Diets Bad? Healthy Eating mistakes?
Posted: December 8, 2010 at 12:04 pmOkay, all of you who mentioned mixing hot chocolate and coffee together are genius! I will have to try that soon. Sounds delicious.
And, I know you all don’t really care, but I’m too happy to not share – the car is finished and gone! Peter’s friend stopped by last night to pick it up after Peter got everything fixed for him yesterday afternoon. Oh, thank goodness. Now I can hopefully have my husband back in the afternoons and weekends.
Last night, like most Tuesday nights, I participated in the #fitblog chat on Twitter. I really enjoyed last night’s discussion as its something I feel incredibly strong about – Is Diet a 4-Letter Word?
The first prompt for discussion helped me realize something. The word “diet” finally does not bother me. Now, I simply use it as a way to describe my eating habits instead of something I need to “go on” or do to lose weight. I think the difference lies in whether or not we view diet as a noun, aka our dietary style, or as a verb, aka “I’m dieting right now”. In my opinion, the verb dieting is not healthy and implies deprivation or making changes for a set period of time instead of for life.
Something about the chat helped me reaffirm myself. After I give birth, I will work hard to take care of myself so my body can get back to a place where I feel strong and optimal in my health. A “diet” will not be part of that. I will simply return to the ways of eating I know suit me best because it truly is my personal eating style…my lifestyle…my “diet as a noun”. That means the way I currently eat, being okay with pregnancy cravings and all, is still part of that lifestyle and can fit into the big picture just fine. A few months out of my lifetime = a blip on the radar = nothing to worry about. In short, #fitblog chats will really get you thinking. 😉
All of this reminded me of an article a friend recently shared as well – “6 Food Mistakes Even Healthy Eaters Make”. Funnily enough, the list all sounds like actions that go along with being on a diet.
- Eating extra added sugars found in popular “health foods” – Things like yogurts, cereals, bars, or even breads can have way more sugar added than originally thought.
- Not getting enough fat – Our bodies need fats to function properly and they help keep us satiated.
- Eating only egg whites – To me, this ties in with eating fat, but the article also mentioned missing out on other important nutrients of which egg yolks are a quality source.
- Waiting too long to have breakfast – Important to refuel after not eating for an extended period and help keep energy levels stable.
- Missing a post-exercise snack – Helps body with recovery.
- Relying on processed/packaged “diet foods” - Not as many nutrients.
Some of the article shares old-school ways of thinking that I don’t completely agree with, but on the whole I can agree that those types of actions can hinder achieving a balanced eating style suitable for life. I agree that taking steps against each of those could improve my eating habits. Luckily, I have no problems with most of them…with the exception of the added sugars one. I know I don’t pay attention to that and likely consume quite a bit extra sugar because of my lack of awareness. Seems like it basically boils down to eating a variety and abundance of wholesome, natural, un-processed foods. Sounds like duh, but it definitely takes practice. Eventually though, those habits become our diet. And not diet in a 4-letter-word way either.
- Does the word “diet” have a negative connotation for you?
- Do you agree with that list of “healthy eating mistakes”? What would you add, subtract, or sub out on the list? Do you struggle with any of the ones mentioned?
Tags: binging, fitbloggin, healthy eating
I totally agree that the way ‘diet’ is used in speech influences the way it affects me. As a noun (dietary style), I think it’s 100% fine. But the example of ‘I’m dieting right now… sort of bugs me. I think it’s because I feel that many people don’t know that they don’t have to ‘diet’ in order to be healthy, lose weight, and do what’s best for their bodies. By eating healthily (rather than ‘dieting’, which immediately also brings to mind the term ‘restricting’), we should be able to reach the weights our bodies were meant to be, which are also healthy weights. That’s my two cents. 😉
i definitely hate the word “diet” when it’s used in the connotation of restriction. it’s just a trigger word to a bad past that i don’t care to visit! as for the list, i agree with it but also think that if you take it too seriously it could lead to restricting even foods that can be good for you. a little out there, i know, but just thought i’d throw it in the discussion 🙂
Agreed. Any time there are rules we try to stick to it can lead to over-thinking. I completely get where you’re coming from. No food is “bad”. It’s about the overall picture.
