Diet or lifestyle change?

ZoeLifts
ZoeLifts Posts: 10,347 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm just curious regarding those of us that are using this site to track our eating habits, to whatever end that may be (losing weight, cutting, bulking, managing illness, etc). How many of you think of yourselves on a diet and how many of you consider this a lifestyle change?

If you consider yourself on a diet, do you plan on being on this for the rest of your life, if not, how do you hope to come off of your diet and not gain it all back? Have you thought about it?

If you consider your eating habits now as a lifestyle change, what do you plan to do to ensure that happens? What choices are you or have you been willing to make for the rest of your life?

Replies

  • DanaDark
    DanaDark Posts: 2,187 Member
    Neither for me really.

    My eating has leaned healthy for years already. MFP just allows me to monitor my intake and ensure I do not over eat on some days to a significant degree. I have been calorie concerned for many years, but MFP allows me to ease up on some of the concern by having an actual log to observe.

    I eat the way I have been for years now, but now I watch some macros to ensure I get the nutrition my body needs.
  • carlybarley22
    carlybarley22 Posts: 197 Member
    Lifestyle change!
  • Gramps251
    Gramps251 Posts: 738 Member
    I can see eating the way I do for the rest of my life. I'll eat anything I like but not every day. I don't think of my eating as a diet, just good nutrition.
  • richardheath
    richardheath Posts: 1,276 Member
    I have prediabtes, so it's definitely a lifestyle change for me. Exercise and good eating habits will prevent me (hopefully!) getting full diabetes.
  • curtnrod
    curtnrod Posts: 223 Member
    Lifestyle change. For me a "diet to lose weight" has the psychological connotation of restriction and deprivation and is tied to a history of failure.
  • linz1125
    linz1125 Posts: 441 Member
    Lifestyle change...I have no desire to eat the way I previously did. If I eat foods that are not as clean as I am eating now I feel awful - upset stomach, sluggish, headachey....I don't want to feel that way, so I eat foods that make me feel good. I see the impact that eating the way I did had on my health, and it's just not worth going back to.
  • MrOFM
    MrOFM Posts: 41
    Lifestyle change for sure!

    Making better choice but still allowing myself things I like every once in a while.
  • Lini1989
    Lini1989 Posts: 14 Member
    lifestyle change because i can never see me goig back to my old ways :)
  • ZoeLifts
    ZoeLifts Posts: 10,347 Member
    I am in for a lifestyle change as well. A diet seems so temporary, not sustainable if you think of it as temporary. I want to be able to enjoy life and be healthy, not deprived of good things just because I'm worried I might mess up my diet.
  • jogy
    jogy Posts: 77 Member
    Lifestyle change in my case. That is why I am not using the 1200 calories per day. For me, it is unbearable, I feel deprived. I don't think that is something you can keep up for life, not if you're active anyways. Because I am a really active person, I chose the 1500 calories per day option. I was already eating ealthy but I was eating tooooooo much. MFP help me realised that. I am loosing weight slowly but surely. I like food, I will treat myself once in a while but I will try to make it up the next day.
  • chljlleal
    chljlleal Posts: 229 Member
    Lifestyle change!
  • caterpillardreams
    caterpillardreams Posts: 476 Member
    Life style change to lose weight., to live a healthy energetic life. I truly love exercising and I had gained alot of weight with my two pregnancies. Do not want my children to have a mom who is not active and I want to teach them to love healthy lives, Yes we can indulge occasionally but not live a sedentary life and be susceptible to more diseases because of lifestyle choices that can be prevented.
    I want to be the best me I can be.
  • ZombieChaser
    ZombieChaser Posts: 1,555 Member
    It's called a JOURNEY - you better believe it! ♪♫
  • MariaLivingFit
    MariaLivingFit Posts: 224 Member
    lifestyle change

    I found that I actually like clean eating and working out! I can't see myself not doing these things in the future. I'm definitely not here to get healthy and then go back to bad habits!
  • MessyLittlePanda
    MessyLittlePanda Posts: 213 Member
    Definitely lifestyle change. I ate and drank too much before. This allows me to ensure I don't overeat and that I balance my diet right, getting the right nutrients as well due to health problems.
  • hedgiie
    hedgiie Posts: 1,226 Member
    lifestyle, i'm using this site to gear towards intrinsic habit of working out, eating, habits and everything else. i'm hoping a day will come when i don't need to use this site anymore.
  • mikewpg1ca
    mikewpg1ca Posts: 86 Member
    Lifestyle. But, I do need MFP to keep me honest and eating reasonable amounts, otherwise I slide.
  • keithabramo
    keithabramo Posts: 12
    Lifestyle change for me. MFP is a great way to make sure I'm eating as healthy as I think I am. I think before MFP when I thought I was eating 'healthy' I was actually under eating when I included the cals I burned working out. Other times when I thought I was only cheating a little with that soda or popcorn at the movies I was actually really throwing my body off track. With MFP I'm on here to keep my lifestyle in check!
  • danarod23
    danarod23 Posts: 23 Member
    It is definitely a lifestyle change. I am learning how much and of what foods are okay for me to eat and still attain my goal for the day. MFP is a great tool to help get you to that point. If you only "diet" it will all come back and all this hard work will be for nothing.
  • walkdmc
    walkdmc Posts: 529 Member
    Lifestyle change

    It's a work in progress but I've been at it for almost 2 years so it's absolutely a lifestyle change. I've learned how to eat healthier as well as the many values of regular exercise. I know I've made the change when I'm having a stressful day and my very first thought is, "I have to run/workout", not, "I have to eat".

    I've done countless diets and this feels very different.
  • lilsis10
    lilsis10 Posts: 72 Member
    What I eat is my diet. How I eat it is a lifestyle change. So, I guess a bit of both.
  • Lina4Lina
    Lina4Lina Posts: 712 Member
    How I eat is really how I've been eating for a few years but it was definitely a lifestyle change to get there. Counting calories and making sure I'm accountable for my food and exercise is a lifestyle change for me as well. At some point, I may relax on calorie counting a little bit but honestly, I expect to keep at it for as long as I want to maintain my weight loss.
  • icimani
    icimani Posts: 1,454 Member
    It's a lifestyle change for me.

    "Diet" had the connotation of a beginning and end, and at the end I go back to eating the way you did before - the cause of yo-yo dieting. So I'm watching portion sizes, making wiser choises, and exercising on a regular basis. I need it to be sustainable!
  • blonde71
    blonde71 Posts: 955 Member
    Lifestyle change. Diet's never did anything for me except make me feel deprived.

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