Diet vs. Lifestyle

[JGex]

Which one is eating raw foods to you?

I keep seeing people call it a "diet" like it's a specific short term weight loss tool like the South Beach Diet or the Atkins Diet.... I can honestly say that since first reading about eating raw foods and then making the decision to change our dietary habits, that both Jeff (my partner) and myself have viewed this as a lifestyle change.

I'm not really sure where I'm going with this line of thinking, but I am wondering if the way one views eating raw foods means the difference between being able to maintain eating raw foods or not.

I'm curious as to how others view this... is it a lifestyle or is it just another diet?

[Beckla]

Completely agree with your perspective, though I recognize others will have different approaches. I hate calling this a diet - people then view it as a fad or something. E.g.: you don't say "vegan diet"...

[Nimmanu]

Well, here's the problem.

Diet CAN mean what you are talking about, but diet is also the over-all word for "how you eat."

As in, "A parakeet's diet contains a variety of seeds." The parakeet is not on a diet, it's diet, that which it eats regularly, contains a variety of seeds.

So there are two meanings for the word, and unfortunately, there are no real words for "diet" that encompass the parakeet-ish meaning. "Lifestyle" for many people is too encompassing, and has often been associated with things they're not talking about. For example, when one is gay, they are "living the lifestyle."



I live a body building lifestyle, and that, to me, is a "lifestyle." It's over-all. I basically eat, breathe, sleep, etc. the "body building" lifestyle. I make sure to get plenty of rest so my muscles can grow. I make sure to eat a proper DIET so my muscles can grow.

Now, on occassion, I "cut" which means to lose fat and show the muscles. This is the word used in my "lifestyle" for the concept you obviously think of any time you see the word "diet."

But the word "diet" consists of "what I eat on a regular basis." Therefor, raw is about to be my new diet... but I am NOT going to be cutting. ;)

I will remain living the body building lifestyle, however... so my lifestyle won't change, just my diet.

Hopefully that is about as clear as a cloudy day. :eek:

[Rawkinlocs]

I agree with Nimmanu, the term "diet" can go both ways - I do believe that some people actually DO view this (going raw) as a diet in the sense of being a quick fix or a temporary thing and that's fine because not everyone is ready to take it on as what some of us do which is to be a diet in the sense of the way that they eat, period - their lifestyle.

I view it as a lifestyle, the-way-that-I-eat type of "diet". That is why when I DO "slip up" and (or in reality, simply choose to) eat cooked food, I come right back to it because I know in my heart (AND in my tummy when that cooked food doesn't agree with it) that THIS....RAW is the way for ME. I truly do feel it is what is best, what makes me feel my best and look my best.

One thing I HAVE found though...many people start out viewing this as a diet as in temporary, gonna-do-it-just-until-I-lose-weight-or-heal" thing but then it ends up becoming a total lifestyle change type of diet for them and they find they want to continue it on! :D

[Raw Jewelrylady]

The reason I use *lifestyle* instead of diet is I have been on soooo many *diets*! Diets don't work-a change in lifestyle does. It's been proven that once you go off *said diet* MANY go back to their old eating habits & are even worse off than before. We all know about the YO-YO syndrome.

I do not think of this as a *FAD*..& I think that those who do are setting themselves up for failure.

I have read many posts from people who want to *jump on the Raw bandwagon*. I just laugh at it-as It's not a bandwagon..It's a lifestyle~even a journey to really figure out how YOU are going to do Raw the way it fits for You! :) In my eyes, there are many ways to be successful at a Raw lifestyle.

Well, that's my take.. ;)

Great topic... :)

Lana

[Nimmanu]

I think I'll start saying, "No thanks, I'll skip the sugar, it doesn't fit in with my dietary lifestyle."

:)

That kind of gets across the deeper meaning, I think.

[Raw Jewelrylady]

I think I'll start saying, "No thanks, I'll skip the sugar, it doesn't fit in with my dietary lifestyle."

:)

That kind of gets across the deeper meaning, I think.


I love that!!! :D ;)

Lana

[Ariannah]

I am a "lifestyle" person.

I've noticed however, other fad diet marketing schemes have picked up on the idea that most people don't respond well to the "diet as a bandaid" approach and they're starting to call their diets "lifestyles" as well.

I noticed on the Tyra Banks "diet wars" show, that Dr. Ian and Jillian in their initial counseling of their teams that they said, "Now, don't look at this as a diet but it's now a lifestyle."

