Diet noun ① Food and drink; specifically, food considered in relation to its quality and effects: as, milk is a wholesome article of diet. ② A course of food regulated by a physician or by medical rules; food prescribed for the prevention or cure of disease, and limited in kind and quantity; dietetic regimen; dietary. ③ Allowance of provision; supply of food.

I’ve always hated the phrase “dieting” because in my head I’ve always thought of the word “diet” as definition ①. Matter of fact. The food you eat and how it affects you is your diet. However many people think of it as ② or ③. Which, in my mind is the more negative definition.