Do you consider yourself "on a diet?"

DuckReconMajor

No. The changes that have worked for me are the ones where i make a small change i can make a definite in my life. One day I said "i am gonna eat whatever i want, but i'm going to log it to the best of my ability". It's worked out much better than i expected

brandyosu

I don't consider myself on a diet and I correct anyone who tries to say I'm dieting. I've finally realized that I needed to make changes that I had avoided making for a long time. I haven't given up anything I enjoy, I've just learned to eat more of some things and less of others and it's a change that makes me happy and one that I can live with.

williamwj2014

Not at all. I'm a lot more mindful about what I put into my body than I was almost a year ago. Definitely a lifestyle and am much more happier. With that being said, I eat the same things as when I was on a deficit, just more of it.

noobletmcnugget

Yeah. To me, calorie deficit = diet.

Furbuster

At the moment yes.

Diet for me is eating less because I'm a greedy wench who just eats too much. Food is wholesome there is just too much of it going in my gob!

ChantalGG

lifestyle change

cwolfman13

I'm in maintenance for over two years now and I eat pretty much the same way I did when I lost weight except I get to eat a little more...lots of whole food nutrition...tons of veggies...a few servings of fruit daily...some whole grains...lots of legumes...lean sourced protein and healthy fats from things like avocados and nuts.

I made a decision when I was losing weight to adopt a diet (noun) that I could adhere to into perpetuity and one that was going to help fix some health conditions. Dieting (verb) or being on a diet to me implies that at some point you're not going to be on said diet anymore which means most likely that there would just be a reversion back to old dietary and exercise habits which will most likely lead to putting weight back on.

nora_gettingfitnow

"Diet is defined as a person's regularly consumed food and drink or it can mean regulating food intake to lose or gain weight"

So yes I am most definitely on a diet, my goal is to reach the end where my habits and lifestyle have changed so much that my diet is balanced and I can treat myself without worrying about putting back on any of the weight that I have worked so hard to lose. Then if someone asks if I am on a diet, I can shout NO from the rooftops

Best of luck everybody

dubird

No. I say things like 'my diet', but I'm referring to my eating habits when I do. An actual diet is normally only a temporary measure, and most of the time, when you stop, you go right back to where you are. Plus, I don't like what you have to do with diets. I don't want to cut out all my favorite foods because then what really is the point of eating aside from fueling your body? I don't want to lose my enjoyment of a good meal, especially with friends and family, so actual diets aren't for me. I'm doing much better and I'm happier with retraining my eating habits.

Centipede007

I consider myself on a journey as vague as that word is. I never framed my journey to healthiness as losing weight (even though I am), but as a path to endlessly improve myself throughout my life by being able to make good health choices.

SailorKnightWing

Kind of. I'm eating less now than I will at my goal weight, so I consider it a diet. You can call it a deficit if you want, it's the same thing.

RiverMelSong

No, which is also why I don't deny myself any specific foods. If I'm doing this for the rest of my life I'm going to eat all the foods I love, just in moderation.

fastfoodietofitcutie

Yes. I'm hoping one day the answer to this changes to no and becomes a lifestyle change but for now I consider it a diet because it's restrictive. I can eat what I want to an extent but not in the portion size I want to eat it.

Edjeep

I am changing my diet. Not on a diet, which implies to me that I will get off the diet. I can see that what I was doing was not producing the results I was happy with. I'm finding new foods, and learning how and what to eat so that I can be satisfied and live a healthy life.

ald783

It's just semantics to me. I find the term "lifestyle change" obnoxious. Call it what you want, I know for a fact that when I am losing weight/maintaining/actively eating healthily I am making an effort to do and thus not eating what I'd ideally prefer to be eating on any given day. It is what it is. I've been doing this for 6.5 years now so it might not be a short term "fad" diet but I consider it dieting just the same.

kdav88

Liftin4food wrote: »

Need2Exerc1se wrote: »

I am purposely eating for weight loss, so yes, that is pretty much the definition of 'being on a diet".

And there will be an end to my dieting. At some point I will eat for maintenance.

This for me too.

Likewise. I'd like to say no, but the reality is, even if it's a lifestyle change, I'm eating less than I'd like to or need to in order to maintain my weight, which means eating in a deficit AKA diet... Can't wait for maintenance... Haha I love food!

candykay0605

nope not really, this for me is more of a change of life

Fuzzipeg

The food you choose to consume forms your diet. How you choose to eat is up to you. Loosing weight for most will entail eating less over processed foods and more self prepared foods. I hope everyone finds which dietary regime will suit them best and form the basis of a more healthy life. I'm somewhere along this road.

Isilya

I am currently dieting since I'm on a restricted eating plan. I really need to lose weight to become more mobile safely. Once I'm able to be more active I will simply be making better choices and no longer dieting. Or so I tell myself

Dandelie

Personally, I do not feel okay with saying that my changes are a "diet." I want long term success. Diet implies I am forcing myself to avoid certain foods. That doesn't support long term success. So, I view my changes as a new lifestyle where all things come in moderation.

jaqcan

I'm actively trying to lose weight, so yes I'm "on a diet" but it's definitely different than when I've been "doing a diet". I've enjoyed the MFP process so much more than anything I've tried in the past!

Kalikel

First forty pounds, no, I didn't. I wasn't trying to lose weight. I just overhauled my diet, began eating healthy food and the weight began coming off.

When I started actively counting the calories, it began feeling like work and I started having that "on a diet" feeling. I thought it was important for me to learn about how many calories were in this and that. Maybe it was, maybe not. But I've learned all I'm going to learn. I'm trying to start eating like regular people do again, sans scale. It's a long process, though.

When I'm done, I plan to eat normal amounts of healthy food, using my hunger to guide me. Then, the "on a diet" thing will be over. That's the plan, anyway!

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whmscll

Yes. I can't wait until I'm done losing and go on maintenance and have a few extra calories each day. I'm on 1200 right now and hate it.

rebbylicious

I consider myself on a warpath against fat and weak muscles and bad choices and bad temptation.

arditarose

I consider myself in a deficit, or not in a deficit.

pointkoala

For me, no. I'm just getting back in the healthy eating routine and I intend to stay eating like this for a while.

emodavis

No because my first priority is not to lose weight but to be more aware of what and how much I'm eating. I know what I need to do but am still a little resistant to actually doing it. I hate counting calories so I'm trying to focus on getting the ratio of carbs, protein, and fat that work best for my satiety and happiness from better sources instead.

Yes because I am on a gluten-free diet and I don't want to deal with things like intestinal cancer and bowel resections.

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cavia

While I was losing, yes, I considered myself on a diet as I was restricting calories to lose weight. I always intended my diet to be temporary. When I reached goal weight in April I switched to maintenance.