What To Do When Your Diet Doesn't Go to Plan

Studies have shown that ~80% of us that start a diet will fail. We have the key to make sure you're in the top 20%. Ready?

Before we jump into looking at what you should do when your diet isn't going to plan to help you succeed, let's take a moment to understand that:

1. Setbacks are to be expected. It happens across all areas of our lives and nutrition is no exception
2. Every decision that we take is a trade-off. It's about understanding what is right for you in that moment versus the long-term
3. Always remember that being good consistently is what leads to great results
4. Don't rely on motivation - rely on systems
5. Action comes before motivation

You can consider your diet is not working if you can't stick to it at least 80% of the time. So, what should we do when our diet doesn't go to plan?

1. Remember the reason that you're doing the diet and let that be your driving force. Most diets fail because of a lack of willpower - dig deep into your pain and understand the reason you want to do this. There's often a deeper meaning behind just wanting to "drop a dress size", "lose 10 kg" or "put on more muscle"
2. Think about whether you're adapting your life to your diet or if your diet is adapted to your lifestyle. A good plan should take your lifestyle into consideration - how often you visit restaurants, order takeout, cooking ability, available time, travel etc. The closer the plan is to your lifestyle, the less effort it requires and more natural it feels
3. Focus on understanding the reason you felt the need to deviate from the plan. For instance - being hungry at the time, lack of preparation, driven by social pressure, emotions such as stress or comfort or because you went cold turkey on something that you love
4. When you understand the reason you felt the need to deviate, create a process to reduce the probability of it happening again for the same reason. Let's say that you were working late at the office and didn't have any food prepared. Being tired, you decided to order a takeaway and selected an unhealthy option. Next time, try to prepare in advance, have protein snacks available (they help you feel fuller for longer) that you can eat until you get home. If Uber Eats is your way to go, having several healthy options predefined on your app may help you make better choices under pressure
5. If your plan is meeting your needs, the best course of action is simply to get back to it. Remember that action comes before motivation

It's always easier to stick your plan if:

• You know it's tailored to your objectives
• It's flexible and adapts to your lifestyle - social events, work meetings, travel etc
• You have someone to keep you accountable

Daily Body Coach is built on these principles and backed by certified professionals across the fitness and nutrition industry. Want to find out how we can help you? Let's talk.