Restriction or Moderation??

lisamarie2181
lisamarie2181 Posts: 560 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hey everyone!!

I just wanted to see what your preferences are when changing your lifestyle - does having restrictions with certain foods help you stay on track or does moderation work better for you?

I find for myself, restricting has been the way to go for me. I eat low carb for medical reasons, so this I don't consider a restriction because it is necessary, once I got rid of the breads and such, don't miss them all too much, and will occasionally have something from time to time, but try and keep it whole grain, so I guess you can say I am restrictive the majority of the time. And by not eating so many carbs all the time, my cravings are gone for the most part, which means not having candy and sugary junk food doesn't bother me, so I don't feel deprived in anyway. I don't think people who follow restricted diets mean they will NEVER eat some things again, but it is definitely not the norm and has become the exception. (unless there is a medical reason why they can't ever eat something)

But on the other hand, others do feel deprived cutting these things out and feel it's easier to stick to when they can treat themselves and helps they stay on track so they don't binge. Do you find you need a daily treat? once a week? month? What helps you stay on track?

Would love to hear what approach you take, so many different ways to lose weight and get healthy, even though there is a calorie deficit in common, we don't all follow the same approach and most people have reasons for why they do what they do, would love to hear them!!
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Replies

  • pithole
    pithole Posts: 75 Member
    I try to use moderation the most.

    My diary would back that up.

    At the same time I stay away from fast food and utterly "bad" food.

    But if I want a candybar, I'm going to have one.
  • shelbyfrootcake
    shelbyfrootcake Posts: 965 Member
    I like a bit of both.
  • Chief_Rocka
    Chief_Rocka Posts: 4,710 Member
    I avoid food avoidance.
  • amann1976
    amann1976 Posts: 742 Member
    moderation and portion control... why restrict yourself to things you dont like? it is ok to have pizza or bar foods every now and then you just cant make those things a blueprint of your food habits. i eat very clean during the week a lot of lean proteins, green vegetables and complex carbs like yams and brown rice then come the weekend i have something less healthy that i enjoy
  • NShapeRunning
    NShapeRunning Posts: 16 Member
    I've lost 11 pounds in 11 days by just controlling my calories (in between 1200 and 1300 calories) and letting myself eat what I want in moderation. I don't eat back my exercise calories either.
  • desiv2
    desiv2 Posts: 651 Member
    For the most part, moderation, but it depends on the food and my mood. If I don't think I CAN practice moderation, then I have to avoid. For instance, I have to buy single serving pizzas because I'd eat the $*@# out of pizza. :)
  • kenazfehu
    kenazfehu Posts: 1,188 Member
    Moderation within restrictive boundaries.
  • nixism
    nixism Posts: 258 Member
    A bit of both Bella... no food or drink is off limits to me, but I do curb my choices, ie: I don't have bread for breakfast, lunch and dinner, I'll opt to have it once a day if that... The only thing I have restricted is my usual alcohol intake, but if we have something on that I'd like to have a few wines with, then I will - but I make sure I've done enough exercise to warrant them! I'm certainly making healthier choices being on MFP.
  • irisheyez718
    irisheyez718 Posts: 677 Member
    You can see by my diary that I don't restrict anything at all. It's worked for me so far.
  • cbeutler
    cbeutler Posts: 667 Member
    Both. I can't eat candy or drink soda without binging so restriction there. Moderation for everything else. I also try to crowd out worse choices with better ones. Think salad and veggies replacing that third slice of pizza, second burger.
  • mem50
    mem50 Posts: 1,384 Member
    Moderation within restrictive boundaries.

    That is an answer that gets my vote!
  • Moxie42
    Moxie42 Posts: 1,400 Member
    I lost the first 20 by moderation- I tried to make healthy choices but I had one cheat meal a week, and didn't ban any foods. Then I hit a looooong plateau so now I'm eating mostly clean and low-carb, and cutting out alcohol and simple carbs (bread, pasta, etc.), and watching the sodium, hoping I'll break through the plateau. I'm also hoping I'll develop better habits, not always having that glass of wine, etc., so that when I go back to moderation it'll be easier to, well, moderate.
  • jrmartinezb
    jrmartinezb Posts: 147 Member
    Mostly moedration, but a combination of both has worked for me.

    I eat almost everything in moderation (even high calorie cheeses, beer, or wine), it is only a few things i definitely don't eat, like candy, non diet soda and junk snacks (lays, pork rinds, etc)
  • IslandDreamer64
    IslandDreamer64 Posts: 258 Member
    Moderation for me, but I truly can not have cheese or cereal in the house. I haven't had cold cereal in over a year. I miss it sometimes but it's gotten easier over time. Cheese, on the other hand. Sigh. I tempt myself with it about once every 2 months just to see if I can show better control. Nope, it's still my crack.
  • TheGlen
    TheGlen Posts: 242 Member
    There are certain foods I have eliminated entirely, because I feel that even in moderation it's bad for me (for example wheat/gluten). There are other foods that I only eat in moderation, such as dairy and grains.
  • AlabasterVerve
    AlabasterVerve Posts: 3,171 Member
    Restriction all the way! It's so much easier and I don't feel deprived at all. I don't eat grains or starchy vegetables and I limit the processed food as much as I find reasonable. That's my mindset. But in actuality my restrictive diet is in moderation -- I'm not losing sleep over the gluten and msg in my processed bouillon and I'm not a PITA to go out and eat with -- I'll roll with whatever is available -- and occasionally I just flat out eat junk like hoagies and popcorn.

