Moderation or Deprivation? Which works for you personally?
Replies
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Both. If I'm trying to break a bad habit I will "deprive" myself. Once I no longer feel like I NEED those things, I add them back in and I'm able to control my portions much easier.3
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tiptoethruthetulips wrote: »I don't see it as deprivation but as abstaining. I don't moderate well at all, I have an all or nothing mentality so generally abstain on trigger foods.
Neither one is better than the other, do what works for you.
https://gretchenrubin.com/2012/10/back-by-popular-demand-are-you-an-abstainer-or-a-moderator/
"Trigger foods". Yep! I have those.... And at this point in my journey I think I have to stay away0 -
Deprivation for sure. I’m doing IF now 19/5 and it works great for me (only on day 5 so far - part of my Holy Week sacrifice, but I hope I can stick to it because I just don’t think about food any more).
I'm doing IF too *high five* I lost 8lbs in 10 days! But I also eliminated concentrated sweets4 -
Moderation works well for me.1
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I practice moderation because its the most sustainable choice for the rest of my life.
In reality, I'm fine 99% of the time but I do still have binge-days, usually caused by earlier panic attacks or anxiety and there's no point having a list of foods I can't have around just in case that happens because I will binge eat anything. A whole loaf of bread? Sure, I don't even like bread that much normally, but okay! Peanut butter straight out of the jar? Yep. Will I even bake a mug-cake from scratch when there's no other food in the house to binge on. You betcha.2 -
What works for me is a combination. I'm a diabetic so taking my blood sugar helps with moderation - if I have too large a portion of anything carby, I see the results in my numbers.
Certain foods and drinks such as Coke, I do much better just giving them up completely than trying to moderate. I know already that the amount of pizza I can safely eat (about one or two slices, thin crust, less than one slice of thick crust) will just make me feel sad, so it's better to think of it as off-limits. Who wants to pretend to be happy eating half a donut? Instead, it's better to find something else I enjoy and forget that donuts exist.
When I was first diagnosed I eliminated added sugars and refined grains almost completely for about six weeks. I think this is helpful because it allows your taste buds to readjust to tasting natural sugars instead of foods that are hyper-sweet, and for many people it does reduce cravings. Then I gradually added back in small portions of sweet foods that I really enjoy.3 -
Moderation works very well for me. If I want something more calorie dense, I have a small bit or if I want a larger portion I plan for it in my week. Deprivation short term I'd imagine if I wast trying to get super ultra lean.2
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Specific foods have an impact on my brain. Like if I eat some cheese or almond as a snack, I don’t think about food again until I’m hungry. If I have an equal calories’ amount of crackers or oatmeal, I will think about food until the next meal and crave specific things that aren’t as healthy. So I don’t eat the foods that set off the cravings. But because I lack cravings, I also don’t feel deprived. I don’t see it as deprivation...it’s knowing myself well enough to set myself up for success.5
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Moderation. Life's too short to never enjoy a donut again.4
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Moderation.
With a plan in place and constant focus on the big picture. If I have a planned deficit of 500 and I decide to have a couple of extra chocolate chip cookies (extra because I have them pretty much every day) that bring my deficit to 350, then oh well. There are plenty of days that I don't fret over having a 700 calorie deficit instead of my planned 500. When I have the extra 2, I make it a point to enjoy them. Otherwise what's the point?
Moderation helps me to enjoy things. Deprivation helps me to crave things.
I realize we're not all the same in this area, but that's what works for me.2 -
Moderation is a skill and a discipline
It requires a certain amount of planning, and like all disciplines it gets better over time.
That being said, I still take breaks after hitting Various goals and relax the discipline for a time, up to a week. Knowing that the relaxation will have a cost as pertains to my progress and I accept and acknowledge it.
Mostly because my primary goals are oriented to fitness and strength and my target weight range is a much more flexible goal. As I get older, that may change, but as I look around the room here there's people with 20 years on me who are still hitting new milestones as far as fitness goes.3 -
I allow myself to have as much as I want. Just not everyday. I don't crave these things everyday so it isn't deprivation.
I can't have just one. So from time to time I go over maintanance or replace a meal to have the amont of a treat that I want. I'm not strict with my deficit and I'm taking it easy so it isn't moderation but it isn't deprivation either.4 -
If you don't learn moderation you either need to deprive yourself forever or you will gain it all back.7
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I'm like you. I feel like I do best when I just 100% avoid trigger foods (rice, cookies, pasta). I've tried the "eating whatever in moderation" and before I even know what's happening, I've eaten an entire box of Little Debbie snack cakes. When I just avoid stuff like that, I find that after a couple weeks, I don't want it, I don't think about it and I'm not tempted by it. Do whatever works for you.4
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Sparkeysworld wrote: »Both, at the start of the cut, I can have things in moderation, but the closer to the end I get, the more I have to stick to deprivation.
To the point I don't even have 'naughty' things in the house.
Breakfast cereals are the worst for me, one bowl and I might as well do the box.
