Moderation

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  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
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    Personally, I think people are going wrong here with trying to drill down to individual food choices when talking about moderation and diet/nutrition...people are getting way too wrapped up in "treats" and what not.

    By definition, a diet of moderation would be well balanced...you don't necessarily have to get into individual food choices which make up a balanced (moderate)...while not perfect, My Plate and just about any food pyramid out there is a pretty good picture of what a well balanced (moderate) diet would look like.

    You can apply any number of diets and ways of eating and still maintain a well balanced and moderate diet. I would think a diet that eliminates or severely restricts one or more macro nutrients would obviously fall outside of moderate. I would consider the SAD to not be a diet of moderation either.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    kgeyser wrote: »
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    kgeyser wrote: »
    even the author herself states that the actual foods consumed will vary based on personal preferences and tastes (which again, contradicts her previous argument that diets like paleo cannot not be moderation).

    I bet if you emailed her and asked if someone eating a paleo diet because they don't really like dairy, legumes, or grains is eating "in moderation" that she might say yes.

    Personally, I have no problem with that idea (or that one can do a sort of paleo diet in a moderate way). I do wonder why one needs to follow a specific diet if it's how you would eat anyway, though. I did paleo for a bit and decided it was silly for me to do it because: (1) I think dairy and legumes are healthy and probably whole grains too -- specifically, I think including them tends to result in a more healthful diet for me (not for everyone, lots of people are lactose intolerant and some are celiac or other other negative reactions to grains); and (2) I don't really care about grains so it seemed a silly thing to give up as I naturally don't eat much of them (especially refined grains) if I am even remotely mindful and limit calories (which means I rarely eat sweet baked goods).
    Also, the authors application of moderation is totally in line with the diet as it is one where the theoretical person would be getting micros from whole foods, filling in macros with other foods, and then indulging in treats and what not to fill in left over calories.

    The author said 100% strict paleo (like Whole30), which doesn't permit certain kinds of treats or even replacement "paleo treats."


    I'm not sure what the author's rational was for considering paleo to be extreme, and based on her text about what moderation looks like, paleo falls within that.

    Whole30 does have treats, they have recipes for all kinds of desserts. The author states that person includes treats in their diet, she didn't say what the criteria was for treats, and even said it was individual. So 100% strict paleo/Whole30 would fall within the definition.

    No, it doesn't. I've read the book. There are tons of "paleo treats" but Whole30 says to avoid them.

    From the website: "Do not try to re-create baked goods, junk foods, or treats* with “approved” ingredients. Continuing to eat your old, unhealthy foods made with Whole30 ingredients is totally missing the point, and will tank your results faster than you can say “Paleo Pop-Tarts.” Remember, these are the same foods that got you into health-trouble in the first place—and a pancake is still a pancake, regardless of the ingredients."
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    newmeadow wrote: »
    Kalikel wrote: »
    tomatoey wrote: »
    tomatoey wrote: »
    tomatoey wrote: »
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    tomatoey wrote: »
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    Kalikel wrote: »
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    kgeyser wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    kgeyser wrote: »
    Kalikel wrote: »
    Is there some definition for what constitutes "extreme"?

    Since moderation is avoiding extremes (to some), what constitutes "extreme" as it applies to a diet?

    But that's the rub, isn't it? For something to be considered moderate, it has to fall in the middle of two opposing points on the spectrum and is subject to the definition of the points. In politics, someone would be considered politically moderate if they fell between liberal and conservative. But you can also move the end points along the spectrum to identify someone who is moderately conservative or moderately liberal.

    When it comes to diet, it seems the author is trying to do two separate things: define ways of eating as moderate, and define consumption as moderate. But she keeps using different spectrums - in keeping with the paleo diet, she uses one spectrum based on food restrictions to say it is not moderate, but later defines moderation using the spectrum of consumption of whole foods vs treats in which paleo could easily fall in the middle.

    In keeping with the diet theme, someone upthread mentioned alcohol consumption, and I seem to remember that there was an actual number of drinks and frequency of consumption which would define someone as a moderate drinker (although I can't remember what those numbers were to save my life).

    For diet, it would seem that without some consensus as to what a moderate intake is (as in portions and frequency), it does make it a bit ambiguous. I don't think that applying it by portion size would necessarily be accurate, as it would not account for differences in TDEE, and frequency would also be subject to things like lifestyle and portion size.

    I would imagine the only real way to define moderation in terms of diet would be to view it in terms of percentages of foods consumed in overall diet over time (this is looking at moderation in terms of consumption/frequency because I think trying to define it by dietary composition is bunk). It would definitely have to have some longevity though to account for things like holidays and vacations which in the short term would skew the data.

    sadly, you are over complicating a simple concept.

