NO. 2 REASON DIETS DON’T WORK: You Want Quick Results

We live in a world of instant gratification. One-click shopping, next-day delivery, binge-watching entire series in a weekend… we’re conditioned to expect fast results.

So when it comes to dieting, it’s no surprise that we crave the same quick fix. A new plan promises to help you drop a dress size in weeks, and that feels irresistible.

But here’s the problem: your mind and body don’t work that way.

The Subconscious vs Willpower

At some point in your life — often in childhood — your subconscious created a powerful link: food equals comfort, food equals pleasure.

Perhaps you were upset and given a sweet treat to cheer you up. Or maybe food became a reward for being “good.” Whatever the moment, it planted the seed that eating could soothe pain or amplify pleasure.

Fast forward to adulthood, and your subconscious still holds onto that programme. When you feel stressed, lonely, bored, angry or exhausted, it kicks in to move you away from discomfort and towards comfort as quickly as possible.

Food becomes the simplest route.

And here’s where diets fall apart.

Willpower — the conscious voice that says, “I’ll stick to this plan no matter what” — is no match for the subconscious drive to escape pain. The subconscious is ten times more powerful. When the pressure builds, willpower collapses, and you find yourself back in the same cycle.

Why Quick Results Don’t Last

Diets feed the fantasy of instant transformation: “Lose 10 pounds in 10 days!”

But even if the scale drops quickly, nothing changes in your subconscious programming.

The unfulfilled need that drives your eating habits — often carried from childhood — is still there. The discomfort is still there and the moment life gets challenging (you feel tired, angry, lonely, unfulfilled or maybe bored), your subconscious will push you back towards food (or another quick fix: alcohol, cigarettes, shopping, gambling, overwork, even endless scrolling).

That’s why quick results rarely stick. They don’t address the deeper issue.

Why Self-Sabotage Happens

This is why you “self-sabotage.” It’s not weakness. It’s your subconscious stepping in to relieve pain.

Imagine trying to hold a beach ball under water — you can keep it down for a while, but eventually the pressure forces it back up. That’s what happens when you try to suppress your needs with willpower and restriction.

Until the root cause is addressed, the urge to eat will keep surfacing.

The Truth About Lasting Change

Diets promise quick fixes. But lasting change comes from slowing down, getting curious, and exploring the deeper patterns driving your behaviour.

When you begin to understand why you eat — not just what you eat — you can start healing the subconscious triggers that keep you stuck.

Because the truth is this:

You don’t need another diet.

You don’t need more willpower.

You need to uncover the root cause behind your habits.

Only then will food lose its grip and quick fixes stop feeling so tempting.