Are you on a diet or change of lifestyle?

pamcris

A lifestyle change will not only cause weight loss but can reverse many of the diseases that we carry including diabetes.
Check this out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pjkC71exKU

Actually that's one of the reasons I started to take care of myself. I had gestational diabetes with both of my pregnancies (which were back to back) and that raises my chances of developing diabetes in the future. That really scared!

bjabdullah

Excellent observation and lessoned learned and it's very familiar story. Whatever we do to lose weight is what we need to do to maintain weight. Now I'm striving to eat whole foods, no processed foods, and sweets. Weekends, vacations, special occasions and football watching I may wonder from the plan and then get right back on it. However, for me it's a lifestyle change.

paperpudding

Whilst i get that yo yo dieting or being on a 3 week diet to lose weight for an event is not a good long term plan - I do think diet has uneccesarily become a dirty word and lifestyle change has become a trendy buzz word.

So - I am not on any specific diet - ie low carb, Atkins, Paleo etc - I just try to eat more or less a balanced diet and keep my calories more or less at the right amount.

In order to acheive a long term successful weight loss (ie a "lifestyle change") most people need to alter their diet - ie to a lower calorie diet than they were previously eating.

Some of the differences in diet and lifestyle change just seem semantics to me.

C5North

I am changing my life. I'll be doing this forever. I DO NOT believe in dieting. I now watch what I eAt like never before. I make much better choices. I haven't really cut anything out so I am satisfied with what and how much I eat. And I am down 35 pounds, it is working.

AtlantisLoss

Hahaha...... I don't know

Lifestyle and diet maybe?

I'm eating all the same foods. I've just cut down the portions which I'll increase when i reach my goal weight.
I'm actually satisfied with the amounts i'm eating now.

(oh, and I've stopped guilt eating. e.g. eating ridiculous amounts of candy and chocolate in my room). That's my lifestyle change.

GiveMeCoffee

For me it's been a learning change. Educating myself on nutrition, fitness and understanding myself as to why I do things, how I can do them better

Because I haven't made any drastic changes other than on portion control and getting off my *kitten*, it's what I will do forever. And I will continue to learn about myself.

Maryam2014mfp

I have to ask the question, Are you here to change your life or get the pounds off (for now)?

For me it is both. I'm changing my eating habits and lifestyle; but it is also important to me to get the excess lbs off for now. Over time, as I lose I will learn how to apply good maintenance habits, so I will be able to maintain my weight loss. Take care

MyaPapaya75

Just trying to stay more active for the rest of my life.....food and portion control will likely fade out as the weight drops and becomes less on my mind as it sets in how much I really should be eating..and no I wont be logging when im 80 but I will be ..walking or rolling in some wheelchair chasing some guy around my nursing home with my cane..or sumthin for exercise..

Fsunami

For me, lifestyle change. To me, a diet implies a finite end to the choices I now make. Since those choices will never end, I don't wish to put a time or weight goal constraint on it, because that would give me permission to go back to what I was before I found MFP & I really don't want to do that.

Also: The lifestyle change has had so many other benefits (primarily teaching me the self-discipline I'd long been lacking) that I am happy to do this for the rest of my life.

Thanks for asking such a great question....its one of the core things I think about every day while Im making these decisions....

Fsunami

penny105

Lifestyle for me!

Fit_Content

Lifestyle definitely - good post!

Snip8241

For me it is all about doing what I need to do to live my life without hypertension, diabetes, joint problems from too much weight and risk for a ton of other health related issues.

I have learned a lot of what I know now here on this site. The folks here are so supportive

Call it what you will. It's not lifestyle or diet to me....its life.


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mizroxy13

My philosophy is that if I'm thinking of doing something I couldn't sustain for the rest of my life, I don't do it.

This includes cutting out ANY food group, four hours at the gym every day, etc.

So far, it's worked wonderfully and what feels like effortlessly. I eat what I want within my limits and only do exercises that make me happy both physically and mentally. What a great life! So much better than a diet.

F00LofaT00K

Absolutely for life. I've tried every diet in the book and it took me years to realize that they're all part of the huge, money-making, diet industry. None of the proprietors of these diets want to help anybody but their own wallets. I'm so glad I found MFP and started reading advice on the forums. It pushed me to do a lot of research on my own and analyze the results of correlation studies about sugar/carbs, fat, etc. When you actual take the time to analyze the results for yourself, you realize that the media and diet-founders skew the correlations and tout them as cause-effect relationships.

