I have two modes

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  • SummerSkier
    SummerSkier Posts: 4,799 Member
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    this is a REALLY good thread. It is somehow comforting to see that so many folks are "just like me" and I am not some sort of freak. Of course nothing is ever black and white but the theory of abstainer and moderator is something I had never heard. I am probably more of an abstainer altho I would love to be a moderator. I know that there are just some foods I cannot purchase or one package = one serving. I also know that it is constantly changing. I have found that foods can CROSS OVER one way or the other sometimes. Sort of like have you ever gotten really sick after eating something and you NEVER want to eat that again?
  • HSnyder1984
    HSnyder1984 Posts: 21 Member
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    jennk5309 wrote: »
    I have traditionally had the same problem, but am hoping I've finally figured it out.....my tendency had been to give in and eat whatever I wanted once I knew I wasn't going to make my calorie goal for the day. I failed so might as well have cheesecake too, right? I would stop tracking and figure I'd start again tomorrow. What I'm doing now though is.that I keep tracking every bite even when over my calorie goal. Eventually it pains my psyche to see the numbers and I stop eating. I may be over my goal for the day but I still am usually at a deficit, which means weight loss even if it's not at the speed I would prefer.

    One day at a time in a deficit means progress if not perfection.

    I do this :'( I'm going to try very hard to change to tracking no matter what
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,898 Member
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    janejellyroll wrote: »
    cmriverside wrote: »
    You're certainly not alone.

    I have a whole long list of foods that I cannot moderate. I know if I buy them - one package is one serving. I've tried for over ten years to "learn" to moderate. I'm much better off not starting on them at all, and I don't bring them home. I can't drink alcohol either. Same lesson there. Some people can drink moderately.

    My husband was giving the dogs their treat yesterday and he remarked how easy it would be if a giant would show up once a day to give us an appropriately sized portion of our favorite treat and then put the container away where we couldn't get it no matter how much we whined.

    Off the top of my head, I can think of three periods in my life when weight loss was really easy. What all three had in common was that I did not have unrestricted access to food:

    1. Boot camp: three meals a day of food that wasn't particularly good, and had to be eaten quickly, with a mandatory two glasses of water.
    2. In the wilds of Costa Rico - no high calorie/low satiety foods available.
    3. One other time that's to complicated too explain, but I was not doing the shopping or cooking.

    "Intuitive eating" only works for me when my choices are very limited, lol.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,958 Member
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    Yeah, and the irritating thing is when I want pie. I can't make a pie, and I can't buy a pie because one pie is one serving. So I go to a super expensive pie cafe and spent $12 for a slice of pie and a coffee. That's the only way I can have pie.

    And I love pie. *sigh*
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,958 Member
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    ...but it's really really good pie.

    Worth the $$ and more importantly, worth the calories. :)
  • dawnbgethealthy
    dawnbgethealthy Posts: 7,562 Member
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    HSnyder1984 wrote: »
    jennk5309 wrote: »
    I have traditionally had the same problem, but am hoping I've finally figured it out.....my tendency had been to give in and eat whatever I wanted once I knew I wasn't going to make my calorie goal for the day. I failed so might as well have cheesecake too, right? I would stop tracking and figure I'd start again tomorrow. What I'm doing now though is.that I keep tracking every bite even when over my calorie goal. Eventually it pains my psyche to see the numbers and I stop eating. I may be over my goal for the day but I still am usually at a deficit, which means weight loss even if it's not at the speed I would prefer.

    One day at a time in a deficit means progress if not perfection.

    I do this :'( I'm going to try very hard to change to tracking no matter what

    Definitely HSnyder, track everything. I have found that some things have even less calories than we think, and some have way more than we think. 2 tablespoons of coffee cream is good for me, but if I don't measure I end up with like 6 in each cup and I drink 2 cups of coffee. Seems small, but 8 extra tablespoons every day adds up over the month. Tracking showed me how many calories my typical rib dinner was. Ouch. Now I have it only once per month instead of once per week, saving like 4,000 calories or so per month. On the flip side, 2 tablespoons of full fat sour cream really doesn't have that many calories, so making a dish creamy and tasty is worth it.
    It is a journey. Tracking is like a road map to better health and mindful consuming. Informed choices.
    We are all in this together.

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