Why do YOU diet?

Weightwatcher72

I diet as I want to lose weight to be fitter and healthier

I had to have a blood test recently to test my liver/ kidney function, cholesterol levels, blood count, etc and only the blood count came back as normal ???? so I had to have repeat tests, still awaiting the results of those *tremble*

msmaggs89

I don't believe in diets. I believe that people are flexible with diverse needs, some days I will have carbs or not have carbs or have sugar or not have sugar and whatever works. Life is flexible, I need to be too. My "diet" is eating good, non-processed foods wherever possible, sticking to my calorie goals, and making positive choices where I can

rocopoc

Don't really diet, I could never make it last. I love to eat and cook. Now what I do is eat what I want, and eat in moderation. I mainly pick better choice foods and have cut back a lot on eating out. A LOT. I now find it a fun challenge to re-make the foods I like with less fat and sodium. I also have things like chocolate soy or almond milk on hand for when I want something chocolately. Occasionally I may have a froyo with fruit topping a a swirl of hot fudge. It's a constant give and take and planning. I

Guns_N_Buns

Your "diet" is what ever food you are eating.

+1

zoeysasha37

I don't diet. I've made a lifestyle change, I eat what I want in moderation while paying attention to macros and calories. I learned portion control

shexy16

I don't diet, I just try to eat healthier, eat appropriate sized portions, and get some activity in when I can. The reason I do this...because I'm too big and none of my pants fit.

belgerian

I just changed what I eat and how much of what I eat I would not call that a diet I would call it eating healthier. Granted there are still times where I will eat half dozen cookies, or wayyyy too much Ice cream but it is not a daily occurance, This combined with regular excercise that I enjoy which is running and just started strong lifts makes me feel great about myself.

_whatsherface

I don't diet. It's a lifestyle change for me. I eat what I want as long as I stay in calories but have 86ed fast food and candy. I eat better healthier versions of things but sometimes I don't.

maidentl

I don't understand the obsession on this site with the word diet. If you are restricting calories with the desire to lose weight, you are on a diet. Is calling it something else helpful?

If it makes you feel any better, I agree with ya!

SteveMFP123

I'm not on a diet, I just no longer stuff my face with junk and I eat proper sized portions. I still have nice food, I just make sure I keep my calories under control.

KristyAnn81

I don't understand the obsession on this site with the word diet. If you are restricting calories with the desire to lose weight, you are on a diet. Is calling it something else helpful?

If it makes you feel any better, I agree with ya!

In my opinion, a diet is a strong restriction of food until one reaches a goal and then stops and returns to previous. Changing your eating habits so you make better choices for life - it's a lifestyle change, not a "diet". And yes, what you eat is technically your "diet' but stating are dieting as opposed to what your daily diet is - let's not split hairs here people.. the question was why do you diet. I don't plan on restricting down to a 1200 calories or less a day diet, I won't do fad diets. Being healthy inside and out is more in the kitchen than the hour or more we spend sweating our *kitten* off. You don't just reach a goal and stop, go back and gain it all back. So no, I don't say I'm dieting. I say I'm eating healthier and making better choices.

BecomingPremsar

I don't like the term diet for one main reason. Diets have a start point and an end point and never last forever. If you truly want to lose weight and keep it off you need to have a nutrition plan you can sustain long term for life. Diets can't be sustained for life. Eating healthy and having a total lifestyle change can. That's how I have been able to lose weight and been able to keep it off and how I advise everyone with losing weight.

This. +1

Sabine_Stroehm

I haven't tried many diets as I can never stick to them so I decided to eat what I want as long as it is in my calorie allowance. I still get to eat everything I want - which is always good

I have scraped Pepsi Max and chocolate completely out of my diet for now as I know I go over the top with them and can't stop but mainly to help health wise

So what diets have you done? Have you stuck to them? If you didn't, why did it not work? Why have you done them?

In other words, you diet.
Congrats on finding the diet that works for you.

