We've likely all been on diets. You might even be on one right now. I know

throughout my own lifespan, I've probably tried nearly every single one. Does anyone

remember the old school grapefruit diet where basically you get to eat half of a

grapefruit and a slice of bacon every day? I was put on that diet in grade school.

Dieting fads have been around since the beginning of time and despite research letting us all know

that 95% of all diets fail, we keep trying to be in the 5%. Today I'm going to talk about some of

the reasons why diets fail and a few suggestions on what to do instead. Welcome back to Savvy

Psychologist. I'm your host Dr Monica Johnson. Every week on this show, I'll help you face life's

challenges with evidence-based approaches, a sympathetic ear and zero judgment. The first reason

diets fail is the general unsustainability of most diets. Many diets are too restrictive,

eliminating certain food groups or severely reducing calorie intake. These extreme restrictions

can be difficult to maintain in the long term, leading to feelings of deprivation, cravings

and ultimately a higher likelihood of abandoning the diet. I try to tell my patients all the time

that a diet isn't something you do for two weeks to lose weight for a special event. A diet is

what you develop to support your body's nutritional needs so it can support you and everything you'd

like to accomplish in your life. When you're developing a diet, actually think through if it's

something that you can reasonably maintain for the long term. This brings me to a related reason

that diets fail. Unrealistic expectations. Many diets promise quick and dramatic results,

but when the expected results are not achieved within a short time frame, individuals may feel

discouraged and abandon the diet. Additionally, when I talk to people who have tried a thousand

different diets and haven't been able to meet or maintain the unrealistic expectations,

they want to give up on taking care of themselves altogether. That's not good for longevity and

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