Do 95% of dieters really regain the weight and more over time?

This statistic has created hopelessness among those that want to look and feel better.  I've done a lot of research here and find that it’s just clinical lore.  However, where there is smoke, there is fire.  Many diets are destined to fail (estimating more in the 80% range) but knowing the reasons and best practices can put you in the best position to succeed!

Commonly discussed reasons that diets fail include: lack of or incorrect nutritional knowledge, deprivation leads to binging, and not combining a balanced diet with sensible exercise.  Experience in the wellness arena has led me to other conclusions about today’s dieting:

In our now generation, people that want fast food also want fast results but this leads to temporary fixes.  Properly finding and sustaining our healthiest realistic weight is a gradual process that may include lifestyle adjustments.  Too often, we drop a few pounds from a diet but gain it back because all we really learned was that diet. We haven’t gained a nutritional understanding that positions us to make healthier choices going forward.  That said, having nutritional information is typically still not enough.

Not everyone has time to prepare the majority of meals at home. Instead of leaving home for a morning workout and coming back later to find dinner ready, the refrigerator stocked, clothes and house clean, and kids entertained, most are sharing those chores.  It's easy to understand why people are eating prepared foods so frequently.  Furthermore, most don’t have the skills or interest in cooking.    

So now you have the insight you need to get organized, buy a 30-minute recipes book and a workout DVD then achieve your vision right?  Not so fast.  Transferring knowledge into your life is easier said than done (think about all of the other recipe or self help books gathering dust on your shelves). 

Research shows that only 5% of learners will transfer a new skill into practice as a result of learning a theory*.  That can be raised to 10% if the theory is demonstrated and 20% if demonstrated and practiced.  Now if the theory is learned, demonstrated, practiced, corrective feedback is given and it’s followed up with a coach, information and skill transfer can exceed 90%! 

The conclusion?  If your health is the most important thing or you want to look and feel your best, I’d recommend a longer-term strategy that is built around sensible choices and free of denial and excessive discipline.  If you don't have the information and skills to acheive your vision, instead of spending money on prepared foods and books to work off the excess weight caused, consider investing in a professional coach that can better transfer what you need to get empowered and take control once and for all.