Food.
Delicious food.
The torn in most people's backside.
How can something so great, also be so devastating?
Today I'm going to dissect the main reasons why some struggle with it more than others.
Let's get stuck in...
The Biggest Reasons Behind a Failed Diet
So before I get started I want to clearly define what I mean when I say the word 'diet' because it gets misconstrued quite easily.
In recent times, especially in the 60s with the Atkins diet and most recently with the Keto diet, the word diet has been synonymous with one word.
Restriction.
This is where the problem with the word lies. More often than it's associated with trying to lose weight.
Whereas when I use the word, I'm using it to describe someone's nutritional habits. Two very different things.
It's the reason why I don't tend to use the word too often because people assume I'm talking about some type of restrictive diet, when in fact I'm referring to an individuals nutritional approach.
Again, two entirely different things.
Now that's out of the way, I want to discuss some of the main reasons why some diets don't work.
If you're someone who has struggled with nutrition, then trust me you'll want to read on.
Reason #1 - Too extreme & restrictive
You knew this was coming it at number one, didn't you?
Popular diets are built upon being extreme and restrictive.
- Atkins - low carb
- Keto - low to zero carb + very high fat
- Carnivore - just meat products
- 100% sugar free - not even a piece of fruit
- The master cleanse - 10-day diet of liquids only + daily laxatives
- The baby food diet - you already guessed it
- Macrobiotic diet - no processed or refined foods whatsoever
Unfortunately these days the majority of these diets are endorsed by celebrities with immense influence, such as Beyonce and the master cleanse diet.
This pushes this restrictive mindset onto millions of other people who would be best served ignoring the nutritional advice of their favourite celebs.
These diets promise quick results, but these results come at a cost.
In the shape of eliminating foods entirely or slashing calories to unsustainable levels.
A diet that relies on restriction is never going to be sustainable.
If I were to tell you that you had to cut out the vast majority of your carbs, would you be happy?
I know I'd be bloody raging!
Imagine being told you could no longer eat bread, or a god damn croissant, or pizza!
I'd lose the will to live 😂
But this is what restrictive diets do to you. They steal the joy from food and drink.
Besides, when we're told we can't have something, what inevitably happens?
You end up wanting it more!
All of a sudden you've went from eating 1-2 slices of bread a day, to a whole loaf.
When it comes to long-term, sustainable diets, restriction doesn't work.
It might do the trick for a few weeks, but trust me it always blows up in your face.
You only have to look at the sheer amount of bodybuilders, both male and female, who have eating disorders as a direct result of their relationship with restrictive eating.
The reality is that extreme diets create short-term results but long-term frustration. You can only rely on willpower for so long before human nature takes over and you binge on everything you were avoiding.
Or worse, you do yourself some actual damage because you've been restricting certain micronutrients from your diet altogether.
Reason #2 - They ignore real life
I'm all for routine when it comes to nutrition, in fact any health related habit, such as sleep, training, and supplements.
And I am when it comes to nutrition, but there's a limit to the level of routine and this is where a lot of diets fail.
They simply ignore an individual's life, with the key word being individual, which most popular diets don't tend to be.
They require a person to follow a strict set of guidelines that simply doesn't make it conducive to most lifestyles, especially that of an entrepreneur or executive.
This is the main issue I have with coaches, most unqualified, giving out strict meal plans to their clients.
Imagine telling a working mum of 3 kids under 15 that she has to eat these exact meals at precise times, otherwise she'll fail and stay fat.
Sounds ludicrous, right?
Hell yes it is! But it's the sad reality of the industry at times.
Strict meal plans might look great on paper, but they don’t account for real-life situations like business dinners, travel, or social events.
If a diet forces you to choose between health and having a life, it’s already doomed.
A diet that only works when your schedule is perfect is not a sustainable diet.
• What happens when you have back-to-back meetings and no time to prep meals?
• What do you do at a wedding when there’s no “clean eating” option?
• How do you stay on track during a work trip when you can’t cook your own food?
Most diets don’t prepare you for these situations, so when life happens, you feel like you’ve “failed.”
In reality, the diet failed you because it wasn’t flexible enough to adapt.
Reason #3 - Reliant on motivation
Feeling motivated is awesome!
Who doesn't love that feeling of bouncing into the gym or feeling genuinely excited to cook a nutritious meal.
But relying on motivation is about as useful as pissing into the wind. It simply doesn't work.
While it may work for a brief period, it won't take long before the wind direction changes and you're covered in your own pee 😂
Most diets rely on discipline and motivation to keep you on track. The problem? Willpower is like a battery—it drains throughout the day.
We've all been in that situation, multiple times, where you've had a crazy busy day at work and you're feeling wiped. You've been making key decisions and dodging office snacks all day, so by the time you get home your willpower is at its lowest.
What inevitable happens?
You fall off the wagon and end up with a pizza in your lap 20 minutes later.
This willpower is why strict diets often work in the morning but fall apart at night.
The reality is that if your diet depends on sheer willpower, it will eventually fail.
It's crazy to think you're going to be motivated all the time because nobody is, not even the hardest and most dedicated of people. You need more than motivation, which we'll get onto soon enough.
Reason #4 - No contingency plan
The issue with meal plans and popular diets, especially crash course ones, is that they don't educate you.
You follow a very strict brief like a depressed robot who can't make any decisions for themselves, which in reality most people can't, because they simply don't know how to.
