What exactly is dieting?

Another useless diet book

I recently had the pleasure of speaking on a panel with some amazing ladies who work in health and wellness at the Girl Power Hour Fit & Fab event last week.  Naturally, the topic of dieting came up.  Fellow panelist (and very happy to say, new friend) Lara Dalch of Dalch Wellness wisely mentioned that dieting works against your body.  Our bodies just aren’t wired biochemically to be cool with food restriction and hunger that isn’t being honored.  Wired for survival, it adapts to dieting by triggering food preoccupation and slowing down our resting metabolism.  I couldn’t agree more.  (For more info on the research behind why dieting sucks, check out this excellent post.)

Then, another panelist mentions she doesn’t get why the word “dieting” has a negative connotation.  After all, “to be on a diet” simply means “to eat.”  For example, she eats “a diet.”  Shoot, everyone eats “a diet.”  Paraphrasing here: why throw the word “diet” under the bus when everyone’s on one?

At this point, I can’t wait to get my hands on the mike fast enough.  Sure, in terms of semantics, if you google “diet definition,” at least a couple of definitions pop up.  But let’s say we rule out the definition “food and drink regularly provided or consumed” (thanks Merriam Webster) so we’re no longer referring to just anyone who eats… what exactly does “dieting” or “going on a diet” mean?

Here’s the other definition of “diet” (verb) that popped up on google: “Restrict oneself to small amounts or kinds of food in order to lose weight.”  Now how do you tell the difference between healthful balanced eating and dieting?  Listed below are some red flags you’re on a diet:

• You’re physically hungry at times but think you shouldn’t eat.
• You’re counting points or calories.
• You have a list of “good foods” that are ok to eat and “bad foods” you try to avoid (even if you enjoy them).
• You judge yourself as “good” or “bad” based on what you eat.
• You have a “cheat day” or “cheat meal.”
• Food rules matter more than how your body feels.
• You feel deprived.

What else would you add to the list?

I love this list of words that describes the Diet Mentality versus Attuned Eating from therapists Judith Matz and Ellen Frankel, sisters and co-authors of The Diet Survivor’s Handbook:

What are your thoughts on dieting?  Which words better describe your relationship with food?

Minh-Hai Alex, MS, RDN, RYT( Dietitian and Nutrition Therapist )

I’m grateful to be doing work that is so rewarding, supporting people to have a better relationship with their food, body and mind.

My approach is strengths-based, trauma-informed, weight-inclusive (Health At Every Size based) and grounded in cultural humility.

Both my nutrition therapy and body-based practices are influenced by a wide range of teachings and modalities that allow my approach to be both eclectic and more effective than simply working with one lens or modality.

By working together, I hope you’ll gain insight, compassion and tools to feel more resourced and confident about how you feed and care for yourself – well after our time together ends.