Almost every weight reduction diet fails. And it is not due to your lack of discipline.
Almost every weight reduction diet fails. And it is not due to your lack of discipline.
Most diets do work—for a few months, at least! After that, the weight tends to creep back, often bringing a few extra pounds with it. Let's explore how nutritional therapy does things differently, and when it can truly make a wonderful difference to your medical well-being.
Most diets do work—for a few months, at least! After that, the weight tends to creep back, often bringing a few extra pounds with it. Let's explore how nutritional therapy does things differently, and when it can truly make a wonderful difference to your medical well-being.
Almost every diet works in the beginning. And that is exactly the problem! The early success on the scales wins you over, you stick with the plan, and then, after a few months, things take a turn. The weight creeps back, often with a little extra too.
The reason for this is rarely a lack of self-discipline. It is simply because a diet is an exceptional state, and exceptional states must come to an end. That is why nutritional counselling takes a different approach: focusing not just on the next twelve weeks, but on what lasts for the next five years and beyond!
Why Diets Fail So Consistently
Every highly restrictive dietary regimen works against two forces. The first is physiological: during a sustained caloric deficit, the body lowers its basal metabolic rate and increases feelings of hunger. This is not imagination, but a measurable adaptation.
The second is practical. A plan that does not survive social invitations, the canteen, lack of time, and holidays cannot be sustained long-term. Those who maintain lists of forbidden foods rely constantly on willpower. Willpower is limited.
Therefore, the key question is not how much weight you lose in eight weeks, but what change you will still be making in a year's time without even thinking about it.
The Difference Between Nutritional Counselling and a Diet
In Austria, these are two distinct things, and the difference is legally regulated. General nutritional counselling targets healthy individuals who wish to change unfavourable habits. [1]
Dietetics is different: a medically prescribed nutritional therapy for patients who are already ill or suspected of having an illness. Dietitians are a legally regulated healthcare profession with their own specific training, working with nutritional diagnostics rather than simple dietary tips. [2]
In practice, this means it begins with an assessment: food diary, laboratory parameters, pre-existing conditions, medication, daily routine, and working hours. Only then is a plan created, and it is tailored to your week, not to an idealised standard.
When Nutritional Therapy is Medically Indicated
There are situations where a dietary change is demonstrably part of the medical treatment and not just a good resolution:
Type 2 Diabetes and Prediabetes. Nutrition and exercise are the baseline therapy here, not an optional extra. [3]
Obesity. Treatment is based on nutritional, exercise, and behavioural therapy. [4]
Dyslipidaemia and Hypertension, where a dietary change can reduce the need for or complement medication.
Coeliac Disease, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, and Food Intolerances, where untargeted elimination of foods does more harm than good.
Malnutrition, for example after surgery, in chronic inflammatory bowel diseases, or in older age.
The Costs Involved
Honesty is paramount here: the costs of nutritional counselling in private practice are generally not covered by social security providers. [1] In our practice, dietetics is therefore a private service and is available to patients following a prior medical consultation. This is not an obstacle, but the medical rationale of the process: only once it is clear what the diagnosis is, does a dietary plan become useful.
What Actually Happens in the First Consultation
The first session consists almost entirely of listening. We assess what you eat on a normal day, when you eat, how long the intervals are, your work schedule, your sleep patterns, and what you have already tried. In addition, pre-existing conditions, medication, and current laboratory parameters from the medical assessment are evaluated.
Only then is a plan created, and it deliberately starts small. Two or three changes that fit into your daily routine beat ten that you abandon after four weeks. Common first steps include a reliable source of protein with every main meal because it sustains satiety longer, a fixed breakfast time for fluctuating blood glucose levels, or a realistic approach to canteens and eating out instead of a ban.
After about six to eight weeks, adjustments are made. What has worked remains. What did not work is not repeated with more discipline, but replaced.
Why Diets Fail So Consistently
Every highly restrictive dietary regimen works against two forces. The first is physiological: during a sustained caloric deficit, the body lowers its basal metabolic rate and increases feelings of hunger. This is not imagination, but a measurable adaptation.
The second is practical. A plan that does not survive social invitations, the canteen, lack of time, and holidays cannot be sustained long-term. Those who maintain lists of forbidden foods rely constantly on willpower. Willpower is limited.
Therefore, the key question is not how much weight you lose in eight weeks, but what change you will still be making in a year's time without even thinking about it.
The Difference Between Nutritional Counselling and a Diet
In Austria, these are two distinct things, and the difference is legally regulated. General nutritional counselling targets healthy individuals who wish to change unfavourable habits. [1]
Dietetics is different: a medically prescribed nutritional therapy for patients who are already ill or suspected of having an illness. Dietitians are a legally regulated healthcare profession with their own specific training, working with nutritional diagnostics rather than simple dietary tips. [2]
In practice, this means it begins with an assessment: food diary, laboratory parameters, pre-existing conditions, medication, daily routine, and working hours. Only then is a plan created, and it is tailored to your week, not to an idealised standard.
When Nutritional Therapy is Medically Indicated
There are situations where a dietary change is demonstrably part of the medical treatment and not just a good resolution:
Type 2 Diabetes and Prediabetes. Nutrition and exercise are the baseline therapy here, not an optional extra. [3]
Obesity. Treatment is based on nutritional, exercise, and behavioural therapy. [4]
Dyslipidaemia and Hypertension, where a dietary change can reduce the need for or complement medication.
