Why Most Diets Fail (and What to Do Instead)
If you've ever started a diet feeling motivated, stuck to it for a few weeks, maybe even lost a bit of weight - only to fall off, regain it, and feel like you’re back at square one… you're definitely not alone.
In fact, most diets fail.
Not because you lack discipline.
Not because you weren’t trying hard enough.
But because most diets are designed to fail from the start.
Let’s talk about why that happens - and what ACTUALLY works long term.
1. They’re too extreme to maintain
Cutting out entire food groups, surviving on 1,200 calories a day, removing carbs... sound familiar?
These quick fix approaches rely on short term sacrifices rather than long term strategy. You can push through for a few weeks, but eventually, hunger, cravings, and real life will catch up. And when it does, you will rebound - HARD.
What to do instead:
Follow a sustainable calorie deficit that fits your lifestyle. You don’t need to cut out all your favourite foods to lose fat - but you do need to learn how to eat in a way that supports your goals.
2. They ignore your real habits
Most diets tell you what to eat. Very few help you understand why you eat, or how to build better habits around food, stress, movement, and your environment.
This is why “eating clean” for 30 days doesn’t change your body long term. It doesn’t address what you do when you’re tired, emotional, busy, or out of routine.
What to do instead:
Start building daily habits that support fat loss without relying on motivation. Simple things like meal planning, getting protein in each meal, and having structure with food make a much bigger difference than following some perfect meal plan for a week.
3. They don’t teach you how to maintain your results
Most people who lose fat, gain it back. That’s because a lot of diets focus on losing the fat - but not on what happens next.
So you get results… but as soon as the challenge or “diet phase” ends, there’s no clear strategy to transition into maintenance.
And because you never learned how to fuel your body, train properly, or build a sustainable routine, the weight comes back - and the cycle continues.
What to do instead:
Have a clear exit strategy. The goal should always be to eventually maintain your physique without tracking every bite or following strict rules. Learning how to reverse out of a fat loss phase properly is just as important as the fat loss phase itself.
4. They don't consider your lifestyle
If a diet only works when you have no social events, no holidays, and nothing stressful happening in life… it’s not a real solution.
Fat loss doesn’t need to mean giving up your lifestyle. In fact, the best fat loss plans are flexible and designed to work with your routine - not against it.
What to do instead:
Build a structure that’s realistic for you. You can still go out to eat, travel, and have your favourite meals - as long as you’ve got a plan and you understand the fundamentals.
So... What Does Work?
A realistic calorie deficit based on your body
A training program focused on strength and muscle retention
Habit building and routine that supports your goals
Education - so you understand what you’re doing and WHY
Flexibility - so it works long after the diet is done
If you’re ready to stop starting over...
I've put together a FREE Fat Loss Guide that breaks down exactly the core principles that I coach my clients to do to get real, sustainable results.
You’ll learn how to set up your nutrition, training, and habits - without cutting out everything you love.
👇🏼 Grab your free copy of the Shredded Fat Loss Guide here
[Download Now]
Let’s make this the last fat loss phase you ever have to start over from.
With love,
Coach Sandra xx