Wow, I could not agree with you more!! I love the 6 mistakes you posted…so true! I am working hard on incorporating more fat into my ‘diet.’ Hope you are having a great day!
That list is legit.
So many of my friends/family know how I work hard to live my own version of a “healthy lifestyle”. But I still get remarks about how I refuse to eat a lot of “light” things (um, most likely because it says sugar free, they used sugar-like chemicals to replace it- it’s the lesser of two evils in my opinion….).
Another thing is the egg debate. People scoff when I eat whole eggs. But I’ve read way too many articles that consider the yolk the most nutritional part of the egg- and I just like the taste better. When I tell them, they don’t believe me!
EEP! I cringe whenever I hear diet because, to me, it means “deprivation”. I think especially after a contest “diet”, it means tightening the noose around which foods to consume for super low bodyfat. I realize this is only as a means to a competition goal weight or certain competitive bodyfat percentage, but I struggle with “off season” and “dieting”. I’m trying not to call it my diet simply because I want “diet” to only be associated during competition season. I think our bodies need a break and, for sure, am enjoying my egg yolk here and there HA!
Another reason I hate the word “diet” is because it feels like I’ve been on one since high school. Always trying to lose 5-10lbs and as soon as I’d claim victory, it would be short-lived and I’d start all over again as the same lbs crept back up. Right now I’m only looking to maintain and I think if I just eat the same everyday, with treats here and there, as long as my weight stays within a very small window of pounds, I can chuck the word “diet”.
PS- YES, mixing coffee with hot chocolate is awesome! Been doing that a lot lately! SO SO good:)
I also said this in the chat, but I am with you in that the word “diet” no longer has negative associations but is simply a neutral term to describe food intake.
Dieting, though, kind of just sucks.
GREAT post, Tina. I am bummed I missed the Fitblog chat last night, I always seem to somehow! I did see some of the tweets about the word “diet” and totally agree. I use it as a noun but never as a verb because of that connotation and all. I love that list btw, a great reminder of pitfalls to avoid when focusing on eating healthy, wholesome, real/whole foods, with the occasional treat thrown in for good measure 🙂
As much as I try not to, I do see the word “diet” in a negative light.
And I’m guilty of that last one more often than I like to admit. Hoping to change that, though.
I only think of the work diet as a noun. I don’t feel negatively about it at all. I like eating a healthy diet and so, it is all positive here. I agree with the list, but I won’t lie, I eat a lot of egg whites. Honestly, it is out of preference in flavor, so I don’t feel bad about that at all. I like whole eggs if they are over easy, but other than that, I don’t like the flavor of yolks. I think the most important thing is to have a healthy varied well rounded diet!
I usually do whole eggs over easy too, but more egg whites in scrambles and omelets. I’ll toss one yolk in for a bit of an oomph but I agree that too much yolk doesn’t do it for me outside of over easy. Funny how that works, huh?
I absolutely agree with you that it depends on the connotation. Although, even in the restrictive sense I don’t have a problem with it as long as it isn’t taken to the extreme. It is when “diet” becomes something unsustainable that there is an issue. But if you must restrict your calories temporarily to lose weight in a healthy manner, to reach a healthy and sustainable body composition? I’m ok with that kind of “diet”…just not fasting on grapefruit and water or something. 😉
I too have changed the way I think about the word diet. It’s definitely turned into the way I eat, not a forceful reduction in food.
I totally agree and am completely anti-diet. I try to preach this message whenever I hear someone labeling foods as good or bad, or referring to themselves as bad for eating a treat or dessert, and good for passing something up. It’s mostly women that use this language, but men are doing it too. Love the discussion! 🙂
I couldn’t have expressed this better myself! I truly view the word diet in my vocabulary as a noun. I definitely haven’t always thought this way because the whole reason I am where I am today in regards to healthy living started because I wanted to ‘go on a diet’… but things have changed 🙂
The only way it has a negative connotation to me now is when I see or hear other women talking about dieting as a verb. I want to shake them silly and tell them that it’s not a healthy thing… but then I remind myself that it’s usually something that someone has to experience for themselves.
