Question for others who also have issues with moderation

245

Replies

  • ninjamere1
    ninjamere1 Posts: 40 Member
    I'm lucky that I don't really care for cookies. Now a Snickers or some other similar type candy bar I cannot stick to a fun size one. My trick is to get regular size bar and freeze it solid. I make sure there's room in my day for the whole thing.

    When it's frozen I can take tiny bites a lot easier so it lasts quite awhile. I do this with grapes, cantaloupe, pineapple, berries etc. Being frozen really slows me down and since I get to keep savoring the flavor for a longer time I can control my calories and urges much better.


    Some stuff I simply take a weighed portion that fits my day then hand the rest to my kids or friends. - like chips, fries, ice cream etc
  • hlblakeley
    hlblakeley Posts: 55 Member
    If I can, I will take half a serving initially (1 of 2). That way if I want more I have room to "cheat" by eating the whole portion. By logging the whole portion ahead of time, it keeps me on track.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    edited May 2017
    With cookies, I mostly make them from scratch and only bake one serving for each of us. I portion out the rest of the batter and freeze it, and over time continue to cook one serving at a time.

    When I buy cookies, I usually end up eating more than I want and getting upset with myself.

    I've stopped making brownies from scratch and started using a box mix with artificial flavors that he doesn't mind but I do, so I'm not tempted.

    tomteboda wrote: »
    Sometimes one "serving" is a pathetic insult to the food. Then I simply eat the amount I wish to consume, provided it fits in my budget. Like ice cream. I'm sorry, I'm never, EVER going to be happy with 1/2 cup of ice cream. Just not going to happen.
    I may have to try this next month. (I eat at maintenance premenstrually so have more calories to play with at this time.) It was torture making the last pint I bought last for four servings.
  • SoozeE512
    SoozeE512 Posts: 439 Member
    RelCanonical wrote: »
    I'm trying to practice mindfulness in all aspects of my life, and food is one of those. Trying to intentionally enjoy the cookie as it is now, and not worrying about anything else during that time, whether it is the cookie or anything else going on in my life. My mind tends to wander while I'm eating, and I want another food thing because I didn't really enjoy the first one ('cause I was thinking about something else, even if it was just another cookie).

    ^ This. Reaching for another cookie and another and another and never really enjoying the experience is mindless eating. Be mindful!

    Any time your mind starts to stray, bring yourself back to what you're currently doing. Slow your thoughts down by placing all of your focus on that one thing and noticing all of the sensations that goes along with it. Ask yourself questions about it so you pay more attention to it -- like, "What is the texture like against my tongue? What flavors am I detecting? If I let this sit on my tongue for a moment, will the flavor linger?" Any time your mind starts to wander, bring yourself back to those questions about what you're currently doing.

    And when you're done eating that first cookie, be mindful of that and ask yourself more questions, "Was that experience satisfying? Can I still taste the flavor of it? Is my stomach satiated or am I still hungry? Do I have more calories to eat another cookie today? Should I wait until the next meal or wait until tomorrow to savor another one? Will it help my weight loss effort if I keep eating more now, or will I feel better about myself if I wait to have another one at a later time?" And then determine whether or not you have more and how many. And if you eat more, eat them just as mindfully as the first one.

  • RedheadedPrincess14
    RedheadedPrincess14 Posts: 415 Member
    I honestly can't moderate so I just cut all highly palatable food (salt, sugar, and oil ) out of my diet. Fruit is fine of course and natural salt and sugars in food. After the first three weeks, it's literally so much easier than trying to moderate those cookies. Now I'll just have a cookie made with mashed banana and oats ... much less stimulating and I can stop when I'm full
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    RedheadedPrincess14 wrote: »
    I honestly can't moderate so I just cut all highly palatable food (salt, sugar, and oil ) out of my diet. Fruit is fine of course and natural salt and sugars in food. After the first three weeks, it's literally so much easier than trying to moderate those cookies. Now I'll just have a cookie made with mashed banana and oats ... much less stimulating and I can stop when I'm full

    That sounds interesting. What recipe do you use? I found this: http://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/2013/09/2-ingredient-healthy-banana-bread-breakfast-cookies-with-delicious-add-ins/