    So my restrictive diet is really one of moderation it's just my definition of moderation is like once a month or something and not daily 100 calorie "snack" packs or a mindset that anything goes as long as it fits into my macros or calorie goal.
  • Aurorakitty
    Aurorakitty Posts: 57
    Restriction although I ease up a bit on weekends working on restricting more instead of moderation because I tend to eat unhealthy and need to stop eating certain things altogether or at least restricting them to a few times a month.
  • Mrsbrandnewmeslimandtrim
    Mrsbrandnewmeslimandtrim Posts: 267 Member
    bump
  • Crystal_Pistol
    Crystal_Pistol Posts: 750 Member
    Moderation in everything except Lucky Charms. They are BANNED because I can't eat them in moderation. I eat them by the box.
  • ruthiejewell
    ruthiejewell Posts: 134 Member
    I don't feel in the least restricted when eating low carb and therefore restricting loads of foods, because, as you say, magic happens and there are no cravings or just a few manageable ones! When I've done low fat eating however, I feel always restricted, always crave and dream of food 24/7!
  • CallMeCupcakeDammit
    CallMeCupcakeDammit Posts: 9,377 Member
    I don't restrict. I have ice cream almost every day and pizza usually once a week. If I didn't, I would end up shoving food in my face and not logging it one day, which would turn into several, because I would've eaten everything in sight.

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/flexible-versus-rigid-dieting.html

    ETA: I have banned Oreos and Goober Grape from my house because I cannot be trusted with either of those. So if there's a particular food you know is a trigger, it would be a good idea to abstain until you feel more in control.
  • lisamarie2181
    lisamarie2181 Posts: 560 Member
    Thank you everyone for your replies!! Its so cool to see how different everyone is and after reading your responces it kinda seems like there is always alittle bit of both! Even most people who eat pretty restrictive seem to at least have a "cheat" day or meal occasionally and even ones who eat what they want still have those few things that are definitely off limits!! I understand how it is having something in the house that is too hard to resist lol if i dont have it in the house, out of sight out of mind (for the most part lol)

    Has anyone found any healthy replacements for those forbidden vices? Maybe a lighter version of the original or even a snack that satisfies the cravings?
  • quiltingducky
    quiltingducky Posts: 103 Member
    For the most part it is moderation for me, but on certain categories of foods, I do find myself restricting those because they could lead to a whole lot of trouble for me and lead to craving more and more of the wrong foods.
  • nixism
    nixism Posts: 258 Member
    As strange as this sounds, instead of wolfing down a small tin of pringles, or rice cakes etc, I'm now having cucumber slices (like fake chips!), they ain't that bad... and I love POPCORN, it's the best snack, feels naughty, but isn't infact as bad as you think :)
  • monty619
    monty619 Posts: 1,308 Member
    restriction on the every day diet... moderation on special occasions...

    if you TRUELY believe in moderation then you need to measure all of the food you eat in oder to get an accurate amount of calories... so if you choose to eat a calorically dense food such as chocolate cake or ice cream you have to measure it out closely in order to have true moderation.
  • praxisproject
    praxisproject Posts: 154 Member
    Restriction for now, when I'm closer to goal I'll move into Moderation. I'm working on nutrition too, and a lot of "moderate" things are a lot less nutritious.
  • pandorakick
    pandorakick Posts: 901 Member
    Moderation for me. I have noticed though, that some foods I just don't care enough about to let them have the space left in my macro's!
  • vicky1804
    vicky1804 Posts: 320 Member
    Definatly moderation for me. I found I could'nt give up my Starbucks coffee twice a week. So i switched from a Grande Mocha with cream (approx 330kals) to a tall skinny hazelnut(SF) latte (approx 100kals) and i enjoy this more.

    I do really enjoy a domino's pizza, probably once-twice a month as a treat and im either at the gym that day or the one after.

    Iv found since watching my calories that somethings I would have just ate before are no longer in my diet as I just dont think they are worth the calories, i cut back on pasta for this reason with the added benefit that I have realised I have a wheat intorlance. Makes me really ill if I eat it as often as I used to. So small measured portions now.
  • alinakaras
    alinakaras Posts: 51 Member
    I am trying to wean myself off processed foods again and I've been doing well - it definitely helps when you do some research and realise why certain foods are not good for you and plainly unhealthy. But having said that, I can't tell you that I will NEVER have something processed again - it's still too early to say that but hopefully one day I will be able to commit to it fully.

    In general, I try to eat in moderation - I take this rule for carbs mainly.
  • 041jackson
    041jackson Posts: 36 Member
    For me, I ALWAYS have 5 peanut M&M's or a ferrero roche ball everyday!
    I find that if I know its available and already counted, I don't feel deprived, or get that 'panicky' sense.
    The best part is I usually skip them 2 or 3 times a week anyways!
    It also reduces my desire for other cheat foods... My mentality is 'if i want it, Ill have it' - it does wonders for actually reducing my 'apparent' cravings and I hardly ever deviate from my 'good' foods, as a result.

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