Lack of Willpower NOT the Reason Most Women Ditch Diets

If you got up this morning and weighed your granola portion before eating it, you may end up being one of the millions of women who daily abandon their diets. Researchers at Indiana University found there's a good reason so many women give up on diets after a short time - the diets are just too complicated.

The IU study concluded that the more complex the diet's rules and instructions are, the less likely it is that people will stick to it. Simple diet plans are much more likely to succeed. And long-term success is also more likely if the diet plan is straightforward and easy to follow.

The study involved German women who were already involved in diet plans, one of which was from Weight Watchers. I thought Weight Watchers points system was fairly easy but when compared to another plan called "Brigitte", its success rate was much lower. The Brigitte plan gives dieters a shopping list, so they always buy the foods necessary to stay on the diet, whereas Weight Watchers lets you choose the food but you must calculate the points each food contains. I think I prefer to have that freedom of choice, but for many women, it seems it is easier to follow a plan that is very specific and simple.

So, if you're finding it hard to stick to your diet, it may not be your willpower that's lacking - it may be that your diet is just too complicated.


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