Dieting vs. Working Out

Is one always easier than the other? For me, dieting is one long-ass struggle against my inner glutton. I will probably never be the type of person who sits down to a meal of grilled chicken and steamed vegetables and says, "yum." I will be the one who is thinking about the possible procurement of ice cream. Which makes it hard when I tell myself "no."
Working out, being active on the other hand is like a gift. A shiny, mind-calming gift I allow myself to open. I like feeling strong. I like pushing myself and breathing heavily. Last night I went swimming for the first time in a while. I totally relished the feeling of shooting off the wall after a turn, cutting through the water and feeling the quivering in my arms after a sprint lap. I am not a particularly fast swimmer, but I am a good one. I love the way the water holds me up. It's such a huge difference from the way I feel when I'm walking or running, fighting gravity and wishing for smaller boobs.
So how can I merge the two? How can I get the same feeling from eating healthily for a day or a week? And how do I sustain the feeling?