This is so me! I told my husband the other day that I can't buy Captain Crunch cereal anymore. He'll want me to buy it so he can eat a bowl on the weekends, but what happens is that I'll start eatingt 2 bowls at 11:00 PM each night and then the entire box is gone in a couple days. I just can't have it around.1 -
a 1000+ poster here for whom moderating everything never works. I banged my head against that wall for a good 15 years before finally moving on.
Weight loss comes down to calorie deprivation. Some choose to cut calories in all foods. Those are the people who have no trouble stopping at just one bite.... I always wonder how those people gained their weight.
. Others cut out some foods, typically nonessential highly refined carbs and sugars, and that help reduce cravings and the likelihood of overeating.
I don't think moderation is a skill. I think it is something that some people can do because they don't have trigger foods. If they are in fact avoiding trigger foods, that is abstaining or deprivation. IMO14 -
Definitely moderation for me. I’m in recovery for an eating disorder and when I slip into that all or nothing thinking the restrict/binge cycles start and inevitably lead to purging. No specific food can be the enemy, it’s my relationship with food that needs work and I can only work on it if I don’t avoid and confront it.3
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Just the opposite as you OP. If I say I "can't" have something, then I'm just going to want it all the more, and will probably go hog wild when I do.
Moderation is the only thing that is sustainable for me. Pizza, ice cream, fast food, whatever - it's not off limits, I just have to plan for it.
As an example, yesterday work provided free pizza and cake at a celebration lunch. I didn't hold back (I had already passed on breakfast), but dinner was some veggies with a little Parmesan cheese. I enjoyed my lunch with my coworkers, and didn't feel an ounce of guilt since I had planned accordingly and knew dinner would be light.3 -
a 1000+ poster here for whom moderating everything never works. I banged my head against that wall for a good 15 years before finally moving on.
Weight loss comes down to calorie deprivation. Some choose to cut calories in all foods. Those are the people who have no trouble stopping at just one bite.... I always wonder how those people gained their weight.. Others cut out some foods, typically nonessential highly refined carbs and sugars, and that help reduce cravings and the likelihood of overeating.
I don't think moderation is a skill. I think it is something that some people can do because they don't have trigger foods. If they are in fact avoiding trigger foods, that is abstaining or deprivation. IMO
Just like anyone gains weight: by eating too much. I didn't decide I want to stop at one bite and it magically resolved all overeating for me. That's not how it works. I just gradually acquired skills and strategies to eat the things I like without overeating, and that has never involved stopping at one bite, to be honest. I just found the lowest amount I can eat of some things that is satisfying. If your usual portion is a family sized bag of chips, would you be able to tell the difference if someone removes one chip? 2? 5? Would a two serving bag be enough at some point if that's all you had access to? Like I mentioned before, there is more to moderation that magically becoming a model eater.8 -
amusedmonkey wrote: »a 1000+ poster here for whom moderating everything never works. I banged my head against that wall for a good 15 years before finally moving on.
Weight loss comes down to calorie deprivation. Some choose to cut calories in all foods. Those are the people who have no trouble stopping at just one bite.... I always wonder how those people gained their weight.. Others cut out some foods, typically nonessential highly refined carbs and sugars, and that help reduce cravings and the likelihood of overeating.
I don't think moderation is a skill. I think it is something that some people can do because they don't have trigger foods. If they are in fact avoiding trigger foods, that is abstaining or deprivation. IMO
Just like anyone gains weight: by eating too much. I didn't decide I want to stop at one bite and it magically resolved all overeating for me. That's not how it works. I just gradually acquired skills and strategies to eat the things I like without overeating, and that has never involved stopping at one bite, to be honest. I just found the lowest amount I can eat of some things that is satisfying. If your usual portion is a family sized bag of chips, would you be able to tell the difference if someone removes one chip? 2? 5? Would a two serving bag be enough at some point if that's all you had access to? Like I mentioned before, there is more to moderation that magically becoming a model eater.
Exactly this! Now I buy those packs of snack sized chips for my house. I can eat the 1oz bag, satisfy the craving, and not feel deprived at all. I don’t need to buy and eat the big one. I’ve used this mentality and approach a lot. I’ll buy the box of ice cream bars and have one instead of sitting with a carton.2 -
amusedmonkey wrote: »a 1000+ poster here for whom moderating everything never works. I banged my head against that wall for a good 15 years before finally moving on.
Weight loss comes down to calorie deprivation. Some choose to cut calories in all foods. Those are the people who have no trouble stopping at just one bite.... I always wonder how those people gained their weight.. Others cut out some foods, typically nonessential highly refined carbs and sugars, and that help reduce cravings and the likelihood of overeating.
