"Not a diet, but a lifestyle change!"

Does this bother anyone else? I'm talking about how these days all the "experts" say that you can't diet...because diets don't work, you have to make a "lifestyle change" and that apparently does work? My problem with that is that now everyone who goes on a diet slaps a lifestyle change label on it even if what they are doing is basically dieting. I'm not talking about crash dieting...I just mean that, in general, if you are eating less and healthier with the objective of losing weight, then I'm sorry, but that's a diet.

I know I may get flamed for this, because probably a lot of people on here classify their changed eating habits this way. I'm honestly not trying to start an argument or anything, I just wonder - where is this long-term data that says that lifestyle changes will the keep the weight off for good? There's not, because it hasn't been proven. I do believe that there are people who truly have changed their lifestyle, over time, to the point where it is unlikely they will regain weight. I think that's great and I hope to be one of those people. I just don't like how everyone and their dog now says it as if it's going to ward off future weight gain or something.

I won't lie. To lose weight, I went on a diet. Over time I realized that depriving myself of certain foods would lead me to crave them excessively. This is the first time in a long time that I allow myself what I'm craving, in small amounts. I will do everything in my power to keep my weight in a healthy range. I exercise, I eat reasonable portions and plenty of fruits and vegetables. I lost very slowly over a long period of time so I feel like I've had practice. I'm just not comfortable saying this is a lifestyle change just yet. Maybe in a couple of years I'll classify it that way, but not now.

Anyone agree/disagree? Just had to get my 2 cents out there :)

Original Post by bibsey:

My two cents!  We are talking semantics here and I believe most of us are on the same page.  Two weeks of severe caloric restriction or 2 years of severe restriction will not make a permanent change for those of us who have issues in this area.

Personally I have to have that sweet occasionally, that hamburger occasionally, pasta occasionaly. But as someone earlier said, I believe I have finally learned to compensate when I have those foods that are not "the best for me".  If I totally left them out I woud end up eating too much of something and there goes the plan!  Some peope can exist on carrots, broccoli, apples, beans, etc. Unfortunately I am not one of those.  But I have been on this calorie counting, calorie burning routine for 10 weeks and now feel I can do it forever.  I can go out with friends for lunch, and have something I really want.  Come home exercise and cut back on the dinner calories.  It is working for me.  Alas, no lifestye change, because there are other parts of my life besides eating and that is part of the solution!   Eating and weight are just a portion of a good lifestyle.

You ladies are great and give out some good info!

Barbara

 

I failed to say that over all my lifestyle is pretty good!  Trying now to get my weight and health in line with my faith, my family, my friends and my many blessings!

to my mind, there is a difference, and it's a very simple difference.  "a diet" is a temporary change aimed at dropping weight.  it's not meant to be a permanent shift in thinking, eating, or activities.

i feel i can safely say that i've made a lifestyle change because i've been at this for almost three years.  my weight loss has been exceptionally slow and not terribly consistent, and i have gained some back from my lowest point a little over a year ago.  but i can confidently say that i will never again weigh more than 145, which is down 23 pounds from my starting point.

i may never get to my goal of 135.  but i will never again be overweight, and i will never again be sedentary (unless i have a paralyzing illness or injury).  i don't deprive myself, i don't go hungry, i'm not suffering, and my life is better in every conceivable way than it was when i was fat.  and if you looked in my fridge and pantry, you wouldn't find a single thing with a low-fat, low-cal, or diet designation.  you would find at least three or four varieties of full-fat cheese on any given day, though.

That's great to hear pgeorgian! very inspiring.

I began my (current) weight loss journey about 3 years ago, and it has been a slow downward trend.  I have lost almost 40 pounds, and have another 15 to go.  I think that everyone gets too hung up on words, and not enough on the concepts behind the words.  A "diet" is a collection of 4 letters that, when read, represent a horrible trial of deprivation and eventual failure.  The concept behind the word is different depending on who reads it and what their previous experience with it was.  Lifestyle change is the same; it means what it means to the person.  I think the real issue you have may be with the personalities of some of these gurus of weight loss, with their "if I can do it anyone can do it" testimonials.  For myself I know my first actual success with weight loss came when I realized that I make a personal choice every time I put something in my mouth.  That knowledge gave me back my personal power to affect my person and my life.  Is that a lifestyle change?  That's up to the individual reading this.

Original Post by reginabc:

I began my (current) weight loss journey about 3 years ago, and it has been a slow downward trend.  I have lost almost 40 pounds, and have another 15 to go.  I think that everyone gets too hung up on words, and not enough on the concepts behind the words.  A "diet" is a collection of 4 letters that, when read, represent a horrible trial of deprivation and eventual failure.  The concept behind the word is different depending on who reads it and what their previous experience with it was.  Lifestyle change is the same; it means what it means to the person.  I think the real issue you have may be with the personalities of some of these gurus of weight loss, with their "if I can do it anyone can do it" testimonials.  For myself I know my first actual success with weight loss came when I realized that I make a personal choice every time I put something in my mouth.  That knowledge gave me back my personal power to affect my person and my life.  Is that a lifestyle change?  That's up to the individual reading this.

 Well said!  I think we sometimes get too caught up in semantics! We say one thing and someone might hear something entirely different. We come from different places and times in life. I look at my life as an entity and eating healthy is sure a change for me, but I don't see it as a life changing event.............but having said that there are people that it is truly a life changing event.  Let's give each other a break and the benefit of personal choice in words.

Barbara

there's solely a semantic difference between "i'm on a diet" and "my diet consists of..."

the difference between "a diet" and "a lifestyle change" is much more than semantics.  if you want to get technical.

A diet to me is a short term period of reducing certain foods I normally eat (no ice cream for a week). A lifestyle change is substituting a certain food for another on a permanent basis or deleting a certain food on a long term basis.

An example is that I use to eat red meat three to five times a week; I now eat it only once a week and fish the rest of the week. That is a lifestyle change in my diet for me (changing eating habits). I also reduced my carbohydrate intake of potatoes and pasta and sustituted other vegatables. 

I am losing approximately a pound and a half per week, and to me, this is a lifestyle change.