Define "Lifestyle Change"

natmadc

I was reading another thread and this issue came up….

How exactly do YOU define “Lifestyle change”, what were you doing before what are you doing now?

And how do you change your thinking from “I’m going on a diet” to “I’m changing my lifestyle”

I ask this because for many of us MFP, counting calories, regular exercise, etc etc. etc. is not the norm.

Does it start out as a diet and then become a lifestyle, become a habit???

shirleygirl910

Life style change for me means, a smaller portions and lots more exercise. I still eat things I like, but have found my tastes have changed since reading labels. I found spinning classes, which I love!! This I can do for the rest of my life.

MorgueBabe

A diet is something IMO that you has phases or a set amount of time.

Lifestyle Changes is that, it's for life. For me it's whatever I want to as long as it's a reasonable portion and fits in calories.

Mjhnbgff

For me, a lifestyle change involved changing my life completely.

Before:
1. No exercise
2. No regular meals
3. Eating whole foods but with too much fat, salt and sugar
4. Overeating
5. Very little physical activity

Now:
1. Exercise most days of the week
2. Regular meals, including breakfast every single morning
3. Nutrient dense whole foods low in fat, sugar and salt
4. Small portions and no unbridled snacking
5. Tons of physical activity (walk 2 miles to do errands instead of drive, take stairs instead of elevator, etc.)

I don't look at this as a temporary change to help me lose weight. Once I achieve my weight loss goal, I have accepted that I will have to live this way for the rest of my life in order to maintain the weight loss and have a healthier life. Even thin people shouldn't load up on junk and sit on the sofa everyday so this isn't about being thin, it's about being healthy and fit for the rest of my life.

Duck_Puddle

The lifestyle change is that counting calories and regular exercise IS the norm. I'm not doing something to lose weight then do something different once I've lost weight. I am doing what I plan to do for as long as I am physically capable (as close to forever as possible).

khall86790

Well my lifestyle change decision was because I realised dieting wasn't going to work for me as I gained the weight through bad choices and if I temporarily dieted I wouldn't be able to keep it off. I also struggle to follow through things to the end, so I decided a total change was better for me!
I initially used MFP to figure out how to eat healthy, it's become something I use regularly now to keep myself in check and I find more and more that I eat within my calories without having to be disciplined about it, because this is now my normal diet.
Before MFP, I didn't ever do any exercise, hardly ate fruit, ate way too many carbs and fatty foods and snacked all the time when I wasn't hungry. I also didn't drink enough water.
Now, it's all started coming naturally to me.

So for me, it started out as kind of a diet but more I was just curious as to how to lose weight (because it was making me miserable) and now it's habit.

toutmonpossible

Lifestyle Change has meant to me:

--Attempting to get in some kind of daily activity.

--Realizing that I would have to give some thought about what I was eating for the rest of my life if I didn't want to become overweight.

--Accepting that I'm not "entitled" to eat everything I want whenever I want just because I want it.

--Understanding that I had to replace indiscriminate eating with other activities.

--Reinforcing the notion that willpower is weak and I should try not to rely on it, seeking support from structure and habits instead.

--Acknowledging that obsessing about fancy, fattening food I can't have is counterproductive.

--Relegating certain foods to the "Eat Almost Never" category.

--Weighing myself a few times a week to closely monitor where I am and trying never to get beyond a few pounds over my goal.

--Chiding myself when I whine. Although weight loss can be quite challenging, it ain't starving in a Third World country or a Nazi death camp. I'm damned lucky to live in a country in which I have so many food choices, and even in the U.S. tragically, impoverished people eat poorly.

--Exploring practices that give me perspective on my body, my mindset, and food, such as Intermittent Fasting and Insight Meditation. Many interesting things have nothing to do with eating, although of course I love food and always will.

--Admitting that change means change, now, and forever.

natmadc

Knowing that I will have to monitor this and incorporate theses changes "forever" is whats most daunting. But its for the best.

alyssa92982

For me-cutting out fast foods an pop. Also high impact exercise 5-6 days a week

herblackwings39

For me it's learning moderation and expanding my palate. I eat more fruits and vegetables now and try new things, but I haven't given up things I really enjoy. I was a clean plate eater before. I'd eat until there was nothing left, even if something didn't taste good to me or I wasn't hungry. Now if something is "off" or too salty or just not what I want...I don't eat it.

I suppose my definition of diet is short term and unsustainable. Where a life style change has to be something I can keep up for the rest of my life.

natmadc

For me, a lifestyle change involved changing my life completely.