    No, I'm rejecting your attempt to exclude people who follow different ways of eating from being considered as practicing moderation, because you are applying the one definition provided by the author arbitrarily and incorrectly. And you can't really define moderation without identifying the opposing ends of the spectrum it falls within, otherwise it's a completely subjective concept. If it is subjective, then what is or is not moderation will fall to the individual to determine for themselves, and statements like "100% strict paleo is not moderation, it is extreme" is a personal opinion, not a statement of fact.

    does paleo eliminate food from it's plan? If you answer yes then it's extreme due to "elimination" which is an extreme no matter how you play the word game.

    application is subjective. If I bought a 2000$ purse making 25k a year that is not a moderate purchase...but if I make 250k a year it's a moderate purchase.

    If I eliminate dairy from my diet due to being lactose intolerant that is not extreme....but if I get rid of milk cause of an eating plan to "make me better.." that is extreme.
    Paleo people who eliminate something aren't eating in moderation, but vegetarians who eliminate something are?

    Someone up thread said elimination depended on a "good reason." Is that how you see it, too? If you have a "good reason" then you can practice elimination and eat in moderation, but if you don't have a "good reason" then you can't?

    doesn't matter how I see it to be frank...moderation is the absence of extremes by definition and I feel that most "diets" are extremes and that eliminating foods to lose weight because you just "can't" manage to lose weight if you eat them is extreme. ie atkins, paleo, south beach, 17 day, LCHF, clean etc.

    *note diets is in quotes

    Ok, but the "extremes" part of what you just said is where things are arbitrary. ,Same for whatever's in between them.

    This is not perverse word-twisting, by the way, it naturally follows from the definition. And although it is a point that hinges on semantics, it's not "academic" or theoretical.

    Back to drinking for a minute: I had an English friend who was worried about the amount he was drinking, how it impacted his life. It was like 7-8 pints a day. He went to his (English) doctor, who said, "nah, you're fine, you're just drinking the wrong stuff. Quit drinking European beer and get back to English ale".

    (That's an example of malpractice, probably, but also of how very different standards of moderation can be.)

    and that is why we have all said...there is one definition of moderation but the application is subjective.

    my purse example...2k on a purse is not moderate spending if you make 25k a year but it is moderate if you make 2.5m or 250k...or whatever...subjective application.

    So how do I know what kind of purse you have?

    Not the purse, the income if anything. The purse can be part of a moderate purchase, if your income allows for it.

    Right, ok, the income. (I'd guess at their income and idea of moderation by whether it was Gucci or whatever.) Just knowing she has a purse doesn't tell me anything useful.

    It does. It tells you that she doesn't have some weird dogma to never buy any purses because her horoscope told her it was bad karma.

    Having criticisms of "clean eating" doesn't clarify what "moderation" means.

    Moderation means there are no "You absolutely must X" or "You absolutely can't Y" rules. The absence of extremes.

    If you want to lose weight, eat at a deficit that is appropriate for you, with nutrition that is appropriate for you.
    If that allows for a bag of gummy bears every day, that's still moderation.
    If that means you can only have a handful, that's still moderation.
    If you don't like gummy bears and don't eat them at all, that's still moderation.
    If you like gummy bears, they'd fit into your diet, you'd want to eat them, but you don't eat them for arbitrary reasons, that's not moderation.
    That was said 9 pages ago. Multiple times.
    Who decides if it's an arbitrary reason? The person eating the diet or the person judging it?

    Best question asked so far. YOU GO KALIKEL!
    I'm just trying to get a concrete answer on this from the various people who choose to define it. If they all answer, maybe some common thread can be put together.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,996 Member
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    ndj1979 wrote: »
    Holy f$&@"!!! I can't believe that this conversation has gone so left field! Truly the last time I post an article here. I completely forgot how arbitrary people can be on the Internet. How can I take this post down?

    I would not worry too much OP. It is just the usual folks that don't understand the concept, and how to apply it to their daily lives, so they have to destroy the concept as something that no one can understand, because they do not understand it.

    I absolutely understand the concept and how to apply it in my daily life. My argument is that my definition of moderation is different from yours, and from others, and so "moderation" when it comes to a way of eating is not a useful term.
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
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    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    Personally, I think people are going wrong here with trying to drill down to individual food choices when talking about moderation and diet/nutrition...people are getting way too wrapped up in "treats" and what not.

    By definition, a diet of moderation would be well balanced...you don't necessarily have to get into individual food choices which make up a balanced (moderate)...while not perfect, My Plate and just about any food pyramid out there is a pretty good picture of what a well balanced (moderate) diet would look like.

    You can apply any number of diets and ways of eating and still maintain a well balanced and moderate diet. I would think a diet that eliminates or severely restricts one or more macro nutrients would obviously fall outside of moderate. I would consider the SAD to not be a diet of moderation either.

