all things in moderation???... REALLY???

lq022

So I have been REALLY doing the whole weight loss thing for about 2 months .. definately looking better and feeling better due to consistant and CONSTANT exercise ... but my eating is still so ****ty lol .. For the past week I have been doing the whole 6 mini meals thing ... and I have never been one to SHUN certain foods completely (I did it once back in July -- no chips or full-fat sandwichs for 2 weeks until my bday lol) .. and it worked .. buttttt all the "experts" say "Dont cut anything out! Learn to eat everything in moderation" ... But for someone who is roughly 100 pounds overweight, like myself, doing the moderation thing is basically giving me permission to overindulge. ... I cant DO moderation when it comes to anything remotely resemebling a chip, piece of cake, chocolate-covered-dipped-and-then-smeared-with-shame ANYTHING .. So FINALLY MFP, Please tell me . Do you just BLOCK all these things until you THINK you can have a serving of chips without devouring the entire bag? Or, am I destined to go through this frigin rollercoaster of eating fantastic for a few days until I encounter a cookie and end up feeling like a cheap hooker afterwards? THOUGHTS

SusanneWhittington

they have the small chips bags, I only buy small bags, that helps. Or I open a bigger bag and portion that into ziploc bags.

rockerbabyy

i didnt think i could ever do moderation.. but when i stopped thinking about "dieting" and started thinking im changing my life, it kinda just started happening? i have a cheat day once a week and i think that helps...but i dont really know how moderation came about. i just know that i can keep all my cheat foods in the house and not touch em all week..sometimes not even on my cheat days. i can sit and watch hubby eat nachos and chips and candy and not feel the urge to reach over and have a few *shrug*

EMc4452

I'm still trying to figure this one out for myself. Seems I do great when I completely cut that stuff out...but eventually the cravings come on in full force. I'm trying to find the right balance.

SergeantSunshine_reused

Haha xD My thought is to work more on portion control :] If you don't build up the will power now you never will!

kkauz42

what if you only had the mini bags of chips? Therefore you can eat a whole bag AND it's in moderation! Also, there are a lot of 100 calorie pack options too! Or Fiber One brownies that are 90 calories and I think they are pretty good!

pmlovat

Do what works for you...Just stay under your calorie goals...

catlady100

If I can't have it in moderation, I try not to keep it in the house. But that's really only a couple things for me (not that I don't go overboard with other things sometimes...but specific things that have me going back and getting a "little bit more" until it's all gone, I really try not to keep around.

For me it's just certain baked goods eg: cakes, pastries etc.. so i try not to buy a whole cake, or pie or a lot of pastries at one time.

ETA: not that i don't eat a piece of pie or cake or pastries...i just don't buy a whole cake or pie or two bags or pastries at a time.

sjd2010

When I started originally, I had to stay away. I could not to the "in moderation" thing. Eventually, I have learned to do it, but it is not easy. You have to do what works best for you. Good Luck!:flowerforyou:

Athena413

I'm almost at 70 lbs lost and there's nothing I "can't" eat. I eat whatever I want - just in moderation. It's a self control thing. At first I kind of had to play mind games with myself, but after you get over the initial cravings, it's really not that bad.

chevy88grl

Well. When I first started out, I went with an "all or nothing" stance. I was determined to get the weight off and I felt that anything from my old life would lead me back down the same road. So, I stopped eating all of it. Let me tell you that it didn't take long for me to become very resentful about it. I started to feel the same way I did when I used to "diet". Depressed. Hungry. I would dream about all the foods I loved so much. I knew that I had to step off that all or nothing train or it was going to derail into a massive binge.

I started to read labels. I started to measure my food. I started to learn about serving sizes. I slowly learned what foods were worth the calories and what foods weren't.

I hit my goal weight, dropped a few more pounds and have been maintaining. I STILL read labels, I STILL follow serving sizes and I've gotten very good at eyeballing a serving size of many things.

I think you CAN learn to eat in moderation. Is it easy? Nope. When I first started, I was always disappointed in what seemed to be a small serving of something I really loved. Now? Not so much. I know what a serving size is, I follow it and instead of being disappointed at the small amount of something - I've learned to enjoy it.

It takes time, patience, motivation, determination and most of all willpower, but it CAN be done.

There are foods I no longer eat - not because they are "off limits", but I've simply found they aren't worth the calories. Fast food, pop, etc are things I don't consume because I won't waste my calories on them.

LKBuckingham

Humans naturally eat everything infront of them... Grab a hand full from the bag of chips, put them in a bowl, and put the bag back in the cupboard. Try and do that with every food that isn't that healthy that you love. I had to get used to this also, if I didn't do this, I could eat the whole bad /: I believe cutting something out completely will only lead to worse overindulging.

Court222010

I struggle with this as well. It seems as if my diet happens in spurts. I do really well for a week, and then when I think I can handle a few chips, fries, or a little dessert, my self control goes out the window and I over-indulge big time! I've only been on MFP for about a month now and I've lost about 6 pounds but I'm really hoping for more weight loss. I eat pretty much all the same foods that I used to, I just cut down my portion size. However, like I mentioned, my will power is not completely strong yet so I've had some slip ups that make me feel super guilty and upset. I just continue to tell myself that I can take one day at a time, and if I eat like crap one day, there's stll tomorrow to work it off and do better! If you find a way to fight the mind controlling craving monster, LET ME KNOW!