  • allyphoe
    allyphoe Posts: 618 Member
    There are some things I cannot eat in moderation, including most commercial desserts. Stuff made from scratch does not seem to have the same effect; my guess is because I usually cut the sugar way back. So I don't usually buy commercial desserts for myself. There are usually some in the house, but they don't bother me because they aren't mine.
  • Sp1tfire
    Sp1tfire Posts: 1,120 Member
    @franci27 Halo top is perfect for that. I wish there was a delicious light version like that for cookies or cake lol.
    I can't handle reese's cups or scooby doo graham snacks. Trader joes cookies too. I usually manage to not keep them around but sometimes they sneak into my cupboard. My father just stocked the pantry with three boxes of cookie butter cookies.... I am so secretly upset. It's hard to not eat them. I'd rather save my calories for something else. I'd understand buying 1 box, but he bought 3 and I think thats overkill..

    Bottom line, I try not to buy/keep around the things I can't handle. If it's on the table, I'll grab what I want and put it away in an inconvenient place to avoid eating more. If I want more, then it's a much more concious decision.
  • RedheadedPrincess14
    RedheadedPrincess14 Posts: 415 Member
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    RedheadedPrincess14 wrote: »
    I honestly can't moderate so I just cut all highly palatable food (salt, sugar, and oil ) out of my diet. Fruit is fine of course and natural salt and sugars in food. After the first three weeks, it's literally so much easier than trying to moderate those cookies. Now I'll just have a cookie made with mashed banana and oats ... much less stimulating and I can stop when I'm full

    That sounds interesting. What recipe do you use? I found this: http://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/2013/09/2-ingredient-healthy-banana-bread-breakfast-cookies-with-delicious-add-ins/

    I just mash bananas and then add in oats until it's formable until a cookie with a bit of vanilla and sometimes almond extract. Then I bake them at 350 for 10 mins :)

  • clicketykeys
    clicketykeys Posts: 6,577 Member
    I don't know if I'm genetically blessed, or just lucky. I've noticed that even when I *do* give myself permission to go all-out, like last Saturday when I had a special event, I still listen to my body and don't eat so much that it becomes unpleasant. Did I overeat? HECK YES. But I saved up calories all week and I paid attention to my body and I'm okay with it.

    I have no idea if an occasional free-for-all is helpful for anyone else. But it could be that's why I usually don't have trouble having two of my absolute favorite candies in the world and letting the rest of the 10-lb box sit on the shelf.
  • dragon_girl26
    dragon_girl26 Posts: 2,187 Member
    edited May 2017
    I've been fighting this off and on for quite some time. Sweets are especially hard for me to moderate, as I either want more more more or I want a large piece. A tiny sliver of cake is not satisfying. However, I have found that when I eat slowky, including putting my fork down between bites, it helps. It makes the food I'm eating seem more plentiful. I make myself finish one bite before taking the next. In this way, it seems to be more fulfilling and satisfying.
    ETA: I also notice that, for me personally, the craving for sweet foods and the level of satisfaction also ties into my emotional state at times, too. If I am not at my best emotionally, I tend to want All of the Chocolate.
  • YvetteK2015
    YvetteK2015 Posts: 654 Member
    I just can't buy certain things. I love the mint Oreos. I think they taste like Thin Mints. If there is a box in the house, I can't just eat one or two. So if I want those cookies, I buy a snack size of 4 cookies. This way I can't gorge. I also love chips with dill pickle flavoring. I can't buy it because I want that taste in my mouth constantly so I constantly eat it. My alternative was to by dill pickle flavored powder and sprinkle that on my air popped pop corn.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited May 2017
    allyphoe wrote: »
    There are some things I cannot eat in moderation, including most commercial desserts. Stuff made from scratch does not seem to have the same effect; my guess is because I usually cut the sugar way back. So I don't usually buy commercial desserts for myself. There are usually some in the house, but they don't bother me because they aren't mine.

    Heh, I'm the opposite. Most store-bought desserts bore me (ice cream does not, but for some reason ice cream and good-quality chocolate bars are foods I love but do not overeat -- baked goods are what I overeat when it comes to sweet things). The absolute hardest thing for me to moderate is homemade cookies, pies, cobbler/crisps, etc., and they don't even have to be too sweet (in fact I tend to like them better when they are less sweet and I also have trouble with some savory baked good things, like good biscuits (American variety) or cornbread (buttery, not particularly sweet).

