Are you a perpetual dieter?

beks101

Hello ladies!

I know these body image threads pop up frequently around here, but this is something I am really curious about. It has particularly dawned on me since the NY's resolutions kicked in and it's back to the straight-and-narrow in the diet department...

I am a self-confessed perpetual dieter. I obsess over what goes into my mouth, what doesn't go into my mouth, and what went into my mouth. I write it down, I work out. I mentally berate myself when I am 'naughty' and sometimes, value my self worth on how 'good' I've been.

Now don't get me wrong - I've been to the brink and I've experienced the more sinister side of this...but these days, it's just a bit of an obsession. I eat well, I enjoy food. I actually really love the feeling that healthy eating gives me. But it doesn't make it any less of an obsession. A 'girly' thing, right? Something that we all do, to a certain extent?

I think most of the females in my circle of friends / family are the same way. I see it as something that I 'have' to do to stay in shape, as I am a shortie and weight gain happens easily. In all truth, I could be six feet tall and it would be the exact same.

But enough about me...what about you? What lengths, if any, do you go to, to maintain your figure? Are you permanently dissatisfied, or do you not give a crap? Is food just a function for you, or are you constantly avoiding the biscuit tin? And is it all really worth it?

Opinions welcome

PhysiologyRocks

I don't diet. I'm happy with the way I am.

I used to be fat, and so I lost that weight. I've kept it off, without too much effort.

By no means am I skinny, but I'm healthy. I eat what I like. If my weight becomes a problem, I'll lose it. I'll do so slowly, and in a manner that allows me to maintain it.

It's just not a big deal to me.

Silverfish

I have to say no, I love my food. A lot. I've never denied myself anything.

However, there last year (due to the bf being an amazing cook) I noticed I was heading towards being overweight. So I joined Weightwatchers.

In fairness, (because he's such a great cook) I still eat just as much, but with a few changes that mean my diet is sustainable - I could live on what I eat currently forever - I'm never hungry, I'm not starving myself, and I'm losing weight. Once I hit my desired weight ( what my gp said I should be at) I know a few more minor changes and I can sustain that weight.

Anyway, in my opinion, dieting = bad, sustainable dietary changes = good.

Stella777

Silverfish wrote: »

Anyway, in my opinion, dieting = bad, sustainable dietary changes = good.

+1000

I've never been on a diet, per se, in my life. I'm hardly model thin but at what's considered a normal weight for my height. I'm the same weight at 35 that I was in college. The only time I've lost weight is after two pregnancies. I love food and enjoy it in reasonable portions. Recently I've starteed paying a bit more attention to what I eat, but that's more about trying to have more energy and making sure I stay healthy as I get older.

Sometimes i think that the problem with true dieting is that it makes the dieter think about food too much. Time and time again I've seen friends who diet obsess over something, let's say ice cream. They keep thinking night and day about how they aren't "allowed" ice cream..Finally they give in and go eat two containers of B&J in one sitting. If they had just "allowed" themselves one, reasonably sized ice cream every few days that binge might have been avoided.

I actually have trouble being around people- generally it's women -but not always, who talk about food and dieting all the time. You know, the ones who will sit with you in a restaurant and tell you exactly how many calories are in each item and moan on and on about it. So boring!

jellie

Ive been going to weight watchers for over a year, but its not "perpetual dieter" type thing, its a needing to lose weight thing :P had lost roughly 2 stone, had some stuff that threw me off my diet for awhile and put on about a stone of that but im getting back into it again now.

Really, as others have said, temporary changes wont work, theres no pointing dieting for 2 months & then going back to eating the same way, its about changing your habits and lifestyle

sorrywhat

I cant diet. I love food way to much. I just watch what I eat. For example. If Im having a meal thats high in calories I wont eat a full plate or over eat. Ill eat until Im nicely full and leave the rest.

Also I exercise a bit so it makes it easier to indulge in some nice things.

If I need to lose a few pounds ill just stop eating some of the crappy things I eat like chocolate,fizzy drinks etc.

If you eat in moderation I think you'll be ok. But there is no way Id survive eating carrot sticks. Although they are nice dipped in houmous!

Malari

I've never dieted. I love food too much, but I never put on weight, no matter what I eat so it never enters my head. It probably will at some stage when I hit middle age, but I'm not concerned. I eat healthily anyway so if I have to make adjustments it shouldn't be a big deal.

RxQueen

I have never really dieted.. if im hungry ill eat, if im not i wont, that my moto

CeNedra

I have been dieting for what feels like most of my life. I am not hugely over weight, but I could do with losing a few pounds at the moment. I am either in the zone, working out, eating perfectly and getting in really good shape or I don't exercise, eat crap and am the whole time kicking my own ass and feeling like ****e over what I am eating. It makes for a pretty miserable time.
I would so love to be like the other people who have posted and said they don't think about food. You are all so lucky! I'm currently trying to get back on the wagon after having a baby, well almost a year ago now. Just finding it impossible to get my head around it.
Ah well, more excuses. If I only would just do it and stop thinking about it my life would be so much better!

sporina

food is one of the pleasures of life - it is to be enjoyed.. but not to be abused.. if you are eating to comfort yourself you have a problem..

if you eat when you are hungry and enjoy good food and have an active life you should be grand..

being a perpetual dieter is not healthy - one should love their body - and eat when needed and eat what you like -

Luna192

Wow, I would love to not have to think about food all the time.

