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What to call a diet that is just based on reduced calories?

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Replies

  • Fuzzipeg
    Fuzzipeg Posts: 2,298 Member
    One's diet is whatever one chooses to eat. The word diet has been hijacked to only mean, the foods, amounts, eating plans one chooses in order to change one's health, or weight up or down. What we all are or were searching for is the right food balance for ourselves. Mrb or yrb. good fortune everyone.
  • Gianfranco_R
    Gianfranco_R Posts: 1,297 Member
    HealthyGinny wrote: »
    In French, we call it "hypocalorique", WordReference tells me it simply translates to "low-calorie diet" but I don't really agree with that word? As you can eat less calories but not have your diet be really LOW calorie, you know what I mean? So I'll probably go with a diet where I eat fewer calories than before.

    also in Italy we say "dieta ipocalorica". But it can be anything, because you can restrict calories on any diet (paleo, low carb, vegetarian, and so on), as you can count calories on any diet.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
    Personally I don't have any hang ups about saying "I'm on a diet" when I'm losing weight - in fact the phrase "it's not a diet, it's a lifestyle change" irritates me intensely.

    I did 5:2 to lose my weight so IRL just said I do "the 5:2 diet". It's only on here I've seen or used the phrase Way of Eating.

    At the moment I'm losing some weight for the cycling season but not following anyone's else's plan. If people IRL want details I would just say I'm cutting calories. If they really want lots of detail I would say I'm just cutting a few hundred calories on days when it suits me but aiming for a daily minimum protein goal - not sure what label would fit that even if it needed labelling.
  • senecarr
    senecarr Posts: 5,377 Member
    HealthyGinny wrote: »
    In French, we call it "hypocalorique", WordReference tells me it simply translates to "low-calorie diet" but I don't really agree with that word? As you can eat less calories but not have your diet be really LOW calorie, you know what I mean? So I'll probably go with a diet where I eat fewer calories than before.

    The Latin roots mean that hypocaloric is the medical / scientific diet that involves reducing calories below current levels.
  • senecarr
    senecarr Posts: 5,377 Member
    shell1005 wrote: »
    Gianfranco_R wrote: »
    HealthyGinny wrote: »
    In French, we call it "hypocalorique", WordReference tells me it simply translates to "low-calorie diet" but I don't really agree with that word? As you can eat less calories but not have your diet be really LOW calorie, you know what I mean? So I'll probably go with a diet where I eat fewer calories than before.

    also in Italy we say "dieta ipocalorica". But it can be anything, because you can restrict calories on any diet (paleo, low carb, vegetarian, and so on), as you can count calories on any diet.

    You restrict calories on every weight loss plan actually...it's the bottom line of each and every one. Whether you count them or not, your body does each and every day.

    And most paleo experts discourage counting calories. It distracts from counting chemicals.
  • Scamd83
    Scamd83 Posts: 808 Member
    I hate counting calories, but for weight loss it is the most useful thing you can do. Not even just for being sure you're eating at a deficit, but that the deficit isn't too much and so you if you can eat more and still lose weight, you'll know rather than going hungrier than you have to. Would anyone on here really have know they could fit some chocolate or whatever into your diet if not for tracking? I'd say track when you're cutting, then when you're at your goal weight and have a better idea how much to eat, you can get back to normal. Basically specific eating = specific goal.
  • robertw486
    robertw486 Posts: 2,386 Member
    I don't really call it anything as far as the way of eating goes. Counting calories or not, I just consider it dropping, maintaining, or adding weight. As for the things I actually eat, I tend to not label it, but mostly because someone differs on what every label implies regardless.


    For the most part, I just consider it life.
  • LBuehrle8
    LBuehrle8 Posts: 4,044 Member
    I don't understand why people want to label it? As it's been said many times previously regardless of the "labeled" diet you're doing it comes back to counting calories.

    Even if I did south beach, or Atkins, or LCHF, I would still log and count calories! I would hate not knowing everyday if I went over my deficit or not.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,426 Member
    I eat the same food as my dh and dd who are maintaing and still growing. We eat different amounts because I am a different height, age, gender, and activity level. Even at a healthy weight eating the same food I will always need a different amount of calories even if the food is the same. So my diet is the 5'4", 41 year old, sedentary woman diet plan. It would be wrong for an 18 year old 6' active man to follow this diet plan. Another 5'4", 40ish sedentary woman with the same goal would probably be fine eating exactly like me but they can eat different foods too. It is a very flexible plan.

