For decades, women around the world have been trying different diets in an attempt to lose weight and achieve their desired body shape. However, studies have shown that almost 80% of women who start a diet, quit within a couple of weeks.
This begs the question: what is the truth behind women quitting diets?.
1. Unattainable Expectations
One factor that often leads women to quit their diets is setting unrealistic goals and expectations for themselves.
With the pressure to look like models and celebrities, many women set out on diets with the aim of losing a significant amount of weight in a short amount of time. When they don’t see the desired results within the first week or two, they become demotivated and give up.
2. Lack of Support
Another reason that women quit their diets is the lack of support from family and friends.
Trying to diet alone can be challenging, and without the support of loved ones, it can feel overwhelming, especially when faced with social events that involve food and drinks.
3. Feeling Restricted
Maintaining a healthy diet involves cutting out certain foods, and this can make women feel restricted, especially when they see others around them enjoying their favorite foods guilt-free.
This feeling of restriction often builds up, leading women to abandon their diet altogether.
4. Emotional Eating
Emotions often run high when trying to lose weight, and many women turn to food as a coping mechanism, leading to emotional eating. Emotional eating can result in binge-eating, leading women to quit their diets as they feel they’ve failed.
5. Monotony and Boredom
Another reason women tend to quit their diets is the repetitive and monotonous nature of eating plans. Often, diets involve eating the same meals over and over again, causing boredom and leading women to crave something different.
The desire to eat something new can get overwhelming, leading to abandoning the diet altogether.
6. Unrealistic Caloric Deficit
Some women might set themselves up to fail by following diets that require extreme caloric deficits. It can be challenging for the body to adjust to this sudden deprivation, leading to fatigue and burnout and causing women to give up on their diets.
7. Slow Progress
Seeing results from dieting can take time, and progress can be slow.
Women who are not seeing the desired results may feel like they’re putting in too much effort and not getting the reward they want, leading them to throw in the towel on the diet.
8. Comparison Syndrome
Finally, many women compare their progress with others, leading to feelings of inadequacy and discouragement. However, everyone’s body is different, and progress varies from person to person.
Comparing progress with others can lead women to give up on their goals, feeling like they’re not good enough.
The Bottom Line
Quitting a diet can be demotivating, but it’s important to keep in mind that it’s okay to slip up. It’s essential to have a support system that can encourage and motivate you to stay on track.
Additionally, setting realistic goals for yourself and practicing self-love and self-care can help reduce the feeling of deprivation and restriction that often leads to quitting a diet.