Why Do People Give Up On Their Diet? (and how to fix it)
Why Chasing Outcome Goals Fails
I want to run a marathon.
Ok, not really, but pretend with me for a minute.
If my goal of running a 26.2-mile race was real, that’s what we call an outcome goal.
It’s the finish line.
If that’s as far as I went with thinking about my goal, I’d probably buy a new pair of shoes and hit the streets a few times per week.
How far should I run? At what pace? When should I taper off?
I’d have no idea, because all I’m focused on is the outcome.
And pretty soon, I’d get bored, frustrated, and lose motivation.
No marathon. No goal accomplished. Just feeling like I failed.
Sound familiar?
This is exactly how most people approach weight loss.
“I want to lose 20 pounds.”
“I need to fit back into my old clothes.”
“I just want to feel like myself again.”
These are all outcome goals. They sound great, but without a plan, they don’t last.
Why Most Diets Don’t Stick
So you push hard for a few weeks, maybe even see the scale move, but eventually the old habits creep back in.
Weekends derail you. Vacations undo you. Stress knocks you off track.
And before you know it, you’re right back where you started. Again.
That cycle is exhausting. And every time it happens, it chips away at your confidence and makes you wonder if lasting change is even possible.
Here’s the truth: outcome goals don’t work on their own.
The Secret: Process Goals
The people who finally make a permanent change are the ones who turn outcome goals into process goals—clear, doable daily and weekly actions that actually move you forward.
Back to the marathon example…
We’d reverse engineer the finish line into a plan:
A specific number of miles per week
Paces to run
Rest days to take
Mobility work to stay healthy
Now there’s direction. A roadmap. Add a coach for accountability, and suddenly it’s not just “I want to run a marathon”—it’s “I am becoming a marathoner.”
How to Apply This to Weight Loss
The same thing works with nutrition.
“I want to lose 20 pounds” becomes:
Have protein at every meal
Drink 60oz of water today
Enjoy 100 calories of “fun food” without guilt
That’s how you stop yo-yo dieting and finally build a lifestyle that sticks.
Why 1:1 Nutrition Coaching Works
And that’s exactly what we help our clients do inside Digital Barbell 1:1 Nutrition Coaching.
You don’t just get a list of foods to eat or another cookie-cutter plan. You get a coach who helps you reverse engineer your goals into a sustainable plan of action—tailored to your life.
No more starting over. No more wasted effort. Just steady progress toward the life and body you want.
👉 Click here to apply for 1:1 Nutrition Coaching today
Jonathan