Moderator or Abstainer, Which Are You?

Bonita_Lynne_58

Moderator! The only way I can sustain this lifestyle change is by not allowing myself to feel deprived. Nothing is totally off limits.

SWEETS1234

moderator.... i love yummy FOOD

VeganInTraining

a little of both. There are some things I must abstain from completely (alcohol being one of them) then there are other things I consume moderately....more and more I am becoming an abstainer though

tross0924

Moderator

lind3400

the ony thing in the world I CAN'T sto peating is potato chips... I tried giving them up but I can't so I let myself have one of those individual bags on Fridays and fit it into my calories and I'm good for another week

meltygarden

Moderator. I ain't doing this thing if it means giving up the pleasures in life. And yes, food is a pleasure. Screw this "eat to live" stuff. I LOVE FOOD. I love cooking really damned good food, I love having friends over for awesome dinner parties, I enjoy trying new exotic food in exotic places. I can be moderate, every meal doesn't have to be a Vegas show, but I am not going to eat raw vegetables with fat-free astringent-tasting 'substitute' sauces the rest of my life. Or ever.

MsBaby117

I'm a moderator...If you completely cut out certain foods not only will you drive yourself crazy but then your life consists of being on a DIET...I'm not on a diet. I'm making a LIFESTYLE change and with my lifestyle change I can still have whatever I want just in moderation :flowerforyou:

RosieStringer9

Moderator, definitely!

titianwasp

When I am trying to make a change, it's all or nothing. I guess I am an abstainer. Diets that don't leave me a little hungry make it difficult to keep my focus and motivation. Perhaps that makes me a combination of the two...my calories are abstinance level - but no food in particular is off limits.

taso42

Moderator. Life is for living.

CAH1968

abstainer mostly. I tend to be all or nothing. (it's why I got fat!) Lost 50 lbs since last May by sticking to my plan and allowing some treats in moderation on Thanksgiving and Christmas! And few days here and there.....

JennieAL

Moderator with food, abstainer with alcohol.

onedayillbamilf

Moderator when it comes to food. Abstainer when it comes to dating.

Just1forMe

I believe in moderation (for me ...I don't drink alcohol though because I think it's a complete waste of calories. I luckily have never had a problem with binging and I love that I can have a taste of something or splurge once in a while when I have the calories to "spend" and not feel guilty about it!

Unknown

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gabadabadoo

A bit of both. This time around, so that I wouldn't give up on my commitment, I am allowing myself yummy snacks when I feel like it, but try to moderate how much of them I eat. So I do keep snacks in the house - but I try to make sure they are not really high-cal - and I make sure they're not made of chocolate, because I know that one is a gateway drug for me (I also skip the confectionary isle in the supermarket because I know the marketing works on me :noway: )!

But if I am out and about at a cafe with friends, I won't stop myself from eating something chocolate if I really want it (and the social pressure to not make a pig of myself in public will stop me from keeping on guzzling non stop) - so I suppose I don't really abstain completely, just from bringing my old friend chocolate into my house.

XXXMinnieXXX

Moderator.

That's not to say I don't screw up and binge. But... to me, this diet game is about teaching myself to have a healthy relationship with food- ALL FOOD- and I can't do that if I say 'no, never!' about food.

This xxx

UsedToBeHusky

Absolutely a moderator... the thought of never having the foods that I like ever again will destroy my motivation. I will choose good tasting food over good health. I know it sounds terrible but its the truth. I'd rather be fat and happy than thin and miserable. Of course, moderation makes it possible for me to have the best of both worlds; good-tasting food and good health.

AnnaPixie

Mostly a moderator, but there are certain things that I have to abstain from as I just dont have the calories to spare - like cheesecake, KFC, biscuits and cakes (although I do substitue with low cal alternatives).

I just can't be moderate about chocolate or KFC :noway:

bluebird321

Abstainer except for one day out of the week.

runfoodierun

moderator. but I have to add, I dont get panicky really at the idea of not having something. I think actually I just realize I can have anything. In moderation.

janegalt37

Moderator... except that I tend to work my butt off so my definition of "occasional" is a little more frequent than others' definition might be. :laugh:

Have I told you lately that I love you? :laugh:
Thanks for being my MFP friend. You're such an inspiration. :flowerforyou:

tsh0ck

frequent moderator ... because I'm still wanting to live and enjoy life. but in two months I've been under calorie limit every day, thanks to smart moderating and the gym.

(today I moderated some taco bell ... and seems we have pizza coming to the office tonight. I shall moderate myself a pair of slices of that as well.)



ETA: while some people certainly have struggles with moderation, I believe we all have that ability. it's all about will power. you have control of your own body. do I want some things I don't eat or want more of things I do? hell, yes. but I am stronger than my urges. I have the ability to shut the fridge, turn around and walk away. and when I think about it in terms of losing -- "do I want 5 cookies rather than 1, or do I want to lose an extra half a pound this week?" it generally does the trick.

it's really no different from going to the gym. once you make that a habit, a part of your life, you don't have to force yourself to go 90-plus percent of the time. it's just something you do. same with moderation.

tnrunningnurse

Moderator

chipaddict

Definitely a moderator, but I could do with a bit more moderation!

tsh0ck

Mostly a moderator, but there are certain things that I have to abstain from as I just dont have the calories to spare - like cheesecake, KFC, biscuits and cakes (although I do substitue with low cal alternatives).

I just can't be moderate about chocolate or KFC :noway:

discovered that KFC drumsticks, original recipe, are something like 190 calories apiece. So those aren't bad at all, if you've got the room. of course, sodium and whatnot are high, but strictly calories, not terrible.

Silverkittycat

Excess on occasion is exhilarating. It prevents moderation from acquiring the deadening effect of a habit.
W. Somerset Maugham

k4evans1

I'm a wanna be abstainer who is struggling along as a moderator. I have realized that once I taste sugar- that's all I crave and I can't stop. I think abstaining would work best for me but it's going to be SO hard! Food are drugs- I swear!

Sister_Someone

I'm definitely an abstainer.

The moderation thing just doesn't do it for me, I'm sorry. A couple of Oreos won't satisfy my craving. I didn't want to just taste one Oreo, I wanted to eat the entire sleeve. (half a cake, the whole pizza, the whole bag of chips... pick your poison). When I have to make myself put down the package, that's when I start feeling deprived.

On the other hand, when I decide I'm not having any, than that's it. I can happily go about my business, since having some isn't an option, I don't even bother thinking about it And if the thought does cross my mind, It's in the second conditional, a hypothetical thought - I'd eat an entire sleeve of Oreos (,if I weren't avoiding sweets). But I am avoiding sweets, therefore, no sleeve of Oreos for me.

liog

I'm mostly an abstainer. If there is a bag of reeses peanut butter cups in the house, I can't eat just one or two because all I do is think about them in the pantry. I will eat the whole bag in a day or two. Same with any candy, cake, soda. Out of sight, out of mind, most of the time. I'll have a piece of cake or candy, but all I allow myself access to is a piece any more than that within reach and I inhale it.