Ditching Diets - Why Dieting Is Designed To Fail

Ditching Diets – Why Dieting Is Designed To Fail

Introduction

The New Year often marks a fresh start, where many of us set New Year’s resolutions, whether that’s picking up a new hobby or aiming to lose weight. It’s typically a time when we tend to become more aware of our eating habits, often influenced by post-festive guilt. As a result, many people begin the year by starting a new diet. However, as the new year unfolds and diets take centre stage, it’s important to recognise that they aren’t a reliable solution for the long term. Despite the abundance of weight loss programmes available, success rates remain discouraging, with around half of individuals regaining the weight they lost within two years, a cycle commonly referred to as yo-yo dieting.

Weight gain typically results from a combination of high-calorie foods rich in fats and sugars and large portion sizes alongside sedentary behaviours. Most diets attempt to address these factors by promoting lifestyle change, such as reducing overall calorie intake, limiting processed foods and alcohol and increasing fruit and vegetable intake.

Diet Failure

Despite various diet methods offering significant weight loss potential, long-term weight maintenance proves challenging, resulting in weight regain. In pursuit of results, individuals turn to a wide range of approaches, including detox or cleanse diets, ketogenic and low-carbohydrate diets, intermittent fasting and weight-loss supplements.

Weight loss studies found that within two years, over 50% of the weight lost was regained, and by five years, it was over 80% (Khattab, 2024).

Consequently, unsuccessful weight loss attempts can lead to a decline in obesity treatment-seeking behaviour, with many viewing weight loss efforts as futile.

Why/How diets fail

Most diets appear to be successful in the short term because they focus on reducing calorie intake, resulting in initial weight loss. However, maintaining this weight loss over time is far more difficult.

The brain perceives weight loss as a threat to survival, prompting it to lower metabolism and increase hunger (Khattab, 2024). Drastically reducing calorie intake also results in increased fat storage and muscle loss (Khattab, 2024). This effect is amplified with extreme diets, where weight tends to be regained more rapidly with a higher fat percentage.

Factors that contribute to diet failure include:

Metabolic adaptations – reductions in resting metabolic rate and increased levels of hunger hormones following weight loss (Khattab, 2024).
Psychological factors – emotional eating, stress and poor body image can undermine adherence to dieting.
Genetic predispositions – genetic variants influence how individuals respond to weight loss interventions (Aleksandra Bojarczuk et al., 2024).
Unrealistic expectations – rapid results are often expected, leading to frustration and loss of motivation.
Lack of sustainability – restrictive diets rarely fit into everyday life in the long term.
Socioeconomic factors – time, costs and access to healthy foods can limit diet adherence.
Medical factors – medical conditions like PCOS and hyperthyroidism, along with medications, like antidepressants and steroids, may influence appetite, metabolism and weight regulation (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, 2019).

How dieting makes people feel

Dieting often affects more than just eating habits as it can significantly impact how individuals feel about food, their bodies and their self-worth. Societal norms surrounding body weight and food can put pressure on individuals to conform to unrealistic body standards which can, in turn, negatively influence dieting outcomes and increase vulnerability to disordered eating behaviours.

For many people, dieting is closely associated with low self-esteem, guilt and mood fluctuations. Comfort eating is a common coping mechanism during periods of emotional distress; however, dieting can intensify these issues. When dieting goals are not met, individuals may experience disappointment and feel like they have failed, blaming themselves, further increasing stress and reinforcing emotional eating behaviours.

Over time, these repeated cycles of restriction and guilt can lead to the development of disordered eating patterns, especially when restrictive food rules are normalised. Dieting also reduces the enjoyment of eating, making it feel stressful or even scary, with certain foods labelled as forbidden and shameful. It can also create issues in people’s social lives; eating out with friends and family can become a trigger for anxiety, and loss of hunger cues from restrictive eating behaviours can influence family meal times (Van and Van, 2022).