Great discussion starter!
Haha! I had to laugh about wanting to shake some sense into others. That drives me crazy too when I hear others talking about needing a diet. But, like you said, its a personal learning process.
I also think it’s interesting the word ‘die’ is in ‘diet’. I hate the word “diet”, personally. Eating healthy, changing one’s lifestyle, nourishing the body and soul are better in my book 🙂
Yay for more husband time!
I don’t like the word “diet”… can’t spell the word without the word “die.” A “diet” in the true sense is just the pattern of eating by something. I usually think of it more like, “Whales subsist on a diet of plankton”… not like whales are trying to lose weight by eating plankton… Haha!
I am usually really specific when it comes to announcing my food choices to others (and only when needed because I hate being labeled). Statements such as, “I am eating sweets only two days per week” and “I don’t eat meat” are specific and say more than, “I’m on a diet!” or “I’m a vegetarian!”
I think the only thing I don’t agree with is breakfast. I guess I’m just getting away from the healthy eating must that you “MUST EAT BREAKFAST”
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve eaten breakfast bc I just did, not bc I was hungry.
Now I really try to wait until I get the hunger pangs–and thats usually around 9 or 10 and I’ll have a snack and then lunch around lunch timeish.
Of course, some mornings I eat at 6 or 7 as well.
Agreed. I have plenty of mornings where I don’t eat breakfast right after waking, but its still within an hour or two because I get hungry. I think its mostly troublesome when people don’t eat breakfast in order to save calories or something.
I’m with ya! Diet used to have all kinds of negative connotations for me but now I use it merely as a noun. I try my best to eat as healthy and organically as I can. I try to keep learning to continue my nutrition education and see both sides of every argument. But the one I will never go back to is putting people on a diet…it only sets us up for failure!
I do agree with that list, my unhealthy weights have included all six of those things. So while following those 6 things may be key to me weighing 110 pounds, NOT following those 6 things are the key to my healthy weight, which is ultimately better. Whew, that was a lot of babble.
I think it’s very funny that “diet” has gained such a negative connotation. The literal definition of a diet is a particular manner of eating, whether is be vegetarianism, trying to lose 10 pounds, or even drinking a daily coffee. People have turned such an simple descriptor word in to something so negative and scary.
I never put myself on “diets” any more, I simply say that I want to be a bit more aware of what I am eating.
The word “diet” does have a negative connotation to me, but as you said, really only when it’s used as a verb. To me, following a healthy “diet” and “dieting” are two completely different things!
Im not a fan of the word “diet” but I think that has to do with my history with the word. Ive been on every diet there is and each one just made me miserable.
Depends on the day and my mood whether diet is a four letter word (I think “cute” is a four letter word, but that is a different story!). Mostly I try to stay focused on the positive.
I have issues with added sugars, eating breakfast on time and post workout snacks. I workout so late that I can’t see having a snack at 10:30/11:00 at night. And eating breakfast all depends on when I find the time. I would say only once a week do I get breakfast before I have to run the youngling to school or other activities. I am so focused on his needs that I often don’t have time for mine.
I cannot STAND the most recent use of the word diet that I’ve seen. In LA there are a slew of outdoor advertisements that say, “Diets don’t work. Get the lapband today!” HELLO? Living on a healthy diet DOES work, and it’s completely irresponsible to tell people that creating a healthy diet for themselves is not a correct tool for weight loss, but surgery is. It baffles me, and pisses me off. And for the record, no – I don’t think shake diets or cabbage soup diets work – but it’s still not right to phrase that in such a way.
I think of the word diet as in, “My diet consists of no chicken or beef, lots of fish, veggies, and sometimes some chocolate.”
Words are all we have, we have to be responsible in how we use them.
Rant done.
I can’t believe those ads. Wow!
I used to think of diet as a bad word, but I now I just think of it as how I eat. Not that I’m on a diet all the time!
I hate the word diet – it’s all about your lifestyle and how you change it. I can’t stand when people say they are “dieting”!
I fall into the added sugar trap. There are so many foods with tons of sugar, and even if it’s a “natural” sugar, it can be too much. Some foods are always going to have sugar, which is totally okay, but sometimes I see foods that don’t really need sugar at all.