    I actually tend to overeat more with savory things -- Indian and Ethiopian foods are tough for me (restaurant) since they are usually family style the way we get them and I'm bad at gauging how much I've eaten and seeing the cues that normally tell me I'm finished. More rarely, chips and guac at a Mexican place on the table is tough. Rather than expect I will moderate I just do those things more rarely and prepare with the expectation I will overeat some.
  • Sheisinlove109
    Sheisinlove109 Posts: 516 Member
    At home I place the exact serving size I have aloted for in a bowl and walk out the of the kitchen with a drink so there is no reason I have to go back.

    At restaurants I order small or get my Togo box in the beginning of the meal and box it up so I don't graze.
  • amtyrell
    amtyrell Posts: 1,447 Member
    I have a foodsaver and I have found resealing the package helps me stop from going back for seconds.
  • rugratz2015
    rugratz2015 Posts: 593 Member
    TmacMMM wrote: »

    As an aside, I've discovered that if my daughter adds food coloring when she makes cookies, because she's 13 and thinks blue cookies are funny, my husband and I both completely lose interest in them. I need to think of what other foods this knowledge can be applied to.

    I watched a program (about 10 years ago) which did exactly that, and people did reduce their intake, so yes, it can apply to any food.

    Eating off blue or dark colour plates also help reduce intake.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    Its just awful that I cut things out of my diet when in a calorie deficit. Things that are bound to not agree with my goals, moreover my macros. Food is not bad, I just know in my head they are not going to help me reach my goals.

    I am notorious for buying a new product, i.e. some sort of cookie, sweet or yummy snack, and I get it home and try it, and love it and end up leaving them where ever I put them in the cabinet and never eat them again. I rarely enjoy types of foods when dieting except on special occasion and I have to fit them, and my macros are just going to be off that day. And that's okay, but not really. Again its a head game for me.

    I am back to a calorie deficit, and desserts and sweet are my downfall, I had rather not take one bite than to be teased by the small amount a serving is.. I allow 130 calories at night to enjoy my favorite chocolate snack and that's it, again unless a special holiday or event and my day is really centered around having things catered to the special event like cake and ice cream, etc..

    Pre-logging everything is a huge help for me. Its crazy that I will fit in the cookies while maintaining, and allow just those cookies. Usually because the calories are used up and no extra cookies for me. lol Its hard for me to make a deal with myself to borrow calories from tomorrow to allow more if I want them. Constant battle, what ever the method I use, its working, while not painless, it part of why I can't have what I want if I do not want to derail..

    Ps we have no Halo Top where I live, its a travesty I tell ya.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    edited May 2017
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    allyphoe wrote: »
    There are some things I cannot eat in moderation, including most commercial desserts. Stuff made from scratch does not seem to have the same effect; my guess is because I usually cut the sugar way back. So I don't usually buy commercial desserts for myself. There are usually some in the house, but they don't bother me because they aren't mine.

    Heh, I'm the opposite. Most store-bought desserts bore me (ice cream does not, but for some reason ice cream and good-quality chocolate bars are foods I love but do not overeat -- baked goods are what I overeat when it comes to sweet things). The absolute hardest thing for me to moderate is homemade cookies, pies, cobbler/crisps, etc., and they don't even have to be too sweet (in fact I tend to like them better when they are less sweet and I also have trouble with some savory baked good things, like good biscuits (American variety) or cornbread (buttery, not particularly sweet).

    I actually tend to overeat more with savory things -- Indian and Ethiopian foods are tough for me (restaurant) since they are usually family style the way we get them and I'm bad at gauging how much I've eaten and seeing the cues that normally tell me I'm finished. More rarely, chips and guac at a Mexican place on the table is tough. Rather than expect I will moderate I just do those things more rarely and prepare with the expectation I will overeat some.

    Same here. It's the homemade stuff that's harder for me, usually (that and chocolate). And I love baking so it's especially frustrating. I mean, I had one of the new waffle and syrup oreos the other day and haven't touched the box since. But homemade cookies... forget it! It probably doesn't help that most things I love, I just can't find a decent place to buy them around here, so I have to make them myself, and it's pretty much impossible to make single servings...

