Moderation??

Options
auteurfille22
auteurfille22 Posts: 251 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I thought that with the New Year, while I've already been working towards my weight loss goals and am over halfway there, I wanted to make bigger efforts to lead a healthier lifestyle. One aspect of that, I think, is learning moderation, so I can have thing like chocolate in small amounts without going cold turkey and then binging. However, it seems I have no self-control. One cookie turns into 5. One chocolate truffle leads to the whole 9-pack gone. Does anyone have any advice on how to get better at moderation? Are there any steps you took to make you better at it? I seem to go from one extreme to the other and I don't know how to get a good balance.

Replies

  • STC1188
    STC1188 Posts: 101 Member
    Options
    This is a hard one, as I know with myself, if food is around, I will end up eating it (eventually). I think the best thing you can do is plan to have the whole amount you crave and budget appropriately. Or, if you can't, remove yourself from the trigger.

    But I think willpower in the face of temptation is almost like a skill that just takes practice and trial and error. Or you could give overindulgence a shot (punish-a-child-who-smokes-by-making-them-smoke-a-whole-carton kind-of thing).
  • chezjuan
    chezjuan Posts: 747 Member
    Options
    You could try pre-logging your day, including the treats. That may make it easier to say "no" to 5 cookies if you've only logged 2 and it would put you over your calorie goal or mess with your macro targets.
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
    Options
    some people don't do "moderation" - you sound like one of them. if you can't have just one, have none!
  • stonel94
    stonel94 Posts: 550 Member
    Options
    For me I always like to have it around, if it's always around and accessible it's like it's not taboo so I don't need to eat it all. And if you let yourself have it every day it's not like this is my 1 chocolate day, it's like okay I have my chocolate now, and I'll have it again tomorrow. Just take out what you want and put the package away, and go to a different room to enjoy it and then do something else. It gets easier because you get used to it.
    Also, I prelog mine, so I think oh I bought that candy bar I really want it, I log it for tomorrow, and log my day around it so I don't go over on calories or fat or anything
  • davert123
    davert123 Posts: 1,568 Member
    Options
    You could try pre-logging your day, including the treats. That may make it easier to say "no" to 5 cookies if you've only logged 2 and it would put you over your calorie goal or mess with your macro targets.

    ^^^This :-)
  • davert123
    davert123 Posts: 1,568 Member
    Options
    some people don't do "moderation" - you sound like one of them. if you can't have just one, have none!

    ^^ and if that don't work , this :-)
  • njitaliana
    njitaliana Posts: 814 Member
    Options
    Hi, There are certain foods that I cannot eat in moderation. With other foods, I'm fine with limiting how much I eat. So, I avoid the ones that I can't eat in moderation. Now that you know that there are certain foods that you can't have in moderation, I'd avoid them. Maybe save desserts for when you go out to eat at a restaurant and then get a small dessert--some restaurants now have those miini desserts. And when at home, maybe it's best to avoid those things.
  • journey_man
    journey_man Posts: 110 Member
    Options
    Make the irresistible good harder to reach.
  • sloth3toes
    sloth3toes Posts: 2,212 Member
    Options
    some people don't do "moderation" - you sound like one of them. if you can't have just one, have none!

    Yep, which leads us to the whole 'is sugar addictive?' merry go-round. I don't do sweets in moderation well, myself. If I pick up a cookie, I don't eat one or two, I eat ten. So, I'm far better off, not to pick up the first cookie ( most of the time ) than to go on 1,000 calorie cookie binges.

    So, by grabbing the first Wikipedia definition of 'addiction...'
    Addiction is the continued repetition of a behavior despite adverse consequences

    Is sugar addictive?
  • gimpygramma
    gimpygramma Posts: 383 Member
    Options
    If I ever manage to get into moderation, I'm sure I will be a fanatic about it.:tongue:
  • auteurfille22
    auteurfille22 Posts: 251 Member
    Options
    Thanks everyone!! I think I'm going to try pre-logging my day. I used to, and but took a break from logging altogether and when I came back to it I didn't keep on pre-logging. And yes, maybe I need to identify what foods I just can't have in moderation and avoid them overall.
  • Swiftdogs
    Swiftdogs Posts: 328 Member
    Options
    I think this is a battle we all fight, and different tactics work (or not). Buying goodies in individual portions can help. Opening another package is a bigger step than taking one more out of an open bulk pack. Or make yourself have to wait by freezing them. If I have one chocolate (a big weakness) and want to reach for another, a piece of fruit breaks the urge. If the little tricks don't work, then avoid those goodies except for very special occasions.
  • monty619
    monty619 Posts: 1,308 Member
    Options
    some people don't do "moderation" - you sound like one of them. if you can't have just one, have none!

    this is definately the case for me with certain foods.. i can definately eat carbohydrates in moderation such as rice and oats but when it comes to foods such as peanutbutter and icecream they are so calorically dense that i find it impossible to eat with moderation for me personally so i cut them out of my diet entirely.

    one trick that works with moderation is eat the food you plan on eating in moderation and before you have seconds wait about 30 minutes or do something else and you probably wont be hungry or forget about the food.

Categories