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

cmriverside

It sounds like you would be good in some sort of accountablilty challenge, since you are naturally competitive.

Find one where you keep count of how many days you go without _ _ _ _ _ - be it sugar, or late night snacks, or chips, or whatever your vice.

If you have to "win" the challenge (even if it really is against YOU) then maybe you'll be able to stick to it.

Last year I had a thread where I challenged people (mostly ME) to stop sugar. I managed to finally wean myself off it. The first month I had a lot of trouble. The second month it was much easier. The third month - no problem.

I agree with Chevy88girl above. She's got the great advice!

dropofhope

I think you can enjoy everything in moderation. But it still requires you to make healthy choices. When I work late I still stop at McDonald's occassionally. I order the grilled chicken sandwhich with no cheese and no mayo, it's only 300 calories! I can order small fries for 230 calories!!! I don't feel deprived and I've stayed close to my 500 calorie dinner goal. After 30 years I'm finally starting to understand that I have complete control over what I put in my body. I can eat well or I can eat crap, it's my choice and I have to live or die by my choices. I'm not perfect and I'll never be model thin but I can improve the quality of my life and not feel deprived...

WifeNMama

I've found when I have the things I love regularly, and make sure I burn enough calories that they fit in my plan, I don't have any urge to overindulge. Otherwise, I know I'd crack and binge. When it's not off limits, it doesn't have have the "forbidden fruit" appeal. Plus, I make sure that even if I don't eat everything I love, I have to love everything I eat. If all I have is bland food, I'm not happy. If I have delicious dinners like the chicken teriyaki I had tonight, I'm satisfied. (And if I can burn enough calories that I can have chicken teriyaki, apple pie and captain morgan, I'm even more satisfied!)

This. Burn the calories first, then have a treat. It's my motivation to exercise. :-) also, if you plan a treat into the day, it doesn't become extra calories. And don't bring a whole bag or box or pan of food with you to eat while watching tv. I swear, the tv is the biggest enabler for mindless eating. Read the nutrition label before you eat. Are 12 chips worth 300 calories to you or would you rather have a couple of cookies? Not both. :-)
If you have a definite trigger food, keep it out of the house until you feel confident that you can control your impulse to gorge on it. Best wishes to you.

discodaddy61

stay true to your plan all week and then on saturday allow yourself at dinner to eat anything you want including desert that way you wont feel as you have cut everything plus you wont over indulge. also as you continue your progress you will see it is easier to get by without them as your body doesnt crave them anymore.

stephreed11

Perhaps different people view "moderation" differently.

For me, "in moderation" means I don't HAVE to say no to the things that I enjoy (like cake or pizza). I simply eat a smaller portion of it. Americans views on serving sizes are so screwed up. We've been handed huge plates of food for so long that we have NO idea what is a true serving size of rice or whatever. Learning what the serving sizes are (and everything has a serving size...everything) and follow them is, in my opinion, learning to eat "in moderation".

You can still have the things that you love. Let's face it - this is the only life we have to live and I plan to enjoy it too. I don't want to go the rest of my life without enjoying a piece of birthday cake, some cookies, pizza or whatever - I want to ENJOY life... but I want to enjoy it while wearing my size 8 pants. You CAN do both (enjoy it AND be thinner) -- it just takes time, patience and some willpower.

^ Couldn't of said it better!

HMonsterX

Again, i agree with a lot of posters on this one. I'm not on a "diet". I just eat in moderation and exercise doing things i love to do. I do what was mentioned earlier, the fun size chocolate bars, 80 cals each, log it, and it's all good. If i want that 450 chocolate sundae i think "Is it worth the money? 450 cals for one snack? That could be 5 and a bit fun size bars through the day! Do i really want to blow 450 in one go?". If the answer is yes, great! I have it, guilt free! I just log it, and then cut back the rest of the day!

ashleycat23

Again, i agree with a lot of posters on this one. I'm not on a "diet". I just eat in moderation and exercise doing things i love to do. I do what was mentioned earlier, the fun size chocolate bars, 80 cals each, log it, and it's all good. If i want that 450 chocolate sundae i think "Is it worth the money? 450 cals for one snack? That could be 5 and a bit fun size bars through the day! Do i really want to blow 450 in one go?". If the answer is yes, great! I have it, guilt free! I just log it, and then cut back the rest of the day!

i love this!