For example, I heard on the radio that a new study is showing that artificial sweeteners are linked to obesity and diabetes. Well, DUH! I don't know about you guys, but when I was obese I tried switching to artificial sweeteners MANY times to (rather unnecessarily) cut out sugar in a weight loss attempt. People who already have diabetes use artificial sweeteners. The link is nothing more than a correlation. The sweetener isn't causing the obesity and diabetes like the radio host insisted this study was showing. There is also a link between people who get sunburned and spending time in the sun. People don't spontaneously sunburn and THEN decide to go out in the sun. . . it's the other way around. I wish more people would look into these studies and form their own conclusions.

I'm thankful that I finally realize it's HOW MUCH you eat, not WHAT you eat for your weight. Sure, what you eat is important for your health. . . veggies have necessary vitamins, fiber is great for you, protein is awesome for cell repair/building, fat is awesome for hormone regulation, and carbohydrates are needed for more immediate energy and the regulation of certain neurotransmitters. . . but how much of each of those food groups will depend on the individuals health and lifestyle. No one diet is the "right" diet for everybody. I finally see that I need to make permanent changes to my life in order to stay a healthy weight. Learning how to incorporate the foods I actually enjoy into a sustainable diet has given me confidence that I can do this. I've been at it for almost a year now and it just keeps getting easier. I'm working toward maintenance at this point and all I have to do is slightly up the caloric quantity of the SAME diet I've been eating all along to lose the weight. There is no more trying and guessing.

beautifuldisasta

I know our food is our diet, but I'm definitely not "on a diet" or following a certain type of diet.

I'm enjoying counting the calories at the moment, only for the fact that I'm learning how much things are, and how much I should have on my plate, but I don't see my self counting calories for ever.

I'm going to spend the time losing my weight learning how to fit the foods I enjoy into my daily calories, and also learning to love exercise again (which is already happening).

I'm NEVER gonna let my self get into the position that I have a lot of weight to lose again. So I'll be keeping a closer eye on my food, exercise and weight for the rest of my life, but I will do it in a way that is positive and healthy. We should all be able to enjoy foods/drinks we love but in a way that wont hurt our health.

This is not a quick fix for me, but more a slow and steady wins the race. That way I don't feel deprived, but I'm also making lots of changes, small and big to what and how much I eat. Also the amount of exercise I do. How ever long it takes I know that by the end of this I will have something I can follow for the rest of my life

seltzermint555

Whilst i get that yo yo dieting or being on a 3 week diet to lose weight for an event is not a good long term plan - I do think diet has uneccesarily become a dirty word and lifestyle change has become a trendy buzz word.

I agree with you about "lifestyle change". I also think a lot of times there's a very narrow definition in mind. That doesn't seem to be the case with most in this thread who speak of moderation. But for example, it is not uncommon for me to eat "healthy" breakfast and dinner but have a fast food lunch...or ice cream in the evening. For me that's the beauty of MFP and calorie counting, my "lifestyle change" doesn't have to mean I omit all so-called "bad" foods from my diet...for some that might work, but for me I just don't think it would be sustainable long-term. I am a firm believer in doing what works for you. I have not gone up in weight since I started this "journey" (lol) over six years ago and for me that makes me feel like I'm on the right path for me even if my Saturday is centered around going out of town for shopping, Korean food and a fancy cupcake...not too different of a lifestyle from ten years ago when I was well over 100 lb heavier ;-)

JustFindingMe

Its a lifestyle change for me as well. I enjoy the freedom of everything in moderation and feel relieved that I don't have to restrict any food group or panic when Im hungry and have to choose something that I may or may not enjoy simply because its in my ' diet. '

SeattleRaven

I don't think of this as dieting, but as being healthy. Weight loss is a good side effect for me, but I want to feel good and have energy.

lsgibbs83

Unless it is a lifestyle change the results will most likely be temporary.

KandGRanch

Im on a diet. it has an end date.