Sabine_Stroehm

I don't understand the obsession on this site with the word diet. If you are restricting calories with the desire to lose weight, you are on a diet. Is calling it something else helpful?

I've never understood it either. Counting calories (and limiting them consciously) and weighing, and measuring.... that's a diet.

leggup

I'm a vegetarian. I was also a fat vegetarian. I didn't become vegetarian for weight loss.

Right now, I eat at a calorie deficit. Weeks that I don't eat at a calorie deficit, I don't lose weight. Plain and simple. I haven't cut any foods out. However, before I started this journey in January, food existing in my presence was a good enough reason to eat it. Now, food has to be worth it. I have zero interest in eating things I used to eat out of boredom/due to access, like lollies and hard candies.

will2lose72

Because....food. yep

lemurcat12

I don't have a problem with referring to restricting calories to a level below maintenance a diet, even if it's done as part of an overall plan to eat healthier and exercise more for the foreseeable future, or to keep track of one's portions and weight just as part of life.

But that doesn't really provide an answer to the question, because it doesn't have a specific name.

So my answer to that would be none, although I considered doing the Beverly Hills Diet when I was about 13. Luckily it was logistically too difficult.

I followed the plan in my first sentence in my early 30s and lost 60 lbs, and kept it up for some time (without ever specifically counting calories) until some life things interfered and I allowed myself to regain plus, sigh. Not calling it a diet wouldn't have mattered, IMO, although figuring out some underlying life things might have. Got back to it early this year, and have remembered why I enjoyed it and found it sustainable. Working on the underlying things.

FredDoyle

I don't understand the obsession on this site with the word diet. If you are restricting calories with the desire to lose weight, you are on a diet. Is calling it something else helpful?

If it makes you feel any better, I agree with ya!

Well language does evolve but it doesn't mean that the word diet doesn't mean what you eat.
"We fattened up some lab rats on a diet of pure crisco to twice their normal weight to see what happened."
"I changed my diet to include vegetables but I eat the same amount of calories"
"I included more food in my diet because I'm trying to gain weight"
English, it's fun.

IrisFlute

Yes, "diet" as a noun simply means whatever one eats.

However, "diet" as a verb (the way OP used it) means: (according to Merriam Webster)

: to eat less food or to eat only particular kinds of food in order to lose weight : to be on a diet

That said, what's up with the urgency on MFP about avoiding the term "dieting" or "being on a diet?" I don't get it. Yes, lifestyle change is all well and good, but right now I'm eating at a 500 to 600 calorie per day deficit. That's because I'm working on losing weight.

I am NOT going to be losing weight for the rest of my life. I am currently dieting, and this diet very definitely has an end point.

After I reach its end point, which is my goal weight, I will shift over to eating my TDEE. That will still require attention, but it will definitely be different from how I'm eating right now.

And to answer OP's question: I am dieting to lower my blood pressure a bit, so I can (hopefully) avoid the need to start medication. I've also made other lifestyle changes for this purpose as well.

Sabine_Stroehm

Yes, "diet" as a noun simply means whatever one eats.

However, "diet" as a verb (the way OP used it) means: (according to Merriam Webster)

: to eat less food or to eat only particular kinds of food in order to lose weight : to be on a diet

That said, what's up with the urgency on MFP about avoiding the term "dieting" or "being on a diet?" I don't get it. Yes, lifestyle change is all well and good, but right now I'm eating at a 500 to 600 calorie per day deficit. That's because I'm working on losing weight.

I am NOT going to be losing weight for the rest of my life. I am currently dieting, and this diet very definitely has an end point.

After I reach its end point, which is my goal weight, I will shift over to eating my TDEE. That will still require attention, but it will definitely be different from how I'm eating right now.

And to answer OP's question: I am dieting to lower my blood pressure a bit, so I can (hopefully) avoid the need to start medication. I've also made other lifestyle changes for this purpose as well.

Yes, given that MFP IS definition #2.