    The savory stuff though, it's actually easier for me not to start. I'll mindlessly munch on chips and dip, but it's not that hard for me just to say no in the first place (and I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything either). I just love sweet food and could never give them up completely, so it's harder for me with those I guess. And again... I love them and don't want to stop eating them forever either.

    I guess that I wasn't baking as much before I lost the weight either. Then I took some classes and realized that it wasn't that hard, and I've been baking much more since... which is probably while I've been stuck at my last 10 pounds for 2 years lol.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    allyphoe wrote: »
    There are some things I cannot eat in moderation, including most commercial desserts. Stuff made from scratch does not seem to have the same effect; my guess is because I usually cut the sugar way back. So I don't usually buy commercial desserts for myself. There are usually some in the house, but they don't bother me because they aren't mine.

    Heh, I'm the opposite. Most store-bought desserts bore me (ice cream does not, but for some reason ice cream and good-quality chocolate bars are foods I love but do not overeat -- baked goods are what I overeat when it comes to sweet things). The absolute hardest thing for me to moderate is homemade cookies, pies, cobbler/crisps, etc., and they don't even have to be too sweet (in fact I tend to like them better when they are less sweet and I also have trouble with some savory baked good things, like good biscuits (American variety) or cornbread (buttery, not particularly sweet).
    Or maybe it is the same thing, viewed from opposite directions? Commercial desserts, snacks, just hammer in sugar, salt and fat, too much, too strong, no nuances. Some of us are more suceptible to this. As we humans long for satisfaction, we will seek satisfaction, and trying to get satisfaction from unsatisfactory sensations is impossible, but we will still try. Deeming junk food off limits and saying it's "bad" will enhance the attraction. Not realizing this is responsible for much agony and many excess pounds of body weight.

    Therein lies the difference between a well made dessert/treat that you eat too much of because it's so delicious, and a plastic junk treat. You can't get enough. Literally.

    Try this lesson with a KitKat and observe how absurd it gets:
    SoozeE512 wrote: »
    Be mindful!

    Any time your mind starts to stray, bring yourself back to what you're currently doing. Slow your thoughts down by placing all of your focus on that one thing and noticing all of the sensations that goes along with it. Ask yourself questions about it so you pay more attention to it -- like, "What is the texture like against my tongue? What flavors am I detecting? If I let this sit on my tongue for a moment, will the flavor linger?" Any time your mind starts to wander, bring yourself back to those questions about what you're currently doing.

    And when you're done eating that first cookie, be mindful of that and ask yourself more questions, "Was that experience satisfying? Can I still taste the flavor of it? Is my stomach satiated or am I still hungry? Do I have more calories to eat another cookie today? Should I wait until the next meal or wait until tomorrow to savor another one? Will it help my weight loss effort if I keep eating more now, or will I feel better about myself if I wait to have another one at a later time?" And then determine whether or not you have more and how many. And if you eat more, eat them just as mindfully as the first one.
  • Lillymoo01
    Lillymoo01 Posts: 2,865 Member
    I enter my breakfast, lunch and dinner into the app at the beginning of the day. From there I know how many calories I have left to play with and can more easily make a choice on what and how much of snacks I eat. I will log these before eating to see the impact they will have.
  • ritzvin
    ritzvin Posts: 2,860 Member
    Lillymoo01 wrote: »
    I enter my breakfast, lunch and dinner into the app at the beginning of the day. From there I know how many calories I have left to play with and can more easily make a choice on what and how much of snacks I eat. I will log these before eating to see the impact they will have.

    This definitely helps a lot too.
  • annacole94
    annacole94 Posts: 994 Member
    What I find weird is that I'm fully able to moderate most things, and then there are a few items that I just can not stop eating. Chips are the worst. I will eat them until they are gone, and still kind of want more.

    I choose to try to keep those few things out of my house, and only enjoy them in social situations where they appear. I don't swear them off forever, but I can't buy All Dressed chips and have one serving. They're just not portionable for me.

    Generally, actually meditating and cultivating mindfulness as a practice is helpful. There are eating meditations that focus on experiencing food fully.
  • Running_and_Coffee
    Running_and_Coffee Posts: 811 Member
    I'm not good at moderation so I generally follow my "rules" about eating what I planned to eat, and give myself permission at weddings, vacations and "foodie experiences" I encounter due to my job. What I try NOT to do is just eat a cookie and a glass of wine when I am in my pajamas on a Friday night, and make good food part of an overall social/family or friend experience.