Let's say you do a very low carb diet for 16 weeks and lose quite a bit of weight.
(Side note - when you cut carbs from your diet, some if not all of the initial weight you lose will be from water loss. Carbs store water so when you remove them, you also remove retained water weight)
You then decide to go back to your 'normal' diet, but you run into a few issues:
- You're now afraid of carbs.
- You don't like to eat out socially anymore.
Your 'normal' has been skewed and the rigid plan you were following before has distorted your view on what a balanced diet should look like.
A 'diet' might help you lose weight, but what happens next?
You've lost all this weight but are you going to be able to maintain your results once the diet ends?
Do you know how to eat without following a meal plan?
Can you adapt your nutrition for different seasons of life—travel, holidays, stressful times?
These questions prove to be the stumbling block for most people who attempt 'dieting' and is the reason why most find themselves in a perpetual cycle of dieting.
How many people do you know, including yourself maybe, you find themselves constantly on and off a diet?
I'm gonna guess that it's a significant number.
Dieting may prove fruitful for a brief period, but the real work happens when the diet is over and normal life resumes.
I've been quite 'negative' so far and have told you what the issues with diets are, but I've not provided any solutions. Dick kinda move wouldn't you say. So let's change that.
How to build a diet that works for your life
Systemise nutrition: A successful business relies on systems and your nutrition needs the same. Creating systems around your diet makes your life a hell of a lot easier. Having the right systems in place negates the need for motivation and willpower. Nutrition starts to become more automatic.
So things such as meal prepping, online food orders, creating a supportive environment, simplifying decisions, building a routine that can be modified easily, and having 'healthy' snacks in your cupboard rather than a bunch of processed junk.
The goal here is too slowly craft a nutritional system that suits and supports your unique life, rather than trying to fit a square peg (popular diets/meal plans) into a round hole (your life).
Focus on principles, not rules: Rules are there to broken, principles are there to be followed.
Instead of saying 'you can't eat carbs', think about prioritising protein and whole foods instead.
Instead of 'I have to eat clean,' think 'I aim for 80% nutrient-dense foods, 20% flexibility.'
Instead of 'I can't eat out at restaurants,' think 'I'll ask for sauce on the side and my meat to be grilled rather than fried'.
A diet that works for your life, not against, can't be built upon rigid rules. Opting for principles instead will ensure that you're building a nutritional strategy that sets you up with a strong foundation.
One of my most important diet principles is that every meal has to have a serving of good quality protein. Unless it's dessert of course and I'm smashing back a bowl of ice cream. Which more often than not is actually protein ice cream now I think of it 😂
Build a flexible framework:
- 80/20 Rule – 80% nutrient-dense meals, 20% for life’s enjoyments.
- Plate Method – Fill half your plate with veggies, a quarter with protein, and a quarter with quality carbs.
- Portion Awareness – Eat to satisfaction, not extremes.
Just a few of the ways you can build flexibility into your diet and not feel like you're sticking to extremes. If you take the 'plate method' for instance, this allows you to go to any restaurant and be comfortable with eating out because you've taken back control.
Think long-term, not quick fixes: Most diets focus on short-term results—rapid weight loss, quick fixes, and strict rules that aren’t meant to last. But real success in nutrition comes from building a way of eating that fits your lifestyle now and in the future.
Instead of obsessing over perfection, focus on small, sustainable habits that you can stick to for years, not weeks. Learn how to adjust your food intake based on your schedule, activity level, and life demands so that your diet adapts with you—not against you. A successful diet should be flexible, realistic, and built to last a lifetime.
Educate yourself: If you don’t understand what your body needs, you’ll always be stuck jumping from one diet to the next, hoping for different results. Instead of blindly following restrictive plans, take the time to learn the fundamentals of nutrition—what proteins, fats, and carbs do, how calories impact energy levels, and why balance will always get you further.
When you understand food, you gain control over your choices. You no longer need someone to tell you exactly what to eat—you’ll know how to adjust your nutrition based on your goals, lifestyle, and circumstances. Learn how to read food labels, recognise marketing gimmicks, and filter through misleading nutrition advice. The more educated you are, the less likely you are to fall for diet fads and quick fixes.
The more you experiment, observe, and refine, the more confident you become in making the right choices without ever needing another 'diet' again.
Most importantly of all, if you're someone who has a history of struggling with their nutrition then you need to get to the root cause of why. The mindset behind nutrition and eating habits is crucial.
If you have a somewhat 'broken' mentality around nutrition, then you're always going to struggle. So you need to identify why you struggle.
Is it stress related? Emotional eating? Poor knowledge?
Get to the root cause and you'll transform your relationship with food.
I hope that's helpful.
My coaching program, The Paradigm Project, helps ambitious entrepreneurs, c-suites, & business owners live a healthier, stronger, and all-around better life.
Most importantly, one of the main aims of the program is to help every single client achieve pain-free performance!
If you are in the mood to transform your health & fitness, then life-changing results are within your reach.
Click on the link to book your free coaching call and we can build a plan that changes your life!
Quote for the day
"Exercise is king. Nutrition is queen. Put them together and you've got a kingdom."
- Jack Lalanne
Who doesn't want a kingdom eh? When you combine excellent nutrition with excellent exercise, you become an animal.
Add in excellent sleep and you become unstoppable!
Are you on the way to becoming unstoppable?
Let me know.
- Mark
P.S. Whenever you’re ready, here’s a few ways I can help you:
