Why don't diets work for me?

Question

I find I can't stick to a specific eating plan, or diet, for any longer than four weeks or so. I find myself continuously hungry and then depressed when I sway from my diet. I do exercise but only half an hour four times a week. Any suggestins?

Answer 1

Stick with food pyramid --avoid diet books they are all scams with a person who is a model (male or female) on the cover in little clothing who has nothing to do with the diet and is usually a very active and health conscious person or people who get into very good shape for photo shoots to make money (yes they do this look at celebs and musicians..check movies/ cd cover then see award shows) ..notice how they always look their best in movies...not just the makeup...usually around a 3-4% bodyfat difference except in the case of Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie who are going for "what appears to be their ideal" the size -4.

**Anyways on the excercise 30min a day 4 times a week aint a lot at all..its good no doubt..but Americans are in general fat and lazy..lets be honest...the major killer is heart disease...doctors aint going to get no obese people to start excercising by saying you really should be getting 1 hour of solid excercise 5 times a week (not counting warm up warm down ect)

Get off the hamster wheels, and stupid elipticals and enjoy life. Bike, jog, walk, play basketball, soccer, football, baseball, tennis, switch it up someday do some things some day others....alot of people lose alot of weight doing 30-45min 5 days a week and this is excercise of course but think of it as "personal hygeine" so you dont become obese...and then all the other active sports or activites you could be doing make them fun...swim, hike, foosball anything, raquetball....don't fall into the trap that "if it does not have a calorie counter it does not count...you would be amazed.

That is, do the 30 min 5 times a week consider that like brushing your teeth so your teeth dont fall out, and consider lifestyle changes like doing sports for fun and avoiding excessive idle sedentary laziness alike to avoiding eating high sugar taffy all day to prevent cavities and gum disease.

One last thing..about calorie counters....did you know that if I weigh 150 and I run 1 mile I burn approz 100 calories, if I weigh 190 and I run 1 mile at the same speed and all esle being equal I burn 100 calories....the gym machines people pay ungodly memberships that tell you you burn 500 cal in a 30 min workout....it is telling you the calories your body burns during those 30 min (without excercising) in addition to the calories you burn in those 30 min by excercising.

Example lets say a moderatley active 200 pound male needs 2400 calories a day to maintain body weight (this is not exact by any means but for point of example)...ok so I hop on the Elliptical enter weight...lets say I expend the energy on the elliptical needed to run 4 miles..the timer on the elliptical reads 40 min when im done. It should show around 400 calories burned...what it WILL show most often and other machines too that ask for weight is that your excercise 400 calories (energy expended from excercise) + 260 calories (which would have been burned regardless of the excercise because you burn these calories naturally--so the machine readout will tell you at end of workout "Total Calories Burned" 660 when it is really around 400....those machines are not magic after all...dont let the machine post workout reading flatter/patronize you...remember approx reading for a mile jogged is 100 calories...so if you you "do 30min" on a machine and get a readout around 500-600 cal burned either you just did the intensity cardio wise of person running 5 miles consecutivley with a 6min flat pace (which is an accomplished task of usually avid distance runners) or your being lied too..usually its the latter...dont let the machine fool you.

- Annual Gym Membership $100+ dollars a year
- Gym Logo Sweat towel $10 dollars
- Metabolic/Energy/Protein/"StealyourGreen,Make ya Lean" Beverages
- Getting Fit and staying fit without the commercial bullshit..priceless!

*** Activeness+ Healthy Diet is all you need

Answer 2

Wayne, if U are an obese person, do U want to look like that all your life & battle the inner feelings of hating how you look & feel?

I go to a diet & nutrishionist. I gained 25 lbs a few yrs ago I could not get rid of. I took blood test (required before prescribing my a diet pill). This test showed everything in my body-good & bad.
I was given a diet pill & a book to follow that I needed to change the way I ate. Here is the success & I knew it already but didin't really want to think it was about what I put in my mouth.


Eat...if a male-is 1500 calories a day, females-1200 calories a day. Next---toss all the junk food, all the sweets, ice cream,all the crap thats in boxes to snack on.
Eat nothing white-potatos,white bread,spaghetti,whatever is white is loaded with starch & fats. There is an absolute alternative for all this in your grocery store-wheat spaghetti,sweet potatos,whole wheat bread,etc.It's so much more tastier than the white stuff.
Keep cereal, bran flakes, shreaded wheat,-nothing presweetened,this is your snack food.
Bread that has 35 calories per slice-look for pkg'ing with clear & bright green writing & this is it,check calorie table on product to be sure.
Must have protein to chase the empty hungry feel away, I use, a boiled egg, an egg cooked in diet margine...also turkey, fish-bake it,chicken,red meat yes but only couple times a week, sugar free drinks,low fat milk,water, coffee,tea--only artificial sweeteners-forget the sugar. Need 3 meals a day,eat salads,yogart,steamed veggies for meals or snacks.Believe it or not this stuff is delicious.Switch to canola oil (lowers the bad chlorestoral) & add a teaspoon /tablespoon of olive oil for flavoring foods....and exercise by walking, start at 30 minutes a day, start & walk 15 minutes from your front door & turn around & walk back-this is so good for metabolism, gets the sluggish lazy feeling pumped up ,& chases the blues & depression away. Get active,moving your body. We have all the power & answers to lose weight, we have to want to be thinner in order to stay there.
My niece lost 70-80 lbs by eating prepared frozen dinners by Healthy Choice & Weight Watchers.She saved money by going this route & not buying food to prepare.
Good Luck

