What happens when the diet doesn't work?

So, you start a diet program.  You follow it perfectly.  The first week, you lose six pounds.  The second week, you lose zero pounds.  The third week, you lose zero pounds.

The fourth week, you say, forget it!  I'm done counting points/calories/fat grams/carbs.

Sound familiar?  Maybe it's me but that's what happened to me and Weight Watchers. 

What do you do when the diet plan you've chosen doesn't work for you?  I've done this whole diet thing long enough to know that there are a lot of different ways you can lose weight, but they generally fall into two categories:  portion control or food restrictions. 

Food restrictions would be eliminating or restricting foods (like sugar, fat, processed foods, carbs, etc.). 

Portion control would be eating anything but limiting the amounts of those foods.

I have lost weight using both methods but had the most success with a restrictive diet.  When I stopped eating flour and sugar, things clicked into place for me.  I'm thinking that's really the only way I'm going to find success.

The issue is to decided how much restriction is necessary--there's such a spectrum from the raw foods diete to the Paleo diet to Clean Eating to the South Beach Diet. 

So that's where my head is.  I have so many books to choose from but I'm thinking I will get out my Clean Eating books and start there.

Comments

[Stephanie Martin]

My thoughts on Weight Watchers - for what they are worth. I've followed your blogs for years and have been a lurker primarily.

I joined Weight Watchers on 5/29/12. I needed to lose 130 pounds, more or less. I have lost 35.6 pounds to date. I am losing at an average rate of 1.4 pounds per week.

My husband wants to lose about 60 pounds. He signed up for Weight Watchers last month. He lost no weight the first two weeks, about 0.2 of a pound the third week and 0.4 pounds the fourth week. He's frustrated and angry.

There are a couple of differences in how he and I are playing the WW game. I'm not sure if this explains the differences in our weight loss or not but here they are:

- He uses all or close to all of his weekly points.

- I use a max of 15 and usually more like 4-6 of my weekly points.

- He tracks food after he eats it.

- I track food BEFORE I eat it so I can decide on the front-end whether or not the points are worth it.

- He is a snacker and, since he has more points than I do, eats more diet foods like Weight Watchers snack cakes.

- I don't have the points to spare so I eat grapes or my 2:30 in the afternoon banana. I truly believe in the studies that show that eating foods with artificial sweeteners increases your desire for sweets and becomes, then, self-defeating. Whether I'm right or wrong on this is irrelevant to me since my methodology works for me.

I hope this helpful for you whether or not you stick with WW. I'm cheering you on however you choose to lose.

[Kristen]

A friend told me about a book called "It Starts With Food" which advocates a program they call Whole 30. It's very similar to Paleo. But the reason it resonated with me is for the health benefits with weight loss as a natural side effect. In short, you eat quality meats, veggies and fruits for 30 days and then systematically add dairy, gluten grains, and gluten free grains back in and pay attention to you how you FEEL. I feel fantastic eating this way, which is huge to me. I'm definitely a sugar addict and this has definitely helped.

[Margaret]

Hey Mel,

Just don't give back the six you lost while you are choosing the next plan!! That's the secret.

[Sarah]

Weight Watchers didn't work for me either in terms of weight loss, I started to try to get off a three month plateau and six months later was still on it. I did, however, like it in that it was a huge wake up call that I was eating basically a day's worth of food at every meal and it caused me to figure out a couple week's worth of easy to put together dinners that were low pointage.

My husband, on the other hand, lost something like 90 pounds in six months. I think he can lose 90 pounds in six months on pretty much any plan.

Like you, the only thing that works for me is no white, no sugar and I can only keep up with it if I basically make the it the center of my world...which I just cannot force myself to do anymore.

[Deborah]

Yes.... I can completely relate to this. It occurs to me often that I have all of the tools I need to lose weight and get fit and healthy. I know a lot about food, dieting and so forth.

I know what I should eat, what I should eat more of and less of... and yet... NADA!

Every so often I read pointers from experts and love it when they keep it simple. Burn more calories than you eat. Calories in vs calories out/burnt. In many ways it's not rocket science and yet we (me included) make it so hard. I'm as bad any anyone, regularly swearing off carbohydrates or increasing my protein etc.

Sadly I expect if I already have the knowledge it comes down to motivation and behaviour. (And I hate that!!!)

Deb

[Kat]

Six pounds is six pounds. It is 10% of what you lost before. The little victories count and add up, too!

I know you're discouraged right now, but I want to encourage you not to give up. Having rebounded myself and then hit about a thousand false starts (and an additional 15 pounds while "trying to change"/incredibly frustrated), I dug my heels in to try again, because as I think you said at one point, you really can't ever give up unless you want real health problems.

Anyhow, I just re-read your blog in its entirety for motivation--thank you (I really hope you make it into a book someday.) I dedicate my first week, four-pound loss to you. Your experiences helped me recognize myself and my behaviors. I realized that I was once again buying and preparing junk food "for my partner" but eating more than my share of cookies, too. He's really fine without them (and competent to procure junk food on his own). And the excuses I made! Telling myself one thing or another "just wouldn't work for me"--well, just because it didn't work before, why *couldn't* it work now? (Like your decision to try Weight Watchers again) Or that I was just "tasting" things (ten, twenty times). (Shake my head) So what if counting calories and exercising weren't working--I know they DO. Was I *really* sure I didn't nibble 50 calories here and 100 calories there (enough to sabotage myself)? I appreciate the lightbulb article you posted about the power of 100 calories.
And so what if I'm really, really, insanely busy? I just shouldn't mess around on the internet as much or spend so much time trying to mask being fat (a real time suck!) "Busy" was becoming my excuse for self-sabotage. Going out for burritos actually took more time than chopping vegetables! And I'm more productive when I've exercised and eaten right, I know that: I sleep better, I think better. Thanks for helping me to realize/acknowledge that. Again.