It’s important to recognise that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to dieting. Factors such as food preferences, metabolic differences and lifestyle demands play a significant role in determining what is sustainable and supportive of long-term well-being. Therefore, when dietary approaches are not met with the anticipated results, it’s important not to feel disheartened.

Alternative approaches to dieting

Diet failure isn’t purely a result of personal barriers but a predictable response to food restriction. Understanding the biological, psychological and social barriers to long-term weight loss allows for more compassionate, sustainable approaches to health that move beyond diet culture altogether.

Adopting mindfulness-based approaches to eating can help to change your eating habits more sustainably and, as a result, contribute to weight management.

Mindful eating is an approach to food that focuses on being fully present while you’re eating. It aims to increase your awareness of your thoughts, senses and feelings during and after eating. Research has shown that mindful eating can help to regulate appetite, aid digestion, and make eating a more enjoyable experience, as well as support emotional eating habits.

How can you eat more mindfully?:

Slow down when eating – this can help you feel more relaxed and allow your body to recognise when it is full.
Meal planning and sticking to regular meal times – having structure helps to regulate hunger levels and make better food choices.
Eat food for fuel and nourishment – choose nutritious foods that are enjoyable to you and provide nourishment and energy.
Avoid labelling foods as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ – focus on eating a variety of foods that provide satisfaction and nourishment
Avoid distractions – try not to eat while on your phone, laptop or while watching TV so you can focus on enjoying your food in the moment.
Listen to your body – learn to recognise your body’s hunger cues and finish eating when you feel comfortably full. The aim is to avoid extreme hunger or extreme fullness.
Reflecting on your feelings – recognise when you’re eating for emotional reasons other than physical hunger.

For more information and tips, read my previous blog on mindful eating vs intuitive eating

(BDA, 2020)

Setting realistic goals while still enjoying the foods you love in moderation is essential for long-term success. Combining familiar food favourites with new foods can make dietary changes feel more manageable and increase engagement with healthier eating patterns. Social support from family and friends also plays a key role in sustaining these changes.

Conclusion

As we enter the New Year, it is essential that we focus on shifting our focus away from diet culture and more towards flexible, mindful approaches that can ensure weight loss while supporting both physical and mental well-being. By setting realistic goals, enjoying food in moderation and focusing on sustainability rather than restriction, individuals are more likely to achieve long-term intended health benefits without the harmful cycle associated with dieting.

Written by Freya Torkildsen

Reference list

Aleksandra Bojarczuk, Egorova, E.S., Dzitkowska-Zabielska, M. and Ahmetov, I.I. (2024). Genetics of exercise and diet-induced fat loss efficiency: A systematic review. Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, [online] 23(1), pp.236–257. doi:https://doi.org/10.52082/jssm.2024.236.

BDA (2020). Mindful Eating. [online] www.bda.uk.com. Available at: https://www.bda.uk.com/resource/mindful-eating.html [Accessed 19 Dec. 2025].

Dvorak, T. (2025). Why Diets Are Destined to Fail and How to Break the Cycle. [online] University of Utah Health | University of Utah Health. Available at: https://healthcare.utah.edu/the-scope/health-library/all/2025/01/why-diets-are-destined-fail-and-how-break-cycle [Accessed 18 Dec. 2025].

Khattab, R. (2024). Weight Loss Programs: Why Do They Fail? A Multidimensional Approach for Obesity Management. Current Nutrition Reports. [online] doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s13668-024-00551-x.

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (2019). Factors Affecting Weight & Health. [online] National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Available at: https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/weight-management/adult-overweight-obesity/factors-affecting-weight-health [Accessed 19 Dec. 2025].

Van, E. and Van, E. (2022). How To Get Your Hunger Cues Back With Intuitive Eating – Emily Van Eck Nutrition & Wellness. [online] Emily Van Eck Nutrition & Wellness – Intuitive Eating Nutrition Therapy. Available at: https://www.emilyvaneck.com/how-to-get-hunger-cues-back/ [Accessed 19 Dec. 2025].

For more tips on weight management, follow Niamh on Instagram