Why crash diets are failing you

Do you currently have a fat loss goal? If so, it can be easy to go ‘all in’ and adopt a very restrictive diet, do lots of cardio, and drastically cut your calories. After all, the more aggressive your deficit, the faster you’ll lose weight, right? Well…not exactly gf! 

Remember, an unsustainable process = unsustainable results. Even though you won’t be in the deficit forever, you will still need to implement the same habits so you can maintain the results long term. If you end a dieting phase only to revert straight back to your previous way of eating/living, then you won’t be able to sustain your result (which is why so many diets fail!). 

So what’s the key to achieving fat loss results AND sustaining them long term? It’s all in your method gf! Here are my top tips on making your next dieting phase more sustainable:

• Don’t go too aggressive with your deficit (especially at the start). Remember, the goal should be to lose fat while eating as much as possible, not as little as possible. 
• Focus on building habits rather than the end result. Instead of just saying ‘I want to lose 5kg’, change your goal to ‘I want to hit a regular step target, train 4 times per week, and stick to my macros’
• Include foods you enjoy! If you deprive yourself of everything you love during your deficit, chances are you’ll be more likely to ‘blowout’ on these foods once your diet ends, or become extremely food focused during your deficit. Remember that you can still enjoy your favourite treats in moderation even while dieting! 
• Eat in a similar way post-deficit. Don’t completely change the way you eat once your deficit ends. You should still be prioritising your protein, and eating lots of whole, nutrient dense foods. Yes, you can enjoy some more flexibility when you’re not in a deficit, but the types of foods you eat shouldn’t completely change! 
• Don’t view your lifestyle as something with a start/end date. It’s easy to set a timeline for your deficit, and follow a specific diet ‘just for now’. But remember that your health and fitness doesn’t have a start and end date - it’s forever! Yes, being in a deficit is a means to an end, and you can’t (and definitely shouldn’t!!) stay in one forever. However, the healthy habits you adopt during a deficit shouldn’t really change in your every day life! Remember, you shouldn’t just be moving your body, staying hydrated, nourishing yourself well, and prioritising sleep because you’re trying to lose fat. You should be doing those things all the time! 
  

Love TWS coach Bronte x