"Junk" Food - Abstinence or Moderation?
Replies
-
I eat what I want. If I want it and I don't have calories left I simply earmark it for tomorrow.
My favourite fact is that barring my untimely death the things I want will still be around tomorrow for me to enjoy.
Although years ago I had panic that my favourite cake would be pulled from the market and I'd never get to eat it again... weird.0 -
Moderation. :drinker:
Got to have my chocolates, cookies, ice cream, etc. :bigsmile:0 -
For me, it's a combination of the two. I've learned that I just can't keep some things in the house or I'll get derailed. For other things, I portion them out into single serving bags when I get home from the store. It's far too easy to sit and eat a half a bag of cheese and caramel popcorn if I have the whole bag on my lap.
Rather than have my trigger foods around I've tried to substitute things that are a little more healthy, and portion controlled, that I also like. 100 calorie bags of popcorn, sugar free popsicles, individually wrapped candies, etc.0 -
Moderation is the key, if you cut it out totally your cravings find new ways to cause issues. It's why you see people living to 110 despite eating what the health police say are "evil".0
-
A little bit of both has been my strategy. There are certain things I can't keep around (chips and cookies) because I haven't yet gained (cultivated, more like) the ability to "just have one". However, I do keep two things stocked at all times to help with salty/crunchy as well as sweet cravings; cashews and good quality dark chocolate. I find that incorporating them into my diet on a regular basis helps keep me from feeling deprived, as well as steer clear of the more 'dangerous' items.0
-
When I first started, strictly abstinence - I removed all "junk" food from the house, and stuck to getting my head around calorie goals etc. As I've gone on though, I've slowly re-introduced junk food back into my life.
Now that I'm used to and understand calorie restriction, there are a few things I'm unlikely to reintroduce - eg I don't particularly LOVE ice cream (don't hate it either!), but when the family would have a chocolate ice-cream after dinner, I would also have one. Not anymore, more because I know there are yummier things I can partake in, and it's a "waste" of calories to eat something you don't truly want.
It's a tricky one - for the most part, the motivation of seeing the numbers on the scale go down are enough for me to stick to my goals for how many calories to eat, but I know plenty of people who can't be around certain foods, so for them they have to go with abstinence, otherwise they just eat it all. Good luck!0 -
Another one for moderation. I eat ice cream nearly every day. My key is to plan out my food in advance. If I plan my day carefully, I can generally fit in a treat at the end of the day. If I don't plan everything out, I will often get to the end of the day & don't have any room for my ice cream--not good. The other thing I am good about is actually weighing out my portions on a food scale. If I eat tortilla chips with dinner, I used to use one whole chip to scoop up each bite--lots of chips eaten that way. Now I weigh out a portion & crumble it up & mix it in to the dish--I still get chip with each bite, but don't go over my calories. It's all in the planning. I have a huge sweet tooth & abstinence would make me lose the will to live.0
-
I think the problem with making food "forbidden" can make them even more tempting and may cause some people to go off the rails with it later on down the road which seems to have happened to you. I think you can find a way to have it in moderation. Allow yourself to have it but don't allow yourself to keep large amounts of it in the house.
If I want ice cream, I go to the corner store and get a single serving. That way I can have my ice cream but there isn't a carton sitting in the freezer to tempt me. I do the same thing with pizza. Instead of bring a whole one home I go to a by the slice place and get a couple slices and a side salad.0 -
I was trying to adopt the "nutritionism" approach to eating in which I only eat food that has a lot of nutritional value. Of course this meant that all junk and processed foods had to be cut out. I did well for a while and I felt like I was moving closer to my weight goal but I was in a lot of emotional turmoil. Junk food had so much power over my thoughts and it took too much will-power to abstain day after day.
I used to be staunchly against sugar and highly processed foods but I'm now starting to see their potential place in a healthy body, mind and spirit. Yes, I said healthy while referring to nutritionally-bankrupt junk food.0 -
I think it's different for everyone. If someone tries to tell me I can never have chocolate again (my junk food of choice) my immediate go-to response is somewhere along the lines of "F- - - You." I find that moderation works for me. It keeps me from feeling deprived and makes it so I feel like I can stick with it. Plus, every thin person I know eats junk food on occasion. So, it didn't make sense to me that I would have to completely abstain from something if I wanted to lose weight.
However… My sister is a different story. Sugary junk food is her addiction. She can't just have a piece of chocolate and be done. She has to eat the whole box. Same with cookies, cakes, pies, etc. She does fine with chips. She can eat a handful and be good… , but not with the sugary stuff (however she does okay with fruit). So, for her the key to being able to stick with it was to completely abstain.
