Everything in moderation? Really?

odusgolp

Except wine...

And cheese

yoovie

I use moderation in moderation. Sometimes extremes are necessary yo.

jcstanton

No, you aren't.
Everyone has their opinion, and we all have things that work for us and things that don't. To each, their own. I do believe in everything in moderation but can see how it doesn't work for all.

Indeed...and here is another of my opinions:
My thought is that many of the biggest proponents in "everything in moderation" are using it as a crutch and they may not even know it. And that belief may be what is making their attempts at a new dietary lifestyle so difficult to keep. That overcoming what some may even call an "addiction" (but I will just call a "strong reliance on") may not be a lifetime of deprivation that they think it will be, but instead a liberation from the power that food has over their lives. But until they get out from under "everything in moderation", it's a liberation they may never know.

It actually is a physical addiction to all the sugars and chemical additives in the processed foods and drinks. I say this because, when I cut it all out cold turkey, I started experiencing symptoms of withdrawal...headaches, nausea, moodiness, shakiness, etc... Definitely not to the extreme that a drug or alcohol addict would experience, but the symptoms were there, nonetheless. These symptoms lasted for a couple of days. Personally, that's my biggest motivation in staying away from it. I know how hard it was to come off of it, and I know, from personal experience, that the more of it I eat, the more I want. It always starts with "just a little taste", then before you know it, you're overindulging on a daily basis. If it's that hard to get it out of my system, it can't possibly be even a little bit good for me. All of that being said, in addition to processed food having some physically addictive properties, for some people it's also an emotional addiction. When you're stressed, anxious, frustrated, etc... junk food and such can have a soothing effect. That feeling, that initial "high", can become addictive.

krisiepoo

No, you aren't.
Everyone has their opinion, and we all have things that work for us and things that don't. To each, their own. I do believe in everything in moderation but can see how it doesn't work for all.

Indeed...and here is another of my opinions:
My thought is that many of the biggest proponents in "everything in moderation" are using it as a crutch and they may not even know it. And that belief may be what is making their attempts at a new dietary lifestyle so difficult to keep. That overcoming what some may even call an "addiction" (but I will just call a "strong reliance on") may not be a lifetime of deprivation that they think it will be, but instead a liberation from the power that food has over their lives. But until they get out from under "everything in moderation", it's a liberation they may never know.

You are making an assumption here that a 'moderation' lifestyle is 'so difficult to keep'. It is the easiest thing I've done. I eat pretty much the same way I always have, just in smaller quantities. What's so hard about that?

Yes, this ^^... I refuse to cut things out of my lifestyle. I'm not on here to *diet* I'm here to make a lifelong lasting change. This change does not include telling myself I can't have something.

krystyleee

I'm always very confused why people worry so much about what other people do. If restricting foods works for you, do it. If everything in moderation works better, do it. Who the heck cares what works for the next person? I personally don't care what others do to lose weight - I'm focused on me and my goals.
{snip}

This^^ ... Everytime I see a thread like this one get started, I think this same thing. I can't understand why some people think it's their duty to be the lifestyle police of MFP. :huh:

QFT!!! :drinker:

I agree! Of course we're here to give opinions and advice, however we should respect that everyone is different. And just because something works for someone, doesn't mean it will work for another! I say everything in moderation because it works for me. Now I don't think "everything" should be taken so literally. I don't eat EVERYTHING. But there are a few things like ice cream or chocolate that I will have in moderation and that works for ME. I wouldn't tell anyone who thinks otherwise to be like me or to stop. Whatever is working for them, congrats!

However, I agree people DO use moderation as an excuse to over eat. That's their problem and they have to realize it for themselves. Hopefully they do

ArroganceInStep

That was entirely my point. This concept of foods in moderation is an entirely personal decision. I would argue that eating those unhealthy foods in moderation is 'better' but that's a matter of opinion (to use alcohol as a parallel, I similarly think the person who can have a few drinks on occassion has a healthier relationship with booze than the recovering alcoholic who can't have any, though there is of course nothing wrong with the recovering person's strategy since that's what he or she has to do to stay healthy). I think the reason a lot of people advocate this approach is because they, like me, believe it to be 'better' than total abstinence for just the reason I explained. Taking as an assumption that 'unhealthy' food in moderation (i.e. still allowing you to meet your nutrient and total caloric intake targets) isn't bad for you, being able to enjoy that indulgence from time to time could be seen as having a 'better' relationship with that particular type of food. At the end of the day, it entirely boils down to what works best for you individually. If you have to abstain, do that. If you have to have a treat from time to time, do that. People have been successful (and unsuccessful) with both strategies.

