When you talk to anyone who has embarked on a fitness and body-improvement journey, it is likely they will mention having tried dozens of diets, and only having one or two of them really work for them. This, in fact, might even resonate with you.
The fact of the matter is, achiving your ideal, healthy body is no easy feat. Every day we are bombarded with advertising for new products that promise overnight results, while, at the same time, we are flooded with advertisements that make our mouths water with their chewy, flakey, greasy, delicious goodness. It seems like we are in a constant battle to make good choices and fend off bad ones, but it’s hard to discern when we are – frankly – being lied to.
And then yor friend tells you about this fabulous diet that worked wonders for him or her. You give it a shot, only to be quickly frustrated and dissappointed.
Why is it that diets work for some people and not for others? Is it okay to “borrow” someone else’s diet and make it your own?
Here are five reaons why your friend’s diet isn’t working for you, and why you should avoid cookie cutter diets all together.
1. Your Friend Needs More Calories Than You
Just because the nutrition facts labels are based on a 2000-calorie diet doesn’t mean that your ideal diet is 2000 calories. Your base calorie needs (without taking exercise into account), depend on your age, height and weight. As we age, our calorie needs go down,
The Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is a way to calculate your basic calorie needs when you are at rest.
Do you want to learn how to calculate your BMR? Watch this video below:
2. Your Friend Does is More Active Than You
Excercise has a big influence on your calorie needs. Remember that BMR doesn’t take physical activity into account. Even if you eat more than what your BMR demands, if your friend does enough excercise to make use of those additional calories, and then some, their body will start breaking down fat to meet calorie needs.
Even if your friend swears that he or she doesn’t do exercise, remember that all activity counts. Maybe the elevator is broken down in her building so she has to walk up ten flights of stairs everyday. Maybe he is obsessed with the cleanliness of his home and he sweeps, mops and dusts his whole home everyday.
3. You or Your Friend Has Special Nutritional Needs
This goes from macro nutrients (fat, protein, carbohydrates) to micronutrients (vitamins and minerals). People with certain conditions may require more or less of certain nutrients, and may be more sensitive to deficiencies and overdoses as a result. While this may not necessarily affect the success or failure of a weight loss regime, it could actually get you sick.
For example, an only fruit or only vegetable diet your friend swore worked to fit into that ballgown could negatively affect people who are bordering on anemic (lack of iron), since the iron best absorbed by the body is found in animal protein.
This is one of the main reasons why it is never recommended to just “try out” diets without a previous evaluation by a Registered Dietician. The last thing you want is to end up ill for the sake of losing a few pounds.
4. Your Friend´s Metabolism is Faster Than Yours
Some people naturally have faster metabolisms, meaning that their bodies use up more energy to digest food, and to absorb and utilize nutrients than others. You´ll see this happen to some people who make a small change in their diet and seem to get results very fast, or those people who seem to eat whatever they want without ever changing.
Things that influence your metabolic rate are:
- age
- regular exercise
- genes
- certain foods and drinks (green tea, for example, may speed up metabolism)
- how often you eat (some studies show that smaller, more-frequent meals may help speed up metabolism)
- illnesses (people with certain health conditions need more energy to sustain a normal weight)
5. Something they aren´t telling you…
Believe it or not, this happens more than you think. Your friend just might be leaving a key detail out about their diet or exercise regime, conciously or subconciously. If the diet they followed said to avoid wheat-based products, for example, but they also cut out rice and corn-based products, this will affect their energy intake.
Some Important Notes
As a nutrition specialist, I cannot let you go without telling you the following:
- NO FAD DIET IS A GOOD DIET. If it is unsustainable, unbalanced, or will go out of style, do not take it on. Even if you do lose weight, it doesn’t mean you are doing it in a healthy manner.
- SEE AN RD (Registered Dietician) if you want to improve your diet or make drastic changes to your eating regimen. Note that even if your doctor gives you a diet to follow, nutrition is not a medical practitione’s area of expertise.
- NOTE THAT A NUTRITIONIST ISN´T ALWAYS AN RD. In many states in the US, you don’t need a license to call yourself a nutritionist. However, you do need to have followed through a series of strict proceses in order to call yourself an RD. If you are looking for advice and want to be evaluated, look for an RD.
What experiences have you had with trying out your friend’s diet? Tell us about it below!