What exactly counts as healthier eating rather than a diet?

[Healthy2020]

"Diets don't work in the long term. Just eat normal healthy food instead and the weight will naturally come off".

Who gets to decide exactly what counts? There's a fine line between these things. I'm not looking for weight loss advice, just a discussion about how and why people are so insistent about things.

For example, I know people are quick to talk about Slimming World as a fad diet, but there's equal numbers of commenters here who say that actually, SW just taught them to eat healthily, eat more vegetables and less cheese etc. I think if we had a vote here about SW, it'd be about 50-50.

Similarly with low carbing - a lot of people here seem to be obsessed with cutting carbs. But it's absolutely not for me. People seem genuinely puzzled as to how I can lose weight while still eating pasta. Because there are other things I cut down on.

I've seen more than one fitness community who warn against fads, yet I read through their Facebook pages and see distinctly faddy things.

If you're losing weight and you believe your way of eating is healthy and not a diet, why? What are you doing differently? Why does it not count as a diet?

A lifestyle change means you still eat out, have takeaways, eat the same meals with family etc.

I do all that but call it a diet! Its a diet for me because I add up the calories using FitBit and have a deficit of at least 1000. I do look up menu nutritional info for restaurants and have the odd night off. I cut added sugar day to day because I am am concerned about how healthy it is to eat too much sugar. But I have had a chocolate/ dessert here or there over Xmas!

Lobsterquadrille2 Very reassured to read your post! Describes me perfectly

I'm addictive by nature and work on the principle that if I buy certain foods, I'm quite likely to eat them all in one go. I therefore simply don't buy them unless I'm ok with eating (for example) three Topics one after another. I like routine and don't get bored eating the same foods. Our (DD's and my) diet is comprised of potatoes, fish, salad, cheese, eggs, bread, soup, fruit, yogurt. I don't restrict what I eat, just what I have in the cupboards/fridge.
My go to snacks are tuna or eggs, as we have no ‘junk’ food in, unless one specific item is purchased for a reason. Sorry to derail, but was interesting to read this!

@veryvery I really wish I could do that! I think it's unlikely that I'd ever be able to have one chocolate. I don't mind because boxes of them are rarely in the house. I tried for years to moderate my drinking in the same way, without success - I've been in AA for 13 years .... 😬

I bought a smaller plate (about 9" diameter) to help with correct portion size.
minimum of 5 a day (3 veg, 2 fruit)
I don't eat meat, so I eat at least 2 of these things every day - eggs, beans/pulses, cheese, fish. If I ate meat I'd probably stick to chicken and a bit of lean mince. No processed meat
No takeaways (easy for me because I don't like them). I also don't eat much in the way of ready meals or 'beige' food.
Alcohol kept to within safe drinking guidelines , or none at all.
Things like crisps, sweets, bars of chocolate are ok in single portions, not in multi packs.

Lobster, I was like you with chocolate. However I did low carb, gave it up completely for a while even though I worked for a chocolatier! The sugar is addictive, I think. If I eat too much sugary chocolate I am more likely to binge. Good quality dark, less so. Also variety encourages me to binge. If I know what it tastes like I can more happily leave alone. If it is something new the curiosity can eat away at me.

I have had cancer, though. And read too much about links to sugar and obesity. Remembering having chemo puts me off!

I hold steady at about 10 stone despite being over 50.

Meals are quick & home made. I work on a meal being half veg or salad, quarter protein, quarter pasta/rice. Fish, grilled chicken, meat or beans/lentils.
Keep away from factory made desserts, cakes, biscuits, sweets and alcohol. Use fruit and cream for pudding.
If I keep to that 6 days a week, it seems to work.

To me, the difference is that diets are all about what you can't eat and focus on wieght loss and self discipline in order to attain it. Healthy eating focuses on feeling fit and healthy, having proper nutrition, avoiding, by choice not rules, foods that leave you feeling drained or craving and unsatisfied.

If I started a healthy eating regime, I'd focus on loads of veg, lean proteins and whole grain carbs, fruit and natural yoghurt, nuts and lots of water and herb teas. If I went on a diet I might try something like low carb and be all grumpy and aggressive only three hours in because I'm not 'allowed' a bit of brown rice at dinner.

Eating healthily is essentially about choosing the healthy option and not eating between meals.

By healthy option I mean an option that doesn't include processed foods and has lots of veggies and good protein like white meat or fish. It also means not eating sugary or fatty drinks.

something like low carb and be all grumpy and aggressive only three hours in because I'm not 'allowed' a bit of brown rice at dinner.

Low carb really does not have to be like that. Low carb is not no carb. However what I found it does do is really settle appetite and energy levels. On doing this (year's ago) I found it was the first time I really experienced not being hungry. I could actually go hours without eating! I only put weight on because after having D.C. I felt I needed to eat in a more 'balanced' way and sort of fell off the wagon. Now I eat carbs but not too many. I eat a lot of salad and non starchy veg, small portions of meat/cheese/eggs and smaller of unrefined carbs.

@countdowntonap I hard boil 14 eggs every Sunday as my week's snack/boredom eating food. If I had crisps I'd be ok with one packet but nowhere near as filling.
@veryvery good point regarding dark chocolate actually - we do have that in the house sometimes and I do find that the odd square is enough. Unfortunately my brother gave both of us large boxes of those Lindt red balls. They are lethal.