So it goes, mainstream diets are now hijacking the term "lifestyle" and making it synonymous with what we thought of as a diet you "go on".

For me, I dislike the word "diet" as a verb. Such as "Oh, are you dieting?"
No, I am never dietING, but my overall diet is integrated into my whole lifestyle.

[trinity082482]

Not a diet. A life style.

[luna99]

I notice I sometimes say "diet" or "bandwagon" but I mean lifestyle..

I think I'm just so conditioned to use those other words..especially diet.. but I know that this is something I'm going to continue for the rest of my life.. so yes, it's a LIFESTYLE for me.

[Vegan Princess]

Definately a lifestyle as it has changed how I think about things in general and what I put in/on my body aside from food. Like I feel so good and pure I decided I don't like to drink anymore.

[luckitri]

It is a lifestyle but when I talk with interested people who mostly want to lose weight I do use the term diet.

[Nenyath]

Lifestyle, no doubt! While I may stray a bit from times to times I know there is no going back to my former diet! I think the difference for me is simply this; I sought out South Beach to loose weight, I turned to Raw for my health and happiness, within and without.. Oh yeah, and the consequences for turning back are much greater on raw, having felt the pleasures of live foods and knowing how cooked now feels!

Fly forever free..

[chilove]

It is definitely a lifestyle. Actually we are all raw foodists by nature! It's just that so many people have no idea that they are raw foodists (meant to eat raw food). :-)

All the best,

Audrey
www.rawhealing.com

[PeachyMama]

For me, it's all about health. I was completely and thoroughly disgusted with how old and run down I felt just a month and a half ago. I'm only 44! I'm claiming my life back.

Part of that is eating in such a way that my health AND energy are the best they can be for me. After trying many different eating plans over the years, and I've learned what is sustainable for me, and what isn't.

Low fat? Too many addictive carbs to break my overeating habits.
Low carb? Too many cravings, and the analogs to meet those cravings hindered weight loss and were energy robbers. Not to mention all the chemicals and unnatural food!
Paleo? Too many cravings for sweet, and eating fruit was limited.

Then there's exercise. I was never, ever motivated to incorporate exercise. Eating raw, I have EXCESS energy that needs to be used up! I am itching to get on my rebounder by around 10:00 each morning!

Raw addresses ALL of my issues. On raw, in fact, I have naturally leveled out to eating much less. If cravings come, the analogs are there if I want them, but here's the thing .... I haven't wanted them! Yesterday, I got my period. It came early. I had no idea it was coming because I wasn't eating like a hog for 2 weeks prior to it AND I had no cravings for chocolate, or dense sweets, or anything like that.

I have come to learn that all my worries in the beginning were for nothing. If I'm having a "hungry" day, I eat more. I now know that it won't be setting off an overeating binge. I've learned that my body will tell me what it needs. Yes, I still have cravings, but I also have the clarity of mind to distinguish between a nutritional NEED and a desire for a certain "taste". This results in me EASILY not eating when I'm not hungry.

So, indeed, raw is PART of a lifestyle aimed at producing the healthiest, most vibrant me I can be.

[swingbolder]

I call it a "way of eating."

I don't use the term diet bc for me it's not a lose-weight-quick temporary strategy and I don't use the term "lifestyle" just bc that word also sounded so touchy-feely to me. That's my own little pet peeve though. It definitely is more of a "lifestyle" bc eating raw is often a catalyst for other healthy changes too.

[JGex]

Wow! Thanks for all the input!

Nimmanu, I had considered the semantics of the word "diet" and how it's the easiest word to use when describing how we eat.... you are correct in what you said. I think it has been more the inflection and context in how it was used that got me to thinking about it.

It's definitely encouraging to see so many reiterate how it becomes a lifestyle as you travel down the raw food path. Both Jeff and myself are experiencing that right now... we're in the middle of a house remodel, and realized that our priorities have changed from when we first started. Now I want a bigger fridge/freezer, and we discussed not even putting in an oven at all. I still want a cooktop for boiling water and heating soups, but as little as I used an oven before, I'm realizing I probably won't ever use one now.

We attended our first raw potluck yesterday (why I didn't respond yesterday!) and it was just great! There are more people like us in the area, and that is a good thing.

:D

[everclear]

I notice I sometimes say "diet" or "bandwagon" but I mean lifestyle..

I think I'm just so conditioned to use those other words..especially diet.. but I know that this is something I'm going to continue for the rest of my life.. so yes, it's a LIFESTYLE for me.

Same for me.