Targetx130

Previously it was always a diet. However this time around it's def a lifestyle change. I know this because I've stuck it out past a month and I'm okay with the slow rate of loss (weight and inches).

jbowers1978

I've refused to call this a diet specifically because I want to always have the mindset that it's a change for life. No, I don't think every day of my life I will get on here and type in everything I eat and do, like I need to do now. But I do hope and am shooting for learning things that will stick always. Even if I'm not on here typing it in, I'll still know about what calories are in what foods, which things are best for me, how much exercise I need to try to get. I'm only about halfway to my weight loss goal, but I'm trying to start thinking about what life will look like at that point - what will be my weight sustainment goal. I am not going to let this be just a diet - I am going to be strong enough to carry it on. That's what I'm telling myself until it becomes ingrained and hopefully I forget how to be any other way.

cwolfman13

I don't log or keep a diary...I did when I was losing, but I've always seen logging as merely a tool for learning how to eat in proper portions and get proper nutrition, etc. I've maintained for over 1.5 years now without logging...I personally don't think logging is the "lifestyle"....learning proper nutrition and how to eat a nutritious and well balanced diet is the lifestyle I'm talking about. Making regular exercise a part of my life that is not something "extra" is the lifestyle I'm talking about. Logging and keeping a food diary is just training wheels...eventually you have to take them off and just ride...IMHO, it is unrealistic to think I would log in some diary for the next 40+ years I have remaining.

TattooedCinderella

Definitely a changed lifestyle. No "diets" have EVER worked for me and I finally realized it was because I needed to change EVERYTHING as far as my eating habits were concerned. Not just for me, but for my kids! They were watching me and picking up the bad eating habits I learned from MY parents! I didn't want my kids growing up with terrible self esteem and bad body images because THEY were growing up overweight like I did. My health was declining and I'm only 35. And even though I haven't lost a lot of weight consecutively, I've lost over 40lbs. I need more friends on MFP who are gonna help motivate me lol! Although I've been sick again with some stomach issues so I'm not getting proper nutrition which sucks bc I'm losing weight too rapidly and not in a healthy way. I'm surviving mainly off of ginger ale, yogurt and saltines so if anyone wants to help me out, it should be greatly appreciated especially if anyone has had similar issues and can offer any kind of advice!!

GBrady43068

Lifestyle change. For me, that means SLOWLY incorporating little changes here and there that I can live with for good. I am not going on an "all-banana", "no carb", "low carb", "nothing white at night", or "paleo" type diet because in the end I think I would find those too constrictive (yes, I mean CONstrictive and not REstrictive because those types of diets feel like a noose around my neck to me) and end up binging on the "no-no" foods.

I track my food much better than when I started but far from perfectly. But since I feel like I've failed when I *DON'T* log now, I think this has become a change I can stick with. Just because I am logging doesn't mean I always stick within my calorie goals (let alone my macros) and the reports in the link below are proof of that. (I took screenshots of the reports and made them .JPGs in my photos..I *think* they should be viewable this way. They're the only two charts among the four photos.)

see my reports:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/photos/view/51171126

You can also see that I'm human...my weight still goes up and down (more noticeable in the 180) but the overall long-term trend remains DOWN...so that feels like a lifestyle change too.

I have now been here for approximately a year. As of when I joined MFP, I weighed around 264 pounds. I am now at 210 with an end goal of 150-170 for my "final" weight.

I will probably never "eat clean" because I don't think that's a change I could realistically make forever. I like the occasional ice cream or bag of potato chips. But I no longer habitually have a gallon of ice cream in the freezer..if I crave it, I go out for a single dip cone or bowl.

newhealthykim

It's a lifestyle change. I've discovered that challenges keep me going. I believe that I will get to all my goals, because I believe in myself. I don't deny myself. I just watch what I eat.

Chevy_Quest

Diet = 80's aerobics instructor eats rice cakes in a teal & white outfit with matching high top Reeboks.
Weight Loss Journey = nomads with robes and sticks crossing a mountain/desert area look for a magical weight loss plant.
Lifestyle Change = 60-ish widow from suburban Texas moves to NYC, starts wearing day glo spandex and becomes a lesbian.

@seltzer - you have to keep posting - pretty soon you will be under "contract' - Priceless :drinker: :drinker: :drinker:

--- and I totally agree - It HAS to be lifestyle. Great post OP!

RHSheetz

This is definately a Lifestyle change for me. The road has had many twist and turns, but i learned not to look at food as anything other than fuel for my body. This is the only way I will be able to stay healthy, by learning how food effects my body and only choosing to put things that impact my body for health into it.

The old statement, "You are what you eat" is so true.

Chevy_Quest

This may be controversial and I may be "simplifying" things too much. But just my opinion.

Some of those who are here to "just lose weight" generally do not mention the love of exercise and and how the changes affect the rest of their life.

The people that get a "wake up call" and realize that they need to change Their internal habits and discipline start to embrace exercise and health and all the "lifestyle" of watching intake and getting more physically fit becomes a real source fun and pride instead of "something temporary what they have to do".

nancybuss

Life Change!
It includes drinking at times (ok too much over the summer)
still going to parties

Making Better choices but still not feeling deprived