Crash diets won’t work in the long run

As we tumble into January, the media and advertising world undergoes a dramatic personality shift. Gone are the indulgent whispers of ‘treat yourself’ and ‘one more mince pie won’t hurt’ from November and December.

Instead, we’re now bombarded with stern calls to embrace low-fat everything, fitness plans that require a minor miracle to complete, and sugar-free snacks that taste suspiciously like cardboard. Magazines transform into guilt-laden manuals filled with ‘miracle diets’ and ‘revolutionary' fitness regimes, all promising to erase the festive evidence from our waistlines.

Studies have shown that while 36% of adults plan to start new diet and exercise regimes in the New Year, a third anticipate abandoning their plans a short time. Factors such as busy lifestyles, lack of motivation, and unrealistic goals contribute to this early dropout rate and 12 January seems to be the day most people abandon their New Year diets.

Experts caution against crash diets that promise rapid results but are typically unsustainable and unhealthy. Instead these experts are recommending gradual, realistic lifestyle changes for long-term success.

My mum had a favourite saying—let's just call it ‘eat half’ (though her version was a bit more colourful).

The message was simple: if you’ve put on weight, just cut back on how much you’re eating. No fancy diets, no kale smoothies—just old-school common sense! Her approach goes hand in hand with the Japanese concept of ‘hara hachi bu’ that promotes a sustainable approach to healthy eating.

This practice involves eating until one is 80% full, promoting moderation and mindfulness during meals.

By avoiding overeating, one can maintain a balanced diet without the need for drastic restrictions. Incorporating hara hachi bu into daily life encourages a healthier relationship with food and focusing on portion control. This method aligns with the idea of making small, manageable changes that are more likely to be maintained over time, as opposed to the abrupt and often unsustainable diets associated with New Year's resolutions.

I’ve got friends who’ve tried every diet you can imagine—and a few you probably can’t. The shake diet, the soup diet, and even the sour cream diet (yes, really). They all had one thing in common: short-term success.

Sure, the pounds vanish faster than leftover Christmas cookies, but as studies show, those pounds have a way of creeping back like an uninvited guest once people go back to normal eating.

As for me? Of course, I put on weight over Christmas but I am also determined to get back to the weight I was before by making sure I don’t snack away on things like the chocolate tin at my beautician – food that is quickly forgotten.

Nutritionists recommend keeping a food diary to uncover these sneaky calories. Will I starve myself? Absolutely not! That’s just not my style—mainly because I love food far too much to break up with it.

Instead, I’m downsizing my plates and making sure I don’t end up feeling like the Christmas turkey—stuffed to the point where rolling to the sofa is my only option. I’m taking a page out of my mum’s book: just eat less. Simple, right?

But one thing’s for sure: I’m not about to lose my love for delicious food. Life’s too short for bland lettuce leaves and regret!