Are you on a diet or change of lifestyle?

All of your posts are very inspiring, thank you! I've been on MFP once before about two years ago, and I'm back on it again but with lots more help and life changes. Maybe in a few months I will be able to post similar encouragement and "I've lost X pounds" graphs!

I think 'lifestyle change' is just a more PC way of saying 'diet', to be honest. I HATE the term lifestyle change, because I associate it with weight watchers where everyone ate 1200 calories of diet box food a day and said 'yeah but it's a lifestyle change though'….and packed all the weight back on.

People use that term to imply that this is it now. This is their last diet. They're going to succeed this time, and do everything they're doing right now….until they die. That doesn't make sense to me. Things change. Different skills and mindsets are needed to maintain than to lose the weight. Yes, certain habits you've learned during the weight loss journey will stay with you, but whether you call it a diet or a lifestyle change, you're still talking about a calorie deficit no matter what name you give it.

I don't mind saying I'm on a diet. It doesn't mean I'm being unhealthy, or on a crash diet, but for me, yes it is temporary. It's temporary because for the next 35 weeks I will be eating at 1500 calories a day, and certain sacrifices are going to be made. When I'm at my goal weight, I will be eating at 2000. My focus will be more on building muscle, so my food goals will change - they will be more protein heavy. After that, I may decide to lose a little more, so things will change again.

The point is, you learn boundaries. You learn what food works for you, what keeps you full, what's worth splurging a few calories on and what you don't think is really worth it. You learn proper portion sizes. You learn to always keep healthy snacks with you. You identify places you can get healthy food if you're in a pinch (NB: not McDonalds!)

I can do that without having to label it 'lifestyle change'. It's just a process that as well as getting rid of the weight, will educate me too.

I've been here for 3.5 years and have kept the weight off, so I'm going with lifestyle change

For me it's both. I'm here to lose weight but also to gain tips and insight on what I need to do to keep the weight off for good. I'm learning that it's ok to have a cheat day as long as you don't do it everyday.

I've also developed the mindset that I didn't put this weight on overnight and it's not going to come off overnight but with hard work and making lifestyle changes I can keep it off.

If I kepp doing the same thing over and over I' m going to keep getting the same results - an increase in my weight. If I want to see a change in my weight then I'm going to have to make some changes in how I eat AND exercise/be more active.

I am not on a diet, I am educating myself for a better future. When I am done with my education and graduate to the next level I will use my new learned skills to better my life.

Both. Right now I'm losing weight using dieting tools, but am currently nearing the end of my weight loss phase, and focussing on transitioning to lifestyle and maintenance habits.

The statistics are staggeringly against us keeping the weight off, even if we manage to get to our weight loss goals.

For me, that is why this has to be a lifestyle change. I absolutely will not go back to where I was 2-1/2 years ago. I will be logging and monitoring for as long as I am able to do so.

Right now I'd say a diet, and everything I learn, and all the habits I form I'm hoping will turn into a lifestyle change. I'm only given one chance on this big beautiful blue marble and I'm tired of huffing and puffing away my time on it.

I don't do diets, I was put on fad diets from 3 months old(apparently I filled the pram) to when I left home(I was 21 then) since then I try not to binge I still fail sometimes but my binges aren't as bad as they used to be(24 bags of crisps in 1 sitting-this was when I was at my mums, i'd bought the crisps and had to hide the evidence)

Nowadays my way of thinking is different, I allow myself anything in moderation, i'm trying to up my protein, lower my salt, sugar and carbs and hopefully lose a bit in the process.

Ironically I have never been obese(12 st 8lbs was my heaviest) but my mother is still doing milkshake diets and whilst she does lose it she can never keep it off. I just wish she would listen to us(her 2 kids) but she's convinced:noway: that diet and exercise does NOT work for her

I'm on both; when I lose 18 more pounds, then I'll be on life changing maintenance - occasionally allowing for cheating.:flowerforyou:

It's probably a lifestyle. I've been using this app since i got my new iphone and I now use it on daily basis. I think checking my calories has become and a habit and helped me develop a sense to know the right proportions without checking the app first !

to be honest I am here to get the pounds off (for now) and likely intend to going back to how I "used" to do things for the most part. I like my life, I don't see any real need to change it but for health reasons and my own laziness (carrying more weight around is so much more work in so many ways).

My weight gain was not anything rocket fast. If you average it out it was not even10 lbs a year. My "mistake" was letting years and years and years go by and not taking intermediate steps to keep things in check. It's kind of easier to lose 5-10 lbs than it is 100. Whoops.

The only thing I intend to change is to set a range that when I get to the top end of I need to watch things a little more closely until it goes back down. I have been essentially doing the same thing this year except my range has to go down even farther before I go through a lax period. (so like lose 10, gain 5, lose 10, gain 5 will eventually get my weight down over time. Eventually it can just be lose 5 gain 5).

And that's probably a crappy way to go about it, but I really don't care. It's better than being 250 lbs, I'm at least pretty sure of that.

I spent 20 years of my life doing this. eating with in reason and weighing regularly and when my pants started getting tight going on a diet and getting rid of that 10 pounds rinse and repeat.. it does work for a balance of lifestyle and reasonability. I stopped weighing in a time of stress and then broke my ankle and boom.. way over weight.. I want to get back down to where I was then basically live that lifestyle again. Although I will probably continue to log. it just helps keep it in perspective. I'm small enough and not very active that my calorie allowance is not high. I start gaining where most people would be losing... (Calorie wise)

I see a lot of people on here and they are on this diet or doing this to lose weight. I wonder though. Are you willing to do this for the rest of your life? When you are done with the diet or you hit your weight, will you go back to what you did before? You say no now but.....

I was one of you, I did atkins and lost 100 pounds and gained back 180 after ending the diet. Bread is good. When I started this time I decided to think about things I can and would like to eat every day for the rest of my life. Sure I will be able to endulge once in a while but it is just that an endulgance. I started running, swimming and biking. I love all of these things and these are going to be the things I do to maintain my soon to be sexy self for the future. I have changed the way I think about food and the way I eat.

I have to ask the question, Are you here to change your life or get the pounds off (for now)?

Lifestyle change ... going on 2 years! :drinker:

I am just 1/2 pound from goal weight. I lost 25 pounds and have no intention of finding it again. So a life style change for me. No diet, no elimination of food, just portion control.

Calories in versus calories out simply meaning eat less move more. Works for me!

For me, it is a lifestyle change.

My Dr. told me that I had to get my blood pressure in check. She gave me four months to do with via my diet, or I would go on meds.

At my two month check up, my blood pressure was normal and my weight was down 17 pounds. That was a pleasant side effect. Now, four months later, I am down 34 pounds and will have my check up next week. I know that it will be good.

So, I will keep this up, as I feel good, I am looking good and I am healthier.