Before:
1. No exercise
2. No regular meals
3. Eating whole foods but with too much fat, salt and sugar
4. Overeating
5. Very little physical activity

Now:
1. Exercise most days of the week
2. Regular meals, including breakfast every single morning
3. Nutrient dense whole foods low in fat, sugar and salt
4. Small portions and no unbridled snacking
5. Tons of physical activity (walk 2 miles to do errands instead of drive, take stairs instead of elevator, etc.)

I don't look at this as a temporary change to help me lose weight. Once I achieve my weight loss goal, I have accepted that I will have to live this way for the rest of my life in order to maintain the weight loss and have a healthier life. Even thin people shouldn't load up on junk and sit on the sofa everyday so this isn't about being thin, it's about being healthy and fit for the rest of my life.

So basically doing everything completely opposite of before. Thanks for the info!

toutmonpossible

Knowing that I will have to monitor this and incorporate theses changes "forever" is whats most daunting. But its for the best.

As you enjoy the benefits of weight loss, fitness, and health it will probably get easier. But don't do things that are going to undermine yourself, for example, participating in the threads like "What food do you most crave now?" You need to distract yourself.

Change is hard. We Americans love the idea of change, actual change not so much.

toutmonpossible

I see that you've had gastric bypass surgery at a young age. (Sorry). You need to think of yourself as a member of a new religious order: The Religion of Health and Fitness. Dedicate yourself to it. It has many members.

LorinaLynn

I don't particularly like the phrase "lifestyle change," because it makes me think of having your naughty bits turned inside out and made into different naughty bits. Which is great for those who want it done, but I like my bits where they are.

That said... for me, a diet is something temporary. "I'll eat like this and exercise like this until I reach ___ pounds." Lifestyle change is doing something you can do indefinitely.

I eat a tiny bit less when I'm trying to lose, because I need a calorie deficit, but the types of food I eat and the types of exercise I do remain the same. This is something I need to do the rest of my life to live the kind of life I want to have. It's not an "until I drop __ pounds" thing. It's forever.

I'd love to be someone who doesn't have to track their food. Hell, I'd love to be someone who doesn't have to keep track of the money I spend, too. I'm not either of those. I have to monitor my nutrition and exercise just like I need to balance my checkbook.

natmadc

I'd love to be someone who doesn't have to track their food. Hell, I'd love to be someone who doesn't have to keep track of the money I spend, too. I'm not either of those. I have to monitor my nutrition and exercise just like I need to balance my checkbook.

This!!!! So true

blc1971

As someone who had been a chronic "dieter" for most of my life, I define dieting as something temporary that I'm going to do until I reach my goal weight/size. That has never worked for me because when the diet was over I went back to overeating, not exercising, and eating garbage. This time is different because I'm changing my relationship with food and exercise. I don't see my "lifestyle change" as being a temporary fix until I reach goal. I have made sustainable changes that I can follow for the rest of my life. One big example is when I "dieted" I would ban certain foods like chocolate or other sweets. Now that I've made a "lifestyle change" I don't have any "bad" foods. I eat what I want within moderation and within my calorie goals for the day. I can have whatever I want, just not all at once. So now I don't eat a cheeseburger, fries, and a huge cupcake all in one meal or day. I pick what I REALLY want and fit that into my calories/ activities for the day.

cwolfman13

For me, this is all about my health and well being more than it is a superficial, I just want to lose weight to look better kind of thing. My little safari started as a result of a big wake up call health scare and really bad blood work panel. For me it was either life style change or spending a good deal of my future very sick...possibly early dead.

Before:

- Pretty much no exercise...maybe a 15 minute walk with the dog once per week, but that's about it. I generally found that short walk around the block exhausting, which is pretty pathetic considering where I once was athletically and where I am now.

- 2-3 pack per day smoker

- lots of fast food and large meals out. I cooked a lot at home as well, but my diet was very high in fat and simple carbohydrates. I consumed a ton of dairy...pretty much 1/2 gallon of milk per day and about 1/4 Lb of cheese. I averaged 36 ounces of soda per day...sometimes more. I drank beer like every night was a Saturday night. I probably got 6 servings of vegetables over the course of a week...rarely had any fruit.

Now:

- I run 3 miles every Mon and Friday. I do my sprints on Wed. I do my strength training on Tues/Thurs/Sat and also walk at least 3 miles on those days. I also do a handful of other things like pushing the sled, rowing, or farmer's carries after my Sat lifting sessions. I had to work up to it, but I'm getting my fitness back; once upon a time, I was a pretty good athlete and I'm a former Marine as well.

- I don't smoke; 7.5 months smoke free.

