Ok, I give up. What the hell is DIETING?

Because we all seem to have different conceptions of it. Some I've heard here in the last few days:

-Counting calories is dieting
-Counting carbs is dieting
-Counting protein is dieting
-Not allowing yourself certain foods is dieting

I'm not asking to be a smartass but this really confuses me. Because I do count calories, to make sure I'm always expending more than I am taking in. I count my carbs for many reasons, mostly to make sure I get ENOUGH and that I'm getting fiber. I count my protein as my labs are low. None of this takes up much of my time. I've been doing it so long it's second nature.

I also tend to stay away from some foods that I actually do like. I personally think this is where my recognition of myself as a food addict comes into play. There are some foods I will eat until I get violently ill. I don't want to do that so, yes, I avoid them. I tell myself "you can't have that because you can't eat it responsibly."

So if that's dieting, yes I diet. And in many ways YES I did sign up to diet for the rest of my life because, frankly, at my level of food addiction, my relationship with food cannot be left unaccompanied by any structure.

But diet seems to be a dirty word in our community so I'd like to know what YOU think is dieting and what isn't. I'm not here to debate it, just listen.

To me, dieting is restricting the amount of food and limiting the types of food in a kind of extreme way for a short period of time.  It's not something we can do long term.  It's more severe than just eating protein first for the rest of our lives.  And because of that, they don't work in the long run.  They might make you lose weight temporary but then you're highly likely to gain it all back.

To me, a "diet" in the sense you are asking about is a verb. The only "diet" that is acceptable to me now -- after years of failing at the verb -- is a noun.

A "diet" (verb) is anything where
1) I am limited in my food choices OR have some list of foods that are mandatory
2) I am required to constantly track ANYTHING (be it calories, carbs, or (gasp!) even protein)

The "diet" (noun) that I have adopted is the "new lifestyle" (relative to food)... a high-protein, limited-carb eating plan where, if you'll pardon the biblical plagiarism, "All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable".

Lora

Oh, I like that line!

i believe for me it is much more than a word or something i do,  its mostly mental in all ways, i didnt have surgery to diet, i had surgery to to improve my health and i get the added bonus of consequences when i forget my boundaries.  for me its more than an attitude or even a change, its a hope and a choice.  and only my attitude toward my journey is gonna determine my sucess, i finally stepped out and made a decision to do something to benefit myself and i have to say that no one should have a bad opinion of anyone that is taking their control back.   good luck to you on your journey i wish the best for you.

Just the begining of the word DIE is how it lives for me. I die-t when I am out for a meal somewhere and the abundance of foods I no longer partake of on a regular basis are all around me. Usually I have planned and am carrying something in my foods bag that are on" my living healthy for the rest of my life plan". Then I just go into survival mode, make the best of it and either eat something before I arrive or when I get back in the car.
As far as food addictions, I have certain goods that I do not have in the house. My grandaughter who lives with us has her own little spot for her treats and keeps them safely hidden and accounted for.
**The other day I came across an extra unused OPEN bag of marshmallows! OMG!! I love to have me a private mallow roast over the open fire of my stove! Lets just say they found their way into the snowbanks one at a time, hurled personally by ME! LOL!

My NUT is also an 8 year post-op. She says that she has not dieted since surgery. She makes better choices and in conscious of what she eats but she does not count calories or anything else on a daily basis. She measures her success by staying within 5 pounds of her normal weight. I'd like to live like that. I really, really would but, I'm not sure I can. I am 11 months post op and as far as I'm concerned, if I didn't lose another pound I would be happy. I don't count calories but I too avoid those foods that I can eat until I puke and then some (pizza).  I have a fear that one day I will no longer be able to live this way and I will have to resort to calorie counting. I have failed at that dozens of times and I really fear having to do it again. That is dieting to me.

To me, dieting is a temporary thing. It has a negative association for good reason, it is fraught with heartache, pain and generates compulsive behaviours.

In my post-op world, I'm counting calories, carbs, protein, I'm restricting certain foods to a very occasional status. I'm not on a diet; I'm working every day to create balance in my life. I am doing the work of taking care of myself. What I'm doing is no different than the work I do to shower and do my hair, and dress professionally at work. It's no differently than cultivating and tending to healthy social and family relationships. It's no different than making sure I get enough activity to keep my metabolism up and my body limber. It's part of life's daily work, and it doesn't end when I fall down, or have a bad day. It doesn't end when something disruptive happens. It doesn't "wait until Monday" to get started again.

It's... Life.

I've been fortunate..I followed to the letter what my NUT gave me. I agree with the DIE in diet...Unfortionatly in my case I just got diagnosed with a rare throat cancer,
Follow what your NUT says and you will do fine,
Best of luck!!

The "do" is done. I'm four years post op, lol.