Does anyone use tokens (like real, physical tokens)?
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emilysusana
Posts: 416 Member
This is not my first rodeo. I’ve successfully lost a lot of weight on here a couple of times; I’ve lost a few pounds on here many, many times.
My issue seems to be incorporating drinks. I’m most successful without them. But I also give up my plan altogether sometimes because I’m tired of zero drinks.
I’ve tried just fitting them into my calorie allotment and that works for awhile but then I find myself fitting them in each day, even when there is no room... like by eating less food that I should. Obviously, that doesn’t last
I’m trying something this time where each week I can have just 5 drinks. I am using actual tokens which I “turn in” (move from one jar to another) when I use them. I can still only use them when I have the calories for them. I am also letting myself earn an extra token or so for the next week (not the same week I’m in) by doing a a few miles of extra walking (which I write down but don’t record in MFP). When I cash in those tokens, they don’t have to be within my calorie goal, because I haven’t eaten back those calories yet. I can use them for a bonus glass of wine (this was my plan for how I’d handle special occasions where I might want to have a refill on my one drink).
Has anyone tried anything similar to this? It seems kind of silly, but I think it might we a way to better incorporate moderate alcohol consumption in my weight management plan.
My issue seems to be incorporating drinks. I’m most successful without them. But I also give up my plan altogether sometimes because I’m tired of zero drinks.
I’ve tried just fitting them into my calorie allotment and that works for awhile but then I find myself fitting them in each day, even when there is no room... like by eating less food that I should. Obviously, that doesn’t last
I’m trying something this time where each week I can have just 5 drinks. I am using actual tokens which I “turn in” (move from one jar to another) when I use them. I can still only use them when I have the calories for them. I am also letting myself earn an extra token or so for the next week (not the same week I’m in) by doing a a few miles of extra walking (which I write down but don’t record in MFP). When I cash in those tokens, they don’t have to be within my calorie goal, because I haven’t eaten back those calories yet. I can use them for a bonus glass of wine (this was my plan for how I’d handle special occasions where I might want to have a refill on my one drink).
Has anyone tried anything similar to this? It seems kind of silly, but I think it might we a way to better incorporate moderate alcohol consumption in my weight management plan.
6
Replies
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Good luck with that.
I think if you are having to make deals with yourself and count drinks...
I just quit altogether. Makes weight management and all of life so much easier.
And, yeah. I used matchsticks. It didn't work.9 -
cmriverside wrote: »Good luck with that.
I think if you are having to make deals with yourself and count drinks...
I just quit altogether. Makes weight management and all of life so much easier.
And, yeah. I used matchsticks. It didn't work.
Would you also suggest eliminating ice cream or cookies, etc from the OP's diet if they enjoyed these items or moderate them in some way as she is proposing to do with alcohol?5 -
I think it is a great idea if that works for you!4
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Theoldguy1 wrote: »cmriverside wrote: »Good luck with that.
I think if you are having to make deals with yourself and count drinks...
I just quit altogether. Makes weight management and all of life so much easier.
And, yeah. I used matchsticks. It didn't work.
Would you also suggest eliminating ice cream or cookies, etc from the OP's diet if they enjoyed these items or moderate them in some way as she is proposing to do with alcohol?
If somebody had a problem with them, where they've realized they're unable to moderate.7 -
I think weight loss is full of mind tricks. There's a thread on here of how people essentially trick themselves into exercising too. Humans are kind of dumb and easy to trick
It took a lot of mind games to gain weight and I think if you find success in using games to lose it, more power to you! 6 -
emilysusana wrote: »This is not my first rodeo. I’ve successfully lost a lot of weight on here a couple of times; I’ve lost a few pounds on here many, many times.
My issue seems to be incorporating drinks. I’m most successful without them. But I also give up my plan altogether sometimes because I’m tired of zero drinks.