Not a day has gone past over the last 10 years (I don't remember much before that as I'm 20 now) that I haven't obsessed over food. It's constantly in my thoughts. I gain weight really easily unfortunately and have always envied my friends who stuff their faces and never gain a pound.

It's bloody tiring I tell ya, all this food obsessing.

chocgirl

I don't consider myself a dieter but I stay away from many foods because of their health implications, I consider it more of a lifestyle choice though than a diet.

sporina

everything in moderation - but it depends on yourself..

if you like food and certain foods which may be bad for you aren't you better having some of them than living a miserable life thinking about them?..

well i have a lot of what i need and some i what i want - works for me..

Morgase

Malari wrote: »

I've never dieted. I love food too much, but I never put on weight, no matter what I eat so it never enters my head. It probably will at some stage when I hit middle age, but I'm not concerned. I eat healthily anyway so if I have to make adjustments it shouldn't be a big deal.

Same here really. I love food! One of the most terrible things I can think of is losing my sense of taste. My bf's nickname for me is Fatty

I suppose I'm lucky that I can eat anything and not put on weight (thanks to inheriting my dad's metabolism) but sometimes it's annoying when I am hungry a couple of hours after eating. When I'm hungry I just *have* to eat or I feel sick and get incredibly cranky, I'm like a small child or something. And I probably have 30 more years of feeling like this as my dad was the same up until very recently (still thin and eats like a horse but none of the craziness when hungry).

Nightwish

I have never dieted before in my life and I rue the day it will be necessary. I reckon I am just lucky that I can eat what I want and it doesn't really make any difference to me.

AudreyHepburn

In my teens yes I was all about the diet. I'm quite short and was always overweight, though not obese and tried every diet you can think off to lose.

Now though I just go walking or to Curves gym and so far I've a lost a stone and feel great. I've learnt that dieting or fad diets just aren't for me and really aren't necessery unless you are morbidly over-weight. If you simply exercise relative to what you eat you'll be fine.

I refuse point blank to deprieve myself of anything anymore and don't believe in cutting entire food groups to lose weight because it just makes you miserable and crave food even more.

To me food is meant to be enjoyed, it's not something you should obsess over or worry about. If you want something have it!

Everything is fine in moderation and if you do over do it sometimes or find you've gained a little weight you shouldn't freak because ladies it really isn't the end of the world. We girls aren't meant to be stick thin, we're supposed to have curves!

beks101

Wow, some great responses.

I'm actually sort of surprised that I seem to be in the minority with my attitude towards food...I always thought dieting was far more common among women, and when I think about all the women in my life - friends, colleagues, sisters etc...I would say most of them would love to be about a stone lighter, even though most of them are within their healthy BMI range.

I don't exactly deprive myself and eat chocolate every day, but it's sort of as a 'control' to the serious chocolate bingeing I would be doing otherwise (!!) and will only have a few squares, which as any chocoholic knows, is just never enough! I've trained myself to say 'no' pretty much all the time when there's sweet stuff doing the rounds, I won't get anything in the cinema, I'll skip on dessert unless I've a mammoth workout session in the pipeline, etc etc...so I guess in that regard, I'd classify myself as always on a 'diet'.

Before I had these limits in place I used to be a few stone heavier and permanently unhappy with my figure, so figure this is just par for the course, a small price to pay...but sometimes, I'd love to just not care, while simultaneously not gaining weight!

LivingDeadGirl

I constantly think about everything that I put into my mouth and tot up my WW points for the day every day without fail, it's been like this for 3/4 years now. I actually get enjoyment from it, the feeling of being in control. Having lost over 2 and a half stone I'm extremely paranoid about putting the weight back on, though I've kept it off (and even lost extra) for 3 years. I could give you my stats, but they're in several other threads so there's no need reallyI'm the thinnest now that I've ever been and want to retain this 'thin' feeling, I absolutely love it. I love knowing that I can fit into a certain size and that I don't really have any extra weight on my stomach (this was always my problem area) anymore. Thin feels good, simple as. Kate Moss hit the nail on the head and was unfairly slated for what she said, IMHO.

Malari

Morgase wrote: »

Same here really. I love food! One of the most terrible things I can think of is losing my sense of taste. My bf's nickname for me is Fatty

I suppose I'm lucky that I can eat anything and not put on weight (thanks to inheriting my dad's metabolism) but sometimes it's annoying when I am hungry a couple of hours after eating. When I'm hungry I just *have* to eat or I feel sick and get incredibly cranky, I'm like a small child or something. And I probably have 30 more years of feeling like this as my dad was the same up until very recently (still thin and eats like a horse but none of the craziness when hungry).

Yeah, some days I'll be snacking on an hourly basis, others I'll go for ages without eating and not be hungry. But the most important thing is to eat when I feel hungry. My metabolism gets its revenge if I don't and I tend to feel sick.

Both my parents were skinny, so I probably have inherited some of that tendency. Of course my mom has had children so she was never going to retain her shape - luckily that won't happen to me! But my siblings would carry a bit more weight than me, so I think it has a lot to do with not eating a load of crap and having a healthy attitude to food. You like sweet things or rich food? Fine, just don't overdo it!