Food Myth: Dieting Leads to Long-Term Weight Loss

Diets are often considered the go-to solution for weight management. However, dieting may actually hinder weight loss, especially long-term.

Will Dieting Lead to Weight Loss?

You may lose weight while on a diet, but it probably won’t last. (Sorry).

As you begin a diet, you may lose weight as your body adjusts to it. However, the rate of weight loss will eventually slow down or even stop.

Research shows that weight re-gain is commonplace for dieters, especially chronic dieters. One meta-analysis of weight loss studies found that more than 50% of the lost weight was regained by 2 years, and 80% was regained by 5 years.¹

Restricting food has also been shown to slow down metabolism, which may be one reason for post-diet weight gain. Additionally, dieting has been associated with increased levels of ghrelin, the hormone that increases your appetite.²

Interestingly, some researchers have found a link between dieting and future weight gain in normal weight adults.³

While there may be many reasons for weight gain after dieting, one thing is for certain: restrictive diets are unsustainable.

Is Dieting Healthy?

For some people, dieting may be a healthy option, but this isn’t always the case.

When medically necessary, dieting may lead to healthy weight loss, which can improve certain health parameters. For example, in the case of obesity, losing 5-10% of body weight may improve blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Even less weight loss may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.⁴

However, dieting for the sake of dieting, or when it’s not medically necessary, may set you up for a lengthy recovery to normalcy.

Going off and on diets (also known as yo-yo dieting) may lead to weight cycling, or losing weight and then gaining it back. According to research, weight cycling may cause strain on your heart.⁵

Chronic dieting may also increase the risk of developing an eating disorder. One study found that highly restrictive diets are more likely to cause disordered eating habits down the road.⁶

Are Some Diets Better Than Others?

Not all diets are created equal, as some can do more harm than good.

First and foremost, beware of fad diets. You know, the diets that promise “magical” weight loss in a week.

Real change takes time, and any rapid weight loss will almost certainly come back (and then some).

Fad diets and restrictive diets are unsustainable, which is why people often don’t stick to them for long. This unsustainability is typically what causes people to go off and on new diets over and over again. This also causes many people to feel like they “failed” at a diet, but, really, the diet failed them because it was never going to work in the first place.

The best diets are those that focus on lifestyle changes and don’t require you to eliminate entire food groups. Diets like the Mediterranean Diet and the DASH Diet are supported by science, as both have been found to cause positive impacts on human health.⁷

If weight loss is the goal, keep in mind that a healthy rate of weight loss is around 1-2 pounds per week. Anything more than this may cause stress on your body. Intense diets that may cause rapid weight loss should only be done under the supervision of a qualified healthcare provider.⁸

Non-Diet Options

Before trying a new diet, it’s important to ask yourself why you want to lose weight.

While weight loss may sometimes improve your health, weight loss for the sake of weight loss can actually be unhealthy. This is especially true if you’re trying to lose weight quickly for an upcoming event or for another person’s approval.

Healthy bodies come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and “skinny” doesn’t always equal “healthy” (just like “fat” doesn’t always equal “unhealthy”). A healthy weight fits your body type and isn’t a struggle to maintain.

However, weight loss may be recommended to some people for a variety of health reasons. For example, some people may need to lose excess body weight to improve their heart health and reduce the risk of diabetes.⁴

Instead of crash dieting, certain lifestyle changes may lead to weight maintenance and lasting weight loss. You may consider:

Adding more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein to your diet
Getting plenty of sleep
Engaging in regular physical activity (intense workouts are not required)
Focusing on healthy snacks that include both fiber and protein
Reduce stress in your life
Limiting alcohol

One of my favorite and final pieces of dieting advice (because I’m not a fan of diets): instead of removing foods, focus on adding nutrient-dense foods.

For example, instead of restricting carbs or fat, add more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats, and lean protein to your diet. When your diet consists of mostly nutrient-dense foods, your body gets all the vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, protein, and other nutrients it needs to repair, grow, and stay healthy. Then, you can fill in the gaps with fun foods that you enjoy without any guilt.

The Bottom Line and Next Steps

The weight loss industry is worth billions of dollars…BILLIONS.

Sometimes, weight loss may be necessary. However, it’s important to re-frame your mindset around losing weight before starting a diet or changing your lifestyle.

We’ve all seen ads for restrictive diets on every form of media. Once you realize that the diet industry is out to get your money (and not to help your health), then you can change your mindset.

It’s evident that fad, restrictive diets aren’t the best choice for lasting weight loss. For healthy weight loss, choose sustainable lifestyle changes instead.

To make the best choices for your body and health, work with a registered dietitian.

Intuitively Written

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