- I just don't do fast food and eating out in general is now an event, not something I just do 2 - 3 times per day. Now it's maybe 2-3 times per month. My diet is overall rich in nutrient dense, whole foods. Instead of getting 6 servings of veg per week, I average 6 servings of vegetables per day. Instead of no fruit, I eat about 3 servings of fruit per day. Instead of red meat 2-3 times per day, I have red meat 1-2 times per week and eat a lot of poultry and fish now. Instead of snacking on candy and chips and cookies, etc..I snack on nuts, berries, fruit, I make my own trail mix, etc. Instead of 36 ounces of soda per day, I have maybe one 12 oz soda every couple of weeks and I make sure it's a "natural" cane sugar soda, no high fructose corn syrup. My dairy consumption is minimal..little cheese now and then...like maybe an ounce or so a couple times per week on my homemade grilled fish tacos or something.

My diet is very much Mediterranean inspired...lots of fruit and veg and lean sources of protein. My fats come largely from olive oil, coconut oil, peanut oil, avocado, nuts, and nut butters. My consumption of dairy is minimal.

This lifestyle has completely reversed my blood work and I've gone from taking 6 different medications to only needing 1 medication in the past 7 months. I'm at maintenance now and I don't log, I just eat the way I've been eating the past 6-7 months and I get my exercise. Counting calories and managing my macros in my diary was just training...or re-training myself how to eat properly. I still do a spot check from time to time to make sure my calories are in line...usually it's to make sure I'm actually eating enough. With all of these whole foods, sometimes I find it difficult to eat my 2700 or so calories I need to maintain.

Like I said, this was all more about being healthy than anything. I have a beautiful wife at home and a 3 year old and a 9 month old. At 38 years old I was well on my way to an early grave and that scared me. I want to be around to watch my kids grow up and I don't want to spend my golden years sick...I want to retire and travel the world with my wife someday. In the process of getting healthier, the weight just sort of fell off. I'm still leaning out as a matter of fact, but not really losing any Lbs on the scale.

RoadsterGirlie

A "diet" is something you do temporarily for a quick weight loss. Then you go back to old habits and put the weight back on. Rinse, repeat.

A lifestyle is a permanent change. It means not making yourself starve to lose weight quickly. Instead, you make better food choices that ultimately end up being more satisfying than the ones you were making previously. Cooking at home and loading up your plate with veggies and fruits instead of french fries and fast food.

Replacing coke with water.

Adding exercise in, even if it's only 15 minutes a day.

It's about making replacements - not about cutting things out. If you cut things out of your diet, but don't replace them with better choices, you are setting yourself up for failure.

Good luck!

mercurysfire

learning to do the things that are healthy and make you feel good. i quit smoking (a 15 year habit) and cut waaaaay back on drinking. im learning to cook instead of eat out, count calories instead of guess. and get my *kitten* off the couch and move around. im getting more curious about different activities (aerial classe and stand up paddle boarding? sign me up) and foods. the longer i stick with it, the better i know my foods and the less i have to weigh and measure/freak out about not knowing what i'm eating. i'm learning a lot these days. and it makes it a lot easier to keep these new habits that eventually just solidify into your lifestyle. you weren't born craving bad foods, you learned it over time. my parents didn't teach me to eat crap or lay around on the couch- i did that to myself. i own that. but i'm changing. for the better, and eventually for good.

Rarity2013

This is an awesome topic

For me, in the last 2 or 3 years of trying to lose weight and frequently quitting or gaining more, trying to instigate lifestyle changes was far too much. I was trying to make massive changes and impact on the way I live, who I am (lazy) and how I spend my time.
This was never, ever going to work- I focused too much on an end result without thinking about all the little details I would have to change first.

Now, I am on a diet. I count calories and I weigh things and I do gentle exercise. I try to up my activity in small ways and downsize portions a little.
Eventually, these things will become second nature and my lifestyle will have changed, but you can't just wish for a different life and wake up with it- it requires work, commitment and hundreds of small, little changes.

Back2Biz

I have two young children so my lifestyle change came about when researching food additives, preservatives, dyes and GMO. I am now a Vegetarian (children and hubby are not) but we eat Organic or All Natural foods and I watch sugar, sodium and all things chemical in their diet. That change alone has been instrumental in my health. I also exercise 4-6 days per week.

My biggest change regarding exercise is going from dreading it and then reluctantly phoning in 30-45 minutes on the elliptical 3-5 days a week, to still dreading it but busting my *kitten* for 40-50 minutes 3-4 days a week. I figure if I'm at the gym, I might as well not waste my time with a lame workout. I tune out all negative self-talk while I'm pushing myself... I chant over and over in my head "I got this" or I listen to songs that motivate "This Girl is on Fire" by Alicia Keys or "Hello" by Karmen make me feel like I can do anything!

Good Luck!!