Figure out what it is like for you. I don't know what your relationship with food is and if you have any disordered thinking going on there. But for me… moderation is key. But that doesn't mean it is for everyone.0 -
Moderation as I love my junk food I try usually to eat something naughty but within my kcals however something like a costa creamy cooler does usually put me over yes sometimes I feel a little guilty but if u intend to make this a lifestyle choice something for life then u have to get used to moderation as I refuse to never have some of the junkfood faves that I enjoy life is too short0
-
Moderation all the way, purely cause I couldn't live without ice cream!
I do cut back completely though if I have some sort of event where I want to feel comfortable - I have a wedding to attend next month so a week or two before I'll cut out all junk food, just in an attempt to reduce bloating. It works for me and because it's only short-term I can last that long and I'm not too tempted to binge afterwards, although I get why it doesn't work for everyone.0 -
I think that if you are training for competition a strict diet may be necessary but even competitors loosen their belts every now and then i believe in moderation Sinc I embraced this the fail/start agin cycle has ended
#Ilovepizza0 -
I enjoy junk food in moderation....because it's yummy and completely irrelevant while I'm otherwise rocking my nutrition. I've never understood the mentality that somehow having a handful of potato chips or something with my sandwich once in awhile is going to wipe out all of the other nutrition I'm getting in. People generally just can't see the bigger picture I suppose.0
-
Best method that works for me and have seen worked with others is abstinence for the first month and then go to moderation(that is if you feel like it)0
-
Moderation. When I first started, I abstained from everything that triggered me. But with time, I learned how to control myself better and can actually just be satisfied with a serving of "junk" food. I don't eat it often (less than once every week I'd say), but it's a nice little treat.0
-
Moderation. I have ice cream or chocolate nearly every night. I've always had to be in a mood for salty snacks, so they're rarely eaten.0
-
I cut out "junk food" for a little while knowing that I would incorporate it back into my diet in the future. I did it for about 2 months and now I have incorporated it back into my diet. The two rules I have for myself is that it does have to fit within my calorie budget and it doesn't come into the house. This helps to ensure that I only have one serving at a time and don't eat a whole big bag of chips or a tub of ice cream.
I like your take on this.0 -
For me, it's a combination of both.
Pop - Moderation I mow the lawn and after burning 1,100 calories 1 can a week is ok. And I get a Vernors slurpee on martial art days. (It's a limited time flavor and will give it up when it goes away).
juice - Abstinence
Little Debbie or similar - Abstinence
Chips - Abstinence
Candy - Moderation I love candy and could eat several candy bars a day. Now, 1 fun size every 3 days.
Brownies, Cake, Donuts - Abstinence
Ice Cream - Moderation but stick to the 1/2 cup serving size once every 2 weeks.
Fresh Muffins from Costco - Moderation each muffin is almost 700 calories. I quarter a muffin and eat 1 section a day.
Anything Potatoes - Abstinence
fast food - Abstinence
bread sticks, biscuits - Abstinence
Salad dressing, Mayo, MW, Sour cream- Abstinence
Ketchup - Moderation I got rid of the bottle and use the packets from work. 10 calories per packet.
Hot Salsa - Moderation I live in a Hispanic area and the salsa is made fresh and pure vegetables plus the "hot" boosts your Metabolism
It's about you and what your willing to give up for your health. When I crave sugar, I eat an apple or peach or cherries. I find it very hard to eat veggies without Ranch dip. Why are you trying to lose weight? That is a big motivate for loosing weight. I found that it is better for me or to look better wasn't enough to motivate me. I wanted a job and I passed all the tests except the physical fitness. I have 1 year to meet those requirements and will do just about anything to get there.
As for out of site, out of mind, it depends on the person. If you live by yourself and only shop for yourself, then you have this option but how often are you tempted to buy something bad or stop for food that is bad? I don't live by myself. It will be a cold day in hell before I tell my grandma what she can't eat just because I'm on a diet. And I work in a cafe /convenience store and am surrounded my unhealthy food all day long. I never let myself get to the "starving" stage and find that I'm ok with say no to junk food when I want a snack. I also find that logging in every crumb I consume also makes it easier to give up junk food.0 -
Moderation is a good way to go. I am a junk food junkie with a very naggy sweet tooth. About a week back, I made a small portion of eggless cookie dough, and would take a tablespoon every day to appease that darned sweet tooth xD I'd imagine that as long as you stay under your sugar limit in your diary, it should be fine. I hear dark chocolate is supposed to be good for you. I had a bag of fun size wrapped candy bars at one point, too, and each individual candy was 50 calories each.0
-
Abstinence didn't work for me because it made me think about food all the time and binge, something I had NEVER done before. I ended up gaining weight instead of losing it.