Isn't it a false dichotomy though? I'm not saying the choice is between everything in moderation and nothing in moderation. People who have been successful in eliminating certain foods from their diets are most likely eating the foods they eat in moderation. So not only are they eating foods in moderation, but also they are completely omitting certain foods that they have deemed not healthy (or at least not optimal).

While I'm not saying those who follow EIM are necessarily being unhealthy, I believe it's a bit of a stretch to equate a decision to eat only a little bit of a food considered to be unhealthy as healthier than a decision to eat none of it.

You are certainly entitled to that opinion, but it betrays the underlying principle upon which we disagree. For the same reason I thought the casual drinker's one or two pints a month is a healthier relationship with beer than the recovering alcoholic's, I think that being able to eat 'unhealthy' foods in small enough quantities that they cease to be unhealthy is a healthier relationship than total abstinence. You clearly think they're unhealthy in any quantity, so of course even moderation is 'bad'. Agree to disagree I imagine.

Krissy366

Centuries worth of cultures around the world would find your statement utterly ridiculous. Food is part of life. It's part of ritual, and family, and local custom and many other things. All throughout time people found joy through food and celebration. It wasn't until the scientist got involved that food got a bad rap.

I agree with this except for blaming the scientists. It is when we started abusing ourselves with food that the problems started. Just as alcohol can be a fun and healthy part of gatherings and celebrations, so can food of all types. But when you party 24/7 you will run into problems.

I certainly am not advocating for partying 24/7 (or partying at all). And I don't think anyone else here is either. My comment regarding food and celebration through time was directly related to a comment stating that people should basically all view food as fuel and nothing else.

And scientists get the blame because the more "answers" they come up with the more our foods are manipulated to not even closely resemble the foods they once were. Foods created in labs (by scientists) are not nearly as healthful as foods created by nature, but unfortunately, even the foods created by nature are being manipulated. Then you have things like "go-gurt" - which is full of sugar and HFCS, so it's essentially liquid candy disguising itself as yogurt. But parents feed it to their kids thinking they are giving them something healthy - so lack of truth in advertising is to blame as well. It's not as simple as people abusing themselves. People, quite frankly, often have no idea what's healthy and what's not. Sure, Twinkies are obviously bad, but not everything is obvious.

mrsbastone

I do not believe in the everything in moderation philosophy either. Many friends and family think i am crazy for thinking this. Everybody knows themselves well enough to know what are their trigger foods and the foods that are of no quality. I have noticed the people who believe in moderation the most usually just dont want to give up their favorite foods.

IRun4Me_12

I certainly don't believe in completely depriving myself of delicious, unhealthy foods that I enjoy. I love me some taco bell, or barbeque, or chocolate cake. However, I hate when people use the "everything in moderation" phrase to justify eating these things on a regular basis. When I say I try to eat these things every once in a while, I mean it. So yes, I do eat these things in moderation, but for me moderation means treating myself every few weeks or even months, not every weekend or every day.

^^^ This is my philosophy....and I've lost 37 pounds by following it. I can honestly say that I rarely have cravings for the stuff I used to eat ALL the time. When I do have a craving, I don't always indulge, but I know that every once in a while it is OK.

Spanaval

I have noticed the people who believe in moderation the most usually just dont want to give up their favorite foods.

Of course. That's the point of moderation. That no food (that you like) is really off limits. As long as it does not affect one's health and fitness goals, does it matter if it is accomplished by giving up all foods that are unhealthy for one, or by eating mostly healthy foods, but also allowing oneself the freedom to indulge in foods they like?

alexis831

I do not believe in the everything in moderation philosophy either. I am reading this as I eat my Twix candy bar, finish up my donut, & drink the rest of my coffee with a packet of hot cocoa in it full of sugar (seeing as I am already 60 grams over my sugar intake MFP has me on per day), so that I can then eat my processed breakfast sandwich with processed bread and cheese and eggs and sausage dripping in syrup. And I realize... I am quite happy with my 16.3% body fat I have achieved while not limiting myself to anything and I am quite happy with my food too. To each their own! Now I am going to go eat! Have fun debating and eating cardboard

ironanimal

All I have to say is you will never take my chocolate chip cookies from me.

caraiselite

as an overeater, i cannot do moderation.
i'm an all or nothing kinda girl.

beckajw

No, you aren't.
Everyone has their opinion, and we all have things that work for us and things that don't. To each, their own. I do believe in everything in moderation but can see how it doesn't work for all.

