Every time I try to eat healthy and lose weight I give up. Why can't I stay on track and stick to a diet?

 

It's a complex situation and there are so many reasons why a person might give up on a diet or keep falling off-track with their intentions to eat healthy.

Ultimately, making healthy changes that last comes down to working on your mindset, and I think not addressing your self-talk is where so many people go wrong when trying to lose weight.

You're demonizing certain foods

The wording you use to describe what tends to happen - "giving in" - suggests you, like many people,

have certain foods demonized in your head.

"It's very clear that you look at having pizza or wine or cake as 'bad,' and as soon as you've done that, it's over, it's ruined," personal trainer and fat loss coach Jordan Syatt told Insider.

Don't beat yourself up for holding this mindset though, as it's incredibly common - I used to deem foods "good" or "bad" too, thinking I couldn't eat the latter if I wanted to lose weight. And the trouble is, once you label a food as "off-limits," you feel out of control around it, and you're way more likely to overeat when you just can't resist it any more.

But in reality there are no foods that stop you from losing weight - it's about how much you're consuming overall, which I've now learned.

Once you start to change the narrative in your head, it's easier to eat and enjoy your favorite foods in moderation, and no longer feel like you've "failed" every time you eat some.

It's not "giving in." It's just enjoying a piece of cake.

Syatt says your problem is likely this restrictive mindset around specific foods, rather than being too restrictive in your food quantity (which is where some people go wrong).

You've forgotten your 'why'

Dr Heather McKee, a behavior change specialist and habit coach with a PhD in weight loss psychology, recommends reminding yourself why you wanted to eat more healthily in the first place.

"When it comes to habit change, all too often we are aware of the ingredients - we know that we need to eat more vegetables and exercise more," she said. "It's not a knowledge problem. It's actually a skills and implementation problem. And the best way to help yourself get back on track is to reconnect with your 'why'."

A lot of people try to achieve their goals with outside motivation like the number on the scale, but this is fleeting. Instead, find your intrinsic motivation which comes from within, ie. goals with personal significance, like wanting to be a good role model for your children. Reminding yourself of these goals can help you make better choices.

In moments of temptation, try and think about what you want in the long-term, rather than short-term.

When I was losing weight and felt very tempted by, say, a donut, I would pause and ask myself: "What will make me proud at the end of the day?" Sometimes, the answer was to enjoy the donut, not feel guilty, and get back on track afterwards. Other times, the answer was not to have the donut.

 

 -Insider