What Does "DIET" Mean to you?

To me the word diet mostly means the food consumed by a group of people within a culture or by the people of a country, as in " a kosher diet" or " the Spanish diet ".
Since I have been here in MFP, I have started to call it " cuisine ", since so many people use the word diet so interchangeably.
When I studied nutrition we were told to use the word " regimen " or " diet plan " when it comes to a more personal way of eating. Admittedly that was a couple of decades ago and now might be obsolete.

Meh, without dieting I would have been obese at an early age. I come from a long family history of obesity and overeating.

What "DIET" means to me is breaking the family cycle. It means having my 52nd birthday with no bone loss, no diabetes, no high BP or cholesterol, no daily meds, no risk factors that I can control. It means being able to keep up with my grandkids. It meas wearing clothes I feel pretty in. It means a healthy sex life. It means health and happiness.

DIET may be "die" with a "t". But that T is what keeps me alive. For me, DIET means LIVING instead of just being alive.

I use the word "diet" in two ways:

1) My diet - meaning my dietary habits/requirements/choices

or

2) I am on a diet - meaning, I have restricted my calorie intake in order to lose weight.

That is all that little four little word means to me and I place no more emphasis on it that is needed.

Diet is a noun. Everyone on the planet that consumes food or drink has a diet.

We will all have a diet for the remainder of our lives-assuming we continue to consume food or drink for the remainder of our lives.

The food/drink choices that make up that diet can either be something we view as maintainable forever, or some short-term deprivation. Those of us choosing to adapt long-term maintainable eating habits (regardless of what those are) still have a diet.

My "plan" is to eat in a way that allows me to maintain the proper caloric intake for my weight/activity level while getting the appropriate macro & micro nutrients. That is my diet. Forever.

Yes, this. The way diet is defined in the original post is actually correct, but incomplete. When I refer to "my diet" in the sense of definition number one, below, it simply means the food and drink I take in, regardless of content, quality or quantity.

In regard to the the post, however, yes....I am not "on a diet."

di·et1
ˈdī-it/Submit
noun
1.
the kinds of food that a person, animal, or community habitually eats.
"a vegetarian diet"
synonyms: selection of food, food, foodstuffs; More
a regular occupation or series of activities in which one participates.
"a healthy diet of classical music"
2.
a special course of food to which one restricts oneself, either to lose weight or for medical reasons.
"I'm going on a diet"

I wonder if the deactivated OP from 2 1/2 years ago will ever come back to read this?

nice catch lol

di·et1
ˈdī-it/Submit
noun
1.
the kinds of food that a person, animal, or community habitually eats.
"a vegetarian diet"
synonyms: selection of food, food, foodstuffs; More
a regular occupation or series of activities in which one participates.
"a healthy diet of classical music"
2.
a special course of food to which one restricts oneself, either to lose weight or for medical reasons.
"I'm going on a diet"

When I speak of my "diet", I mean both of those. For decades now whenever someone sees my food and asks if I'm on a diet*, I answer "Always." Because it's true.

*I always find it rather sad how often I get asked that, though.

"Diet" is a noun...your diet is simply comprised of what you eat. Your diet can be for **** and nutritionally void...or it can be awesome, delicious, and nutritious.

^^^^ This

Remember to be careful how you empower words, because they are after all, just words.