Why is it so hard to keep the weight off after dieting?

You’ve worked hard to hit that magic clothing size or number on the scale. But, as the days and weeks go by, you notice your weight starting to creep up again.

That could be because of how you lost the weight in the first place.

Some of the biggest weight loss pitfalls

Your diet is too restrictive

High protein, low carbs, no sugar – these diets don’t work in the long run. People start to dream about bread or wake up thinking about cookies or chips. They’re so restrictive that it leads to binging.

Your diet is too prescribed

I see magazine covers in the store checkout lane that say “14-day diet” or “take 20 pounds off in two weeks.” Those diets aren’t necessarily horrible, but they’re very prescribed. No one is going to follow anything like that for probably more than a week or two at the most. If you’re taking the weight off, what do you do after those two weeks? You can’t just keep following and repeating the diet forever.

You eat too little during the day

We should take in a lot more calories in the day than we do in the evening. I usually see that flipped. People take in maybe half or less than half of their calories up until dinnertime, then they eat the other half or more during dinner or afterward, because they haven’t eaten enough during the day.

You’re not exercising enough

The American Heart Association recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic activity every week, and strength training exercises at least twice-weekly. While any activity is better than none, work your way up to the minimum recommendation and beyond to lose weight. Activity is good for your entire body, including your waistline.

You’re not getting enough sleep

Research shows that if you don’t get enough sleep, it really affects your hormone levels. It seems to especially increase your levels of ghrelin, a hormone that makes you feel hungry. When you’re really tired, you tend to reach for sugar to give you a quick pick-up and burst of energy. Also, the more hours you’re awake is all the more opportunity to eat.

You’re stressed out

Hand-in-hand with sleep is stress management. When our bodies are exposed to chronic, high levels of stress, it’s natural to reach for foods that make us feel better. Unfortunately, those tend to be high-fat and sugary foods that help reduce stress by activating dopamine receptors in the brain.

For lasting weight loss

Track what you eat

Keeping a food journal takes some effort, but it’s been shown to be an effective tool that increases awareness and accountability. In my experience, people who track calories typically have more success at losing weight. That’s because they’ll think twice before they eat eight cookies when they see the calories add up. Instead, they opt to eat two or three.

Track your activity

Make sure you’re scheduling activity and you’re journaling that, too.

Eat more fruits and vegetables

It sounds cliché, but we all should be eating more fruits and vegetables for so many reasons. Eating more produce is strongly associated with a lower risk of many chronic diseases, better brain health and a whole list of other benefits. Aim to eat several servings of fruits and vegetables each day, choosing produce of different colors for different nutrients. Think about eating a “rainbow” of different colors. It can be a combination of fruits and vegetables prepared different ways (raw, roasted, steamed, grilled, etc.).

Weigh yourself once a week

Weigh yourself periodically. If your weight starts to creep up, go back to those things you know worked for you before, like journaling food and activity.

Be patient

Weight loss takes perseverance. I see a lot of people who put effort into making too many changes too fast and don’t see a lot of results. Pull back on your efforts a little bit. The expectation should be one to two pounds a week.

You may lose five pounds in a month and then not lose any weight for another month. Losing weight can be frustrating. It should be slow and steady. Remember the rabbit and the hare: Slow and steady can win the race.

Consider seeing a registered dietitian

Dietitians have specialized training in weight management. Tap into their expertise to help reach your goals.