The Nutrient Diet: A Cognitive Behavioral Approach to Diet, Impulse Control, Habit Formation, Eating Behaviors & Weight Management (Unabridged‪)‬

Since the 1980s, I’ve seen literally hundreds of diet plans come and go. Although a few of them, such as Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, and Nutrisystem, have appeared to stand the test of time, most of them seem to come and go like the wind. I got to see this up close and personal within my own family, within myself, and within the clients of my practices. 

Through all these observations, and by taking an analytic approach to them, both singularly and in aggregate, I came to the conclusion that the vast majority of these diets fail because they expect the individual to make too many primary changes at once. In essence, they expect the person to change overnight - which rarely happens anywhere in nature (including within humanity, ie, our species).

The same is true of most diets (i.e., lifestyle modification plans [LMPs]). Because they are generally complex, even when someone strives to make them easy, they are difficult to permanently install as a habit, routine, and/or ritual. That’s why it’s so difficult for the vast majority of individuals to start, continue, and complete a diet (or other lifestyle plan). The Nutrient Diet isn’t just a diet and nutrition book. It’s a lifestyle book for general and mental health.

David A. Wright, MD, MM, MBA, MHSA