Indeed...and here is another of my opinions:
My thought is that many of the biggest proponents in "everything in moderation" are using it as a crutch and they may not even know it. And that belief may be what is making their attempts at a new dietary lifestyle so difficult to keep. That overcoming what some may even call an "addiction" (but I will just call a "strong reliance on") may not be a lifetime of deprivation that they think it will be, but instead a liberation from the power that food has over their lives. But until they get out from under "everything in moderation", it's a liberation they may never know.

For me it was exactly the opposite. When I totally cut out certain foods and told myself I couldn't have them, I would end up binging on them. It was when I decided to do everything in moderation that I got my eating under control. I was able to adopt a healthy lifestyle with junk thrown in every now and then. I've been liberated from my food obsession by keeping everything in moderation.

ggcat

I agree. I don't believe in cheat days either. There are plenty of things that I just can't bring myself to eat. No eating experience is good enough to be worth how bad I feel afterwards.

Agreed as well!

TexanThom

I do not believe in the everything in moderation philosophy either. I am reading this as I eat my Twix candy bar, finish up my donut, & drink the rest of my coffee with a packet of hot cocoa in it full of sugar (seeing as I am already 60 grams over my sugar intake MFP has me on per day), so that I can then eat my processed breakfast sandwich with processed bread and cheese and eggs and sausage dripping in syrup. And I realize... I am quite happy with my 16.3% body fat I have achieved while not limiting myself to anything and I am quite happy with my food too. To each their own! Now I am going to go eat! Have fun debating and eating cardboard

You missed the point...If you eat like you are talking about without doing it in moderation, you're body fat will be WAY higher than 16.9%.

newcs

A few months ago, I would have vehemently disagreed with you. Since then, I've tried to cut processed foods and chemicals out as much as possible. I've found that fast food tastes funny to me now (whereas I grew up eating it constantly) and that I can actually taste the awesome aspects of natural foods more now that I don't really eat much processed stuff (example: hated plain roasted almonds before, now I think they taste sweet and no longer buy the flavored ones).

I still very much believe all REAL foods in moderation. I eat cake, cookies, ice cream, pizza etc but I also make most things myself from scratch and know exactly what's going into it or I buy brands I trust. I think getting to this point is a VERY long process though and for some people it's just not a priority. That's fine with me...they can have the fast food, I'll take the beets

bcattoes

I do not believe in the everything in moderation philosophy either. I am reading this as I eat my Twix candy bar, finish up my donut, & drink the rest of my coffee with a packet of hot cocoa in it full of sugar (seeing as I am already 60 grams over my sugar intake MFP has me on per day), so that I can then eat my processed breakfast sandwich with processed bread and cheese and eggs and sausage dripping in syrup. And I realize... I am quite happy with my 16.3% body fat I have achieved while not limiting myself to anything and I am quite happy with my food too. To each their own! Now I am going to go eat! Have fun debating and eating cardboard

Are those the only choices in your world? Cardboard or candy, donuts and egg sandwiches with syrup (:sick: )?? That's a mighty sad world you live in friend. My BF would be lower than 16% if those were the only choices I had.

ironanimal

I do not believe in the everything in moderation philosophy either. I am reading this as I eat my Twix candy bar, finish up my donut, & drink the rest of my coffee with a packet of hot cocoa in it full of sugar (seeing as I am already 60 grams over my sugar intake MFP has me on per day), so that I can then eat my processed breakfast sandwich with processed bread and cheese and eggs and sausage dripping in syrup. And I realize... I am quite happy with my 16.3% body fat I have achieved while not limiting myself to anything and I am quite happy with my food too. To each their own! Now I am going to go eat! Have fun debating and eating cardboard

Are those the only choices in your world? Cardboard or candy, donuts and egg sandwiches with syrup (:sick: )?? That's a mighty sad world you live in friend. My BF would be lower than 16% if those were the only choices I had.

The point <

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EmCarroll1990

This made me think I should do a blind fold test and see if I actually enjoy what is being fed to me...