Diets don't work

I've seen it again and again over two decades of practice: strict diets work for a few weeks, then life happens. Research backs this up. Many people who lose weight on restrictive plans regain much of it, and the cycle can leave you feeling like you failed, when really the plan did.

What works better is building habits you can keep:

• Add before you subtract: more vegetables, protein and water
• Eat regular meals so you're not running on empty
• Follow the 90/10 spirit: mostly nourishing food, with room for joy
• Notice how food makes you feel, not just what the scale says

Try this: choose one small habit this week, like a vegetable at breakfast, and stick with it until it feels automatic.