does dieting ever end?

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  • wvanbakel
    wvanbakel Posts: 1 Member
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    Kochupurayil, Sorry to hear that you feel that you are missing out.

    I have a different view, though. I look at calorie counting like balancing my checkbook. Perhaps you are trying to get out of debt. But once you paid off everything you owe, you get to keep the interest for yourself and if you continue making mindful expenses you are doing fine. And now and then you can indulge yourself with reasonable moderation.

    Once you are debt free, it does not mean that you are entitled to apply for credit cards and max them out. You are much smarter than that!!!

    I reached my target weight four years ago and I never felt like I miss out on anything.
    -> I can eat anything I like, just not all of it.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    I feel I am always on some kind of diet to keep myself on check with my calories for the day. Like I am restricting something or the other everytime. For example I restrict sweet intake to keep me on check with my weight gain. you just can't eat anything you want and stay fit and healthy. We always have to watch what we eat :(

    I feel even if I reach my goal I still have to count my calories to not go overboard :( Is that so with all of you?

    everything in moderation!
  • hajjcomb
    hajjcomb Posts: 118 Member
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    Dieting ends the day you realize and accept that no diet has ever, or will ever, work.

    As the previous poster said, it's a change in your mindset. It's evolution not restriction that gets the results.
  • jilliebk
    jilliebk Posts: 252 Member
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    I feel the same way too, and today I'm just fed up!! I don't know how to get out of this funk, mayb tomorrow will be a better day
  • ashnm88
    ashnm88 Posts: 748
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    One's that refer to it as a "diet" tend to set themselves up to fail. It has to be a "lifestyle" change. Everything in moderation.
  • grneyedgf
    grneyedgf Posts: 23 Member
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    "You have to choose, you can either eat everything you want - when you want or be SKINNY, but you can't do both." Dr. Judith Beck

    I know that sounds harsh, but we have to redefine the role of food. The food got you where you are now. If you want to lose weight and feel better you have to make changes. Not for a month or two, or you'll end up right back where you started. This is a chance to learn portion control and live healthier and happier. It's not easy and it may not seem fair. We age and our activity level and metabolism slows down and we can't eat like we used too. But you have a whole group of people here that are facing the exact same reality and struggle.
  • cspence2270
    cspence2270 Posts: 229 Member
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    I stopped calling it a diet and started to realize that yes I can have pizza I just can't sit down and eat the entire pizza 4 times a week. I don't restrict anything, I just eat a normal portion of it. I have to do this for the rest of my life and I refuse to not eat a french fry or a piece of birthday cake for the rest of my life. The same goes for exercise. I have realized that I will be working out at least 5 days a week for the rest of my life, so I have learned to enjoy the strength it is building in my body and love the changes it's making. I love the feeling of movement and the ability to squat down and pick something off the floor or get on the floor to play with my son.

    So no it will never end-- but than I don't want it to-- because then I will be back to the person I was before. The one who kept wishing for change but not doing anything to make the change.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    I feel I am always on some kind of diet to keep myself on check with my calories for the day. Like I am restricting something or the other everytime. For example I restrict sweet intake to keep me on check with my weight gain. you just can't eat anything you want and stay fit and healthy. We always have to watch what we eat :(

    I feel even if I reach my goal I still have to count my calories to not go overboard :( Is that so with all of you?

    The first paragraph is true for me. I watch what I eat all the time. I splurge occasionally but on a day to day basis I limit sugars, white/processed grains, and saturated and trans fats.

    But I don't count calories for the most part. I eat most of my calories in the evening on weekdays and rarely log that until the next day, but because I make an effort to eat healthy I am usually pretty close to the MFP calorie recommendation.

    For me focusing on eating healthy and exercising regularly works better than counting calories or macronutrient grams.
  • TheRoadDog
    TheRoadDog Posts: 11,788 Member
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    We are all on a diet. Forever. Definition of a diet is: The kinds of food that a person, animal, or community habitually eats.

    I think the question might be "How long can we remain on a healthy diet?"
  • Saruman_w
    Saruman_w Posts: 1,531 Member
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    Once it becomes a new lifestyle, it becomes less of a diet and more like a permanent change to your eating habits. Have to look at food in a completely light and not let those habits emerge again.
  • Tangerine302
    Tangerine302 Posts: 1,509 Member
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    Probably depends on the person too. Some might be able to stick with the changes made in the way they eat to maintain their weight. Others might not be able to have as many cheat days if they are people who gain easily. You probably know what works for you and what doesn't.
    How much exercise you get makes a difference. You could sit a lot and have to "diet" or eat less to maintain. Or you could be active and eat more of the foods you like to maintain. Just depends on your lifestyle.

    If you completely change the way you eat and it's gets to be a normal way of eating, you probably wouldn't think of it as a "diet".
  • bloodguilt
    bloodguilt Posts: 126
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    We are all on a diet. Forever. Definition of a diet is: The kinds of food that a person, animal, or community habitually eats.

    I think the question might be "How long can we remain on a healthy diet?"

