The "No Diet" Diet

moefitt

I hate the word "diet". Did you ever go on a diet, only to fall off? Or lose weight only to gain back more? Discouraging, right? or you do one of these cool, hip, wellness clense diets endorsed by the skinny celebutante of the moment that goes in phases/stages where you add/subtract/multiply/divide food every 2 weeks on days ending with day! Enough! Diets don't work! You know what does work?
Portion control.

Qarol

Yea, I get it. But I'm still on a diet.

sleepytexan

I don't diet, I live!

ohwhataday

I don't diet either. [=

TourThePast

Enough! Diets don't work! You know what does work?
Portion control.

A well managed diet IS about portion control, but it is also about controlling what you eat. Not for the next few months, but for the rest of your life.

Sure you could get your calories by eating a carefully weighed portion of cheese every day, but you'd end up feelng hungry and unhealthy.

What works in the long term is educating yourself into the habit of eating suitable quantities of healthy food, and increasing your activity level.

tmptina

I hate the word too!

Snakey74

I was seriously just thinking that. Hubby and I won't say were dieting. That means there's an end to it...a final goal. We're changing how and what we eat because we're sick of not being healthy. With that, the biggest thing has been portion control. Well, and watching the junk food

I understand why people like things like Nutri-System and Jenny Craig, because the portion sizes and guess work is figured out for them. It's easy...no fuss. The bad thing is that the sodium in pre-packaged meals like that is insane. I realize they have lower sodium options, but to me...I can find MUCH ealthier things to eat at home...and I don't pay crazy high prices to do it. That's just my personal opinion, though

Thanks for posting this!

Stuartm1

Yea, I get it. But I'm still on a diet.

But are you? are you sure it's not a change in lifestyle to eat less ??

elgface

portion control and lifestyle change!

Monica_has_a_goal

I love that i'm not dieting.. I'm learning the true way to eat and exercise. I've been on so many "diets" that My doctor said to stop yo-yo dieting because it kills my metabolism, and I'm sorry to say, but the nutritionist didn't know what the hell she was talking about either! (not trying to offend any that use MFP - only saying this was my experience) So Finally MFP Is giving me the tools I've needed for the last 25 years!

I'm NOT on a diet.. I'm living life the way I always should have!

nitka653

I hate the word "diet". Did you ever go on a diet, only to fall off? Or lose weight only to gain back more? Discouraging, right? or you do one of these cool, hip, wellness clense diets endorsed by the skinny celebutante of the moment that goes in phases/stages where you add/subtract/multiply/divide food every 2 weeks on days ending with day! Enough! Diets don't work! You know what does work?
Portion control.

I really like what your saying here, but I have to add to that. For me at least, it's not "just" portion control, but about all of my choices. I'm such a picky eater, I'd stick with cheese, potatoes and meat if I could (and the fattier the better). I've been on this roller coaster of "Lifestyle Change" for almost 5 years now. I've defineatly had both ups and downs (infact I'm in one of the ups right now, hence my joining of MFP), but each down I've had, I learn something new and make it a permanent part of my new "Lifestyle." I feel I'm soooo much healthier now than I was 10 years ago.

Personally, I also do have to add exercise into the factor, because I cannot limit my portions enough without it to make any headway. It also helps with the depression I begin to feel when my progress isn't going as I'd hoped.

Good luck to all and thanks for sharing your thoughts because alot of us do get stuck on the whole "diet" trends instead of really thinking about how we can be "healthy."

Raychel

Qarol

Yea, I get it. But I'm still on a diet.

But are you? are you sure it's not a change in lifestyle to eat less ??

Calling it a diet works for me.

maidentl

I agree with Qarol. I do not intend to eat this low in calories for the rest of my life. I do intend to be more mindful of how much I eat after I achieve my goals weight but I don't intend to measure my food for the rest of my life either. I am on a diet. It WILL have an end, because someday i will get to eat a little more food. It's all semantics, everyone should call it whatever makes them feel better about themselves, but it really doesn't matter. Actions and intentions are what matters.

bcattoes

Diet works if it's a healthy sustainable diet and includes exercise.

TourThePast

No meaningful discussion about the OP can take place without it containing a definition of the word "diet".

koosdel

I'm on a 'plan'.

Heather75

You know what I am not on? A "journey".

anubis609

You know what I am not on? A "journey".

I'm a trip, so if anyone falls I troll along the way. Trollololol.

cutie2b

I have a diet. I am not on a diet. Diet is the way I eat day to day. I am just trying to figure out how to make my diet the most nutritionally sound and balanced for me so that I can live a long and healthy life. Some days are better than others.

Qarol

You know what does work?
Portion control.

umm, I thought to lose weight, you need a calorie deficit. That's not a lifestyle. I call that a diet. To each his own.

Keefypoos

@ Qarol

yes indeed I agree.

I can only asume that those calling it a lifestyle are Anorexics in waiting as their "lifestyle" is centred on not quite eating enough, But of course they will change their "lifestyle" to eat enough. Er!!! last time I looked that was the meaning of the word diet!

diet is the sum of food consumed by a person or other organism