6 Reasons 30 Day Diet Plans Don't Work
Anyone jumping into one of these right now?? Read this first!
There are a couple times of the year that quick fix diet plans seem to pop up as an easy solution to weight loss, healthy eating, and everything in between — and it always seems to be centered around a vulnerable time.
↠ The start of the new year.
↠ After the holiday cookie season ends.
↠ Pre-bikini season.
↠ Before wedding season.
↠ Or anytime you Google something like, “quick weight loss” or “healthy eating plan.”
For some reason 30 days seems to be the magical number that these fad diets and quick-fix plans choose as the threshold for when your body and mind will be “fixed” and you will finally “be healthy.” But how many times have you looked into these plans? Maybe you’ve done a couple yourself!
… So why are you looking for a new one? Because 30 day plans simply don’t work for sustainable healthy eating habits! But why?? They seem so promising — eliminate x, y, or z food group for a month, detox your body from sugar, and drink some supplement elixir everyday, and it will cure your inflammation, hunger, cravings, and more! If it worked… You’d still be doing it right??
I want to talk about why these quick fix, jump starts usually don’t work. Yes, there are some people that thrive on these little stints on a diet and go back into their “normal,” but for others — it’s another part of the yo-yo dieting cycle that is keeping them stuck.
Can you relate?? Check out why. as a dietitian, I don’t recommend 3o day fixes or diet plans!
6 Reason’s Diets & 30 Day Plans Don’t Work
They’re restrictive || For the most part, any quick diet sprint is going to call for some form of an elimination diet. While cutting certain inflammatory foods from your diet for a short period of time can be helpful when identifying food allergies or intolerances, cutting out multiple food groups because a diet says it is helpful is not the most helpful plan. This can even be harmful to your body if certain foods are eliminated for longer amounts of time — such as dairy. Our body naturally produces the enzyme, lactase, to digest lactose (the sugar found in milk). If you don’t eat dairy products for long enough, your body will stop producing that enzyme! After the 30 days is up and you start eating daily again, your body with likely have a harder time digesting it — even if you did not previously have lactose intolerance!
They focus on short term goals || Cleanses and detoxes are notorious for this. “Lose 10 lbs. in a week,” or “drop a dress size by the end of the month” are claims that focus solely on the short term problem you may be facing. Even if you do want to lose weight, a quick drop in weight likely isn’t sustainable, is mostly water weight, and you will probably gain back after the cleanse is finished. Putting a short timeline on a way of eating keeps your head in a short-term timeline, instead of focusing on the bigger picture, sustainable results, and lasting health benefits (or consequences).
They don’t teach you how to keep it up || Ever get to day 31 and say, “well now what?!” One of my biggest qualms with 30 day fix-it plans is that not many teach you the habits and techniques you need to sustain healthy eating habits (if there are any in that plan at all…). Building an arsenal of habits, coping techniques, and meal building methods is important in maintaining your wellness no matter the season, stress level, or against whatever life brings. If a plan is written out for the 3o days with every step detailed out, then it leave the consumer lost once completing the plan and looking for a new one when the superficial results of the last plan wear away.
They perpetuate the good food/bad food mentality || Cutting out sugar, dairy, gluten, processed foods, etc. might seem like a healthy eating no-brainer, but it goes against all of the food freedom mentality we love! By choosing certain foods to be eliminating, it continues the thought that the particular food is “bad” or “unhealthy” instead of developing an understanding of how to incorporate all foods into your eating routine with balance.
They try to be one-size-fits-all || Trying to fit a fad diet into your lifestyle can feel a little like putting on one of those “one size fits all” popcorn shirts from the 90’s — it might cover you up, but it’s definitely not a perfect fit. Generalized guidelines laid out in these plans assume that everyone experiences inflammation from the same foods, or responds well to a lower carb intake or have the same protein needs. Nutritional needs are so incredibly unique for each individual that expecting a blanket diet to fit flawlessly into your life is unrealistic. Your nutrition plan should be tailored to your specific needs.
They might rely on supplements || Juice cleanses, shake meal replacements, and the like are prime examples of this. If a plan calls for the majority of your intake to come from certain supplements, it’s a red flag. Ask yourself this — can you see yourself drinking/eating whatever the shake, bar, drink, juice, fizz is every day for the rest of your life? These plans ask us to focus on the “extras” and supplements we are eating rather than focus on eating wholesome food sources. Supplements can absolutely be a part of a balanced lifestyle, but in support of eating real food first — not replacing it with a shake.
There are a lot of messages out there about fad diets, quick fix plans, and 30 day cleanses — but from my personal and professional experience — they are not a long term solution to the goals you might have. PLUS many show no scientific evidence of being effective or deliver many of the claims made.
These plans can strip the joy from eating out, holiday meals, eating for comfort or joy, and disrupt your relationship with food. Instead of turning to the next quick fix, detox, or 30 day plan — focus on building sustainable habits that support your lifestyle.
If you are looking to ditch the dieting cycle, quit hopping from detox to cleanse and back again, but are struggling with how to build those healthy habits, click to schedule a FREE consult to get actionable tips you can use right away, and see if nutrition coaching is a good fit for you!
xx,
mallory