    So agree with TheRoadDog, Saruman_w and other posters. "Does dieting ever end?" Yes, it ends when you're already dead. Lol! Though death is a different story but sadly most people die due to their own wrong mentality towards dieting and lifestyle. After all, we are the author of our own wellness and/or decease. We are what we eat and we need to EAT TO LIVE not LIVE TO EAT. So, "How long can we remain on a healthy diet?" As for me, it should be FOREVER.
  • MikeSEA
    MikeSEA Posts: 1,074 Member
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    Does it ever end?

    God, I hope so. If I continue to try and lose 2lbs/week, I'll literally starve myself eventually. At some point the measures I'm taking to lose weight will have to end/be adjusted.

    And while I understand what everyone is saying about a lifestyle change, the phrase makes a small part of me want to strangle kittens (and I'm quite fond of cats). Maybe I've just heard it too often.

    Of course it's a "lifestyle change," but let's think about it. It's really just a matter of math and science. If what you mean by "does the dieting ever end?" is actually "Can I ever go back to doing exactly what I was doing to gain all that weight while at the same time keeping the weight off?" Uh, no. That you can't do. It's completely irrational.

    Acceptance is the first step. Something has to be adjusted to achieve a balanced goal when you're currently unbalanced. Find a system you can live with once you've reached your goal to maintain.
  • Kochupurayil
    Kochupurayil Posts: 42
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    Kochupurayil, Sorry to hear that you feel that you are missing out.

    I have a different view, though. I look at calorie counting like balancing my checkbook. Perhaps you are trying to get out of debt. But once you paid off everything you owe, you get to keep the interest for yourself and if you continue making mindful expenses you are doing fine. And now and then you can indulge yourself with reasonable moderation.

    Once you are debt free, it does not mean that you are entitled to apply for credit cards and max them out. You are much smarter than that!!!

    I reached my target weight four years ago and I never felt like I miss out on anything.
    -> I can eat anything I like, just not all of it.

    awesome keepin off the weight for 4yrs. I guess I need to keep seeing it as a lifestyle change like everyone one who has mentioned it on here. Thanks anyways for your input as well!
  • Kochupurayil
    Kochupurayil Posts: 42
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    Thanks everyone.You all are motivating!!!!
  • Kochupurayil
    Kochupurayil Posts: 42
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    Does it ever end?

    God, I hope so. If I continue to try and lose 2lbs/week, I'll literally starve myself eventually. At some point the measures I'm taking to lose weight will have to end/be adjusted.

    And while I understand what everyone is saying about a lifestyle change, the phrase makes a small part of me want to strangle kittens (and I'm quite fond of cats). Maybe I've just heard it too often.

    Of course it's a "lifestyle change," but let's think about it. It's really just a matter of math and science. If what you mean by "does the dieting ever end?" is actually "Can I ever go back to doing exactly what I was doing to gain all that weight while at the same time keeping the weight off?" Uh, no. That you can't do. It's completely irrational.

    Acceptance is the first step. Something has to be adjusted to achieve a balanced goal when you're currently unbalanced. Find a system you can live with once you've reached your goal to maintain.

    Like the way you put it.Thanks!
  • 123456654321
    123456654321 Posts: 1,311 Member
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    Aww, I can understand your frustrations. Think about it though, even if you DID have to log for the rest of your life to keep control of things.......would it really be that bad? You certainly wont be eating at a deficit forever. I am at maintenance now and logging is a piece of cake. It literally takes about 5 min out of my day. I'm not perfect, I go over my cals 2-3 times a week easily without any damage. I'm not aiming for perfection, I just like that it keeps me accountable and aware. I like that when I'm running low on energy I can look back at what I've eaten over the past few weeks and see that I've been consistently low/high in something. Honestly, I don't see myself ever giving up the logging...and I'm really a-ok with that! Trust me, once you reach your goal and are at maintenance, logging wont be so much of a chore anymore.
  • PureAndHealthy
    PureAndHealthy Posts: 539
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    I lost 85 pounds 5 years ago with WW, started gaining a few pounds here and there over 3 years, joined MFP at 185 and got back down in the 160s, quit logging and 5 years after hitting 149lbs, I'm back over 200lbs. :cry: It's quite tragic. For me it's not the healthy food choices that are a struggle, it's just the logging that I dread.... Not sure if I'll ever get to where I don't have to log to keep weight off. Bleh... :grumble:
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,834 Member
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    As others said, diet is just what you eat. If you are eating at a calorie deficit to lose weight, then once you reach your goal weight, you can up your cals to maintenance. What you may consider a "bad" day now could actually just be around maintenance cals normally.

    If you have a bad day, you can make up for it another day. It is a lifestyle change.

    For me, I love the numbers and can't really see myself not counting cals. I like self experimentation. As well as that, losing weight was just the initial step for me. Now it's about gaining good weight and staying lean.

    Oh and I definitely indulge in "unhealthy" foods. As long as it fits my macros, it's all good.
  • Kochupurayil
    Kochupurayil Posts: 42
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    Thanks everyone!!! your input really helps!

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