I reintroduced junk food and I'm losing weight. I bought single servings until my relationship with food changed. Now I can keep three tubs of ice cream in my freezer and it won't bother me at all. I know I can have it, it's not forbidden and tempting, and if I can't have it today I will have it tomorrow, no big deal.
If I go out with friends I don't want to eat all the foods because I'm not feeling deprived, I'll just have a single serving of something that I enjoy. Well, sometimes I still eat all the foods anyway, but then I move on... Life happens. :laugh:
Another thing that helped me a lot: no diet food. I used to pick low-fat, low-calorie, low-anything because I wanted to eat as much as possible. It wasn't helping me with portion control. I was used to eating huge plates of low-cal stuff, so I couldn't settle for one slice of pizza or a single serving of pasta. (not to mention fats are important!)
I understand this is kind of controversial, it's just my experience. High volume diets might work for someone else. It's all about trial and error, in the end.0 -
Taking smal steps is wht worked for me... ive been using myfitnesspal for over a year now and have been yoyo-ing a lot!!! so far ive lost 6 kilos in a 6 weeks. This is what worked for me! long way to go for me!
http://www.confessionsoftiredmoms.com/fitness/easy-10k-changing-weight0 -
Moderation...but make it a reward! If you workout 5 days out of the 7 day week then reward yourself with 1 sweet treat!0
-
I cut out "junk food" for a little while knowing that I would incorporate it back into my diet in the future. I did it for about 2 months and now I have incorporated it back into my diet. The two rules I have for myself is that it does have to fit within my calorie budget and it doesn't come into the house. This helps to ensure that I only have one serving at a time and don't eat a whole big bag of chips or a tub of ice cream.
Lol, like vampires! They can only come into the house if you invite them.0 -
Right now I'm doing moderation. Seems to work fine, but it's hard to dump the years of constant bad information and all the demonizing this food or that food that society is bombarded with.0
-
I prefer to cut most of it out but allow a treat every few days or so. I also educate myself on why I don't want to eat that type of food. I haven't drank soda for a few years and now it makes me rather ill, and I've heard the same thing about greasy and sugary foods. Get sick enough from it and you won't want it any more period. I also alter what a treat would be. A pina colada made with fresh bananas and pineapples with a bit a unsweetened almond coconut milk is a sweet treat that doesn't break me.0
-
Both.
Abstinence: Low carbing strictly in the past killed my cravings for the majority of the foods I overate growing up. Abstaining permanently killed any regular cravings for bread, pizza, pasta, chips, burgers, crackers, fries, soda, slurpees, and other such commonly overeating foods. I still enjoy those things, and don't go out of my way to avoid them, but I seldom ever crave them. I've literally gone years at a time without eating or drinking any of those, and not even noticing. And when I do have them I'm perfectly able to enjoy them and then move on without cravings. A miracle considering the kind of diet I grew up on.
Moderation: Cakes, some cookies, ice cream. Abstinence did kill these cravings...while I abstained. But it wasn't long before I was overeating them again once I did let them back in. I never wanted to fully eliminate them in the long run anyway. I moderate them now. But not at all in the popular MFP way. My definition of moderation is to limit the days I have them, but then eat as much of them as I want when I do have them. I'm not a half-a-cup of ice cream/two Oreo cookies a day guy at all. And I have no interest in trying to be one. I don't like being restricted on the amount of any food I do eat, when I eat it, but I am perfectly fine with restricting the number of days or weeks that I will eat any given food.0 -
Definitely moderation. I tried absolute restriction which lead to me constantly thinking about what I couldn't eat. I incorporate some sweets into my meal plan when I have some "extra" calories. This prevents the binge effect.0
-
on a low calorie diet its important to get the highest quality nutrition possible. Since you're eating less, every calorie should have the most amount of vitamins minerals and nutrients possible. calorie to vitamin ratio.
and then there is real life and if youre like me eat mostly pizza and diet pepsi. kept withen calorie goal.
eating celery and kale would make me feel punished and board and i would fail.0 -
i did exactly this, though i will buy a bag of chips or whatnot every once and then to keep in the pantryI cut out "junk food" for a little while knowing that I would incorporate it back into my diet in the future. I did it for about 2 months and now I have incorporated it back into my diet. The two rules I have for myself is that it does have to fit within my calorie budget and it doesn't come into the house. This helps to ensure that I only have one serving at a time and don't eat a whole big bag of chips or a tub of ice cream.0
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 393.1K Introduce Yourself
- 43.7K Getting Started
- 260.1K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.9K Food and Nutrition
- 47.4K Recipes
- 232.5K Fitness and Exercise
- 419 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.9K Motivation and Support
- 8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.7K MyFitnessPal Information
- 23 News and Announcements
- 1.1K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.5K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions