The Everything In Moderation Myth

savlyon

I came across this article today and was floored, because it basically established what I had already kind of thought. (Ya, I know, I'm so smart.)

I've had a lot of discussions about this as of late and I guess I just thought and accepted that I was kind of obsessed and too much into the fitness world as opposed to "real" living.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/12/everything-in-moderation_n_953804.html

Please read and discuss. I'd love to hear your thoughts. Oh, and if you have articles to prove the opposite, that anything in moderation is A-okay, then please post those as well.

I'd love to eat a donut.

Acg67

For weight loss all that is required is a calorie deficit, doesn't matter what the food choices are. Ideally you'd want to eat the majority of your foods from whole, minimally processed foods, but there is no reason you can't fit snacks or "bad" foods into your daily cals

http://www.wannabebig.com/diet-and-nutrition/the-dirt-on-clean-eating/

also look up discretionary kcal allowance

PinkEarthMama

There are one zillion answers to dieting, lifestyle changes, weight loss, and weight gain.

Weight loss is not and will never be " one size fits all ".

Some people can eat cake ( in moderation ) and not gain weight. Some people cannot.

Some people will lose weight by switching to diet soda. Others will lose weight. Some will stay the same.

Take what works for you, and run with it.

My1985Freckles

For weight loss all that is required is a calorie deficit, doesn't matter what the food choices are. Ideally you'd want to eat the majority of your foods from whole, minimally processed foods, but there is no reason you can't fit snacks or "bad" foods into your daily cals

http://www.wannabebig.com/diet-and-nutrition/the-dirt-on-clean-eating/

also look up discretionary kcal allowance

Based upon personal experience I must disagree. I was always under calories (and a healthy amount of calories-- no starvation mode here), but my sugar was out of control. I couldn't lose to save my life. I reduced my sugar intake and am losing again. Not all calories are created equal.

Rae6503

http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/news?slug=ycn-10839755


I've been eat my fair share of "crap" foods and it hasn't prevented me for reaching my goals (which are currently to gain but I lost just fine too).

bcattoes

That cake looked yummy!!!

I don't think much of that is news, really. I will never understand why anyone chooses to eat unhealhy food on a regular basis, regardless of whether you need to lose weight or not. I really just makes no sense to me.

jacksonpt

As with everything, it really comes down to perspective/context.

I'd bet that I can take almost any study/theory/rule of thumb, manipulate it somehow and prove it wrong. Why? Because the theory/rule is valid under a certain set of assumptions. Those assumptions are the determining factor.

All things in moderation... Does that mean I can have 6 chicken wings (rather than 2 dozen), a small serving of fries (rather than a big basket), 1 beer (rather than a 6-pack) and a small bowl of ice cream rather than a whole pint? No, it means I have have a little dessert every now and again assuming I have healthy and well balanced meal before.

ArroganceInStep

I don't buy it.

My interpretation of the article is that they were trying to explain multiple things at once to the point that it was misleading.

A good example is the slice of cake they used. I'm paraphrasing but they basically said 'it's not ok to eat everything in moderation because your interpretation of moderation might be skewed and your idea of a slice of cake might be 3 slices'. The problem there is not the cake, it's the portion size. The problem there is precisely moderation.

A lot of folks here who talk about calorie counting also talk about targets for protein and dietary fat. The examples they used like sugar free cereal or fat free potato chips were sorely lacking in both.

You need to set a maximum number of calories per day for an adequate deficit.
You need to set a minimum intake of protein
You need to set a minimum intake of dietary fat

Your diet should meet or exceed protein and fat targets while staying below your target calories (looking at it weekly is better, but I'm just using daily to make a point). Try to consume nutrient dense food where possible to get the micronutrients you may be missing out, but if you can eat a banana split or whatever and stay within your goals, more power to you.

UponThisRock

There are one zillion answers to dieting, lifestyle changes, weight loss, and weight gain.

Weight loss is not and will never be " one size fits all ".

Some people can eat cake ( in moderation ) and not gain weight. Some people cannot.

Some people will lose weight by switching to diet soda. Others will lose weight. Some will stay the same.

Take what works for you, and run with it.

The law of thermodynamics applies to EVERYONE.

ttate002

The article said this:
"Out of the calorie-obsessed culture sprouted the uplifting idea of "everything in moderation," which may have started as a way to help people feel less obsessed with food, but has spiraled into a free pass to "treat yourself" to a supersized ice cream sundae every week."

Then the Dr. said this:
"The goal is for people to relax, enjoy the pleasures and tastes of their food and reduce obsessions over nutrition labels and calorie or fat counts,” says Dr. Mozaffarian.

I'm confused. LOL!

nickscutie

I actually do not see how this article is about an "everything in moderation myth" at all.

The point seemed to be more about quality of your calories, which makes sense and is something that is personally important to me. Of course, if people are trying to lose weight AND get healthy they should be concerned with the types and sources of the food they are eating and not just the caloric content of the food they are eating.

People on these boards will often differentiate between wanting to lose weight and wanting to get healthy. There can be a difference.

