Don’t Do the “What the Hell”
February 15, 2023 | Words by Gabe Yanez
We’ve All Been There
We’re now six weeks into the new year. If you find yourself giving up the healthy-eating goals you set at the beginning of 2023, you’re not alone. By some estimates, as many as 80% of people fail to keep their New Year’s resolutions into February.
So why are some resolutions so hard to keep — especially those related to diet and nutrition?
Could the “What the Hell” Effect have anything to do with it?
Less Restriction, Better Results
Coined by two researchers at Northwestern University in the 1970s, the “What the Hell” Effect effect explains an interesting psychological change in people who restrict their eating. In a study, participants were told they would be taking part in a taste test, but researchers were actually studying how dieters and non-dieters reacted to different foods.
As expected, the participants that weren’t on restrictive diets filled up on milkshakes, pudding, cakes, and cookies during the “taste test” and went on to eat fewer other foods throughout the day.
But the participants that were on restrictive diets behaved differently.
Once it appeared they had “blown” their diet by participating in what they believed was a taste test, they ended up binge-eating other foods throughout the day. Researchers called this cycle of dieting, breaking the diet, and then overeating the “What the Hell” Effect.
This is precisely why restrictive diets can be such a double-edged sword. While cutting out some of your favorite foods to kick off the year could lead to short-term weight loss, the risk of falling into the “what the hell” trap is too real. The longer you grit your teeth and restrict the foods you love, the more likely you’ll binge after breaking your diet.
On the other hand, taking a more gradual and sustainable approach to improving your nutrition can make it easier to bounce back after minor deviations from your plan. If you take an all-or-nothing approach to nutrition and slip up, the temptation to just throw your hands up in the air and go “oh, what the hell!” can be too much for anyone to resist.
One Thing to Try This Week: Avoid the “What the Hell” Effect
Avoid the “What the Hell” Effect this year by revisiting your New Year’s resolutions and scaling back on anything that seems too restrictive or unsustainable. Better yet, focus on one thing and just one thing to work on for the next four weeks. That could be protein at every meal, more veggies, or more water throughout the day.
You could make substantial progress over time if you stay consistent with small, incremental changes. Instead of taking three giant steps forward and six steps back, you can take one small step at a time. Before you know it, you’ll be that much closer to where you want to be.
Speaking of making small, sustainable changes, we’ll be launching NCFIT Nutrition & Accountability Coaching at our Bay Area flagship locations, starting with a Group Nutrition Challenge in March!
You’ll get direction and accountability from one of our new NCFIT Nutrition Coaches and the support of the entire community participating in the challenge. This will serve as a jumping-off point for anyone looking to see a complete transformation through 1-on-1 nutrition and accountability coaching once the challenge is over.
Spaces will be limited at launch, so join the waiting list below to be the first on the list to apply for coaching as soon as it becomes available!