    But a lot of people would.
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
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    newmeadow wrote: »
    Kalikel wrote: »
    tomatoey wrote: »
    tomatoey wrote: »
    tomatoey wrote: »
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    tomatoey wrote: »
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    Kalikel wrote: »
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    kgeyser wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    kgeyser wrote: »
    Kalikel wrote: »
    Is there some definition for what constitutes "extreme"?

    Since moderation is avoiding extremes (to some), what constitutes "extreme" as it applies to a diet?

    But that's the rub, isn't it? For something to be considered moderate, it has to fall in the middle of two opposing points on the spectrum and is subject to the definition of the points. In politics, someone would be considered politically moderate if they fell between liberal and conservative. But you can also move the end points along the spectrum to identify someone who is moderately conservative or moderately liberal.

    When it comes to diet, it seems the author is trying to do two separate things: define ways of eating as moderate, and define consumption as moderate. But she keeps using different spectrums - in keeping with the paleo diet, she uses one spectrum based on food restrictions to say it is not moderate, but later defines moderation using the spectrum of consumption of whole foods vs treats in which paleo could easily fall in the middle.

    In keeping with the diet theme, someone upthread mentioned alcohol consumption, and I seem to remember that there was an actual number of drinks and frequency of consumption which would define someone as a moderate drinker (although I can't remember what those numbers were to save my life).

    For diet, it would seem that without some consensus as to what a moderate intake is (as in portions and frequency), it does make it a bit ambiguous. I don't think that applying it by portion size would necessarily be accurate, as it would not account for differences in TDEE, and frequency would also be subject to things like lifestyle and portion size.

    I would imagine the only real way to define moderation in terms of diet would be to view it in terms of percentages of foods consumed in overall diet over time (this is looking at moderation in terms of consumption/frequency because I think trying to define it by dietary composition is bunk). It would definitely have to have some longevity though to account for things like holidays and vacations which in the short term would skew the data.

    sadly, you are over complicating a simple concept.

    No, I'm rejecting your attempt to exclude people who follow different ways of eating from being considered as practicing moderation, because you are applying the one definition provided by the author arbitrarily and incorrectly. And you can't really define moderation without identifying the opposing ends of the spectrum it falls within, otherwise it's a completely subjective concept. If it is subjective, then what is or is not moderation will fall to the individual to determine for themselves, and statements like "100% strict paleo is not moderation, it is extreme" is a personal opinion, not a statement of fact.

    does paleo eliminate food from it's plan? If you answer yes then it's extreme due to "elimination" which is an extreme no matter how you play the word game.

    application is subjective. If I bought a 2000$ purse making 25k a year that is not a moderate purchase...but if I make 250k a year it's a moderate purchase.

    If I eliminate dairy from my diet due to being lactose intolerant that is not extreme....but if I get rid of milk cause of an eating plan to "make me better.." that is extreme.
    Paleo people who eliminate something aren't eating in moderation, but vegetarians who eliminate something are?

    Someone up thread said elimination depended on a "good reason." Is that how you see it, too? If you have a "good reason" then you can practice elimination and eat in moderation, but if you don't have a "good reason" then you can't?

    doesn't matter how I see it to be frank...moderation is the absence of extremes by definition and I feel that most "diets" are extremes and that eliminating foods to lose weight because you just "can't" manage to lose weight if you eat them is extreme. ie atkins, paleo, south beach, 17 day, LCHF, clean etc.

    *note diets is in quotes

    Ok, but the "extremes" part of what you just said is where things are arbitrary. ,Same for whatever's in between them.

    This is not perverse word-twisting, by the way, it naturally follows from the definition. And although it is a point that hinges on semantics, it's not "academic" or theoretical.

    Back to drinking for a minute: I had an English friend who was worried about the amount he was drinking, how it impacted his life. It was like 7-8 pints a day. He went to his (English) doctor, who said, "nah, you're fine, you're just drinking the wrong stuff. Quit drinking European beer and get back to English ale".

    (That's an example of malpractice, probably, but also of how very different standards of moderation can be.)

    and that is why we have all said...there is one definition of moderation but the application is subjective.

    my purse example...2k on a purse is not moderate spending if you make 25k a year but it is moderate if you make 2.5m or 250k...or whatever...subjective application.

    So how do I know what kind of purse you have?

    Not the purse, the income if anything. The purse can be part of a moderate purchase, if your income allows for it.

    Right, ok, the income. (I'd guess at their income and idea of moderation by whether it was Gucci or whatever.) Just knowing she has a purse doesn't tell me anything useful.

    It does. It tells you that she doesn't have some weird dogma to never buy any purses because her horoscope told her it was bad karma.

    Having criticisms of "clean eating" doesn't clarify what "moderation" means.

    Moderation means there are no "You absolutely must X" or "You absolutely can't Y" rules. The absence of extremes.