And just because many peoples idea of portion sizing is out of whack, it does not mean that people who do understand healthy eating and portion control cannot operate with an everything in moderation mentality and successfully lose or maintain a healthy weight.

MaraDiaz

This part from the article is interesting. I'm assuming they're talking about epigenetics here, and I wish they would have expanded on that. I have no clue what they mean about the protein, though:

Even if you eat small portions, there are such things as “bad” foods, and even a small amount of a bad thing does not equal a good thing. “The food you eat affects your proteins and genes long after it has passed out of your body,” says YouBeauty co-founder Dr. Michael Roizen. “For example, if you consume too much sugar it changes your protein structure for the entire life of that protein, which is 180 days -- so that means that the protein stops doing its job for 180 days.”

bcattoes

There are one zillion answers to dieting, lifestyle changes, weight loss, and weight gain.

Weight loss is not and will never be " one size fits all ".

Some people can eat cake ( in moderation ) and not gain weight. Some people cannot.

Some people will lose weight by switching to diet soda. Others will lose weight. Some will stay the same.

Take what works for you, and run with it.

The law of thermodynamics applies to EVERYONE.

That in no way ensures that everyone will gain or lose weight in the same manner though.

UpEarly

I'm not going to link any articles or share any scientific evidence or proof. But I am going to say that 'Everything in Moderation' worked for me. I got to my goal weight effortlessly, without dieting and without ever hitting a plateau. Every time I got on the scale (which was monthly) I was happy with the number I saw. I lifted weights. I did cardio. I lived my life and didn't let weight loss get in the way of my social life (family meals, holidays, birthday celebrations, dinners out with friends). All I did was set MFP to lose a half pound a week and ate most of my exercise calories, which usually put me in the 1800-2400 calorie range. I just made sure to count everything accurately, and not go over.

You say you want a donut... maybe you should! I had a donut or two almost every weekend, while I worked on losing fifty pounds. I still ate pizza. I still ate burgers. I still ate cake. But, I also ate old-fashioned oatmeal, multi-grain pasta, tons of veggies, fruit and lean meat.

I didn't eat much 'diet' food at all - no Lean Cuisines, no fat-free cheese/sour cream/ice cream/salad dressing/. You won't find 100-calorie snack packs, rice cakes or (other than very occasional) diet sodas in my diary.

I don't know why it worked scientifically, but it worked! I don't know if it would work the same way for others, but moderation absolutely worked for me.

Silverkittycat

This part from the article is interesting. I'm assuming they're talking about epigenetics here, and I wish they would have expanded on that. I have no clue what they mean about the protein, though:

Even if you eat small portions, there are such things as “bad” foods, and even a small amount of a bad thing does not equal a good thing. “The food you eat affects your proteins and genes long after it has passed out of your body,” says YouBeauty co-founder Dr. Michael Roizen. “For example, if you consume too much sugar it changes your protein structure for the entire life of that protein, which is 180 days -- so that means that the protein stops doing its job for 180 days.”

No clue. I believe it's from the book he co-authored with Dr. Oz - You the Owner's Manual.

FearAnLoathing

well lets see ive lost 60 pounds eating dougnuts,fast food and drinking booze.

Drunkadelic

The law of thermodynamics applies to EVERYONE.

I would like to point out that there is more than one law of thermodynamics.

But yes, they do apply to everything.

berv0009

Different things work for different people. I have lost nearly 50 lbs and I just ate 2 cupcakes this afternoon. Yep, I did. haha

I love sweets and I love to bake. Is it always the best choice? No. But they are the choices I make and I work damn hard to be able to make them.

Find out what works for you and.....................

To each their own! :drinker:

I also drink beer. Lots of it.

infamousmk

Didn't read it.. just thought I'd mention that when I'm counting calories and fitting not-healthy foods in to my daily caloric needs, as long as I maintain a deficit, I lose weight. And I get treats and beer. So win-win for me.

kdiamond

For weight loss all that is required is a calorie deficit, doesn't matter what the food choices are. Ideally you'd want to eat the majority of your foods from whole, minimally processed foods, but there is no reason you can't fit snacks or "bad" foods into your daily cals

http://www.wannabebig.com/diet-and-nutrition/the-dirt-on-clean-eating/

also look up discretionary kcal allowance

Agreed. I have been of or around the same weight for 6+ years now and it has everything to do with my calorie counting. I eat junk stuff at least once a week, and I eat some kind of snack (pudding, brownie, cookie, etc) every single day.

eve7166

There are one zillion answers to dieting, lifestyle changes, weight loss, and weight gain.

Weight loss is not and will never be " one size fits all ".

Some people can eat cake ( in moderation ) and not gain weight. Some people cannot.

Some people will lose weight by switching to diet soda. Others will lose weight. Some will stay the same.

Take what works for you, and run with it.

I totally agree... If I even look at rice ,pasta, or donuts or cake even it is withing my calories i either dont lose or gain weight that week..doesnt matter if i dont eat ANYTHING and im below my goal ...i will not lose or gain..however diet coke doesnt make me crave sweets which alot of people say it does....it actually helps me control my sweet tooth and keeps me feeling full and i will lose weight... i say experiment and do what works