Diet ~vs~ Lifestyle Change

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broomykm
broomykm Posts: 31 Member
in Introduce Yourself
I seriously dislike the word 'diet'. When I hear the word, it brings to mind the images from the media hype throughout the years...the grapefruit diet, the green tea diet, the this kind of diet, the that kind of diet, all guaranteed to make you look like a starving movie star in 7 days. And I hear it in other people's voices, when talking about a diet, the word is always spoken with a slight sneer.

When I woke up to the fact that I had allowed myself to gain 50 pounds over a period of 12 years, I knew something needed to be done. And I do mean literally. I woke up one morning with my left knee swollen to about 4 times normal size, and not only was it very painful, I had also lost serious range of motion. As a former athlete, I have had my share of sports injuries and this was something completely different. No sign of an injury, no reason to think there was an injury because I hadn't been doing anything. Pure and simple, this was a sign from my body that too much weight and too little exercise was catching up with me and I could only look forward to more of the same.

I had a long talk with myself and came to some conclusions. Obviously there is no alter-ego to the diet. In simple terms, gaining weight is caused by changes in lifestyle. Happiness, sadness, depression, stress, marriage, divorce, having children, all of these things causes changes to our lifestyle and can result in fluctuations in our weight and our health. So, if changes in my life brought about the 50 pounds, why would I think than anything other than lifestyle changes would see it going away again?! It is not realistic to expect that after however long it takes to lose the weight again, I can get to that magic number and then go sit back down on the couch and grab a bag of chips.

I am making definite, positive changes to my lifestyle. When I see someone that I haven't seen in a few weeks and they notice that I have lost weight, usually the first thing I hear is a question of some form about a 'diet' and as always, it is said with a sneer. My response is NO, I am not on a diet. I am changing my lifestyle. I chose to eat healthy, I chose to eat less, I chose to exercise everyday and to maintain a more active role in my own life.

I chose to do this for the rest of my life because I feel better and will be healthier and live longer. And luckily, a positive side effect is that I will lose weight. It took me 12 years to gain it, so if takes me a couple of years to lose it all I can accept that. My journey is about the big picture and weight loss in only part of it.

Replies

  • MissTapTap
    MissTapTap Posts: 16 Member
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    Well said!
  • seabee78
    seabee78 Posts: 126 Member
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    I agree with you. A "diet" implies something temporary that will end when the goal is reached. A lifestyle change is for life. All day, every day.
  • mohanj
    mohanj Posts: 381 Member
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    Very well said. With that kind of positive attitude, you will certainly achieve your goal. Good luck!
  • campi_mama
    campi_mama Posts: 350 Member
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    :flowerforyou:
    My hero for the day
  • AnikaP81
    AnikaP81 Posts: 59 Member
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    I couldn't agree more! Unfortunately we live in a "quick fix" society and it takes people way too long to realize what you just said...
  • etoiles_argentees
    etoiles_argentees Posts: 2,827 Member
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    Why not go back to the original definition of the word "diet" and use it as a noun?
    Middle English: from Old French diete (noun), dieter (verb), via Latin from Greek diaita 'a way of life'
  • fitnotskinnyxo
    fitnotskinnyxo Posts: 38 Member
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    Agreed! :drinker:
  • Maximumresults
    Maximumresults Posts: 175
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    Very encouraging post:)
  • REDI4CHANGE60
    REDI4CHANGE60 Posts: 170
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    Love your post and I agree with you completely ... it is a lifestyle change and a choice to actively participate in making yourself healthy instead of letting yourself go. But I also agree with the poster that posted the original definition of diet ... the word diet has gotten a bad rap over the years. As a noun, there is nothing wrong with it ... it means a way of life ... otherwise, it's just a word that has DIE in it lol. Anyway, thanks for your post!
  • Gemalar
    Gemalar Posts: 301 Member
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    Couldnt have put it better myself, it seems everywhere you turn you see a "diet" to lose X amount in so many days, the new miracle diet blah blah blah and I will hold my hands up and admit Ive been sucked in by my fair share.......No more I say Im here for a lifestyle change!!!! Gone are my Yo-yo days of piling on and losing weight!!!!! The word diet is to be deleted from my vocabulary!!
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    As part of my lifestyle change, I have a new diet.

    :bigsmile:
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    Why not go back to the original definition of the word "diet" and use it as a noun?
    Middle English: from Old French diete (noun), dieter (verb), via Latin from Greek diaita 'a way of life'

    :drinker:

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