Diet can be a bad 4-letter word..I think it depends on how you use it..or even who uses it! I don’t use it when speaking to people that need to hear the word ‘lifestyle’ that’s for sure! 🙂
I might say I need to overhaul my lifestyle these days as it’s gotten out of hand!
I agree with all 6 points listed. Maybe add that no foods should be off limits, and portion sizes are important.
Good list!
I’m not very good at post workout snacks. I’m usually not very hungry after running but I need to make myself eat something! I think it’s really important to eat breakfast soon after waking up. Our bodies need food after not having any during the night.
Great topic!
I know you were kinda down about Peter being consumed with a fix-it project. But, I totally envy girls with husbands who can fix things. A car is a big thing to repair. My man calls the maintenance guy every time something breaks in our house. He is definitely NOT a Mr. Fix It. One time he put a bookshelf together and was very proud until I pointed out that the entire back panel was on backwards.
I am SO thankful for his handyman skills. He can manage car and house stuff and it is a huge help. He redid our entire upstairs while I was pregnant with M and has certainly saved us money on other fixer uppers. Plus, I know its a big interest of his.
The one thing that truly bothers me is restaurants that tout a 250 calorie lunch, or something like that. For me, this is not a satsfying lunch. I need more to nourish my body. And so many healthy eating “rules” imply that mealss should be super clean, and in my opinion, super boring. I have eaten like this in the past, and my energy levels were just not high, because my body wasn’t getting everything it needed, and neither was my imagination.
Diet as another word for your eating habits is fine with me.
Diet can still be a scary word for me I admit. Sometimes I still have that mentality I had years ago. It goes something like this: eat poorly all weekend, but that’s okay because I’ll be going on another low carb diet on Monday. Ick. I cannot get that out of my head. But I’m working on it and I feel confident in how far I’ve come.
I think you’ll be amazed by how quickly your body will bounce back after your pregnancy. Especially with breast feeding – I hear it does wonders for you and your baby…of course you already knew this 🙂
I saw everyone’s Fit Blog comments and discussions. I kind of tend to think Diet is such a tainted word. But that’s just me. I think when paired with exercise, and if the person is committed to changing life habits for the better, it can be a great thing. Afterall, diet just means the way you eat in your life 🙂 Why not make it healthier?!
Yep. I think when its viewed as the way we eat for life its a healthy mindset. Diet as something to go on or off, not so much.
I agree with your viewpoint on diet. My “diet” is how I eat all the time, not something I’m “going on”.
I actually agree with all 6 points on the list. Some of those things are hard to convince others of, though. (Especially the one about fat–too many people are still living with the “fat is the enemy” mindset.)
The one that I’m not great at is eating after a workout. I usually don’t feel like eating right away after working out. But let me be totally honest here, my workouts aren’t that hard-core these days, so that could be why I don’t feel super hungry afterwards. :-0
love this list….i think you hit the nail on the head! i am terrible about eating…don’t eat breakfast (or eat it at 11am), don’t have a post-workout snack, and eat egg whites. Husband says one egg, one egg white. I am getting better though 🙂
I usually don’t do yolks with all my eggs if scrambling or doing an omelet. Just one yolk. I prefer the texture/taste with less yolk when made that way. But I make sure yolk is in there somewhere. It’s yummy.
I do this, too! The yolk does add great flavor.
Fantastic post – “diet” has become such a trigger word in this society. It’s hard not to fall into that, but at the same time I think it’s just a good general word to describe one’s eating habits. Especially now that I’m vegan, I’m not sure what else to call it than “a vegan diet.” Even though I’m not dieting in the “modern” sense, it is a form of eating. MY form of eating, which makes it my diet. And we all have one…it’s time to take back that word!
Awesome post!! I completely agree with the word ‘diet’. That is one reason, I stayed away from ‘diets’ for a long time…because I didn’t want to restrict myself, how depressing is that!
