5 Reasons Most Weight Loss Plans Fail & How To Set Yourself Up For More Sustainable Success

"I have tried everything, and I am not losing weight."

At my holistic well-being clinic for women, I hear this almost on a daily basis.

By the time women consult me, they feel they have been spit out of the "wellness" industry gauntlet. Many of our patients have tried different diets, calorie restrictions, cleanses, workout trends, and apps. Often, they've experienced a cycle of rapid weight loss only to gain the weight right back. Some companies are happy about this: After all, if their clients regain weight, they return for more short-term weight loss over and over. The conventional methods for weight loss, such as calorie restriction or counting macronutrients, serve the wellness industry well—but not the women paying for them.

If you are not building muscle, you will not increase your basal metabolic rate1, which is essential for weight loss. Without increasing lean muscle mass and basal metabolic rate, the only way to lose weight is to be in a constant state of calorie deficit, which, let's be honest, is not sustainable.

While it depends on the person, I typically recommend that my clients do resistance training at least three times per week for at least 20 minutes at a time. This can involve exercises like calisthenics, body weight exercises, dumbbells, kettlebells, or resistance bands. (You don't need to buy tons of new equipment right away—you can use what you already have at home!)

Our bodies are amazing. We have evolved to withstand scarcity2. When we consume fewer calories and operate in a state of hunger, our bodies will lower our basal metabolic rate3 to store energy4. Restricting calories will also elicit a stress response5, since living in a state of calorie deficit is miserable and unsustainable (see the trend?).

It all comes back to the idea that withholding nourishment is not natural for us as humans. If weight loss is your goal, consuming nutrient-dense, protein-rich foods that keep you satiated will be a far more effective—and enjoyable!—way to get there.

Instead of practicing food elimination, I advise clients to focus on adding to their plates nutrient-dense foods that will love them back: greens, grains, legumes, veggies, fruits, nuts, nut butters, and seeds.

Weight and BMI are not always accurate measures of metabolic health, and some well-being journeys are better off as "weight-neutral." Weight neutrality is a harm-reduction approach that acknowledges that health status is not always correlated to body size or the number on the scale.

For example, when you first start resistance training, you may increase your muscle mass and decrease your body fat percentage. When this happens, the number on the scale may remain unchanged, especially early on. However, this does not mean you are not transforming your body. Many women give up at this point because they mistakenly think their interventions are not working.

A lonely wellness journey is destined to fail. Human beings are social by nature (even us introverts), and forming an accountability "pod" or ecosystem is essential for the success of your wellness journey.

I advise that anyone setting health goals identify one person (or better yet, a group of people) to help keep them accountable. Sometimes, it is actually best not to pick someone super close to you who loves you unconditionally. Those who love you the most may be more likely to go easy on you or let their responsibility to keep you accountable slide. Often, picking an accountability buddy who is not your best friend but is on a similar journey will be more effective.