Sometimes I have to call my lifestyle a "diet"

Magdaloonie

This isn't a complaint, just an observation. Now that I have pretty successfully committed to this change for the better, I have noticed that some people will only back off from pushing food (like lunches out or doughnut fundraisers) when I say I am on a diet.
This has spared some hurt feelings though I expect it will be harder to use as I get closer to my goal weight.
Nonetheless, it seems kind of funny since the MFP community stresses lifestyle change over dieting. My real world experience is being that diets are acceptable but lifestyle changes are not! Anyone else notice that?

hunnyb333

Yes, I think so too. Everyone that I talk with asks about why I won't eat certain foods and then say, well, you'll go back to it when you lose the weight, right? It's really hard to get people to understand that you just don't want to eat certain foods anymore. Now I understand what my sister went through as a vegetarian. People constantly saying that it was a "phase".

samammay

Diet is just a shorthand word to use to people you dont feel inclined to explain your life to. Its just a word. It has no power. YOU know what it is you are doing and if you dont feel like explaining, calling it a diet doesnt do anything but make your life easier.

I call it a diet all the time. Heck, I even do it to myself.

Its just a word.

wild_wild_life

I'll tell you a secret, don't tell anyone else on the site: restricting calories is a diet. It's not a 4-letter word. Oh wait...

MsJLauria

I've noticed this too, my grandmother is convinced I'm 'on a diet' and eventually I'll snap out of it and start eating cakes and fish and chips with her again. Plus I find myself sometimes making derogatory remarks about myself being 'awkward' or 'fussy' as if my new lifestyle is an inconvenience for other people.... Which sometimes it is in a way, for example I went to a house party really and the only snacks I could have we're carrot sticks, and the hostess actually apologised for forgetting I couldn't eat normal food ( pretzels, chrisps etc) made me feel a bit stupid really...

Magdaloonie

I'll tell you a secret, don't tell anyone else on the site: restricting calories is a diet. It's not a 4-letter word. Oh wait...

XD

Magdaloonie

I've noticed this too, my grandmother is convinced I'm 'on a diet' and eventually I'll snap out of it and start eating cakes and fish and chips with her again. Plus I find myself sometimes making derogatory remarks about myself being 'awkward' or 'fussy' as if my new lifestyle is an inconvenience for other people.... Which sometimes it is in a way, for example I went to a house party really and the only snacks I could have we're carrot sticks, and the hostess actually apologised for forgetting I couldn't eat normal food ( pretzels, chrisps etc) made me feel a bit stupid really...

All the time, honey, all the time. Those that have never struggled with their weight just can't understand. It's not their fault but we know that their experience is not ours. I'm planning the department Halloween party which means there will be delicious food I can actually eat!

Mr_Knight

It is a diet - there's no reason not to call it that.

JilloftheDead

I've noticed this too, my grandmother is convinced I'm 'on a diet' and eventually I'll snap out of it and start eating cakes and fish and chips with her again. Plus I find myself sometimes making derogatory remarks about myself being 'awkward' or 'fussy' as if my new lifestyle is an inconvenience for other people.... Which sometimes it is in a way, for example I went to a house party really and the only snacks I could have we're carrot sticks, and the hostess actually apologised for forgetting I couldn't eat normal food ( pretzels, chrisps etc) made me feel a bit stupid really...

I kind of had to laugh at "normal food"

AmyZ46

I tend to agree that people don't understand if you say lifestyle change, they kind of feel like I am judging them for eating the way they do ,and it's not that at all. My body just can't eat that way and be healthy. They have a right to eat what ever they want and I will not judge.

A few people up here tell me its ok you can eat that just this once ...like today they made cream puffs ! I love cream puffs and of course I looked at them and someone said go ahead you know you want one ,you can eat it I won't tell. What the heck ? I said I know I can eat it , but then I won't fit into these size 14's I just bought..

It is a life style choice /and for now a diet lol

Magdaloonie

It is a diet - there's no reason not to call it that.

Well, yes, there is. Diet more than implies a temporary thing that has an end. At least in my culture.

Mr_Knight

To the vast majority of people, "diet" simply means paying close attention to what you eat. Anybody logging on MFP is by definition on a diet.

There is no reason to run from that word - there is nothing wrong with paying attention to one's diet, and a whole lot wrong with not doing so.

wild_wild_life

My issue with the term "lifestyle change" is that your eating habits are not your entire lifestyle. It makes it sound like you are giving up your worldly posessions and moving into a cave.

If I don't want something (I am vegetarian and fairly picky about what I eat) I usually just say no, thank you, I'm good. That's usually enough for people.

I agree that "diet" is something people can understand and relate to while "lifestyle change" comes across as more judgemental towards what they are offering.

wild_wild_life

To the vast majority of people, "diet" simply means paying close attention to what you eat. Anybody logging on MFP is by definition on a diet.

There is no reason to run from that word - there is nothing wrong with paying attention to one's diet, and a whole lot wrong with not doing so.

