What does "diet" mean to you?

When you hear the word diet, do you envision one of those trendy, "Just eat THIS magical food, and you can lose 10 pounds in a week!" sort of things? Or do you see someone suffering over a dismal salad with non-fat dressing, craving their chocolate cake? OR, do you see someone logically reducing portion sizes, while aiming for more filling and nutritious foods?

i've always envisioned diet more as the eating lifestyle of a person.  either they have a poor or healthy diet.  better to have a healthy diet than to be on one.

Diet is "die" with a "t" at the end.

That last option you listed is not so much of a diet as it is, when combined with exercise, a lifestyle change.

"Diet" feels like...depriving yourself of something as long as it takes to be an ideal weight...and then going back to eating junk.

...Which is I like to think of it as more of "a healthy lifestyle change."  You know--I'm not dieting...rather, I've made the decision to eat more healthily.  I am...a healthy eater...not a dieter.

It's just semantics, but it makes me feel better.

It depends on the context.  If I hear 'The XYZ Diet' I know it's likely to be some terrible fad like Atkins or Cabbage Soupl.    If I hear 'I'm on a diet'... I'm pretty sure it's a chocolate cake craving, cottage-cheese-and-lettuce fest.   If someone tells me they're trying to get a 'healthier diet' ... I'd like to think they're eating better foods and watching the portions.... but sometimes it just means they're choosing sugar-free gum or fat-free biscuits.

Diet= what you eat on a daily basis no matter what it is.  I hate it that the word "diet" has become such a negative.  People hear diet and start to feel bad for you.  I dont use the word when describing my eating.  I say I'm eating healthy, it sounds positive.

A diet is a temporary solution that (usually) fails to address the root cause of the problem. That's why so many people just gain the weight back when they resume their normal eating habits.

Diet is a four-letter word.  I rarely (if ever) use that word.  I much rather prefer healthier lifestyle. 

I associate it with the hunger pangs.  I'm not on a diet, I'm trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle and eat healthily.  You say 'Im on a diet' and you get looks of sympathy.

Yeah, pretty much what everyone else said lol.  The word "diet" has been nixed from my vocabulary.

I agree with foreverme24, I think of the word 'diet' as the type of foods you consume on a daily basis rather it be healthy, high-fat, low-carb, etc.  I too hate the negative connotation the simple word 'diet' implies.  There are many ways to describe ones diet, but the negative emphasis shouldn't be on the word diet, but the type of diet one choses to follow.  When most people hear the word diet, they automatically assume it's a deprivation, starvation, or reduction diet.  Again, the word 'diet has been given a bad name.  I'd rather think of the foods I consume as working towards a healthier lifestyle.

Really, a "diet" is simply one's eating habits, good or bad. Although, it has come to mean something more along the lines of a means to lose weight. The connotations given to the word "diet" has definitely changed it a lot from the original meaning.

Usually when I hear the word "diet", I think of unrealistic fad diets and/or someone who is being far too restrictive. A "diet", to me, seems like a quick fix and not a long-term solution. Like others, I prefer to think of a long-term, realistic, and effective change as a "healthier lifestyle."