If you’ve ever struggled with dieting, you’re not alone.

Many people go on a diet, lose weight, and are disappointed when their weight either begins to stagnate or goes back up.

This may make them feel like they are doing something wrong, and they may begin restricting more heavily. If they stopped restricting and noticed their weight began to rise, they may start dieting again. This process can create a seemingly endless cycle where people diet, lose weight, stop restricting, gain weight, and begin the process all over again.

Feeling like a failure, they may convince themselves that they weren’t “good enough” or they “failed” their diet. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth.

What to Know About “Diet Failure”

Research has shown that an overwhelming majority of people who lose weight regain it within a few years — and the research has been consistent for decades. What percent of diets fail?

One study going back nearly 70 years found that over 95% of diets fail, and most people will regain weight within just a few years. Other research from 1992 confirmed that 90-95% of people who lose weight regain up to 66% of it within one year and nearly all of it after five years.¹

A meta-analysis of 29 studies found that within two years, people regained more than half the weight they lost. After five years, they regained more than 80%.²

These numbers don’t mean people fail their diets— rather, the opposite: Diets fail people.

Why Diets Fail to Maintain Weight Loss

It may seem that not maintaining a lower body weight following weight loss is a result of a person “failing” their diet. However, our bodies are biologically programmed to keep us healthy, which often correlates with being a certain weight — namely, our bodies will fight dieting as they recognize they don’t have enough nutrients and work hard to keep us healthy.

More than 70% of factors that contribute to our body weight are due to our genetics.³

This relates to the “set-point theory,” which essentially states that there is a natural weight (or a range) at which our bodies are most naturally comfortable and where they will fight to keep us.⁴

Fad diets are successful in the short term because they​ often lean into restriction — cutting out specific foods or entire food groups — which will cause us to lose some weight. However, this impact is short-lived as our bodies are deprived of essential nutrients. Most diets fail because our bodies want us to maintain around a certain weight — it’s for our health and survival.

When dieting, it makes sense that our bodies fight so hard to keep us at a specific weight. When we deprive our bodies of the nutrients they need through restriction or dieting, they will work their hardest to keep us alive. This may be through things like slowing metabolism, which is why many people often will see their weight loss halt even when they eat an amount where they were previously losing weight.

This is also why we often return to previous body weights and gain weight after a period of dieting.

The Dangers of Weight Cycling

It’s not uncommon for people to go through “cycles” of losing and gaining weight, with their body weight fluctuating significantly over time. However, research has shown that this is extremely hard on our bodies and can cause health risks, including:⁵

• Increased risk of death
• Higher risk of coronary artery disease
• Increased risk of heart attack
• Heightened risk of stroke
• Heart strain
• Potential damage to blood vessels and kidneys
• Increased risk of developing high blood pressure

This is not to mention all the risks that come with restriction — including hormone fluctuations, dry skin and hair, anemia, blood sugar fluctuations, slow pulse, and more.⁶

The Truth About the “Success” of Diets

Not all diets fail — so what is the most successful diet?

It may seem that every other week, you’re hearing of the new “most successful diet.” However, one fact is true: If diets in general were successful, there wouldn’t be new ones people are promoting constantly.

It’s been known for decades that diets fail people — but why, as a society, is it so commonplace and so heavily promoted? The weight loss services market was estimated at over $36 billion in 2023 and is expected to nearly double by 2030, reaching over $60 billion. The diet industry is incentivized to keep people in this endless cycle, making them feel miserable about themselves so they can continue to turn a profit.

But, some people may also think that they could be among the small percentage who don’t regain weight.

However, dieting is a gamble — and many times, people have better odds of winning at gambling than they do at finding a successful diet.⁷ You would never advise someone to gamble as a successful means of making money — so why gamble on dieting as a way to promote happiness or even health? (Especially when they come with so many potential harmful health impacts.)

What to Do Instead of Dieting

While society and diet culture stigmatize larger bodies, the truth is: People can be healthy in a wide range of body sizes. Embracing Health at Every Size (HAES) and finding HAES professionals who can provide quality care free of weight stigma is incredibly powerful and can transform your thinking.

The best thing you can do for your body is embrace intuitive eating — enjoying a wide range of foods that nourish your body and that you want as they sound good. (Learn more about intuitive eating principles here.)

Practicing body neutrality, including thanking your body for everything it does for you and emphasizing functions over appearance, can also be transformative in your relationship with your physical self.

True Diet Success is Caring for Your Body

While we may feel pressure to diet and make ourselves smaller, the truth is: No diet will teach you to love and care for yourself. Diet culture thrives on endless cycles of making us dislike ourselves — there’s a reason the weight loss services market continues to grow.

However, learning to care for your body and uncoupling self-worth from a smaller body can help you live a life of freedom. The best “diet” is one that allows you to freely enjoy a wide range of foods for nourishment and joy!

At Life Cycle Nutrition, our dieticians are HAES professionals who are committed to walking alongside you in your journey. If you’re ready to be free from diet failure and embrace a life of food freedom, schedule an appointment today.

Works Cited

1. Harrison, Christy. 2019. “Anti-Diet: Reclaim Your Time, Money, Well-Being, and Happiness Through Intuitive Eating.” 85-87. New York: Little Brown.
2. Hall, Kevin D., and Scott Kahan. 2019. “Maintenance of lost weight and long-term management of obesity.” Medical Clinics of North America 102, no. 1 (January): 183–197. 10.1016/j.mcna.2017.08.012.
3. Harrison. “Anti-Diet.” 94.
4. Ganipisetti, Venu M., and Pratyusha Bollimunta. 2023. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK592402/. N.p.: StatPearls Publishing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK592402/.
5. Harrison. “Anti-Diet.” 145.
6. Dennis, Kim. n.d. “Eating Disorder Health Consequences – NEDA.” National Eating Disorders Association. Accessed February 2, 2025. https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/health-consequences/.
7. Borgata Online. 2023. “What Percentage of Gamblers Win at Casinos?” Borgata Online. https://casino.borgataonline.com/en/blog/what-percentage-of-gamblers-win-at-casinos/.