our planet. Yet, I propose that we do not have a we1ght loss problem today.

In case you're confused at this apparent contradiction, consider these statistics: According to a study from Oxford University published in the International Journal of Obesity, within 3 to 5 years, about 80 percent of all 'losers' have regained the lbs, and often gained back a little extra.

According to research by the National WeightControl Registry, that relapse rate may be as high as 95 percent.

For comparison, relapse rates for drug, alcohol and tobacco dependency have been reported in the range of 50-90%!

This means that lots and lots of people have lost wt. But not many have kept it off. Therefore, we don't have a wt loss problem, we have a weight-relapse problem; we have a "not sticking with it" problem.

From that perspective, wouldn't you agree?

In fact, the fall and subsequent regain usually doesn't take years. Many people have abandoned their new year's resolutions within weeks. By the time the Super Bowl party rolls around, the diet is ancient history!

If this is true, then shouldn't we put more of our attention onto figuring out why you haven't been sticking with your program, and what you should do about it?

That's exactly what much of my work has focused on in the last few years. I also put together this new list (below) of the top 8 reasons why you always seem to fall off the wagon. Understanding the problem better helps lead you to solutions.

Rather than worrying about the minutiae of your diet plan, like whether you should be on low carb or high carb, Mediterranean or Okinawan, vegetarian or meat eater, I propose that if you simply focus on these 8 issues, you'll start getting more lasting results on ANY program.

How? By being able to stick with whichever plan you decided was best for you! After all, even if you have one of the best nutrition programs in the world (such as Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle), it doesn't do you much good if you can't stick with it.

Here are the 8 reasons why you fall off the wagon

1. No focus: you didn't set goals, you didn't put your goals in writing, and or you didn't keep your goals in mind daily (by reading them, affirming them, looking at a vision board, etc.)

2. No priorities: you may have set a goal, but you didn't put it on or near the top of your priorities list. For example, your goal is six pack abs, but drinking beer and eating fast food on the weekend is higher on your priorities list than having a flat stomach.

3. No support system: you tried to go at it alone; no buddy system, training partners, family, spouse, friends, mentors or coaches to turn to for information and emotional support when the going got tough.

4. No Accountability: you didn't keep score for your own accountability - with a progress chart, weight record, measurements, food journal, training journal, and you didn't set up external accountability (ie, report to someone else or show your results to someone else)

5. No patience: you were only thinking short term and had unrealistic expectations. You expected 10 pounds a week or 5 pounds a week or 3 pounds a week, so the first week you lost "only" 1 or 2 pounds or hit a plateau, you gave up.

6. No planning: you winged it. You walked into the gym without having a workout in hand, on paper, you didn't plan your workouts into your weekly schedule; you didn't have a menu on paper, you didn't make time (so instead you made excuses, like "I'm too busy")

7. No balance: your diet or training program was too extreme. You went the all or nothing, "I want it now" route instead of the moderate, slow-and-steady wins the race route.

8. No personalization: your nutrition or training program was the wrong one for you. It might have worked for someone else, but it didn't suit your schedule, personality, lifestyle, disposition or body type.

So there you have it - 8 mistakes that cause most people to fall off the wagon. Are you guilty of any of these transgressions? If so, the solutions are clear and simple:

Focus, prioritize, get support, be accountable, be patient, plan, balance and personalize.

For more information go to www.burnthefat.com

For Tom Venuto's Complete Muscle Building,
Fat Burning System CLICK HERE!

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About the Author:

Tom Venuto is a lifetime natural bodybuilder, personal trainer, gym owner, freelance writer and author of Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle: Fat Burning Secrets of the World's Best Bodybuilders and Fitness Models. Tom has written over 140 articles and has been featured in Iron Man Magazine, Natural Bodybuilding, Muscular Development, Muscle-Zine, Exercise for Men and Men's Exercise. Tom is the Fat Loss Expert for Global-Fitness.com and the nutrition editor for Femalemuscle.com and his articles are featured regularly on literally dozens of other websites.