I agree. To me, "diet" implies restricting intake for the purpose of losing weight, something the majority of people here are doing. It does not have any negative connotations to me.

zensugi

I think what we are doing is a diet; in some cases, it's also much broader to become a lifestyle change. I don't feel ashamed to call it a diet as a shorthand of giving a much longer explanation and don't give much power to the word. By the way, cool hair colors.

losing4799

people don't want to think much on the circumstance of others. maybe tell people, "no thanks, I'm trying to eat healthier'. "trying" implies at a diet, and they should understand/not cast judgement and accept... but it is not lying and you are being honest to yourself which is more important.

jerney623

I don't think of it as a diet at all. I consider it a lifestyle change. A diet tells you what you can and can not eat. Using MFP has made me reconsider certain foods, have less of a high calorie food, and it has encouraged me to exercise a little more if I ate some high calorie item, but it has not made me feel deprived at all. I agree that "diet" is just a word, but it doesn't fit what I am doing. I also love that every day you start in the green and can have the power to stay within your suggested limits or not. I had a crazy weekend of drinking and debauchery and ate 2 days worth of calories in one day, but all is not lost because I am doing great today and will make sure I exercise a little more this week. It will even out, in the long run, to keep me on track. I have had people react exasperated towards me because I have asked them "how many potatoes and butter and brown sugar was in that homemade dish?" or '"what brand was that item so I can estimate the calories?" ect. Just like any change it changes how I am interacting in the world.

Achrya

Interesting. I myself am on a diet. I eat all the same foods as before, but in smaller amounts, so it certainly isn't a 'lifestyle change' or a 'Journey'. It's just...a diet.

ashesfromfire

See, I know we're supposed to approach it as a "life style" change, but to me, it's not (well, not completely). I'm trying to lose weight so I'm doing X, Y, and X. In theory if I kept doing those thing forever, as my lifestyle, wouldn't I be saying I want to be perpetually losing weight? No end to it. So yes, I'm on a diet until I get down to where I want to be, by then I am confident that I will have gained all the tools (how to eat healthy, workout, yadda yadda) that I can adopt as a healthy lifestyle

davert123

I must be a bit weird but I don't look at what I am doing as dieting anymore. When I came here 'Diet' was a way of reducing calories - now it is what I eat :-) Its up to me what I do with my body. I have no problem at all in telling people politely 'I don't want something but thanks for offering'. If that upsets people it isn't something that concerns me at all.

FoxyLifter

people don't want to think much on the circumstance of others. maybe tell people, "no thanks, I'm trying to eat healthier'. "trying" implies at a diet, and they should understand/not cast judgement and accept... but it is not lying and you are being honest to yourself which is more important.

This sounds like a great compromise to the whole "diet" vs "life style change" debate! I'm going to use this.

cafeaulait7

"I'm watching my diet" or even "I have to watch my diet" works for me And I'll be watching my diet forever, except I don't do that at every event, so some days I'm really not watching it that meal, lol.

sloth3toes

To the vast majority of people, "diet" simply means paying close attention to what you eat. Anybody logging on MFP is by definition on a diet.

There is no reason to run from that word - there is nothing wrong with paying attention to one's diet, and a whole lot wrong with not doing so.

I agree. To me, "diet" implies restricting intake for the purpose of losing weight, something the majority of people here are doing. It does not have any negative connotations to me.

diet1
ˈdʌɪət/
noun
noun: diet; plural noun: diets

1.
the kinds of food that a person, animal, or community habitually eats.

Yes, I intentionally left off the 2nd definition of 'diet.....' which is, basically what you just said... " restricting intake for the purpose of losing weight.' But I did it to illustrate, that the word diet, is quite simply, 'what you eat.'

I'm quite certain that the 1st definition was around LONG before the 2nd one was. My diet used to be cr@p and lots of it. Now, it's less. It was always a diet, it just used to be a much worse diet.

MyChocolateDiet

I call mine a diet. Not even sorry.

BattleTaxi

OP said it right! Amazing how if I tell people I'm on a "diet" they don't push food, they will even try to 'deny' me food everyone else is having, very annoying. But if I call it a life style change, or a healthier eating habit, they look at me like I'm crazy.

AlongCame_Molly

I have noticed that, and I think it's ridiculous. Almost as if short term stopgap shortcuts to get fit are more acceptable than actually eating better and caring about you body's health long-term. It drives me crazy. It's one of multiple reasons I've chosen to major in nutrition education, to try to help reverse this destructive and lazy mentality toward weight loss and fitness.

Magdaloonie

To the vast majority of people, "diet" simply means paying close attention to what you eat. Anybody logging on MFP is by definition on a diet.

There is no reason to run from that word - there is nothing wrong with paying attention to one's diet, and a whole lot wrong with not doing so.

I guess I don't hang with the vast majority of people! I know dictionary definition 1 of "diet". It's English dictionary definition 2 I am talking about. Normally, I love the expressiveness of the English language. It borrows from so many other languages which is why we have so many words that technically mean the same thing but have beautifully varied nuances and connotations.

This isn't one of them. This is one word with two different meanings. It seems you are misunderstanding me. You are free to use whatever word suits you, as am I, but I think we are not actually speaking the same language. I have no shame of watching my diet (definition #1), I only remark on other people's resistance to my diet (definition #1) unless I refer to it as a diet (definition #2).

Magdaloonie

Nuances and connotations.

Two words that technically mean the same thing!

guessrs

I agree with you. By saying a diet you are keeping it short. I wouldn't want to explain to so many people how I changed my lifestyle, it's just too long of a story ha ha. So I just say I'm on a diet and they stop offering stuff right then and there.