Many people believe that diets don’t work, but that might actually be preventing you from achieving your weight loss goals.

But I get it. I understand the movement away from dieting because dieting might not be for everyone.

But weight loss doesn’t mean self esteem loss.

Here’s what  you need to know about diets if you’re trying to lose weight over 50:

You may have heard the popular idea that diets don’t work.

Its been in our diet culture for the last 10- 15 years.

 There are so many people who desperately want to lose weight and get healthier, seem to do well initially and then regain the weight and go back to old habits

And there are studies that have proven this over the years. But you don’t need studies to see this- just look at the state of our waistlines and the poor health that many of us have endured.

But as with any sweeping generalizations, there are nuances and subtleties that hide the complete picture.

 So I want you to see how dieting can work for you and help you to make a lasting change

But first, let’s do a list of the things you might not know about diets:

1. There are a group of diet outliers that when given a standard diet and meal plan will follow the rules to the letter. Over the course of weeks and months, they lose weight and keep it off for at least five + years- or for many, the rest of their lives.

   Over the course of my 30-year career as a coach, I would encounter guys like this but only about one in ten of the clients I would work with.

   These are the people you hear about on the National Diet weight loss registry. Google that title and see what I am talking about.
   
   

2. I have worked with another group who will do really well when we are together and there is daily accountability. 

   They know what to eat and yet despite having expansive knowledge about calories in food still don’t follow through. They cannot make the “How”  - that is they cant seem to apply it to the context of their lives.

   And soon after we stop working together they gradually default back to their old ways of thinking and acting.
   
   

3. Finally, there are others who have varying degrees of emotional and mental issues and believe food and exercise is the answer that will resolve their problems. 

   Believing when they complete the diet and the weight is gone they will have joy and happiness in their lives. 

   This is the realm of disordered eating and for some more serious eating disorders like binging, purging, and exercise bulimia.

I want you to understand the last two categories since a majority of people fall into these and get stuck there.

Once you decide which category you fall into, THEN we can come up with a comprehensive plan that works best for you. 

How to Decide Which Diet Works Best for You If You’re Over 50 Trying to Get Fit: 

 Whatever category you identify with, I can help you make lasting changes.

First- we identify which of the categories you fall into. 

Because each one needs a different strategy.

And this has nothing to do with the type of diet- ie. low carb, paleo vegan, carnivore- I am a diet agnostic and the diet that works best is the one you will stick to consistently.

I believe you must start with a Maintenance mindset. 

 Ask yourself-   Is the food I am eating today something I can do for the rest of my life?

Next, you must identify the top 15 favorite meals or foods you want to include in your diet. This includes junk foods and healthy foods.

This becomes the basis of your plan for weight loss. 

No elaborate rules, recipes, unusual ingredients counting macros, or spending hours in the kitchen. Quick and simple! 

My formula for long term success- 

When it’s SIMPLE you have MORE ADHERENCE!

The more complex the diet the less consistency.

The next simple and most powerful strategy is accountability through an app or daily text or email to a coach or a group.

Accountability to another human increases your adherence 10X.

Accountability is the glue that ties commitment to results.

And last and most important is your mindset and how you identify with the problems that have created the extra weight on your body.

I help my clients to evolve and dis-identify with those poor habits through the practice of psychological flexibility skills.

Now, this is where the real change takes place!

It’s not how well you can stay within a certain level of calories or carbs. 

At the end of the day, it’s not about the content of a diet- but about how you fit it into the context of your special and unique life.

So before you say 95% of diets fail, consider the ideas and concepts I have written about here.

And realize that everyone is different and needs to follow a unique path that works for them and not the diet guru who lost 100 pounds on the paleo/ fasting/ vegan diet and feels everyone must follow his plan because it worked for him.

I hope this will motivate you to continue your quest to be the best version of yourself in a body you can be proud of.