I’ve tried just fitting them into my calorie allotment and that works for awhile but then I find myself fitting them in each day, even when there is no room... like by eating less food that I should. Obviously, that doesn’t last
I’m trying something this time where each week I can have just 5 drinks. I am using actual tokens which I “turn in” (move from one jar to another) when I use them. I can still only use them when I have the calories for them. I am also letting myself earn an extra token or so for the next week (not the same week I’m in) by doing a a few miles of extra walking (which I write down but don’t record in MFP). When I cash in those tokens, they don’t have to be within my calorie goal, because I haven’t eaten back those calories yet. I can use them for a bonus glass of wine (this was my plan for how I’d handle special occasions where I might want to have a refill on my one drink).
Has anyone tried anything similar to this? It seems kind of silly, but I think it might we a way to better incorporate moderate alcohol consumption in my weight management plan.
Here are my 2 "tricks".- I love water. I've learned to taste the satiety my body feels not the actual taste. (this is more if you are talking about Cola)
- Calorie Cycling. This has been a game changer. Want to drink some this weekend? I shave 100 - 200 calories off my daily goal and then I have 500 - 1000 calories on the weekend to drink.
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Theoldguy1 wrote: »cmriverside wrote: »Good luck with that.
I think if you are having to make deals with yourself and count drinks...
I just quit altogether. Makes weight management and all of life so much easier.
And, yeah. I used matchsticks. It didn't work.
Would you also suggest eliminating ice cream or cookies, etc from the OP's diet if they enjoyed these items or moderate them in some way as she is proposing to do with alcohol?
As someone in recovery from alcohol use disorder, this can very much be apples to oranges comparing alcohol consumption to having some ice cream. For someone like my wife who drinks only occasionally, it's not big deal either way...but she also doesn't have to negotiate complicated deals with herself...she either drinks or she doesn't and if she does, she has not issue just having one or maybe a bit more in a social setting. I on the other hand can and did party every night like it was a Friday night...and yes, that meant I had to find ways to fit in 1000+ calories of alcohol per day into my diet to lose weight...which wasn't easy...and yes, I tried many odd tricks and negotiations with myself to moderate, but moderation typically didn't last too long and I was back to forgoing food and good nutrition just so I could have my vodka and beers in the evening.
In my own experience, if you're having to negotiate with yourself about alcohol consumption, there's likely to already be an underlying issue there...in my experience, "drinkers" don't tend to do well with moderation given the nature of the drug that is alcohol...it simply doesn't lend itself to that in a "drinker"
The OP very well may do just fine with this plan...but I've experienced these same kind of self negotiations for years where alcohol is concerned, and it always ends the same...house always wins.
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NorthCascades wrote: »Theoldguy1 wrote: »cmriverside wrote: »Good luck with that.
I think if you are having to make deals with yourself and count drinks...
I just quit altogether. Makes weight management and all of life so much easier.
And, yeah. I used matchsticks. It didn't work.
Would you also suggest eliminating ice cream or cookies, etc from the OP's diet if they enjoyed these items or moderate them in some way as she is proposing to do with alcohol?
If somebody had a problem with them, where they've realized they're unable to moderate.
In the case of the OP she is proposing "moderating" herself at 5 drinks a week. @cmriverside doesn't think moderating will help, if you have to moderate or "budget" should just quit entirely.0 -
Theoldguy1 wrote: »NorthCascades wrote: »Theoldguy1 wrote: »cmriverside wrote: »Good luck with that.
I think if you are having to make deals with yourself and count drinks...
I just quit altogether. Makes weight management and all of life so much easier.
And, yeah. I used matchsticks. It didn't work.
Would you also suggest eliminating ice cream or cookies, etc from the OP's diet if they enjoyed these items or moderate them in some way as she is proposing to do with alcohol?
If somebody had a problem with them, where they've realized they're unable to moderate.
In the case of the OP she is proposing "moderating" herself at 5 drinks a week. @cmriverside doesn't think moderating will help, if you have to moderate or "budget" should just quit entirely.
If someone has to think about this that much and self negotiate, that is a red flag. People who naturally moderate or who can take it or leave it do not have to put this much effort into where to put the alcohol in the context of their day to day. Alcohol is a legal drug...it isn't ice cream or cookies.8 -
I feel like this is one of those topics that is impossible to answer with a blanket "yes" or "no" answer because the answer comes down to the nature of your relationship with alcohol, something that is an unknown to us right now.
