When the diets stop working: understanding the impact of chronic dieting
If you’ve ever felt stuck in the cycle of always being ‘on’ or ‘off’ a diet; if you feel like you just can’t lose weight anymore, and your metabolism is in the gutter; if you feel fed up of depriving yourself only to regain all the weight…this blog post is for you. In part 1 of this blog post, I’ll delve into the physical and psychological consequences of chronic dieting, before offering a strategic approach to rebuilding metabolism and fostering a healthier relationship with food through reverse dieting in part 2.
What is chronic dieting?
Chronic dieting is characterized by periods of significant caloric restriction where your body is using more energy than you’re consuming, putting you in a calorie deficit - resulting in weight loss. So why is this a problem, especially if you’re trying to lose weight to improve your health?
Well, the types of diet I’m referring to are impossible to stick to long-term - some examples include…
Fasting diets
Elimination diets (removing entire food groups)
Extreme calorie restriction diets (e.g. Cambridge diet)
Cleanse and detox diets
Because you can’t stick to these restrictive eating patterns long-term, what often starts with healthy intentions gradually shifts to a vicious cycle of ‘yo-yo dieting’ that takes a toll on both physical and mental well-being.
Let’s take a look at how this vicious cycle starts…
The Dieting Cycle
Step 1: You start the diet feeling excited and motivated!
Step 2: You get quick results in the first week or two (usually due to losing water weight and a small amount of fat)
Step 3: One of 2 challenges arise:
Results stop quickly, you lose motivation, get frustrated, and go back to your previous habits, often starting off with a binge
You keep going, but eventually it gets too much, and you ‘cave’ - maybe it’s a social occasion, or maybe you’re just really craving your favourite food. Because you’ve restricted so heavily, rather than consuming in moderate quantities, you overeat and binge.
Step 4: You feel like you’ve failed, and continue to fall back into old habits, gaining weight in the process and developing an increasingly negative relationship with food and dieting
Step 5: You get frustrated with the position you’ve found yourself in again, and decide you need to start over. This time will be the time that it works!
The longer the cycle continues, the more we see…
Increasing weight gain between steps 4 + 5
Less weight loss when starting a new diet
Reduced muscle mass and metabolism
Worsened relationship with food and body image
Decreasing confidence in your ability to successfully lose weight
Losing weight becomes harder and harder with each diet, and it piles back on afterwards. You’re fed up, your motivation is dwindling, and you feel like you just need more ‘willpower’. Ultimately, you develop a feeling of failure that’s hard to shake.
In reality, you haven’t failed; the diets have failed you.
Psychologically, they’ve given you an unrealistic expectation of achieving a quick transformation and an all-or-nothing mindset. Constantly obsessing over food, calories, and weight can lead to feelings of guilt, shame, and anxiety surrounding eating habits. This unhealthy mindset perpetuates a cycle of restriction, binge eating, and further restriction—a cycle that is difficult to break without proper intervention.
Physically, as the body is consistently deprived of adequate energy intake, energy levels plummet, and the risk of nutrient deficiencies and hormonal imbalances increases. This is accompanied by metabolic adaptation - as you’re dieting, your body gets better at conserving energy, making it increasingly difficult to lose weight and keep it off - one of the reasons people usually regain more weight after a diet than they lost during the diet!
Finally, from a practical standpoint, they’ve given you none of the skills, nutritional education or mindset shifts required to learn how to eat well, consistently. You haven’t learned how to do things like…
Structure balanced, filling meals that meet your changing nutritional needs
Incorporate all foods into your diet (yes, even chocolate, crisps, or alcohol, for example)
Eat intuitively when you can’t stick to your usual diet
Shift your focus from the weight on the scale to being healthy and strong
Return to weight maintenance after a period of being in a calorie deficit for weight loss
Rather than a steady return to a sustainable, healthy way of eating, these diets usually end abruptly with a binge, or a series of binges, accompanied by weight gain and a feeling that you’ve ‘failed yet again’. You go back to old habits, and reinforce a self-belief that you ‘have no willpower’ and ‘just can’t lose weight'.
The good news? There’s a way to break the cycle: reverse dieting.
Unlike traditional diets focused solely on calorie restriction, reverse dieting involves gradually increasing calorie intake over time, whilst restoring metabolic rate, improving energy levels, and promoting overall well-being.
Reverse dieting isn’t just about eating more though; it’s a structured, strategic approach, which I’ll be covering all the details of in my next blog post - so make sure you’re signed up to my newsletter to get it delivered directly to your inbox!
If you’re looking for a nutrition coaching programme that ISN’T just another quick-fix diet, Performance Macro Coaching will re-open its doors in April, for the last time before prices rise.
With limited spots available, secure yours by signing up to the waitlist today!