Your trick of telling yourself you just have to put on your exercise clothes--brilliant! It doesn't always get me out running but it'll usually guilt me into some weights or push-ups at the very least. Why spend the time procrastinating? Just do it! Thanks!

You've helped me so much, I wish I could do the same. But I don't have a blog. So...I don't know if what is working for me would help jump start your losses but I've compiled a few things below (in addition to reading motivational material ^_<) in the hopes you might find something there, too, as you also renew your efforts:

a. For the first few days, I kept a bag of popcorn from Target in my kitchen (because I think it smells revolting--perhaps something else would work for you?)--and it really helped to keep me from snacking! The overpowering smell would kill my urge to mindlessly eat.
b. I don't buy or bake unhealthy things "for my partner" that I like right now. When I'm maintaining/ have will power, yes, but while I'm losing/can't control my seemingly sentient hands from shoving cookies in my gob, no. (This might be gross, but I caught myself with half a cookie in my mouth this week. I spit it out and rinsed out my mouth. Then threw the box away and took out the trash.)
c. I PLAN (again, motivated by you): my meals, my snacks, my goals, and my less-healthy moments. I will have three bites of cake at a retirement dinner I'm attending because consumption is a form of celebration. But three bites. (Love that rule!)
Since I'm usually up past midnight, I enter my planned meal into LoseIt (or first thing in the morning) and then change it if I've deviated at the time of deviation which is a pain, so I try not to alter my path too much. I check LoseIt before I put food in my mouth and make sure it'll fit my nutritional quotient.
d. I juice fresh vegetables or mix up protein shakes for at least one "meal" (I like MLO's vegetable-derived protein powder and almond milk (low carb, high calcium) with a half a cup of fruit, PB2, and/or cinnamon).
e. All right, I quasi-juice fasted for three days. I find it helps to reset my "MUST EAT EVERYTHING ALL OF THE TIME" button. I still ate a few bites of protein and vegetables with my juices, but not much. I've full-fasted before for a week and it's fine, but I find quasi-fasting for just a few days works better for me.
f. Like you, I have PCOS and can't have a much sugar or "evil" carbs. Straight to my hips (and a feeding frenzy). But, as you wrote, that can't be an excuse for me. It may make it harder to lose weight, but not impossible. I wonder if PCOS makes me inclined to want sugar more, especially once I've gone there, but like you said, just not starting on the french fries is the easiest way to stop.
g. Which leads to my "treats": sugar-free calcium-enriched fiber chews (filling!), gummi vitamins, calcium chews, and calcium-enriched chocolates (from Whole Foods). None of these things are cheap (which also helps me control myself), but I know I can't binge on vitamin-packed candy (i.e. I can have one of one or two kinds, not all varieties)) without terrible consequences (so I don't). But...being able to have "candy" when I "need" it is great.
h. After I'd lost weight last time, I was smug. I've lost so much weight, I'd think, smoothing my size six dress, I DESERVE this cake. Whatever, I'm a size six, I'd think, and eat a brownie. Ha. Not for long with thoughts like those. A total mental muck-up. Oh, and even though "those other size-six women" were eating ice cream, I realize now, like you noted, they barely touched it (or if they did, likely weren't about to repeat the experience next week). It IS a lifestyle change, as you've written many times.
i. Oh, and I cut caffeine out for the time being and *most* artificial sweeteners (go, Stevia!). I'm going caffeine-free because I realized it was doing something with my brain chemistry to make me want eat everything in sight (even more than I already did) later--same with artificial sweeteners.
j. And I bought a FitBit to track my steps and motivate me to walk instead of being sedentary (which is easy to do working from home).
k. I'm a night snacker, so I'm trying to finish eating early and then to avoid salty things. I brush and floss my teeth and then rinse with Listerine -- nothing tastes good on top of that. Nothing. And, really, I don't want to floss my teeth more than once a night.

I know this is incredibly long but I do hope it helps--even just to remind you of what a difference you've made to people like me you've never actually met. Thanks again and Good Luck! You *can* do it! This blog is proof that it's possible.

[Jennifer]

I'm wondering if maybe you have developed some food intolerances or maybe a high level of insulin resistance. It could explain why WW is not working this time--perhaps gluten, or corn, or sugar, or some other ingredient that got removed when you gave up "the white stuff" last time does a number on your weight-related hormones, so merely limiting it doesn't help? Could also explain the feelings you've described of wanting to eat not just one cookie, but many...yes, could be emotional, but could be a physical component, too. Supposedly in people with certain food sensitivities, they can affect the brain with an opoid effect. Whole30 might be something to look into just as an elimination diet...just speculating here...Good luck with whatever you choose.

[MamaBearJune]

What worked for me is the Flat Belly Diet. Love the variety available and having a MUFA at every meal. (Dark chocolate, nuts, olives, avocados or healthy oils) 400 calorie meals 4x a day. I never feel hungry and never feel like there's anything I absolutely can't have. After consulting with a naturopath and starting with supplements, I did give up dairy except for plain greek yogurt and organic butter and bad sugars. So I've made some adjustments and am doing what works for my body. Hang in there. Hope you figure out what works and get back to it!