It can be totally true that using physical tokens to limit one's self could be a sign of a problematic relationship with alcohol that should be addressed. It could also be true that this could be an easy and fuss-free way to stay within your intended goal for drinks. For most people who have an issue with alcohol, I feel like this would be a very short-term solution that would probably break down quickly. If you're using physical tokens to whiteknuckle your way to a limit, I can't see that being successful.
I will say that if someone's relationship with alcohol is totally casual and issue-free, it seems like this sort of system would be unnecessary. I want to stress that this is how it SEEMS TO ME and I'm certainly not the authority on your life.
If I did this sort of thing, I'd be keeping track of how the tokens fit into my mental life. Am I always thinking of the tokens I have left? Am I always earning and using my extra token? Do I feel resentful of the tokens or tempted to make up new exceptions or ways to earn more? Am I ever leaving tokens unspent?
You're not really asking about your alcohol use, you're asking about calorie moderation, so I apologize if this seems off-topic. The thing is, it's sometimes hard to untangle exactly what is in play when we find that our desire to limit calories is also requiring us to impose limits on our drinking. . . it often goes beyond just a straight calorie management issue.6 -
@Theoldguy1
Quit tagging me.
If you would actually read what I said.
I told her I used "tokens" (matchsticks) which is what she asked. I told her I quit drinking and it is easier to manage my weight and my life.
I could not care any less whether she (or you) drink alcohol or count drinks. It does not affect me one way or the other.
5 -
also, why doesn't the bold text feature work correctly?
1 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »Theoldguy1 wrote: »NorthCascades wrote: »Theoldguy1 wrote: »cmriverside wrote: »Good luck with that.
I think if you are having to make deals with yourself and count drinks...
I just quit altogether. Makes weight management and all of life so much easier.
And, yeah. I used matchsticks. It didn't work.
Would you also suggest eliminating ice cream or cookies, etc from the OP's diet if they enjoyed these items or moderate them in some way as she is proposing to do with alcohol?
If somebody had a problem with them, where they've realized they're unable to moderate.
In the case of the OP she is proposing "moderating" herself at 5 drinks a week. @cmriverside doesn't think moderating will help, if you have to moderate or "budget" should just quit entirely.
If someone has to think about this that much and self negotiate, that is a red flag. People who naturally moderate or who can take it or leave it do not have to put this much effort into where to put the alcohol in the context of their day to day. Alcohol is a legal drug...it isn't ice cream or cookies.
I didn't get she was moderating alchol for any reason other than calories. If that's the case saying one will have 5 drinks a week is no different than saying one will have a half cup of ice cream after dinner daily.3 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »Theoldguy1 wrote: »NorthCascades wrote: »Theoldguy1 wrote: »cmriverside wrote: »Good luck with that.
I think if you are having to make deals with yourself and count drinks...
I just quit altogether. Makes weight management and all of life so much easier.
And, yeah. I used matchsticks. It didn't work.
Would you also suggest eliminating ice cream or cookies, etc from the OP's diet if they enjoyed these items or moderate them in some way as she is proposing to do with alcohol?
If somebody had a problem with them, where they've realized they're unable to moderate.
In the case of the OP she is proposing "moderating" herself at 5 drinks a week. @cmriverside doesn't think moderating will help, if you have to moderate or "budget" should just quit entirely.
If someone has to think about this that much and self negotiate, that is a red flag. People who naturally moderate or who can take it or leave it do not have to put this much effort into where to put the alcohol in the context of their day to day. Alcohol is a legal drug...it isn't ice cream or cookies.
I think the difference is the OP seems to be moderating for calories only - not because they have a drinking problem. In that case I don't really see it as anything different than moderating certain foods.4 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »Theoldguy1 wrote: »NorthCascades wrote: »Theoldguy1 wrote: »cmriverside wrote: »Good luck with that.
I think if you are having to make deals with yourself and count drinks...
I just quit altogether. Makes weight management and all of life so much easier.
And, yeah. I used matchsticks. It didn't work.
Would you also suggest eliminating ice cream or cookies, etc from the OP's diet if they enjoyed these items or moderate them in some way as she is proposing to do with alcohol?
