Let’s get one thing settled: people don’t fail diets. Diets fail people.
Because diets don’t work! Let’s look at why they don’t work and what does work.
It’s not your fault
Most of us have tried diet after diet. And yes, we may have lost some weight initially.
But it almost always comes back, and usually brings some more with it.
By the time we find out about fasting, we’re depressed and feeling like a failure.
When all along, it wasn’t our fault that the “magic” diets didn’t work.
Your diet failed you because it was based on a faulty premise
Most diets center in one way or another around the calories in/calories out model.
They emphasize eating less and moving more.
The idea is that if you spend more energy than you consume, you’ll lose weight.
And that just does not work for long term, sustainable weight loss.
Because it’s not calories that make you fat. It’s hormones, and eating around the clock.
Eating less when you’re still hungry will do nothing but tank your metabolism.
Your diet failed you because it focused on the wrong thing
Diets usually limit the kinds of foods you can have.
This makes sense in some ways.
Low carb diets work because carbohydrates tend to spike your insulin higher and longer than fats and proteins.
And obviously eating healthy foods is better for your body than eating sweets and junk food.
But ultimately, fat gain and fat loss is more about when you eat than it is about what you eat.
You can eat low carb, carnivore, or high carb, and still not lose fat if you’re always eating and spiking insulin.
And alternatively, many people who incorporate fasting find that they can have some of their favorite foods in their eating window and still lose weight.
Which leads me to my next point.
Your diet failed you because it was too restrictive
For some people, completely cutting out foods they love is just too hard.
It makes them feel deprived, and they don’t stick with it.
Let’s face it, when you’re told you can’t have something, doesn’t that make you want it even more?
As noted before, with fasting, you can still have some of the foods you enjoy in your eating window.
Fasting is flexible, too. Life happens, and you can adjust your fasting schedule as needed.
But with diets, it’s not so easy to go off plan.
Your diet failed you because it wasn’t designed for the long haul
Diets are temporary. You can lose a few pounds.
But sooner or later you’re going to get tired or bored of it and be right back in the same spot you were in.
Or worse.
Your diet failed you because it did not fix the root issues
Obesity and food addictions are almost always rooted in the emotions, or in traumatic life events.
Diets absolutely do nothing to fix this. If anything, they magnify those issues.
Besides being so good for us physically, fasting is also therapeutic.
Fasting can help us heal those emotional wounds.
Your diet failed you because it did not fix your appetite
One of the most powerful things about fasting is that it can correct your appetite.
Diets don’t tell you how to not be hungry.
And years and years of yo-yo dieting can really mess up your appetite.
Fasting helps to regulate those hormones that control hunger.
Although it sounds counterintuitive, fasting can put you back in touch with your natural appetite signals.
Your diet failed you because it was too complicated
Do this. Do that. Don’t do this. Don’t do that.
Fasting is the most simple thing you will ever do. Just don’t eat. And then eat again. And then don’t eat.
How simple is that?
Your diet failed you because it took your power away
Diets make you feel as though you’ve done something wrong and now you’re being punished for it.
Fasting is empowering. Fasting puts you back in control.
But wait!
Isn’t fasting a diet, too? Nope, it’s not. And here’s why.
Eating nothing is not the same as eating less.
When you eat, insulin is released, and that tells the body to store fat.
It doesn’t matter if you only ate 500 calories. Or if you cut your plate in half.
If you eat, insulin is released. Bottom line.
When you fast, insulin goes down, and the body moves into fat burning mode.
Fasting is not a diet. It is not a temporary fix.
Fasting is a natural lifestyle that anyone can use to lose fat and maintain their healthiest weight.
You are not a failure
Even if you’ve tried every diet on the market, and they didn’t work for you, it’s not your fault.
Try fasting instead. And say goodbye to diets forever!
Author: Roo Black
Roo is a fasting coach with over 5 years of experience. She leads the admin team of the Official Fasting for Weight Loss Facebook group – one of the largest fasting communities on social media with over 125,000 members. We highly recommend this group for anyone who is looking for fasting advice or coaching.