I don't think moderation is a skill. I think it is something that some people can do because they don't have trigger foods. If they are in fact avoiding trigger foods, that is abstaining or deprivation. IMO
Just like anyone gains weight: by eating too much. I didn't decide I want to stop at one bite and it magically resolved all overeating for me. That's not how it works. I just gradually acquired skills and strategies to eat the things I like without overeating, and that has never involved stopping at one bite, to be honest. I just found the lowest amount I can eat of some things that is satisfying. If your usual portion is a family sized bag of chips, would you be able to tell the difference if someone removes one chip? 2? 5? Would a two serving bag be enough at some point if that's all you had access to? Like I mentioned before, there is more to moderation that magically becoming a model eater.
Exactly.
My ability to regularly eat the serving size I want to eat didn't happen automatically, it's a skill I developed. The more I use the skill, the better I get at it.
(This isn't to say that I believe every single person is capable of developing it, I can only speak for myself).2 -
amusedmonkey wrote: »a 1000+ poster here for whom moderating everything never works. I banged my head against that wall for a good 15 years before finally moving on.
Weight loss comes down to calorie deprivation. Some choose to cut calories in all foods. Those are the people who have no trouble stopping at just one bite.... I always wonder how those people gained their weight.. Others cut out some foods, typically nonessential highly refined carbs and sugars, and that help reduce cravings and the likelihood of overeating.
I don't think moderation is a skill. I think it is something that some people can do because they don't have trigger foods. If they are in fact avoiding trigger foods, that is abstaining or deprivation. IMO
Just like anyone gains weight: by eating too much. I didn't decide I want to stop at one bite and it magically resolved all overeating for me. That's not how it works. I just gradually acquired skills and strategies to eat the things I like without overeating, and that has never involved stopping at one bite, to be honest. I just found the lowest amount I can eat of some things that is satisfying. If your usual portion is a family sized bag of chips, would you be able to tell the difference if someone removes one chip? 2? 5? Would a two serving bag be enough at some point if that's all you had access to? Like I mentioned before, there is more to moderation that magically becoming a model eater.
Exactly this! Now I buy those packs of snack sized chips for my house. I can eat the 1oz bag, satisfy the craving, and not feel deprived at all. I don’t need to buy and eat the big one. I’ve used this mentality and approach a lot. I’ll buy the box of ice cream bars and have one instead of sitting with a carton.
So much this.
And if I WANTmore, I have another 1 oz bag. IF I don't WANT more, there's not an open Family size bag screaming my name and going stale. There's a box full of single serve bags that must be individually opened, eaten and thrown in the trash. I don't have a bowl that I can just walk back over to the bag and tap some more into my bowl.
It's just enough more work to let me evaluate how much and whether I really want more.4 -
Oh, and to add, for some things the serving size that satisfies me is still large. I can't have a sliver of cheesecake. I need the whole decent 800 calorie slice. For that kind of food, I just eat it less often. An 800 calorie slice is stressful to fit in daily, but it's not a problem at all to have every few months when I have the calories and feel it's worth it.1
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My answer is both. When I tried to start slow, I had a lot of false starts. All it would take was a holiday, cookout or other "special" circumstance that would make me think "I can just start over after this" or "I can make this average out." When I started with a crash, I could get a "lead to protect" fairly quickly and the bigger I made it, the more likely I was to stick to losing the rest of it.
I went a little too far with the crash part this time, but I think I recovered okay. I have lost about 60 pounds and have a BMI under 25. I lost the first 30 in about 2 months without tracking and the last 30 in about 5 months of tracking with the last pound taking about 2 weeks.
I absolutely do not recommend the quick loss for that long at the beginning. I was not very well educated about what that was doing to me and I lost some chest and shoulder muscle that is going to be hard to get back with arthritic issues I have.
Coming down the home stretch slow while tracking is making the transition into maintenance easier. It's just an adjustment up a little and I am still tracking and will be for some time. I attempted to become a natural eater after a big loss in the past and failed miserably.1 -
I allot myself so many calories a day and I can use them any way I want but if I want to eat a lot of food then the high calorie junk food has to go.3
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Moderation or deprivation is not really the point, is it. The whole idea of food consumption has morphed from being simply a fuel, into being a pleasure. If one treats food as a means to an end: to aid our bodies to function properly, efficiently and in a healthy fashion, there would be no question as to how we do so.
Animals eat for fuel. Being a 'foodie' is a human behavior. Change your perspective.8 -
I am most definitely a "moderation" person.
My problem for years was not being able to pinpoint appropriate amounts of things. I looked to my ex-husband and his friends (all very obese men) as an example and guideline. I ate 1/2 what they ate. I stayed obese myself.
MFP helped. I never really had a problem with stopping. I just didn't understand what was a decent "splurge" (brownie and cup of coffee after dinner of shrimp & veggies) and what was "crazy" (Applebee's maple walnut skillet sundae after a margarita with my boneless wings meal).5 -
Deprivation for pizza, onion dip, and fried chicken. Moderation for everything else.5
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mostly moderation (I still eat small amounts of what most people would consider "junk" ) but depends on the food.. I'm a stress eater and there are a few things I'd definitely rather not buy/have in the house in large quantities3
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I find most things easier to skip than moderate.6
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