The word diet carries different meanings. For example, the word can be considered a verb or an action, as in "to go on a diet." In this sense, it is not considered to be a long-term activity. You do it, and then when the allowed amount of time has expired, or you have reached some goal of X number of pounds lost, the activity is discontinued.

The word diet can also be used as a type of noun. It is a thing or part of a formal name of a dieting program, such as a calorie restriction diet or the Grapefruit Diet.

Rarely is the word diet used as an idea in any sort of permanent daily plan - one that is tweaked according to the needs of our bodies, which by the way, are constantly in a state of change. As we age, our dietary needs should also change.

So why do diets make you fatter despite using the most effective programs or ideas on the market today? The answer is in how you have programmed your brain to use the word diet. Do you consider it to be a verb - a short term activity having some predetermined ending; Or, do you consider it to be an idea that constantly changes based on your personal needs, but never ends?

The vast majority of dieters either gain back most of the weight lost, or worse with some gaining even more weight and becoming heavier than before they started dieting. This is the cycle that throws us into yo-yo dieting. Our weight fluctuates up and down whenever we start and stop dieting. In this sense, the word diet is a verb. When the actions stops, the weight will come back full force! This method is never a healthy way of life.

Diets are restrictive in nature. Think about it: when you can't have something that you truly desire, your brain kicks into action and sends a signal causing you to want it even more - and if this happens, it's quite possible that the want will be in excess.

If you refuse your body's call for a certain type of food, your body will be thrown into survival mode. It does this by slowing down your metabolism, causing you to feel sleepy. When your brain feels sleepy, it sends out a signal calling for carbohydrates (sugar), because this is where your body gets the energy it needs to get through the day. Energy is needed for all processes in your body. Energy is required in order for work to be done - this is a straightforward scientific fact.

You might be saying that you have lost weight on XYZ diet. Well, that may be true. But you are not losing fat - you are losing water weight. Water weight comes and goes whether or not you are dieting. However, you are more likely to notice its disappearance while dieting, giving you a false sense of success. It'll come back - trust me.

I propose that the first thing you need to do above all else, is to change the way your brain views dieting. Your personal diet can be many things throughout the course of a week, a month, or a year. It is an essential idea to focus upon changing the way you regard diets from being only short-term, to one that will carry you through the rest of the days of your life.

I'd love to hear your thoughts regarding why diets could make you fat and how you view diets and dieting over in the forum.

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor and the articles I write are intended to increase your knowledge about the subject. It’s always a good idea to check with your personal doctor before changing your diet.