    If you want to lose weight, eat at a deficit that is appropriate for you, with nutrition that is appropriate for you.
    If that allows for a bag of gummy bears every day, that's still moderation.
    If that means you can only have a handful, that's still moderation.
    If you don't like gummy bears and don't eat them at all, that's still moderation.
    If you like gummy bears, they'd fit into your diet, you'd want to eat them, but you don't eat them for arbitrary reasons, that's not moderation.
    That was said 9 pages ago. Multiple times.
    Who decides if it's an arbitrary reason? The person eating the diet or the person judging it?

    Best question asked so far. YOU GO KALIKEL!

    As long as the person doesn't say:
    I don't eat gummy bears and neither should you because you can't be successful if you do eat gummy bears

    Or

    I have hit a plateau and I don't understand why, I gave up gummy bears because they are unhealthy, but I still can't lose.

    Then no one would care or judge them in the first place.
  • fireguy262
    fireguy262 Posts: 263 Member
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    Echo's what my fitness instructor kept on pounding into our heads...diets of seclusion don't work! Great article about how everything needs to be in balance. Fats, proteins / cardio, strength training / chocolate, vegetables. Everything in moderation will make you a happier and healthier person.
  • stevencloser
    stevencloser Posts: 8,911 Member
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    Kalikel wrote: »
    tomatoey wrote: »
    tomatoey wrote: »
    tomatoey wrote: »
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    tomatoey wrote: »
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    Kalikel wrote: »
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    kgeyser wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    kgeyser wrote: »
    Kalikel wrote: »
    Is there some definition for what constitutes "extreme"?

    Since moderation is avoiding extremes (to some), what constitutes "extreme" as it applies to a diet?

    But that's the rub, isn't it? For something to be considered moderate, it has to fall in the middle of two opposing points on the spectrum and is subject to the definition of the points. In politics, someone would be considered politically moderate if they fell between liberal and conservative. But you can also move the end points along the spectrum to identify someone who is moderately conservative or moderately liberal.

    When it comes to diet, it seems the author is trying to do two separate things: define ways of eating as moderate, and define consumption as moderate. But she keeps using different spectrums - in keeping with the paleo diet, she uses one spectrum based on food restrictions to say it is not moderate, but later defines moderation using the spectrum of consumption of whole foods vs treats in which paleo could easily fall in the middle.

    In keeping with the diet theme, someone upthread mentioned alcohol consumption, and I seem to remember that there was an actual number of drinks and frequency of consumption which would define someone as a moderate drinker (although I can't remember what those numbers were to save my life).

    For diet, it would seem that without some consensus as to what a moderate intake is (as in portions and frequency), it does make it a bit ambiguous. I don't think that applying it by portion size would necessarily be accurate, as it would not account for differences in TDEE, and frequency would also be subject to things like lifestyle and portion size.

    I would imagine the only real way to define moderation in terms of diet would be to view it in terms of percentages of foods consumed in overall diet over time (this is looking at moderation in terms of consumption/frequency because I think trying to define it by dietary composition is bunk). It would definitely have to have some longevity though to account for things like holidays and vacations which in the short term would skew the data.

    sadly, you are over complicating a simple concept.

    No, I'm rejecting your attempt to exclude people who follow different ways of eating from being considered as practicing moderation, because you are applying the one definition provided by the author arbitrarily and incorrectly. And you can't really define moderation without identifying the opposing ends of the spectrum it falls within, otherwise it's a completely subjective concept. If it is subjective, then what is or is not moderation will fall to the individual to determine for themselves, and statements like "100% strict paleo is not moderation, it is extreme" is a personal opinion, not a statement of fact.

    does paleo eliminate food from it's plan? If you answer yes then it's extreme due to "elimination" which is an extreme no matter how you play the word game.

    application is subjective. If I bought a 2000$ purse making 25k a year that is not a moderate purchase...but if I make 250k a year it's a moderate purchase.

    If I eliminate dairy from my diet due to being lactose intolerant that is not extreme....but if I get rid of milk cause of an eating plan to "make me better.." that is extreme.
    Paleo people who eliminate something aren't eating in moderation, but vegetarians who eliminate something are?

    Someone up thread said elimination depended on a "good reason." Is that how you see it, too? If you have a "good reason" then you can practice elimination and eat in moderation, but if you don't have a "good reason" then you can't?

    doesn't matter how I see it to be frank...moderation is the absence of extremes by definition and I feel that most "diets" are extremes and that eliminating foods to lose weight because you just "can't" manage to lose weight if you eat them is extreme. ie atkins, paleo, south beach, 17 day, LCHF, clean etc.

    *note diets is in quotes

    Ok, but the "extremes" part of what you just said is where things are arbitrary. ,Same for whatever's in between them.

    This is not perverse word-twisting, by the way, it naturally follows from the definition. And although it is a point that hinges on semantics, it's not "academic" or theoretical.

