How Many Struggle With Moderation?

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  • Graelwyn75
    Graelwyn75 Posts: 4,404 Member
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    All the time, diets aren't easy but worth it when you De in those skinny jeans with room to spare.

    There are more reasons than wishing to fit skinny jeans, to wish to learn to moderate intake of certain foods.
    Since I have never been overweight or had issues fitting skinny jeans(not that such clothes interest me anyway), this is more about finding how others have grabbed back their control, or if others have simply had to accept they cannot have certain foods around their homes.
  • FlaxMilk
    FlaxMilk Posts: 3,452 Member
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    Yes, what seemed to work best for me was just enjoying my meals out and treats when I go stay with my mother, have the occasional piece of cake or chocolate while out cycling, but otherwise simply avoid. I mean, if I enjoy my healthy foods anyway, I guess it does seem a bit pointless trying to bend myself into someone else's form by testing myself constantly with the foods I enjoy but cannot seem to moderate...namely anything with that combo of fat and sugar.

    This is exactly how I feel. I can stress about beating the combination of my biology + perfectly designed foods and constantly challenge myself and often lose ... or I can have it sometimes and be happy with what I'm eating and stick to my calorie deficit. I'm a bit obsessive in general so certain foods I will want to eat regardless of how long I've been eating them. Then I don't get enough protein or variety. This isn't restricted to just typical junk food. Gluten free English muffins from the Ezekiel brand? I could live off of those. So usually I don't keep them around. I tried the MFP moderation approach by buying them regularly and nothing changed except that it was harder to stick to my plan.

    Why keep ice cream around if I don't miss it most of the time? If I really want it, I can go out and get some. But if 90% of the time, I'm happy with a protein green smoothie, why not go for what will best help me meet my health goals and keep stocked up on those ingredients? It's really awesome that some beat the moderation game and can keep the food around. But this isn't a competition. I don't need to try to be a better person through playing a game I don't even care about winning. My health is my goal.

    *I also think it depends on your living situation. My spouse keeps foods around that I know I would want to eat if I could. I can't, so it's not an issue. But if I could, I may have to work harder at the moderation.
  • missabeez
    missabeez Posts: 280 Member
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    I have found since restarting in January, I can keep little chocolate pieces from my fancy chocolatier in my snack basket and just have one or two a night. When my fiance brings out plain chips, I can eat a small handful and be done with it.
    The chocolate came from Valentine's day sales, and next week I will be due to replenish the stock with reduced fancy Easter eggs (yum).

    I learned last week that I cannot have flavoured chips or cherry blasters in the house or I will get a major sweet tooth. I guess these are trigger foods that can't be around for long.

    Each person will have different triggers.
  • Nightfall30
    Nightfall30 Posts: 112 Member
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    There are certain foods like a massive pizza that I can control, and there are others like a tub of Ben & Jerrys and cookies that I cannot. I have accepted this. I have a principle of eating junk food only when it is REALLY worth the taste and this helps. I do not buy cookies or ice cream (my two "trigger foods") very often but, when I do, I allow myself that treat. This keeps me satisfied and helps me control my portions at other times.

    Don't torture yourself by trying to test your will power, you will learn what works best for you soon. :)
  • lautour
    lautour Posts: 89 Member
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    I struggle mightily, glad to know it's not just me. Certain foods I always overeat, so I can't keep them in my home and if I have to have them, I plan my day around it and account for the FACT that I will eat a lot. Pizza is the hardest one for me. I can't give it up completely and I can't moderate. I will eat all the pizza that is available to eat. So I either don't have any in my home or I get a pizza and eat it for lunch and dinner and the next days breakfast. But what I can't do is try to have "just a slice". It's all or none.

    Edit: it looks terrible in my diary when I have a pizza day, even though I'm well under my calorie limit. It just looks bad not to be more moderate
  • lmmathis86
    lmmathis86 Posts: 223 Member
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    Mod-er-ra-tion..???..?? What is this you speak of? Tell me more about this! :laugh: Really even after realizing i've lost weight when eatting food I love like tonights dinner ( SOFT TACOS AND RICE) I cant stop. I end up feeling like crap. I still sometimes eat more than my husband or the same amount. I'm really trying to teach myself that just because i'm not stuffed dose not mean i'm still hungry! I hate food so much sometimes but then I find something tasty and fall back in love. UGH!! If only I would eat brockly like I eat junk food!
  • llonka
    llonka Posts: 76 Member
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    I have a hard time not eating a whole box of cookies or the whole cake/pie/whatever sweet thing is in my house. It's better for it to not find it's way into my house or only have the portion size so I know for sure that's all I have and nothing more. Sometimes if I'm craving chocolate, I'll just buy one candy bar and not whole bag of candy. That way I can have a serving and not over do it.
  • Madame_Goldbricker
    Madame_Goldbricker Posts: 1,625 Member
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    My application of moderation is shockingly dire. If I cut something I tend to replace it with another thing. Some days I can have a total handle on my self control. Others I'll just either have to throw out whatever it is or eat it all till it's gone. Hopefully it's a crappy habit I'll eventually kick for good.
  • feliscatus84
    feliscatus84 Posts: 80 Member
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    I will admit there are certain trigger foods I do not keep in the house. Ice cream, cake, cookies, and pizza. I am the type of person that can sit down and eat a whole large delivery pizza plus breadsticks and pasta then dessert by myself if I wanted. One major thing that helped me with portion control is my scale. I now weigh everything I put into my mouth. That way I can put everything on my plate and know that this is all I can have and then I'm done with said meal. It takes the guesswork out of measuring like "is this a cup or 3/4 cup?" Everything is weighed in grams and meat in oz. If I do want cake or something special I make room in my calories and weigh it out. But I don't do it that often because I've had success keeping away from those things. But if I am in absolute need I will not deprive myself. I will eat it and be happy but I just make room for it and stay within my allotted calories.
  • Graelwyn75
    Graelwyn75 Posts: 4,404 Member
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    It is a relief to know others struggle with the same issue, and also have to deal with it by simply keeping certain things out of the home.
    I felt I was somehow, well, cheating in not learning and teaching myself to deal with the issue by challenging it.
  • Peacockbutterfly
    Peacockbutterfly Posts: 90 Member
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    Moderation is something that I have been trying to deal with lately, I too have trigger foods that I find I cannot just have one of or even five if for that matter, I have no off button with something's and they all happen to be sweet (except chips). I have this internal monologue that will be playing in my head of me telling myself I can have just one and then telling myself one more and that's it. Finally I'm just telling myself to finish it so I don't have to think about it any more. Before a couple of months ago I couldn't just have one can of soda, ever. Today I went to a party and had one can and the monologue started in my head and I just shut it down and forced myself to think of something else. It worked! I feel like moderation only exists for me now because I'm absolutely sick of letting that voice inside my head telling me it won't hurt to eat one more win.
  • KaleeCat
    KaleeCat Posts: 152 Member
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    We'll I had been doing well with moderation until tonight when my husband and I ordered BDubs...one wing led to another and another until all of mine were gone...Woops! At least "tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it." I'll just work extra hard at the gym to make me feel better :)

    But other foods I struggle with are those creme wafer cookies with the sugar icing in between the wafers...Yum! But I've been good and not bought them in a loooong time!

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