If somebody had a problem with them, where they've realized they're unable to moderate.
In the case of the OP she is proposing "moderating" herself at 5 drinks a week. @cmriverside doesn't think moderating will help, if you have to moderate or "budget" should just quit entirely.
If someone has to think about this that much and self negotiate, that is a red flag. People who naturally moderate or who can take it or leave it do not have to put this much effort into where to put the alcohol in the context of their day to day. Alcohol is a legal drug...it isn't ice cream or cookies.
I think the difference is the OP seems to be moderating for calories only - not because they have a drinking problem. In that case I don't really see it as anything different than moderating certain foods.
I don't want to speak for anyone else, but some people might be keying on this specific statement: "I’ve tried just fitting them into my calorie allotment and that works for awhile but then I find myself fitting them in each day, even when there is no room... like by eating less food that I should."
While it's true that some people do this with ice cream and it's possible that OP likes alcohol the same way that someone like a tasty dessert, but it's also possible that this could be a sign that more is going on.8 -
Theoldguy1 wrote: »cwolfman13 wrote: »Theoldguy1 wrote: »NorthCascades wrote: »Theoldguy1 wrote: »cmriverside wrote: »Good luck with that.
I think if you are having to make deals with yourself and count drinks...
I just quit altogether. Makes weight management and all of life so much easier.
And, yeah. I used matchsticks. It didn't work.
Would you also suggest eliminating ice cream or cookies, etc from the OP's diet if they enjoyed these items or moderate them in some way as she is proposing to do with alcohol?
If somebody had a problem with them, where they've realized they're unable to moderate.
In the case of the OP she is proposing "moderating" herself at 5 drinks a week. @cmriverside doesn't think moderating will help, if you have to moderate or "budget" should just quit entirely.
If someone has to think about this that much and self negotiate, that is a red flag. People who naturally moderate or who can take it or leave it do not have to put this much effort into where to put the alcohol in the context of their day to day. Alcohol is a legal drug...it isn't ice cream or cookies.
I didn't get she was moderating alchol for any reason other than calories. If that's the case saying one will have 5 drinks a week is no different than saying one will have a half cup of ice cream after dinner daily.
And again...speaking from my experience as a former boozer, when one doesn't have any particular problem with alcohol consumption and can take it or leave it, one does not need to use these types of negotiating tactics with themselves to moderate their drug use.
I myself used checkmarks on a calendar once upon a time and I wasn't trying to do anything other than moderate my calories coming from alcohol because I knew they were a lot...but it was also about that time that what I was doing made me realize that there was likely a bigger issue at hand...but I also buried that notion deep down somewhere for years before I actually did anything productive about it. I was allowed 14 checkmarks per week which initially I back loaded to Friday and Saturday...soon, I began to spread those out starting with, "well...it's Wednesday...I'll have a few and still have plenty of checkmarks left for the weekend." Ultimately, all I could think about was where I was at for checkmarks for the week...when could I have a drink and how many...it consumed me...and ultimately, if I didn't have any leftover for the weekend, it didn't matter because I was going to do what I was going to do. I mean, after 2 or 3 shots any notion of moderation was out the window anyway. That whole game lasted maybe a month before I was just back to being a daily drinker and being really strict with my food in order to fit more alcohol calories in. Yeah, ultimately I lost 40 Lbs...I was also having to be very strict with food and I was exercising like a fiend.
From the OP:I’ve tried just fitting them into my calorie allotment and that works for awhile but then I find myself fitting them in each day, even when there is no room... like by eating less food that I should. Obviously, that doesn’t last
That sounds really...really...really friggin' familiar to me.
I don't have any true idea of where the OP is here...I can only speak from my own experience and the things I see written that are all too familiar to myself. I also grant that I could possibly be reading more into things given my own experience...but like I said, there are so many things in such a short post that ring all too familiar to me. I'm also recently sober and going on 90 days...so I am admittedly a bit enthusiastic about sober life. A huge bonus has been that my COVID 20 has been falling off effortlessly like leaves on a cottonwood in October. I'm not even really focusing or thinking about dieting and calories right now...the weight is just falling off.9 -
janejellyroll wrote: »cwolfman13 wrote: »Theoldguy1 wrote: »NorthCascades wrote: »Theoldguy1 wrote: »cmriverside wrote: »Good luck with that.
I think if you are having to make deals with yourself and count drinks...
I just quit altogether. Makes weight management and all of life so much easier.
And, yeah. I used matchsticks. It didn't work.
Would you also suggest eliminating ice cream or cookies, etc from the OP's diet if they enjoyed these items or moderate them in some way as she is proposing to do with alcohol?
If somebody had a problem with them, where they've realized they're unable to moderate.
In the case of the OP she is proposing "moderating" herself at 5 drinks a week. @cmriverside doesn't think moderating will help, if you have to moderate or "budget" should just quit entirely.
If someone has to think about this that much and self negotiate, that is a red flag. People who naturally moderate or who can take it or leave it do not have to put this much effort into where to put the alcohol in the context of their day to day. Alcohol is a legal drug...it isn't ice cream or cookies.
I think the difference is the OP seems to be moderating for calories only - not because they have a drinking problem. In that case I don't really see it as anything different than moderating certain foods.
I don't want to speak for anyone else, but some people might be keying on this specific statement: "I’ve tried just fitting them into my calorie allotment and that works for awhile but then I find myself fitting them in each day, even when there is no room... like by eating less food that I should."
While it's true that some people do this with ice cream and it's possible that OP likes alcohol the same way that someone like a tasty dessert, but it's also possible that this could be a sign that more is going on.
Yes...because that was me for the last 8-9 years...2 -
janejellyroll wrote: »I feel like this is one of those topics that is impossible to answer with a blanket "yes" or "no" answer because the answer comes down to the nature of your relationship with alcohol, something that is an unknown to us right now.
It can be totally true that using physical tokens to limit one's self could be a sign of a problematic relationship with alcohol that should be addressed. It could also be true that this could be an easy and fuss-free way to stay within your intended goal for drinks. For most people who have an issue with alcohol, I feel like this would be a very short-term solution that would probably break down quickly. If you're using physical tokens to whiteknuckle your way to a limit, I can't see that being successful.
This. Personally, I'd say that if OP wants to try it and see how it works for her, I think that's a good idea. If there is an issue other than calorie management, that will become apparent, and if there's not, it may well work. I don't think that making personal rules about how to fit in something is necessarily the sign of a problem, but with alcohol I think sometimes it is (if it works and isn't stressful, then it's likely not).2 -
Outside of the idea of whether or not alcohol use may be an issue if one has to moderate oneself with tokens or rewards, I personally steer away from using external motivators or rewards. I mean, we all have external motivators to do things--a lot of us go to work for the paycheck and wouldn't work for free, right? However, I feel that (at least for me), if I want a behavior to stick, I've gotta find some kind of internal motivation or drive. It may work short-term and maybe by doing this you can build up the internal motivation and not have to use the tokens.
I also have a different perspective on using tokens, coming from a background of working with children with special needs and having kids of my own. It is quite common to use tokens or rewards to encourage behavior, although most newer research will say that even for kids using tokens can backfire--ESPECIALLY if there isn't a plan to decrease the use of them over time.0 -
Theoldguy1 wrote: »NorthCascades wrote: »Theoldguy1 wrote: »cmriverside wrote: »Good luck with that.
I think if you are having to make deals with yourself and count drinks...
I just quit altogether. Makes weight management and all of life so much easier.
And, yeah. I used matchsticks. It didn't work.
Would you also suggest eliminating ice cream or cookies, etc from the OP's diet if they enjoyed these items or moderate them in some way as she is proposing to do with alcohol?
If somebody had a problem with them, where they've realized they're unable to moderate.
In the case of the OP she is proposing "moderating" herself at 5 drinks a week. @cmriverside doesn't think moderating will help, if you have to moderate or "budget" should just quit entirely.
None of us knows the OP, so most people are talking about themselves and hoping maybe some of it sounds familiar. I don't know if what she's describing will work for her or not. I was answering the question about what I would recommend to people.2
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