    Back to drinking for a minute: I had an English friend who was worried about the amount he was drinking, how it impacted his life. It was like 7-8 pints a day. He went to his (English) doctor, who said, "nah, you're fine, you're just drinking the wrong stuff. Quit drinking European beer and get back to English ale".

    (That's an example of malpractice, probably, but also of how very different standards of moderation can be.)

    and that is why we have all said...there is one definition of moderation but the application is subjective.

    my purse example...2k on a purse is not moderate spending if you make 25k a year but it is moderate if you make 2.5m or 250k...or whatever...subjective application.

    So how do I know what kind of purse you have?

    Not the purse, the income if anything. The purse can be part of a moderate purchase, if your income allows for it.

    Right, ok, the income. (I'd guess at their income and idea of moderation by whether it was Gucci or whatever.) Just knowing she has a purse doesn't tell me anything useful.

    It does. It tells you that she doesn't have some weird dogma to never buy any purses because her horoscope told her it was bad karma.

    Having criticisms of "clean eating" doesn't clarify what "moderation" means.

    Moderation means there are no "You absolutely must X" or "You absolutely can't Y" rules. The absence of extremes.

    If you want to lose weight, eat at a deficit that is appropriate for you, with nutrition that is appropriate for you.
    If that allows for a bag of gummy bears every day, that's still moderation.
    If that means you can only have a handful, that's still moderation.
    If you don't like gummy bears and don't eat them at all, that's still moderation.
    If you like gummy bears, they'd fit into your diet, you'd want to eat them, but you don't eat them for arbitrary reasons, that's not moderation.
    That was said 9 pages ago. Multiple times.
    Who decides if it's an arbitrary reason? The person eating the diet or the person judging it?

    Arbitrary reasons are things like in paleo. You can't eat grains. Because you don't eat grains in paleo.
    The military diet. What was that? A hotdog and some crackers and nothing else? Completely arbitrarily chosen foods you can and can't eat.
    Musts and nevers that have no basis on your health, dislikes, or ethical stances.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
    edited October 2015
    Options
    tomatoey wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    Personally, I think people are going wrong here with trying to drill down to individual food choices when talking about moderation and diet/nutrition...people are getting way too wrapped up in "treats" and what not.

    By definition, a diet of moderation would be well balanced...you don't necessarily have to get into individual food choices which make up a balanced (moderate)...while not perfect, My Plate and just about any food pyramid out there is a pretty good picture of what a well balanced (moderate) diet would look like.

    You can apply any number of diets and ways of eating and still maintain a well balanced and moderate diet. I would think a diet that eliminates or severely restricts one or more macro nutrients would obviously fall outside of moderate. I would consider the SAD to not be a diet of moderation either.

    But a lot of people would.

    not people with a brain and a dictionary.

    anyone who's eating the SAD and thinks they're eating a well balanced (moderate) diet is either stupid as *kitten* or just fooling themselves.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    Options
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    Holy f$&@"!!! I can't believe that this conversation has gone so left field! Truly the last time I post an article here. I completely forgot how arbitrary people can be on the Internet. How can I take this post down?

    I would not worry too much OP. It is just the usual folks that don't understand the concept, and how to apply it to their daily lives, so they have to destroy the concept as something that no one can understand, because they do not understand it.

    I absolutely understand the concept and how to apply it in my daily life. My argument is that my definition of moderation is different from yours, and from others, and so "moderation" when it comes to a way of eating is not a useful term.

    nope, the definition is the same for everyone. Unless you have a dictionary with multiple definitions that you would like to point us to?

    you are confusing definition with application.

  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    Options
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    Holy f$&@"!!! I can't believe that this conversation has gone so left field! Truly the last time I post an article here. I completely forgot how arbitrary people can be on the Internet. How can I take this post down?

    I would not worry too much OP. It is just the usual folks that don't understand the concept, and how to apply it to their daily lives, so they have to destroy the concept as something that no one can understand, because they do not understand it.

    I absolutely understand the concept and how to apply it in my daily life. My argument is that my definition of moderation is different from yours, and from others, and so "moderation" when it comes to a way of eating is not a useful term.

    No, your definition of Moderation is the same as mine. Your application of it within your individual approach to moderation is different.

    That's what I've been trying to say. Moderation has a textbook definition (the avoidance of extremes) but the application of it is individualized and variable.

  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    Options
    the amount of people that can't comprehend the concept of moderation is amazing....
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
    Options
    Kalikel wrote: »
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    Kalikel wrote: »
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    Kalikel wrote: »
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    Kalikel wrote: »
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    kgeyser wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    kgeyser wrote: »
    Kalikel wrote: »
    Is there some definition for what constitutes "extreme"?

    Since moderation is avoiding extremes (to some), what constitutes "extreme" as it applies to a diet?

