EXTREME moderation?

AJinBirmingham · February 2014

I'm at my goal weight and have been for year, and I'm fit and have been for years, and I STILL have a problem with moderation - especially when it comes to eating sweets.

I gave up eating sweets for my 40 Days and 40 Nights Challenge. (I came in 2nd place, I made it only 38 days my first try, but all the way through on my 2nd attempt. :drinker: MellisaGraham7 :flowerforyou: is the winner - she completed the challenge on her first attempt!!!!) I think everyone else dropped out.

Unfortunately, now that it's over - my cravings came straight back, as did Melissa's - and we are both looking for ideas on MODERATION. Neither of us really wants to give up sweets forever.

New ideas would be fantastic - we're already tracking - and ideas that can be applied to every day life, even better! (I have a problem with moderation in most areas of life - I'm too "all or nothing.)

Any ideas?

MelissaGraham7 · February 2014

Amen - I'm with you. Any ideas or past experiences/experiments are appreciated!

mtcastillo86 · February 2014

I love sweets, too! (Who doesn't?) I try to satisfy the cravings most of the time with fresh fruits. I try to limit my out-and-out indulgences -- like chocolate cake -- to no more than once a week. In between, if I just gotta have it, then something small, like a Hershey's kiss, usually satisfies. What I've discovered is that I truly, truly enjoy -- relish, even -- that first bite. After that, not so much, although I can eat the whole cake if I don't stop myself.

Francl27 · February 2014

Really glad to hear I'm not the only one and trying to 'detox' from sweets is probably a lost cause!

I still have issues too. So far my calorie goal mostly keeps me from going nuts though... but it often means I have 150 calories left for dinner. What helps somewhat is finding healthier/more filling alternatives to what I'm craving. Or a small pieces of something I like, but not the thing I love... if it makes sense. Like Quest protein bars help some with the chocolate cravings, and they fill me up. Or if I really want chocolate, I'll have a 100 calorie bar from Trader Joe's instead of a 250 candy car (or chocolate filled with nuts or whatnot).

Give me a box of Godiva chocolates though and all bets are off until only alcohol or fruit chocolates are left.

WhiteRabbit1313 · February 2014

I find that every time I decide to cut something out of my diet completely, I become obsessed with it when I try to add it back into my diet. The best thing I've done to counterbalance this is to have a binge day. A day when I reacquaint myself with the food I cut out, repair my relationship with it, then realize that I don't need a lot to keep me happy, just a little bit.

In the future, I intend practice moderation in some things, but never cut anything out completely. Otherwise, I end up like the priest in Chocolat.

Lol!

So, yeah. Adopt more useful challenges. Deprivation shouldn't be a main factor in a healthy lifestyle.

BarbieAS · February 2014

I try to not bring certain things into the house. For example, I almost never buy or bake a loaf of good bread (we're not big sandwich people, it would just be as a side dish for soup or something), because I swear to you that I would grab a bottle of olive oil and some balsamic vinegar and tuck into the entire loaf. But, if I'm out at a restaurant, I'll allow myself to hit the bread basket, because it's somewhat portion controlled.

I guess what I'm trying to suggest is make it hard for yourself to get the things you like. Buy single servings (even if it isn't cost effective) rather than having multiple portions of sweets at home. So, if you're really really craving some chocolate, you have to put on your shoes, get in your car, and drive all the way to the store for your candy bar. Or say that you can eat dessert if you're out to eat at a restaurant, but don't buy or make any to keep at home. Or whatever parameters make the most sense for your life. You're not saying that you can't ever have it, you're just limiting the situations in which you can have it and making it harder to get (so you have to decide if it's worth it). You know?

janicebinva · February 2014

Dr. Stephen Gullo recommends that people choose between "boxing it in" (limiting quantities of problem foods) and "boxing it out" (swearing off things we can't control). He wrote "Thin Tastes Better" and "The Ten Commandments Diet", both excellent books and the only "diet" books I think are worth reading.

Personally I have boxed chocolate out in the past. But now I limit it to protein bars and occasions when there's cake for someone's birthday or retirement. But in the case of the cake, when I eat that first piece, it often turns into a binge. So really I'm limiting it to protein bars, which for some reason don't make me want to eat tons more chocolate.

What it comes down to is that if you can't control yourself around a certain food, don't take the first bite. Then you don't have any problem. If you're able to limit it to special occasions or to small quantities, great, do that. But I think we all know which category we fit in for whatever type of food is our special demon.

MelissaGraham7 · February 2014

great advice everyone! Thanks for your input. I suspect I may just have to work on my will power harder and, as suggested, not having stuff available - and let myself have a treat maybe once a week or so. I have found that the really dark (85% or more) chocolate satisfies my urge but it only takes one square. Avoidance did keep me aware for 40 days though....so I just need to come up with my own new challenge - like once a week only on Saturday or something so it will keep me in check the rest of the time.

concordancia · February 2014

I am finding that there are some things it can be perfectly happy with half a serving and other things that even a full serving doesn't quite hit the spot.

Ghirardelli triple chocolate brownies can be in the house a week or more, depending on how hard hubby hits them: I am happy with a half brownie at a time.

A half serving of cheese cake from hubby's birthday has also been a satisfying treat.

Last night I made oatmeal chocolate chip cookies: I use whole wheat flour, extra dark chocolate, substitute half the butter with applesauce, limit sugar to 3/4 the original recipe...and I think one cookie at a time (aka half a serving) is going to be tough. Yesterday I licked the bowl and still ate a cookie when they came out of the oven. I wonder if they would be more satisfying if I used all the butter?

EXTREME moderation?

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