The not-diet

[GLC1968]

I know what you are saying, but really, if you eat, you have a diet, right? I guess it rubs me the wrong way that the word 'diet' has become so distorted in today's vernacular.

By the definition that you are using, 'diet' is a temporary thing, right? If so, then I don't diet either.

While I consider myself paleo, it is a permanent choice and not a temporary one to lose weight or whatever. I avoid certain foods for my health and happiness the same way you avoid HFCS or probably trans fat.

[shootingstar]

Well I've had a small bag of chips twice this wk. Not good..to me.

I do eat a bit differently than I did 5 yrs. ago. It isn't necessarily "better", but not terrible or anything like that. "Diet" is a generic word. I agree with GLC that it's a neutral term but we've attacted many different adjectives to it.

How I eat now:
1. a light breakfast at home. (starting around 5:00 am)

2. Then less than 1.5 hrs. later I have another "breakfast" at my workplace desk (usually around 7:15 am - 8:30 am) where I've bought a coffee with milk and eat something from home or from cafeteria. I've biked short distance to work (flat route.)

Then seldom eat lunch.

3. But may have more coffee. Some other snack.
4. Supper is now eaten often before 6:30 pm. (I'm home by 4:45 pm IF I don't go wandering off on the bike after work. With summer comin' that will change.)

*I very rarely eat processed foods. I cook from scratch. I've tried store bought frozen pizza....6 yrs. ago.
*No white rice (last 4 yrs.) and alot less white bread. It must be artisan bread with no fat, sugar nor eggs if I have it.
*Lots of Veggies: not necessarily salads. It's not my cooking style. I do alot of light blanching or light stir-frying.
*Lean meat 3-4 times per month. Fistful amount each time.
*I do fall down on desserts....a sweet probably several times per wk.
*Pasta tends to be 'light" type: egg white noodle, some types of lighter freshly made Asian pasta or dried noodles that I boil.
*Lots of fresh fruit
*Pureed veggie soups that he makes. But I enjoy a light consomme soup with noodles and veggies.
*Now seem to finish 2 litres of skim milk every wk. ....which I consider good since I don't have yogurt that often.
*I have egg replacement-- egg whites, etc.
*I don't eat nuts often nor beans....I find both heavy in my stomach.

Of course, I will have an interesting gourmet sausage, etc. and other richer foods occasionally....I haven't avoided white rice completely. But have sushi, sashimi about 3-4 times per year now. Yea, I know I'm missing alot. But my blood sugar goes up...I feel tired and "off" when I eat too much white rice.

Approx. 40% of my "diet" in cooking style...is Asian in taste, technique. Even without white rice. So now, is "diet" a bAAAAAD word? No, I'm proud to say...it can be a good word, because food, technique can be...."cultural", in food preparation habits, etc.

It's pretty obvious chunks of my diet has been a long-standing part of me for several decades, so far with some permanent changes here and there. Some improvements while other areas I've fallen down.

[chatnoire]

Interesting question/discussion...
The boyfriend and I have been "dieting" in that we are tracking calories, to lose weight. The basic plan is eat better, work out, etc.

However, I have noticed that what this does is puts me in sketchy territory. I struggled with an eating disorder for years, and had "kicked it" for about 10 years...but now that I'm aware of eating, it becomes a competition with myself to lose the weight. So much so that tonight's dinner out was less than fun, because food now comes wrapped up with all sorts of anxiety for me.

So, not-dieting is a good thing, for me, but yeah, the more "healthy" food choices are sometimes seen as a "diet" especially at happy hour, or group eating events....