Why do restrictive diets never work? If you've ever thought that you're the problem and that's why the diet doesn't work, you're in for a surprise! Let me scientifically explain why restrictive diets falter after just a few days of implementation.

The Classic Restrictive Diet

These diets typically kick off on a Monday and consist of seemingly healthy foods, like a green salad, chicken, and 0% yogurt. They create a caloric deficit, theoretically enabling weight loss. However, after a few days, usually by Friday, we often abandon them and indulge in food. What's wrong with these diets?

The restrictive diet:

1. It fails to maintain balanced glucose and insulin levels in the body. Inadequate food intake leads to low glucose levels, triggering increased hunger and sugar cravings. When the body is hungry, it seeks quick energy sources like sweets, chips, junk food, and fatty foods.
2. It doesn't stimulate serotonin production. Serotonin, the "happiness hormone," promotes calmness, emotional control, satiety, concentration, satisfaction, and reduced hunger. It's produced when we consume a combination of protein, carbohydrates, and vegetables/fruits, not just in a salad with chicken.
3. It raises neuropeptide Y, which stimulates appetite due to reduced glucose available to the brain.
4. It elevates stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol, produced by the adrenal glands in response to deprivation. This stress lowers serotonin levels. Additionally, if we restrict ourselves during the week and then overconsume on the weekend, it leads to overall stress, burdening the adrenal glands. Adrenal exhaustion manifests in symptoms like fatigue, nervousness, exercise intolerance, and salt cravings. These factors make us more prone to falling into the cycle of deprivation-overeating.

These are just some of the factors explaining why deprivation diets fail. By understanding our body's physiology, hormones, and their roles, we can comprehend a lot about our diet. It's not our fault if the diet doesn't work; it's not due to lack of willpower, persistence, or discipline. If the diet's ingredients and combinations don't cater to the body's needs, it will eventually stop working. So, next time you decide to diet, focus on good nutrition rather than expecting quick, spectacular results. Unfortunately, a restrictive diet for rapid fat loss will likely backfire.