Dr. E.C. Fulcher, Jr.

Hello, my name is Fred Hatfield and I have a Masters Degree in Physical Education from Middle Tennessee State University and a Bachelors degree in Exercise Physiology from Kent State University.  I was an ISSA Personal Trainer Professor for 8 years.  I also have 8 years of experience as an Assistant Strength and Conditioning coach at the collegiate level.  I am also a competitive cyclist, runner and I am training for my first triathlon.

I see so many people trying to lose weight, trying this diet and that diet, and having little or no success. This lack of success leads them to give up. I understand the frustration of feeling like your starving and for nothing because your goals are not being met. Because I see this so much, I wanted to try and help those that really want to make a lifestyle change and make realistic goals and actually meet them. I thought I would start by talking about the various ways people try to diet, why they don’t work and how to fix it so you will see some results.

The goal of a proper nutritional diet is to give you the resources needed to sustain life at an optimal level.  When the body has the proper amount of protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals its ability to carry out all the body’s functions and fight illness. Since we all live different lifestyles, nutritional requirements differ to some degree for each person.  Unfortunately, many people do not eat with this goal in mind; they eat because they are hungry, stressed or they have a craving for their favorite foods. 

This has led to an estimated two-thirds of Americans being either clinically obese or overweight.  Americans spend an estimated $16 billion a year on various weight loss programs and products on the market.  Unfortunately, it is also estimated that 95% of diets ultimately fail.  While that number may be disputed by some, it’s clear that what most people are doing isn’t working.

There are many factors that can hinder a person’s weight loss efforts (slow metabolism, life-style changes, the wrong diet for the person, or simply it’s a bad plan).  However, the biggest reason why diets fail is that people don’t consistently stick to the diet. A person may believe they are sticking to their diet, but there are many subtle (and not so subtle) points they miss.  Let’s look at a few things people may miss when dieting (and how to fix them):

• You aren’t really counting all your calories.  If you are planning out your meals and any allotted snacks in-between, you are doing well.  However, are you counting everything that you eat?  Did you include the tablespoon of mayonnaise on your sandwich or the handful of M&M’s your co-worker offered you? Did you count the teaspoon of sugar and tablespoon of half and half in your coffee?   These are just some examples, but these 4 foods alone add up to 250 calories which you may have totally missed.  The fix:  First, when you prepare a meal, account for each ingredient, including cooking oil if you use it.  Next, discipline yourself not to eat outside the plan (dips into candy dishes, for example).
• You underestimate your portions.  Let’s reexamine the mayonnaise on your sandwich.  When you look at the calories per serving, chances are it’s 100 calories for a tablespoon.  Are you really using only a tablespoon (it is actually an exact measurement and not grabbing a spoon off the table and seeing you much you can pile on that spoon!)?  This holds true for many other foods as well.  Unless you are measuring or weighing each item you eat, your calorie count is inaccurate.  The fix:  It may be a hassle, but measuring and weighing your portions with proper scales and measuring utensils is the only fix for this.  At least take this step for a week or two; it will allow you to become aware of what your portions really are.
• Your “small modifications” aren’t so small.  Suppose you found a diet plan that makes sense and fits your needs.  There is just one little problem:  you still want just one comfort food as the only exception.  That may sound like a reasonable modification, but is it really?  Suppose that small modification is ice cream at night or a soft drink while at work.  These two foods can fit into a sensible diet, as long as you keep it reasonable.  One scoop of ice cream may be ok (not three).  One can of a soft drink may be ok (not the 64-ounce fountain drink from the convenience store).  The fix:  If you must make an exception, keep it reasonable and make sure it makes it into your overall calorie count.
• Your cheat days go way overboard.  Let’s face it:  cheat days aren’t really a good idea!  While there is the theory that they may help stabilize your metabolism and they do give you a reward to look forward to, they still hinder your efforts.  Many diet plans do allow for a cheat day, but the problem is overdoing it.  For example, if you are on a 1200 calorie a day diet plan, a reasonable cheat day would be 1800 calories or maybe even up to 2400 calories.  What would not be reasonable is 3000 or more.  The fix:  your cheat days (if you must have one) should resemble a steady rainfall; not a category 5 hurricane!  Keep them reasonable and make sure you log them into your calorie count. 
• The diet is wrong for you.  Some diets are flat-out terrible!  But even if they are sensible, it may not be right for you.  We all have different levels of activity, metabolisms, and food preferences.  If you are physically active (either at your job or you exercise) you will need more calories.  If you choose a diet heavy on rice cakes, kale, and tuna fish but you don’t like these things, chances are you aren’t going to say with your diet for very long!  The fix:  don’t make things so unreasonable for yourself that you set yourself up for failure.  While you are looking to make lifestyle changes during a weight loss diet, it must be workable for you.
• Results aren’t what you expect and you give up.  This can happen in a couple of different ways.  You may expect to lose a pound a week with your diet but only lose a half-pound.  Another scenario that may happen is hitting the dreaded “wall”: you do great 4 weeks but then don’t lose any weight for the next two weeks.  Instead of staying in the fight, you decide the results aren’t worth the pain, and you give up.  The fix:  It’s simple:  stay in the fight even if it’s not going the way you wanted.  If you are making progress, keep it up.  If it’s not, or it’s going to slow, look at making adjustments, but stay with the plan.
• You don’t maintain what you’ve achieved.  Once you’ve achieved your target weight, your weight loss diet can still fail.  If you go back to the dietary habits you had before you will put the weight right back on.  The fix:  this one is simple too.   You must get a new plan to maintain what you achieve.  Keep monitoring your weight, and don’t go back to your old habits.

In summary, there are no shortcuts, special diets, or superfoods out there that will counter poor dietary practices.  It may be disappointing, but for diets to work they must be reasonable for your lifestyle and they must be followed!  While you may have to make adjustments at first and when you hit the dreaded “wall” (and you will hit it, count on it!), you can still succeed if you stick with the plan.

Written by Fred Hatfield