    People who are not trying to lose or gain weight don't have to label their "way of eating". They can just show up and eat what they want. They can say, "oh, I eat anything" or say, "I don't like Indian food" and eat pizza instead. CICO still applies to them even if they don't think about calories ever. They don't gain weight if they eat the right amount of calories for their activity level. They don't lose weight if they eat the right amount of calories. Are we doomed to a label for the rest of our lives or do we get to shake it when we are no longer overweight?
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    A diet. A calorie controlled diet.
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,182 Member
    How about calling it "Eating normal."
  • stevencloser
    stevencloser Posts: 8,911 Member
    zyxst wrote: »
    HealthyGinny wrote: »
    In French, we call it "hypocalorique", WordReference tells me it simply translates to "low-calorie diet" but I don't really agree with that word? As you can eat less calories but not have your diet be really LOW calorie, you know what I mean? So I'll probably go with a diet where I eat fewer calories than before.

    I bet German's got a great word for eating less.

    I can't think of one off the top of my head.
  • senecarr
    senecarr Posts: 5,377 Member
    stevencloser wrote: »
    zyxst wrote: »
    HealthyGinny wrote: »
    In French, we call it "hypocalorique", WordReference tells me it simply translates to "low-calorie diet" but I don't really agree with that word? As you can eat less calories but not have your diet be really LOW calorie, you know what I mean? So I'll probably go with a diet where I eat fewer calories than before.

    I bet German's got a great word for eating less.

    I can't think of one off the top of my head.


    kohlenhydratarme zealotry bekommt zu lästig?
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited March 2016
    lisawinning4losing wrote: »
    The perpetual hunger diet?

    Again with the incredibly rude assumption that others are hungry.

    Re ketomom and cutting calories and eating less not working for you, I never assume that cutting calories means eating exactly the same, but less, since obviously anyone sensible (and I assume people are sensible) will realize that some calories are more dispensable than others, although it depends on their preferences and what satiates them, as well as nutrition concerns. I know I and others have said that one big change was that having reduced calories made us pickier, less likely to eat things we don't find delicious (I find vegetables delicious as well as essential for a healthy diet), and I also expect that people will prioritize health and satiety and experiment to find something to work.

    So when I say "just cut calories, you don't need a special diet" I don't mean "make no changes to your diet and keep the percentage of cookies or whatever exactly the same"). I don't think anyone means that. Instead I say go through your diary and see what's easiest to cut without missing it. For me that meant increasing my protein (meat) consumption (although I was not totally comfortable with the meat part of that), decreasing sweets, especially those I ate pretty mindlessly (because they appeared in my office and everyone seemed to be eating them), decreasing some starchy carbs since for me they aren't worth the calories, decreasing the amount of oils and butter I used (this was significant). On the other hand, I greatly prefer chicken with bones and skin to most boneless, skinless, so did not make that switch (with exceptions for specific dishes). I already ate (preferred) skim or 1% dairy and saw no reason to change that. I ate lots of fish and vegetables and kept that habit. Mostly it's going to be personal, and I don't see why cutting carbs isn't often the product of the same kinds of choices (though not a hardcore keto diet, I suppose).
  • positivepowers
    positivepowers Posts: 902 Member
    edited March 2016
    When anyone asks me, I call it CICO. That's exactly what it is. Unfortunately, since most people asking me want a "magic" answer instead of learning to eat less and exercise, they usually lose interest.
  • positivepowers
    positivepowers Posts: 902 Member
    newmeadow wrote: »
    nvmomketo wrote: »
    newmeadow wrote: »
    Or one could just say I'm On A Diet. Easy enough since no one will ask in real life, because no one really wants to know about the boring details.

    True... What to call it at maintenance though? I was vLCHF while losing and now I am still vLCHF, just more of it.

    Say this: Get that poison out of my face! I don't eat it! How many times do I have to tell you? If you ask me again, I'll throw it on the carpet and stomp on it and let your dog eat it. That's why I look this good and feel like a million bucks, by not eating that carbage! You do eat it and wear a size 6? How wonderful for you! Enjoy it and enjoy yourself and get the eff away from me with your taco chips and chocolate frosted cream puffs. It's okay. I know you didn't mean to offend me or upset me. People like you just can't help being annoying. I understand. Okay. No offense taken. Enjoy the party. See you later.

    Anger management classes anyone? Seriously, if you're that pi$$ed maybe you need some Oreos . ..

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