Day One Hundred and Ninety Two!!!!

What is the difference between a diet and a lifestyle?


I find the word ‘diet’ frustrating. It has so many meanings, some obvious and some hidden. The word ‘diet’ can be used to announce you are trying to lose weight, and most ‘diets’ are for short term success. Another meaning to ‘diet’  is just the regular nutrition you place in your body.
I find, however, that diet is associated most with unhelpful tactics like the cabbage soup diet, or the cayenne pepper lemon water diet, and when you express that you are trying to change your ‘diet’ or you are on a ‘diet’ people get concerned, no, not concerned…. offended. I think that it is funny that the word diet sounds like ‘die yet”.


All of a sudden everyone has something to say about your diet; what diets are best and what diets are worst. I find vegans particularly frustrating, because when vegans say they are changing their diet to ‘veganism’, people don’t question them, in fact they are praised like war heroes, like they are martyrs sacrificing themselves for the greater good of the world, virgin’s throwing themselves into the fiery pits of plant based food so the Gods don’t kill every one else…Okay, maybe they aren’t treated that well, but still, I’ve seen it. 


It irritates me when I say ‘I’m on the ketogenic diet’ and people around me turn into tizzy pricks. ‘Meat isn’t good for you. You’re hurting the environment. It’s bad for you.’ I am also on the flour free diet, so my diet is more encompassing than just being on the ketogenitc diet. ‘Flour is good for you. You can’t live without flour, try being alternative flour instead.’ Whatever! It’s working, so shut up. 


For a while I started saying, ‘I’m cutting out complex carbs because humans weren’t supposed to eat them in the first place.’ and everyone agrees and it’s fine. Why do I have to give a history lesson to justify my actions? I could almost compare it to when a guy you don’t like asks you out, you say no, they won’t let it go, so you eventually have to lie and say you already have a boyfriend. Just accept the first answer and move on! 


So, what’s my point?
I have decided that whenever someone questions me about my diet I will say, “yeah, I’m changing my lifestyle.” For some reason this statement always gets a ‘good for you!’ I’m never questioned for ‘lifestyle’ as nearly as much as I am ‘diet’. I think it’s because diet is such a temporary and flimsy word, like there is no commitment attached to it, you can be on it one day and ‘cheating’ on it the next. But lifestyle however, that is a commitment totally dedicated to bettering a person. I think people associate lifestyle with a persons journey through life and therefore they have little to no say with what they can input, because hey, it MY lifestyle. 


*Just a note*
For those out there who question the ketogenic diet while shovelling in pizza, twinkies, and chugging beer, keep at it!
:)