Diet, Weight Loss, and the Dietitian

As a dietitian, I talk to people all the time about their diet. But in my experience, the word “diet” is sometimes viewed as offensive, occasionally polarizing, and often misunderstood.

It is a four-letter word that starts with DIE. Yikes. But we can manipulate all kinds of words to have a particular meaning, right? I mean, the word LIVE is EVIL spelled backward, which means what? Nothing.

And STRESSED is DESSERTS spelled backward too. So, a four-letter word has the word DIE in it? But, again, it means nothing of significance.

And then to ask someone about their typical diet and be told, “Oh, I don’t diet.” Neither do I, but I still have one.

But then, the meaning of the word has evolved over the years. First, there is the verb, dieting or to diet – which suggests restriction to lose weight. But, of course, limitations like this is not what I am referring to when I ask someone about their diet.

Diet is referring to a pattern of eating. What is the eating habit or routine one chooses daily?

In the past, I have intentionally dropped weight – on one occasion, about 25-30 pounds over nine months, and the other time was about 15 pounds over about 4-5 months. More or less. That is a combined 40-45 pounds. It wasn’t fast, and it was over several years.

The first time I intentionally dropped weight was from a combination of improving my health and wanting to feel comfortable again. I had a few blood pressure readings that were higher than my usual. Like many people, I realized that weight had crept up to more than I was comfortable, and the blood pressure was a warning sign to cut it out: stop the creep and reverse it.

The second time was when I had regained about 5-8 pounds from the original. Unfortunately, weight regain happens to many people: the weight has crept back up, and I need to reverse that once again. 

After the first time, I dropped the weight, when people commented, I admitted that I had intentionally dropped some weight. Some people said that I didn’t have that much to lose, but clothing does fantastic things, and I wasn’t comfortable with where I was and felt I could be healthier. Not skinnier – a word I hate – but healthier. It had nothing to do with numbers – not clothing sizes, not numbers on a scale, not BMI.

Admittedly it was partly related to the body composition (body fat percentage), my age creeping up to and passing the half-century mark, and not wanting to purchase new clothing in a bigger size (buying down a size, no problem, but not up).

While I never really went around and talked about my weight changes or talked about my diet – I would be asked “what I did” to drop the weight. What was my diet?

I would respond in complete honesty: I ate less.

Yes, but did you do keto, low carb, intermittent fasting?

No, no, and no. I reduced my portions. I still ate the same foods, and I still had dessert when I wanted to, and I still consumed alcohol. I just had LESS.

But what diet did you follow?

I didn’t follow any diet – I just reduced my portions. Seriously.

Wow. The idea of this being a way to lose weight is shocking to many people. (Though in one case, someone did turn and walked away. I interpreted it as storming off, offended that I would not share my secret?)

I have helped hundreds of people improve their weight. With each person, I follow the idea of having them still enjoy the foods they love without restriction or deprivation and going by the mantra Eating is Not Cheating – I don’t do off-limit foods, cheat days or rules. If someone wants or needs food to be “off-limits,” then that is their choice (or medical necessity).

I eat breakfast. I have a snack for lunch and I eat dinner. I have dessert when I want. I love pasta and rice and potatoes, but I have them as part of a meal in appropriate portions. I eat burgers and steak – just not every day or even every week. I like Frito Pie – including the Fritos. I drink wine, some types of beer, and I like craft cocktails, especially pre-prohibition classics.

I go out to eat – at excellent restaurants – and I will totally order a dessert and not always split it.

I like ice cream but don’t eat it all the time. On the other hand, I LOVE Oreos, especially after discovering they have a dark chocolate version but I rarely buy them. Less than once a year, if that.

I also like peanut butter and eggs (not together).

And I eat fruits and veggies every day.

You see, I choose to eat what I want without feeling that I “can’t.” Because when I can’t, I want it like most people.

I will eat out on a Tuesday or a Saturday or whatever day I may feel like it. So it isn’t restricted to one day of the week, and sometimes it will be several days because when I am on vacation, cooking is not what I want to do.

Big picture: I have never followed a diet in the way most people think of a diet.

Not keto/paleo/Atkins and not vegetarian (but plant-based since my diet is about 75-80% plants).

No fasting or cheat days. And no gluten-free, organic, or non-GMO restrictions.

I don’t need to eat gluten-free (though some people do). I know that “organic” doesn’t define whether a food is healthy or not, and GMOs don’t scare me at all. 

So, if you want to drop weight, feel better, be healthier, AND still eat what you want? I may be the person who can help you. Let’s talk.