    But that's the rub, isn't it? For something to be considered moderate, it has to fall in the middle of two opposing points on the spectrum and is subject to the definition of the points. In politics, someone would be considered politically moderate if they fell between liberal and conservative. But you can also move the end points along the spectrum to identify someone who is moderately conservative or moderately liberal.

    When it comes to diet, it seems the author is trying to do two separate things: define ways of eating as moderate, and define consumption as moderate. But she keeps using different spectrums - in keeping with the paleo diet, she uses one spectrum based on food restrictions to say it is not moderate, but later defines moderation using the spectrum of consumption of whole foods vs treats in which paleo could easily fall in the middle.

    In keeping with the diet theme, someone upthread mentioned alcohol consumption, and I seem to remember that there was an actual number of drinks and frequency of consumption which would define someone as a moderate drinker (although I can't remember what those numbers were to save my life).

    For diet, it would seem that without some consensus as to what a moderate intake is (as in portions and frequency), it does make it a bit ambiguous. I don't think that applying it by portion size would necessarily be accurate, as it would not account for differences in TDEE, and frequency would also be subject to things like lifestyle and portion size.

    I would imagine the only real way to define moderation in terms of diet would be to view it in terms of percentages of foods consumed in overall diet over time (this is looking at moderation in terms of consumption/frequency because I think trying to define it by dietary composition is bunk). It would definitely have to have some longevity though to account for things like holidays and vacations which in the short term would skew the data.

    sadly, you are over complicating a simple concept.

    No, I'm rejecting your attempt to exclude people who follow different ways of eating from being considered as practicing moderation, because you are applying the one definition provided by the author arbitrarily and incorrectly. And you can't really define moderation without identifying the opposing ends of the spectrum it falls within, otherwise it's a completely subjective concept. If it is subjective, then what is or is not moderation will fall to the individual to determine for themselves, and statements like "100% strict paleo is not moderation, it is extreme" is a personal opinion, not a statement of fact.

    does paleo eliminate food from it's plan? If you answer yes then it's extreme due to "elimination" which is an extreme no matter how you play the word game.

    application is subjective. If I bought a 2000$ purse making 25k a year that is not a moderate purchase...but if I make 250k a year it's a moderate purchase.

    If I eliminate dairy from my diet due to being lactose intolerant that is not extreme....but if I get rid of milk cause of an eating plan to "make me better.." that is extreme.
    Paleo people who eliminate something aren't eating in moderation, but vegetarians who eliminate something are?

    Someone up thread said elimination depended on a "good reason." Is that how you see it, too? If you have a "good reason" then you can practice elimination and eat in moderation, but if you don't have a "good reason" then you can't?

    doesn't matter how I see it to be frank...moderation is the absence of extremes by definition and I feel that most "diets" are extremes and that eliminating foods to lose weight because you just "can't" manage to lose weight if you eat them is extreme. ie atkins, paleo, south beach, 17 day, LCHF, clean etc.

    *note diets is in quotes
    First, you said:

    "If you answer yes then it's extreme due to "elimination" which is an extreme no matter how you play the word game."

    Now, it seems like it is more rationale-dependent.

    I'm now trying to figure out which one it is. I'm genuinely confused. Is everyone who eliminates something automatically excluded from "eating in moderation" or not?

    How I personally see vegetarians (due to moral/ethical choices) has no bearing on what moderation means or the fact that paleo, clean eating, atkins etc are not in line with the definition of moderation....

    How people apply moderation to their WOE is totally subjective.

    If you feel paleo is in line with moderation have at...I disagree.

    If I feel paleo isn't moderate so be it...you apparently disagree...I think...you haven't really said one way or the other...

    no wait you don't use the word moderate/moderation so you neither agree or disagree....so why are you arguing that paleo is moderate? or are you? I can never tell with you.
    I'm very simple. I say what I mean. There is nothing to "tell" or "find." I've said this to you 10,000 times when you've insisted I meant things I didn't say and I specifically state that I didn't mean them, but meant what I said.

    I would like to know if you believe one can eliminate certain foods or food groups from the diet and still eat in moderation.

    Either you'll answer or you won't. That's all there is to that.

    k then you mean what you say...you don't use the word moderate ...then why are you in here discussing moderation?????? confusing...

    and to answer your question....What do I believe/feel

    If a person eliminates food for medical reasons ie diabetic/sugar or gluten/celiac no it's not extreme as it is a requirement for health.

    If a person eliminates food due to dislike no it's not extreme.

    If a person eliminates food due to a religion no it's not extreme (people take their religions very seriously and I am not messing with that)

    If a person eliminate food for any other reason than stated above yes I feel it is extreme. But that's me.

    So yes I feel that if a vegetarian is that because of moral/ethics it's extreme and not moderate. esp since it can have long lasting detrimental effects on their children (while developing in the womb) if they aren't careful.

    My feelings on it tho have no bearing on the actual definition of it just the application of it...