Answer 3

When you diet or cut back your food consumption, your body goes into "conservative" mode and your metabolism actually decreases. If you instead, make lifestyle changes, like eating 3 healthy meals per day, your metabolism is more regulated. If you exercise daily for 30 or more minutes, your metabolism begins to increase. In order to follow a healthy eating and exercise plan, you have to find the motivation to keep you on track. I usually register for a long distance running event or a triathlon several months in advance. That forces me to get on schedule with my workout plan. If you don't have the time to fit in an exercise routine daily, start exercising during the day. Choose a parking space further away and walk the new distance. Use the stairs rather than the elevator. Run in place with your legs as you sit at your desk. Be creative.

Answer 4

Well, first of all, congratulations on exercising four times a week. That's wonderful!!
I don't care if it's for 3 minutes or 3 hours-- you're DOING it!

Personally-- I think that dieting is 100 percent psychological.

I believe that basically, we can do anything we set out to do... it all depends on how badly we want it. And this is not really about "willpower." It's not about being good or bad. It's about being kind.

You know what kinds of food to eat.
You know about portions.
You know to eat breakfast.

Now, just be kind to yourself.

It's amazing what happens. When you see yourself eating the whole cake instead of a slice, ask yourself, "Gee, what's really going on here?" Instead of, "See, you're so bad and terrible and you'll never, never do it."

My take?
Don't stick to a specific eating plan. Don't have any "bad" foods.
Those "bad" foods will only call to you in the middle of the night.

Set out each day to try to do the best you can. Just like you do exercising. And then, in the middle of the day, try to do the best you can. And then, at the end of the day, try to do the best you can.

It's when we beat ourselves up that we're setting ourselves up to fail.

It's a process, like anything else.
Good luck-- you will do it.

Answer 5

I have been on a plan for 15 weeks and I have been notorious for dropping off plans after a week or two. I have lost 70 lbs. and have a long way to go. You need a support system to help you stay on track. I have been on the 6 week body makeover and I tell you this plan works. Reason most "diets" fail is because they are "diets". A "diet" is a temporary fix for a life long problem. If you really want to lose the weight you need to eat food that is going to speed up your metabolism. No two people are alike that is why most plans fail because the "diets" are made up for one type of person. People get bored with their choices that is why they drop off weightloss programs.

You need to get rid of everything that contains salt. All food has natrually occuring sodium so when you go to the store don't buy packaged foods, buy fresh whole foods. Look at your INGREDIANT label not the nutrional label, if it says salt or sugar leave it in the store. You need to quit drinking any soda and just drink water. 70% of weightloss comes from food, 30% comes from exercise. Vigerous exercise does not work. Walking and getting up to your THR (targeted heart rate) is what you need to do.

Stop using any oils including non-stick sprays. Portion your meals. You need to eat your proteins, carbs, veggies, and fruit. It will depend on what type of body type you have to determine what types of food and when you should be eating them. The plan that I am on you eat 5-6 times a day and never feel hungry.

Whether you try the program I am on or one your doctor puts you on you need to follow it. You will lose the weight if you are determined to lose.

Good Luck.

Answer 6

Quit dieting. If I say the word "diet", I get cravings for M&Ms.

Go with eating healthy. That means...switch to whole grains, low fat or fat free dairy, LOTS of fruits and vegetables, avoid processed foods and high fat foods. If you're a meat eater, go with chicken or fish more than red meats. Limit your portions, but eat 5-6 small meals a day. Try to make one or two days a week totally meatless. Leave the condiments (salad dressings, and so on) to a tablespoon or less...or switch to making your own and make them with olive oil.

Exercise...but make it as simple as walking 10,000 steps a day..get a pedometer and make it a goal..not a torture.

You won't lose it fast, but you'll learn to eat right and if you add in LOTS of veggies, you won't get as hungry. Oh yeah...drink lots of water and lose the sodas...(diet and other wise).

Answer 7

1.get your hormones and blood glucose levels checked. 2 find a friend to be your personal trainer or join a online support group.. 3the most important thing is NEVER STARVE it only slows your metabolism 4 maintain a food dairy 5 use smaller plates