Topic: Long-term diet research
Any diet can lead to weight loss—if you can follow it consistently. Especially over time.
But most people struggle with that last part. And diet research reflects this.
Early on, progress is encouraging. Over time, however, adherence wanes.
So much so, that after a year, weight loss tends to backslide and be underwhelming.[1,2,3]
Here’s an example from a yearlong study comparing four popular diets: Ornish (low-fat), Atkins (low-carb), Zone (balanced macros), and LEARN (calorie control).[1]
For the first two months only, participants attended weekly instructional classes. These classes were led by a registered dietitian and included behavior modification strategies.
Once the classes ended, though, progress slowed, stalled, or even began to reverse.
The takeaway: Without help, people often revert back to their old way of eating.
This is why behavior-change coaching matters.
After all, what determines if you can follow a diet long-term?
It’s not about knowing what to eat. (Nor is it about willpower.)
It’s about your daily behaviors. And those behaviors are affected by:
● How you feel—not just physically but mentally and emotionally, too
● How much you enjoy the food you’re eating
● How frequently you struggle with cravings
● How much mental energy goes into your food choices
● How your diet interacts with your social life and relationships
● How well you sleep and manage stress
As a result, it’s highly individual.
So finding the right diet for YOU? No study can help you with that.
But a behavior-change coach? That’s exactly what they’re for.
1. PMID: 31879752
2. PMID: 12761365
3. PMID: 17341711
1. Jospe MR, Roy M, Brown RC, Haszard JJ, Meredith-Jones K, Fangupo LJ, et al. Intermittent fasting, Paleolithic, or Mediterranean diets in the real world: exploratory secondary analyses of a weight-loss trial that included choice of diet and exercise. Am J Clin Nutr. 2020 Mar 1;111(3):503–14.
2. Foster GD, Wyatt HR, Hill JO, McGuckin BG, Brill C, Mohammed BS, et al. A randomized trial of a low-carbohydrate diet for obesity. N Engl J Med. 2003 May 22;348(21):2082–90.
3. Gardner CD, Kiazand A, Alhassan S, Kim S, Stafford RS, Balise RR, et al. Comparison of the Atkins, Zone, Ornish, and LEARN diets for change in weight and related risk factors among overweight premenopausal women: the A TO Z Weight Loss Study: a randomized trial. JAMA. 2007 Mar 7;297(9):969–77.
