MyFitnessPal Looks at Why Restrictive Dieting May Be Restricting Your Success

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Jan 29, 2025, 09:00 ET

Diet obsessed: From baby food to cabbage soup, Americans have gone to extremes to lose weight - unsuccessfully - and it's time to shift the mindset

NEW YORK, Jan. 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- MyFitnessPal, the No. 1 global nutrition and food tracking app, is shining a light on unusual, weird, and potentially harmful fad diets with the FadLab, an interactive experience designed to promote healthier, sustainable habits by highlighting the country's obsession with quick-fix weight loss trends. From diets that dictate eating a single food to those that encourage eating only a certain type of macro, MyFitnessPal is bringing some of these dismal diets to life in a lighthearted way to spark conversations about what realistic progress truly looks like.

The need for a realistic approach to weight loss is evident. A recent MyFitnessPal survey^¹ revealed that 81% of respondents who had dieted unsuccessfully in the past attributed their failure to the diet being too restrictive. Despite this, many seem tempted to turn to extreme measures: 58% of respondents said they would consider eliminating an entire food group for 30 days if it guaranteed a 10-15 lb weight loss, and 28% even admitted they would eat a single food for 30 days straight^².

"The New Year often brings a surge of interest in extreme diets and quick-fix weight loss solutions, but these approaches can be misleading and unsustainable," said Melissa Jaeger, RD, Head of Nutrition for MyFitnessPal. "Through the FadLab, we bring to life the pitfalls of fad dieting, while empowering individuals to focus on sustainable, realistic progress. By tracking your food with MyFitnessPal, members can take small, manageable steps toward their goals. It's about progress over perfection––a concept we're sharing with all of our members this year."

On display January 29 and January 30 at The Austin Motel in Downtown Austin, Texas from 10-6 pm, the FadLab underscores what a person's realistic path to progress might look like, and how tracking food and nutrition can empower them to reach their health goals. And there's data to back that up: MyFitnessPal data shows that MyFitnessPal members who log their food for just four days within their first week are seven times more likely to make measurable progress toward their weight loss goals than those who don't.

"Since 2005, MyFitnessPal has seen Americans strive for healthier lives, often falling into the trap of quick fixes that rarely deliver sustainable results. Rather than a continued emphasis on fad diets, we need to shift our mindset to sustainable progress," says Mike Fisher, MyFitnessPal Chief Executive Officer. "MyFitnessPal empowers users to take meaningful steps toward their goals by helping them understand their food choices. Tools like our barcode scanner, meal scan, and voice log make this process intuitive and accessible, reinforcing our commitment to helping people achieve real results—one step at a time."

For more information on MyFitnessPal, visit www.myfitnesspal.com or download the app for free via the App Store or Google Play.

About MyFitnessPal
MyFitnessPal is the #1 global nutrition and food tracking app founded in 2005 with a mission to help people around the world reach their health goals through better food choices by providing knowledge, motivation, and a sense of progress. Supporting nearly 1 million people in reaching their nutrition and fitness goals every year, and with a community of over 250 million users in 120 countries, MyFitnessPal offers members one of the world's most comprehensive nutrition and food tracking platforms, allowing them to track their food, record exercise activity, and log their weight. With one of the largest food databases in the world comprising over 19 million foods, access to over 2,000 recipes, more than 40 workout routines, and over 40 connected fitness partners, MyFitnessPal provides members with the tools for positive healthy change. The MyFitnessPal app is available on the App Store and Google Play store. To learn more, visit www.myfitnesspal.com or follow MyFitnessPal on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok and Twitter.