Good Morning. When is a diet not a diet?

perfectly well said

Ginaaaaaaaaa,
your right on the money. i totally agree
we will have all the time in the world to walk a straight and narrow line its ok to fall off once in a while (hoildays, occassions) but the key is to get right back on ;-0

Great thread this morning Gina ~ 

The diet mentality will always be in my mind I guess. It's what I have always known my entire adult life. I don't know if I will ever get away from it....just modify it to my new life and tool. 

I agree that we should enjoy the holidays BUT the holidays are almost 2 months long and not just a few days here and there. We as peeps like to celebrate EVERYTHING with food and holiday treats straight from Halloween to New Years. That's a long time. We should enjoy the 2-4 days of the holidays that we truly have and live our 'normal' way of life in between. 

So my words of wisdom is to "Stay strong and steady and do not flinch...keep your eyes on the main prize".  and finally Enjoy the holidays in moderation. 

Thanks for the reminder. It's sometimes hard to see beyond our tunneled vision that this has to be a life worth living as well...whi*****ludes enjoying the holidays! :)

I think it's the meaning that we give it.

I mean, a "diet" to almost anybody in the world has the context of being a restrictive amount/type of food formula.

Scientifically, a "diet" is simply that which a given organism eats.

Therefore, we are all, all our lives, on diets of one kind or another. I keep reminding myself that I am now on the SECOND kind, and that one of my criteria needs to be "healthy."

And that kind of goes with a saying somebody posted in the mess hall when I was Girl Scout Camp (Norwesco, Hilltop unit in the 1960's if there's anybody else here from there).

It started with the common place "each man gets out of life only what he puts into it." Ok, yeah, yeah, I get it. But then it went on to say "For things don't happen to people, it's people that happen to things." And that slapped me in the face.

Food didn't happen to me. I sought it out like a targeted missle. Health issues didn't happen to me - I sought them out via my eating/exercising habits.

I happened, and the results weren't pretty. I am now learning to happen in a better manner.

I was talking about this at work today... how I hear people all over (and not just WLS people) talking about the holidays like they are some sort of ordeal to be endured and saying things like "there were goodies at work and I was so strong and didn't have any the first 3 times I passed by them but the 4th time, I had half a cookie. I'm SUCH A LOSER! I FAILED!!"

I have to say... I just don't get it. For me, it's have the cookie or don't have it but either way don't beat yourself up over it. Just make adjustments going forward to compensate.

And please people, have some perspective. Having a cookie is not a moral failing. Hurting someone or stealing or lying is a moral failure. But eating a cookie is a choice, one that can be an okay choice or a less than ideal choice depending on the cir****tances, but doesn't require self-flagellation.

I think part of this is that our society is constantly sending us messages that we're not good enough and so beating ourselves up becomes a habit. I think we not only need to learn to eat better and exercise more, but we also need to learn to be kind to ourselves. We wouldn't let someone talk to our best friend the way we talk to ourselves sometimes!

I don't want to "diet" anymore.  I really want this to be a lifestyle change to be healthier.  Every time I dieted I felt so fixated on what I could not have that it consumed me and I ended up not being able to stick with it very long.

My Thanksgiving strategy was different from most.  I ate a little of everything I wanted - got rid of the left overs and felt satisfied.  I did my protein drinks so I did make sure I got my protein in.  I will probably do the same thing for Christmas.  I don't want to have the deprived feeling because it seems to set me up for failure or just going crazy and eating lots of wrong foods.

I am trying to limit my carbs right now because they were getting out of hand, especially the cookies and sweets. 

Linda

Im not dieting, just eating protien first, than some fat and carbs,,, letting my vsg and ds do the work.  down 32 in 6 weeks. 38 to go