    Ok, so it's rationale-dependent. Someone else said something similar, only they used the words "good reason."

    New question:

    *Assuming that the definition of moderation is "avoiding extremes," which you're on board with...*

    If you feel that it's "extreme", it cannot be "in moderation" - correct?

    answer my question first...this is a give and take after all right????

    if you don't subscribe to moderation why are you here debating what it is and isn't? You don't use the word so why argue what it is...it has no bearing on your, your life or how you live it...
  • senecarr
    senecarr Posts: 5,377 Member
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    ndj1979 wrote: »
    the amount of people that can't comprehend the concept of moderation is amazing....

    Moderately or extremely amazing? I'm going for extremely amazing.
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
    Options
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    Holy f$&@"!!! I can't believe that this conversation has gone so left field! Truly the last time I post an article here. I completely forgot how arbitrary people can be on the Internet. How can I take this post down?

    I would not worry too much OP. It is just the usual folks that don't understand the concept, and how to apply it to their daily lives, so they have to destroy the concept as something that no one can understand, because they do not understand it.

    I absolutely understand the concept and how to apply it in my daily life. My argument is that my definition of moderation is different from yours, and from others, and so "moderation" when it comes to a way of eating is not a useful term.

    No, your definition of Moderation is the same as mine. Your application of it within your individual approach to moderation is different.

    That's what I've been trying to say. Moderation has a textbook definition (the avoidance of extremes) but the application of it is individualized and variable.

    Which is why it doesn't describe anything about the diet in a useful way, or help anyone know what it means when people use it. All it really speaks to is an attitude.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    WinoGelato wrote: »
    newmeadow wrote: »
    Kalikel wrote: »
    tomatoey wrote: »
    tomatoey wrote: »
    tomatoey wrote: »
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    tomatoey wrote: »
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    Kalikel wrote: »
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    kgeyser wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    kgeyser wrote: »
    Kalikel wrote: »
    Is there some definition for what constitutes "extreme"?

    Since moderation is avoiding extremes (to some), what constitutes "extreme" as it applies to a diet?

    But that's the rub, isn't it? For something to be considered moderate, it has to fall in the middle of two opposing points on the spectrum and is subject to the definition of the points. In politics, someone would be considered politically moderate if they fell between liberal and conservative. But you can also move the end points along the spectrum to identify someone who is moderately conservative or moderately liberal.

    When it comes to diet, it seems the author is trying to do two separate things: define ways of eating as moderate, and define consumption as moderate. But she keeps using different spectrums - in keeping with the paleo diet, she uses one spectrum based on food restrictions to say it is not moderate, but later defines moderation using the spectrum of consumption of whole foods vs treats in which paleo could easily fall in the middle.

    In keeping with the diet theme, someone upthread mentioned alcohol consumption, and I seem to remember that there was an actual number of drinks and frequency of consumption which would define someone as a moderate drinker (although I can't remember what those numbers were to save my life).

    For diet, it would seem that without some consensus as to what a moderate intake is (as in portions and frequency), it does make it a bit ambiguous. I don't think that applying it by portion size would necessarily be accurate, as it would not account for differences in TDEE, and frequency would also be subject to things like lifestyle and portion size.

    I would imagine the only real way to define moderation in terms of diet would be to view it in terms of percentages of foods consumed in overall diet over time (this is looking at moderation in terms of consumption/frequency because I think trying to define it by dietary composition is bunk). It would definitely have to have some longevity though to account for things like holidays and vacations which in the short term would skew the data.

    sadly, you are over complicating a simple concept.

    No, I'm rejecting your attempt to exclude people who follow different ways of eating from being considered as practicing moderation, because you are applying the one definition provided by the author arbitrarily and incorrectly. And you can't really define moderation without identifying the opposing ends of the spectrum it falls within, otherwise it's a completely subjective concept. If it is subjective, then what is or is not moderation will fall to the individual to determine for themselves, and statements like "100% strict paleo is not moderation, it is extreme" is a personal opinion, not a statement of fact.

    does paleo eliminate food from it's plan? If you answer yes then it's extreme due to "elimination" which is an extreme no matter how you play the word game.

    application is subjective. If I bought a 2000$ purse making 25k a year that is not a moderate purchase...but if I make 250k a year it's a moderate purchase.

    If I eliminate dairy from my diet due to being lactose intolerant that is not extreme....but if I get rid of milk cause of an eating plan to "make me better.." that is extreme.
    Paleo people who eliminate something aren't eating in moderation, but vegetarians who eliminate something are?

    Someone up thread said elimination depended on a "good reason." Is that how you see it, too? If you have a "good reason" then you can practice elimination and eat in moderation, but if you don't have a "good reason" then you can't?

    doesn't matter how I see it to be frank...moderation is the absence of extremes by definition and I feel that most "diets" are extremes and that eliminating foods to lose weight because you just "can't" manage to lose weight if you eat them is extreme. ie atkins, paleo, south beach, 17 day, LCHF, clean etc.

