Why Diets Don’t Work Long-Term and What Sustainable Eating Looks Like in Everyday Life
You’ve probably tried to diet at least once in your life. You started out motivated, cut out sweets, bread, and dinner, counted every bite, and the scale showed a lower number. But what happened a few months later? If the weight came back, you are not alone.
This cycle of losing and regaining weight is known as the yo-yo effect. In this blog, we will debunk the myths surrounding quick fixes, explain how your body truly reacts to starvation, and show you how to build a healthy relationship with food that lasts a lifetime.
The Trap of Crash Diets
When we want a “beach bod” or results “for a wedding,” we usually resort to so called crash diets. Whether it’s a rigorous keto diet without a trace of carbs, a juice cleanse, the “cabbage soup diet,” or extreme fasting, they all share one common trait: they drastically restrict your intake of calories and nutrients.
“The statistics are quite harsh. Research shows that between 80% and 95% of people who lose weight on restrictive diets regain it within one to five years,” says endocrinologist Dr. Neda Crnjak.
The reason isn’t a lack of willpower on your part. The problem is biology. Extreme diets demand perfection and immense sacrifice, leading to psychological fatigue. Once you “break” a rule and have a slice of cake, the resulting guilt often pushes you to give up entirely, adopting the mindset of, “Since everything is ruined, I might as well eat whatever I want.”
What is Happening in our Bodies: Hormones and Starvation
Evolutionarily, our bodies are programmed to survive, not to be “beach body ready.” When you suddenly deprive it of calories, your body registers this as a threat (starvation) and triggers the following defense mechanisms:
- A spike in ghrelin (the hunger hormone): Your body increases the secretion of the hormone that signals your need to eat. That’s why you constantly think about food while on a diet.
- A drop in leptin (the satiety hormone): Your brain has a harder time registering that you are full, meaning you need a larger amount of food to feel satisfied.