Coeliac Disease, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, and Food Intolerances, where untargeted elimination of foods does more harm than good.
Malnutrition, for example after surgery, in chronic inflammatory bowel diseases, or in older age.
The Costs Involved
Honesty is paramount here: the costs of nutritional counselling in private practice are generally not covered by social security providers. [1] In our practice, dietetics is therefore a private service and is available to patients following a prior medical consultation. This is not an obstacle, but the medical rationale of the process: only once it is clear what the diagnosis is, does a dietary plan become useful.
What Actually Happens in the First Consultation
The first session consists almost entirely of listening. We assess what you eat on a normal day, when you eat, how long the intervals are, your work schedule, your sleep patterns, and what you have already tried. In addition, pre-existing conditions, medication, and current laboratory parameters from the medical assessment are evaluated.
Only then is a plan created, and it deliberately starts small. Two or three changes that fit into your daily routine beat ten that you abandon after four weeks. Common first steps include a reliable source of protein with every main meal because it sustains satiety longer, a fixed breakfast time for fluctuating blood glucose levels, or a realistic approach to canteens and eating out instead of a ban.
After about six to eight weeks, adjustments are made. What has worked remains. What did not work is not repeated with more discipline, but replaced.
"It is not the diet that is decisive, but rather what you are still adhering to in five years' time."
"It is not the diet that is decisive, but rather what you are still adhering to in five years' time."
"It is not the diet that is decisive, but rather what you are still adhering to in five years' time."
How it works with us
It begins with a medical consultation to gather the necessary clinical parameters. Only then does the nutritional therapy begin, and rather than immediately issuing a plan, we assess what your week actually looks like. The transition occurs in manageable steps that you can sustain, and is reviewed and adjusted after a few weeks.
Nutritional therapy is part of our services at the PVZ Primary Care Centre in Vienna's Josefstadt. You can find all the details in the Service Overview, and you can book your initial medical appointment under Appointments and Contact.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between nutritional counselling and dietetics/nutritional therapy?
Nutritional counselling is aimed at healthy individuals who wish to change their habits. Dietetics/nutritional therapy is medically prescribed nutritional therapy for existing or suspected medical conditions and is an independent, legally regulated healthcare profession.
Does health insurance cover nutritional counselling?
Generally not in the outpatient sector. The costs are usually covered during a hospital stay or an approved rehabilitation stay.
Do I need a medical appointment beforehand?
With us, yes. Nutritional therapy is available following a prior medical consultation, ensuring that the nutritional plan is based on clinical findings and not on assumptions.
How long does it take to see a change?
Laboratory values such as blood glucose or blood lipids often respond within eight to twelve weeks. Weight changes take longer, and gradual changes are the most stable.
Do I have to completely cut out certain foods?
In very few cases. Complete elimination is only sensible under clear medical indication, such as in coeliac disease. Untargeted lists of forbidden foods lead to nutritional deficiencies more often than success.
Sources
Austrian Health Portal. Nutritional Counselling and Nutritional Therapy. Link
Austrian Health Portal. Dietitian: Professional Profile. Link
Austrian Health Portal. Diabetes and Lifestyle. Link
Austrian Health Portal. Treatment of Obesity in Adults. Link
This article is for general informational purposes only and does not replace individual medical advice.
How it works with us
It begins with a medical consultation to gather the necessary clinical parameters. Only then does the nutritional therapy begin, and rather than immediately issuing a plan, we assess what your week actually looks like. The transition occurs in manageable steps that you can sustain, and is reviewed and adjusted after a few weeks.
Nutritional therapy is part of our services at the PVZ Primary Care Centre in Vienna's Josefstadt. You can find all the details in the Service Overview, and you can book your initial medical appointment under Appointments and Contact.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between nutritional counselling and dietetics/nutritional therapy?
Nutritional counselling is aimed at healthy individuals who wish to change their habits. Dietetics/nutritional therapy is medically prescribed nutritional therapy for existing or suspected medical conditions and is an independent, legally regulated healthcare profession.
Does health insurance cover nutritional counselling?
Generally not in the outpatient sector. The costs are usually covered during a hospital stay or an approved rehabilitation stay.
Do I need a medical appointment beforehand?
With us, yes. Nutritional therapy is available following a prior medical consultation, ensuring that the nutritional plan is based on clinical findings and not on assumptions.
How long does it take to see a change?
Laboratory values such as blood glucose or blood lipids often respond within eight to twelve weeks. Weight changes take longer, and gradual changes are the most stable.
Do I have to completely cut out certain foods?
In very few cases. Complete elimination is only sensible under clear medical indication, such as in coeliac disease. Untargeted lists of forbidden foods lead to nutritional deficiencies more often than success.
Sources
Austrian Health Portal. Nutritional Counselling and Nutritional Therapy. Link
Austrian Health Portal. Dietitian: Professional Profile. Link
Austrian Health Portal. Diabetes and Lifestyle. Link
Austrian Health Portal. Treatment of Obesity in Adults. Link
This article is for general informational purposes only and does not replace individual medical advice.
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If you enjoyed this article, then you probably feel exactly the same way we do: the urge to take action and really make a difference. But why should you stop at just reading? Join us and become part of what we are building here.