    *note diets is in quotes

    Ok, but the "extremes" part of what you just said is where things are arbitrary. ,Same for whatever's in between them.

    This is not perverse word-twisting, by the way, it naturally follows from the definition. And although it is a point that hinges on semantics, it's not "academic" or theoretical.

    Back to drinking for a minute: I had an English friend who was worried about the amount he was drinking, how it impacted his life. It was like 7-8 pints a day. He went to his (English) doctor, who said, "nah, you're fine, you're just drinking the wrong stuff. Quit drinking European beer and get back to English ale".

    (That's an example of malpractice, probably, but also of how very different standards of moderation can be.)

    and that is why we have all said...there is one definition of moderation but the application is subjective.

    my purse example...2k on a purse is not moderate spending if you make 25k a year but it is moderate if you make 2.5m or 250k...or whatever...subjective application.

    So how do I know what kind of purse you have?

    Not the purse, the income if anything. The purse can be part of a moderate purchase, if your income allows for it.

    Right, ok, the income. (I'd guess at their income and idea of moderation by whether it was Gucci or whatever.) Just knowing she has a purse doesn't tell me anything useful.

    It does. It tells you that she doesn't have some weird dogma to never buy any purses because her horoscope told her it was bad karma.

    Having criticisms of "clean eating" doesn't clarify what "moderation" means.

    Moderation means there are no "You absolutely must X" or "You absolutely can't Y" rules. The absence of extremes.

    If you want to lose weight, eat at a deficit that is appropriate for you, with nutrition that is appropriate for you.
    If that allows for a bag of gummy bears every day, that's still moderation.
    If that means you can only have a handful, that's still moderation.
    If you don't like gummy bears and don't eat them at all, that's still moderation.
    If you like gummy bears, they'd fit into your diet, you'd want to eat them, but you don't eat them for arbitrary reasons, that's not moderation.
    That was said 9 pages ago. Multiple times.
    Who decides if it's an arbitrary reason? The person eating the diet or the person judging it?

    Best question asked so far. YOU GO KALIKEL!

    As long as the person doesn't say:
    I don't eat gummy bears and neither should you because you can't be successful if you do eat gummy bears

    Or

    I have hit a plateau and I don't understand why, I gave up gummy bears because they are unhealthy, but I still can't lose.

    Then no one would care or judge them in the first place.
    Are you saying it is an issue of proselytization and education?

    As long as you aren't proselytizing and understand nutrition, you're "in moderation"?
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
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    senecarr wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    the amount of people that can't comprehend the concept of moderation is amazing....

    Moderately or extremely amazing? I'm going for extremely amazing.

    extremely ...

  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
    Options
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    the amount of people that can't comprehend the concept of moderation is amazing....

    Yes, I'm pretty surprised by it, too.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    Options
    tomatoey wrote: »
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    Holy f$&@"!!! I can't believe that this conversation has gone so left field! Truly the last time I post an article here. I completely forgot how arbitrary people can be on the Internet. How can I take this post down?

    I would not worry too much OP. It is just the usual folks that don't understand the concept, and how to apply it to their daily lives, so they have to destroy the concept as something that no one can understand, because they do not understand it.

    I absolutely understand the concept and how to apply it in my daily life. My argument is that my definition of moderation is different from yours, and from others, and so "moderation" when it comes to a way of eating is not a useful term.

    No, your definition of Moderation is the same as mine. Your application of it within your individual approach to moderation is different.

    That's what I've been trying to say. Moderation has a textbook definition (the avoidance of extremes) but the application of it is individualized and variable.

    Which is why it doesn't describe anything about the diet in a useful way, or help anyone know what it means when people use it. All it really speaks to is an attitude.

    its not a diet...
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
    edited October 2015
    Options
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    tomatoey wrote: »
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    Holy f$&@"!!! I can't believe that this conversation has gone so left field! Truly the last time I post an article here. I completely forgot how arbitrary people can be on the Internet. How can I take this post down?

    I would not worry too much OP. It is just the usual folks that don't understand the concept, and how to apply it to their daily lives, so they have to destroy the concept as something that no one can understand, because they do not understand it.

    I absolutely understand the concept and how to apply it in my daily life. My argument is that my definition of moderation is different from yours, and from others, and so "moderation" when it comes to a way of eating is not a useful term.

    No, your definition of Moderation is the same as mine. Your application of it within your individual approach to moderation is different.

    That's what I've been trying to say. Moderation has a textbook definition (the avoidance of extremes) but the application of it is individualized and variable.

    Which is why it doesn't describe anything about the diet in a useful way, or help anyone know what it means when people use it. All it really speaks to is an attitude.

    its not a diet...

    Yeah, I know. I don't expect it to be, either.
This discussion has been closed.