Why Does Your Weight Loss Diet Always Fail?

No matter what time of year it is, you may feel like you're constantly dieting.

You've tried everything from Atkins to Paleo to juicing, but nothing is working.

Turns out 45 million Americans will attempt four to five diets this year, and most will have a failed outcome.

So, are you destined to fail?

Diets are short-term fixes for something that needs to be addressed throughout your life. It shouldn't be about your diet, it should be a lifestyle change. Restricting your caloric intake may help shed a few pounds at first, but eventually that will not be enough for your body to continue to lose weight.

Another issue is that whatever diet you're following at the moment doesn't address the addictive nature of sugar. You may have cravings, headaches, and feel sick when you're not eating the foods you're used to consuming on a daily basis.

Recent studies conducted by Connecticut College have shown that sugar can affect your brain in ways that are similar to drug addiction.

Are there steps to help wean your body off sugar?

This is a little tricky, since sugar is found in almost everything that you consume. To quit eating sugar instantly is nearly impossible.

It may not happen overnight, but it can happen.

Becoming more aware of how much sugar you are eating is the first step, and making sure you understand how to read the nutrition labels on the foods you're eating is also very important.

Research psychologist and neuroscientist, Nicole Avena, PhD, who is an expert in the fields of nutrition, diet and addiction, shares why all your diets are failing and ways you can manage your eating to begin a new, healthy lifestyle.