Great post 🙂
I hate that the word diet has such a bad reputation, because otherwise I’d use it more often. Like ‘my diet consists of fruits, veggies, whole grains, etc’, but as soon as I say diet, people think it’s what I limit myself to, rather than what I just prefer to feed my body. So, in short, I try to stay away from the word 🙂
Diet doesn’t bother me at all – I also use it to describe the way that I eat and my lifestyle. I don’t go “on diets”. I have a lifestyle and the diet that I eat fits in it 😉
Oh girl I am soooo with you on the usage of the word “diet.” I get so annoyed that the word is almost synonymous with being on a diet to lose weight. I eat a vegetarian diet, but it’s a dietary lifestyle, not a diet to be on to lose weight. Anyway, I could ramble on about that one for ages. Sometimes I still forget the post-workout snack if it’s a short workout. Longer ones I feel the need, but shorter ones I find it really easy to absolutely forget b/c I don’t feel as spent.
I love that egg whites only is one of the mistakes. I got food poisoning from liquid egg whites once and I can never use them again. But that incident got me thinking as to why I ever used them in the first place. It’s not like an egg has a ton of calories, and like you said, they’re loaded with nutrients like the ever so popular vitamin D!
I hate being imposed and the word diet, kindles the negative feeling associated with imposing something on me. I think lifestyle is more what I would like to call it.
The word “diet” definitely has a bad connotation for me. I refuse to use it. I’ve done the “diet” thing as a verb, and it’s ruined the word for me as a noun. A diet is not sustainable. And I want to eat well forever, not just to be thin!
To me – I don’t mind using the word “diet”, but you know how sometimes words have multiple definitions? I’m thinking of “diet” as – the things you eat & drink….not in the “I need to go on a diet” sense. I think we should always be thinking about our diet (1st definition) & to always be in touch with what we are eating & how it affects us. I think that using “diet” in terms of definition #2 (going on a diet) is a slippery slope that sets you up for failure because you go into it thinking that it’s a short-term fix to a long-term problem & it’s almost never realistic to keep up the pace.
I think everyone “diets” without calling it that. If you have a special eating routine, it’s your own diet. I like to remove the negative connotation, there are registered “diet”itians after all:)
Love this – 6 Food Mistakes Even Healthy Eaters Make
I am not a breakfast girl. I know everyone says it’s really important but for me, my body, I feel worse after eating it than not. So after I wake up and am hungry, i eat. I dont just sit down to breakfast for the sake of it. That’s one “healthy” tip I just have never been able to embrace, for my body’s constitution and makeup. Everyone is so different!
Diet no longer has a negative connotation to me. Its a life long lifestyle for me, not something that happens for weeks at a time. To me thats the best way to stay on track and stay healthy, with small indulgences to keep our mind sane. Everyone is different, whether it be gluten free, higher fat, low carb- different diets work for different people!
I always want to join in on the fitblog chats and I always forget!
I definitely agree about the egg thing. The yolk is where the vitamins are. Actually, I agree with them all, but the egg one stood out to me.
I have just started to use “diet” as a noun and not a verb. It’s been a difficult transition but I’m determined to make it!
“Diet” has two different meanings to me. You can be on a “diet” which means restricting things and cutting things out. Or you can eat a healthy diet which is balancing good things with some temptations sometimes. 😉
I will admit that I do suffer to follow some of the “healthy eating mistakes.” While I’m working on it, I still don’t get enough fats into my diet. Fats still scare me! I am also still trying to get over my fear of egg yolks and I still only eat the whites. I’m working on it though! I also am REALLY bad at eating after exercise. I do not even want to look at food for 2 hours after a hard workout! It makes me want to be sick!
Ooh, I like that–“diet as a noun”.
I think that the word “diet” does carry a negative connotation, which is unfortunate. It’s the “diet as a verb” viewpoint that has caused it, though, because when you say “diet” now, people go immediately to “dieting”, and think of deprivation, going hungry, and giving up favorite treats. (This is especially true in the time of year we’re approaching, the post-Holidays, New-Year-Resolution season!) I’m trying to be a good example of “diet as a noun”, but the pervasive connotation of that word is hard to break, and people start questioning me about why I’m “dieting” and how I “don’t need to” and “shouldn’t worry about it”. No, guys, I’m not ON a healthy diet, but I HAVE a balanced, healthy diet. There is a difference.