JoDeeD

I never eat chips out of the bag (when I have them around the house which is rare), instead I actually weigh out a serving and limit myself to the serving. The main things I am working on is self control. I use to eat an entire box of Little Debbie brownies in one sitting. I won't allow myself to buy those yet. I have done great with my kids' candy. I don't have nearly as much to lose as you, but I have noticed that just by changing my eating habits I have lost weight. I am rarely hungry. I still allow myself a piece of chocolate a couple times a weeks. My hopes are to prevent me from over indulging. I was also told by someone on weight watchers that they were told to pick 1 habit to change like drinking water instead of juice or diet soda and do that. After a couple of weeks you have formed a new habit. When that is comfortable pick another habit to correct. It may take longer to reach your goal this way, but you are creating a lifestyle change instead of dieting. Good luck!

Hayesgang

No food is off limits for me - not even bread and chips and at one time they were my best friends. I've done that in the past then I binge on whatever it is and beat myself for it - I just can't do that anymore. Its a lifestyle not a diet for me.

Sometimes if I have craving I'll have a serving and a half of something BUT everything goes on a plate and I really think about it, no more mindless eating.

You can do it - I does get easier. Its a process, it's retraining your thinking about food.

mochama12487

I have to allow myself to eat the things that I like such as chocolate cake or what not because if I don't, then I will binge and eat a crap load of it all at once. I do think it is better for me, but you have to do what you have to do. Yes, there are times when I do a serving of something that ends up being more like 2 or 3 servings, but then I get it out of my system and end up eating better for a while. I don't know. To each his own...

catwrangler

Good old willpower. I do not have it.

I can go for 6 days being perfect, then comes day 7 and I PIG OUT. I can get back on the wagon after a day or 2. Results: I am a PRO at weight maintenance. I am determined to lose a pound this week so this weekend I am being very strict with myself.

The moral of my story is yes, you need to keep certain foods out of your life for awhile. Doesn't mean forever. If your "cheat day: lasts for a week, then you know you can't handle cheat days. When you lose the weight and start to maintain, then you can let some things back in.

If you want a candy bar, fine, work for it. Burn 300 calories and it's yours :bigsmile:

tmarie2715

So I have been REALLY doing the whole weight loss thing for about 2 months .. definately looking better and feeling better due to consistant and CONSTANT exercise ... but my eating is still so ****ty lol .. For the past week I have been doing the whole 6 mini meals thing ... and I have never been one to SHUN certain foods completely (I did it once back in July -- no chips or full-fat sandwichs for 2 weeks until my bday lol) .. and it worked .. buttttt all the "experts" say "Dont cut anything out! Learn to eat everything in moderation" ... But for someone who is roughly 100 pounds overweight, like myself, doing the moderation thing is basically giving me permission to overindulge. ... I cant DO moderation when it comes to anything remotely resemebling a chip, piece of cake, chocolate-covered-dipped-and-then-smeared-with-shame ANYTHING .. So FINALLY MFP, Please tell me . Do you just BLOCK all these things until you THINK you can have a serving of chips without devouring the entire bag? Or, am I destined to go through this frigin rollercoaster of eating fantastic for a few days until I encounter a cookie and end up feeling like a cheap hooker afterwards? THOUGHTS

Yes, baby, I think you need to cut out full fat chips and mayo and the like. I swear you will begin to like normal and low fat foods again! Try avocado in a sandwich instead of mayo and vinegar and teeny bit of oil instead of dressing. Yes, you will feel like a freak among your current friends / coworkers, yes it takes adjustment. You can do this and if you want to lose that 100 you will.

GL!

avaloneternal

Only you know what will work for you. I personally don't do well when something is forbidden. I only want it more. When I feel out of control I try to take a break from whatever it is until I feel more in control. I will eat veggies and then go back to what I wanted to binge on or I will put some orajel on my tongue to numb it so I can't taste for a few minutes. That is usually enough to snap me out of my binge frenzy. Hope you can find a system that works for you long term.

ahsongbird

You really just have to do what works for you, some people say everything in moderation, but for me my weakness is taco bell. I HAD to cut it out completely bc I cannot eat a small amount, same thing with pop, I end up just putting a tiny bit in my cup and thinkig it wont hurt but then it turns into another tiny bit and another etc. so I had to cut that out too.

1953Judith

Instead of trying to moderation on all of your trigger foods, one idea might be to start with just one to "moderate" -- maybe the chips. Keep your focus on controlling the one item for a couple of weeks and then add the next trigger food item. Keep mastering them one at a time. It is a lot less of overwhelming; leads to better long term habits; and probably doesn't impact your long term weight loss goal, just a few short term ones.

Ooops, I just read that someone else made this same suggestion. I will say that focusing on one bad habit at a time has really kept me on track and healthy. Currently I am focusing on managing my salt intake.