What is a diet?

Monica Goyal

June 5, 2024

Nutrition

Excerpt

Certified nutritionists are always amazed by the statement, “I am going on a diet.” The client is trying to tell them they are going to follow food restrictions. These restrictions are necessary to lose weight or manage diseases. What amazes the nutritionists is that only a few people are actually aware of the portion control clients need to follow or the food selection they need to adhere to.

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Many people do not know that diet also means the food that you and I eat, everyday, as a habit, for example, a vegan diet. When a person wants to go on a diet, they need to understand “What is a diet?”, “Who can help me plan the right diet?”, “How can I ensure I am getting a balanced diet?.

The blog answers these questions and many more, and if you have further queries do not hesitate to reach out to us on tvachabymone@gmail.com

What is a diet

Strictly speaking, and according to dictionary.com, there are two possible definitions of diet, both of which are explained above.

What Is A Diet - Explained

Let’s look at them in detail.

Explanation 1

Diet – In general terminology, a diet is the intake of food and drinks by human being and other organisms. The food intake may or may not meet your nutrition requirements, and that’s the reason why the definition of a diet in explanation 2 is now considered the de facto explanation.

Explanation 2

Diet – It is a meal, usually planned by a nutritionist, to meet the nutritional needs of an individual. Now, these nutritional needs could vary depending on age, physical health, area, and dietary restrictions. Calorie intake is the most measured factor but experienced nutritionists give weightage to proteins, carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins and more.

Diet vs dieting

In the English language, diet is the noun and dieting is the verb. In other words, they are an extension of each other. Diet has already been explained in the above section, and We have already explained diet in detail. Nutritionists plan the diet, but it is the client who starts dieting by following the diet plan by restricting certain foods and quantity of the food they intake according to their requirement.

How is diet different from a balanced diet?

This is the tricky part, a balanced diet is vastly different from a diet. You could go on a diet, and yet not eat a balanced diet

What is a balanced diet?

Diet – anything you eat, or following a diet plan, created by any individual, is a diet. Balanced diet – is eating a diet that specifically meets an individual’s nutritional requirements. These nutritional requirements would include proteins, carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins, fats and fibre. Individuals are required to consume all the food groups in order.

A balanced diet will take into account the calorie requirement based on age, gender, and lifestyle to determine the calorie amount a person needs to generate from each food group.

Understanding calories

First of all , let’s bust a myth: calorie is an energy unit, so, anything with energy, even coal has calorie.

When we speak of nutrition, a calorie is the amount of energy that human body can create from the intake of food and drinks. Always remember, it is the caloric energy that gives an individual the strength to take on, and complete tasks.

Example – 1 gram of carbohydrates can produce 4 kcal, while 1 gram of fat will produce 9 kcal. If the requirement of an individual is 2200 calories per day, then eating fat will lead to excess energy.

It is not possible to drain away the excess energy and this gets stored in the human body leading to increase in weight and inches, while causing undue burden on the body’s organ, which further leads to lethargy and loss of enthusiasm

Unfortunately, this is a cycle that can only be broken with the intake of a balanced diet, right exercise and mental peace.

Weight loss vs inch loss

Weight loss – There is an ideal weight for every individual – for example, the ideal weight for a 55-year old woman with a height of 5 feet 4 inches would be 62-65 kilograms. They would be required to follow a diet regime helping them maintain the weight in this range.

Inch Loss – A diet along with the right physical activities are necessary to lose fat deposited at the waist, hips, upper arms, thighs, etc. Inch loss is as important as weight loss, because a person could be at an ideal weight, but the protruding belly could lead to serious health issues.

Additionally, a flat belly is the epitome of beauty and health. Aiming for inch loss is as important as working towards weight loss.

What is a diet plan

Simple put, a diet plan determines the nutritional intake recommended for an individual. Let’s give a clarification here: nutritionists can create diet plans for groups – like lunch for toddlers in school, or for a geriatric population in a retirement home. The idea is to create a plan that meets the basic nutritional requirement – it should not be less and it should not exceed the nutritional requirement of the individual or group that the nutritionist is catering to. When planning for a group, the plan is general, on the other hand, it is possible to personalise the diet plan for an individual.

Why is a diet plan necessary

A diet plan is necessary because a certified and experienced nutritionist will work with you to create a plan meeting your nutritional needs. The needs are specific, and the plan should neither be more or less than the requirement. A nutritionist would know how to plan the meal keeping in mind the psychology of eating and emotional triggers.

Benefits of consulting a certified nutritionist

Many people assume they can create a diet plan by themselves. Our experience tells us that they can adhere to a few tips to help them lose weight and inches and increase energy. But, these are usually not sustainable for the long run, as eating less and working out more will lead to depletion of essential nutrients which in turn leads to the trap of gaining weight as individuals will succumb to cravings caused by low-satiety and lack of nutrients.

The Vicious Cycle Of Dieting and Overeating

Major benefits of consulting a certified nutritionist are that they:

cater to individual needs based on age, gender, environment, stress and other factors
have studied nutrition and know the caloric requirement of an individual
understand the working of different food groups
will give options catering to your food cravings

+91 9891269911 +91 7087405700

What is a diet?

What is a diet?

Excerpt

What is a diet

Explanation 1

Explanation 2

Diet vs dieting

How is diet different from a balanced diet?

What is a balanced diet?

Understanding calories

Weight loss vs inch loss

What is a diet plan

Why is a diet plan necessary

Benefits of consulting a certified nutritionist

The Vicious Cycle Of Dieting and Overeating

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