    I wish I could just occasionally have a cookie in my pajamas. But one cookie becomes another, then a teaspoon of peanut butter I didn't intend to eat, then I suddenly remember where I hid last year's Halloween candy leftovers. I am not an actual "binge" eater (I have GI issues and overeating isn't something I can do without serious consequences) but being a control freak by nature, the unplanned/lack of control still really upsets me.
  • shrcpr
    shrcpr Posts: 885 Member
    I've gotten in the habit of popping in a piece of gum after I eat my allotted portion of anything. It's become my signal to my body that I'm done eating. It seems to work pretty well for me. I rack up 30 or so calories in gum every day.
  • endlessfall16
    endlessfall16 Posts: 932 Member
    Francl27 wrote: »

    I wish I could understand why eating only one serving is so hard sometimes, when the next one is just going to taste the same... and I could just eat the first one more slowly and appreciate it more or something.

    It's not just the taste, there's satiety involved. The more you have the closer you get to the satiety point. So, 2nd serving is more satiated than the first, and the 3rd is more than the 2nd and so on...

    If moderation doesn't work for you, then don't do moderation. If I remember correctly you are one of those who have never gone above your calories even one time in years.

    I don't do moderation. I'm ok with one piece of chocolate or 5 pieces wherever my "control" takes me. I enjoy it thoroughly. Everything is undone by my fasting/light eating at other time, which is very easy to do. It's nothing difficult about eating a simple sandwich and move on to other interesting things. It's 100x harder to stop at 1 piece of chocolate when your body is screaming out for more.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    kommodevaran wrote: »
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    allyphoe wrote: »
    There are some things I cannot eat in moderation, including most commercial desserts. Stuff made from scratch does not seem to have the same effect; my guess is because I usually cut the sugar way back. So I don't usually buy commercial desserts for myself. There are usually some in the house, but they don't bother me because they aren't mine.

    Heh, I'm the opposite. Most store-bought desserts bore me (ice cream does not, but for some reason ice cream and good-quality chocolate bars are foods I love but do not overeat -- baked goods are what I overeat when it comes to sweet things). The absolute hardest thing for me to moderate is homemade cookies, pies, cobbler/crisps, etc., and they don't even have to be too sweet (in fact I tend to like them better when they are less sweet and I also have trouble with some savory baked good things, like good biscuits (American variety) or cornbread (buttery, not particularly sweet).
    Or maybe it is the same thing, viewed from opposite directions? Commercial desserts, snacks, just hammer in sugar, salt and fat, too much, too strong, no nuances. Some of us are more suceptible to this. As we humans long for satisfaction, we will seek satisfaction, and trying to get satisfaction from unsatisfactory sensations is impossible, but we will still try. Deeming junk food off limits and saying it's "bad" will enhance the attraction. Not realizing this is responsible for much agony and many excess pounds of body weight.

    I don't think it is the same thing, because something like a KitKat just doesn't attract me, or a cookie in plastic. I'm likely to want to eat if not hungry if my assistant (who has a side bakery business) brings in something she's been experimenting with. If I do eat an Oreo for my scheduled dessert (although it normally would not be my choice), I'll have no issues stopping with just one. Also, something being super sweet is more likely to make me not interested in overeating it. Something with more nuanced flavor, mmm. My favorite restaurant for dessert has a lot of them that I like because they are creative in their mix of ingredients, not something I would be able to come across (similarly when ordering ice cream/gelato I always am uninterested if it's chocolate, but cardamom I'll be tempted by), but in particular also tend not to be particularly sweet and some are really not all that sweet at all -- they sometimes warn you about that.

    For me it's really about habit and context-- I don't feel like I want more if I eat a KitKat normally, but if I let myself snack at all (especially for emotional reasons) it can open the door to me wanting to continue to snack, because it triggers old habits in my brain. What it is I'm eating makes no difference there, it's the context, the snacking -- I find it happens if I grab some nuts midday too, which is when I finally had to decide that for me snacking is a bad idea, and sticking to 3 meals plus dessert is a better plan.
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