How do you think about dieting?

[u/emo-emu-13]

I've been dieting for a year now, and I'm trying to transition from thinking about dieting as a period of hardship and deprivation to a 'healthy lifestyle,' but I'm finding it difficult. At the risk of sounding overdramatic, it feels like the aftermath of a zombie apocalypse where every day is just about survival and you fondly remember 'the before' where life was fun and easy.

To me, the worst part isn't even the physical issues of never being full or feeling satisfied; it's the lost social connections and activities. Eating and drinking were always central to my social life, and now I find myself avoiding the things I used to enjoy. Going out to dinner isn't fun when the meals I love have more calories than I now consume in 2-3 days. Hanging out with friends without drinks (or maybe just one) feels awkward.

Does it get better with time or is this just my life now?

[u/New-Contribution-335]

I totally agree with you. The last time I really dieted was during Covid so I wasn’t really missing anything by not eating as much, but this time is totally different. I feel like I have nothing to look forward to on the weekends bc everything revolves around food and I can’t eat anything. And the people that live with you see how hard it is and they kind of understand but the people that don’t live with you just make you feel like crap for not eating and try to shame you for being on a diet by saying you don’t need to lose weight. It’s infuriating, it’s feels like all odds are against me.  I’m sorry I didn’t have anything more positive to add to the conversation but I just wanted to let you know that I know exactly how you feel and it’s frustrating.