all things in moderation???... REALLY???

i didnt think i could ever do moderation.. but when i stopped thinking about "dieting" and started thinking im changing my life, it kinda just started happening? i have a cheat day once a week and i think that helps...but i dont really know how moderation came about. i just know that i can keep all my cheat foods in the house and not touch em all week..sometimes not even on my cheat days. i can sit and watch hubby eat nachos and chips and candy and not feel the urge to reach over and have a few *shrug*

Haha xD My thought is to work more on portion control :] If you don't build up the will power now you never will!

Do what works for you...Just stay under your calorie goals...

When I started originally, I had to stay away. I could not to the "in moderation" thing. Eventually, I have learned to do it, but it is not easy. You have to do what works best for you. Good Luck!:flowerforyou:

Well. When I first started out, I went with an "all or nothing" stance. I was determined to get the weight off and I felt that anything from my old life would lead me back down the same road. So, I stopped eating all of it. Let me tell you that it didn't take long for me to become very resentful about it. I started to feel the same way I did when I used to "diet". Depressed. Hungry. I would dream about all the foods I loved so much. I knew that I had to step off that all or nothing train or it was going to derail into a massive binge.

I started to read labels. I started to measure my food. I started to learn about serving sizes. I slowly learned what foods were worth the calories and what foods weren't.

I hit my goal weight, dropped a few more pounds and have been maintaining. I STILL read labels, I STILL follow serving sizes and I've gotten very good at eyeballing a serving size of many things.

I think you CAN learn to eat in moderation. Is it easy? Nope. When I first started, I was always disappointed in what seemed to be a small serving of something I really loved. Now? Not so much. I know what a serving size is, I follow it and instead of being disappointed at the small amount of something - I've learned to enjoy it.

It takes time, patience, motivation, determination and most of all willpower, but it CAN be done.

There are foods I no longer eat - not because they are "off limits", but I've simply found they aren't worth the calories. Fast food, pop, etc are things I don't consume because I won't waste my calories on them.

I struggle with this as well. It seems as if my diet happens in spurts. I do really well for a week, and then when I think I can handle a few chips, fries, or a little dessert, my self control goes out the window and I over-indulge big time! I've only been on MFP for about a month now and I've lost about 6 pounds but I'm really hoping for more weight loss. I eat pretty much all the same foods that I used to, I just cut down my portion size. However, like I mentioned, my will power is not completely strong yet so I've had some slip ups that make me feel super guilty and upset. I just continue to tell myself that I can take one day at a time, and if I eat like crap one day, there's stll tomorrow to work it off and do better! If you find a way to fight the mind controlling craving monster, LET ME KNOW!

No food is off limits for me - not even bread and chips and at one time they were my best friends. I've done that in the past then I binge on whatever it is and beat myself for it - I just can't do that anymore. Its a lifestyle not a diet for me.

Sometimes if I have craving I'll have a serving and a half of something BUT everything goes on a plate and I really think about it, no more mindless eating.

You can do it - I does get easier. Its a process, it's retraining your thinking about food.

Good old willpower. I do not have it.

I can go for 6 days being perfect, then comes day 7 and I PIG OUT. I can get back on the wagon after a day or 2. Results: I am a PRO at weight maintenance. I am determined to lose a pound this week so this weekend I am being very strict with myself.

The moral of my story is yes, you need to keep certain foods out of your life for awhile. Doesn't mean forever. If your "cheat day: lasts for a week, then you know you can't handle cheat days. When you lose the weight and start to maintain, then you can let some things back in.

If you want a candy bar, fine, work for it. Burn 300 calories and it's yours :bigsmile:

Only you know what will work for you. I personally don't do well when something is forbidden. I only want it more. When I feel out of control I try to take a break from whatever it is until I feel more in control. I will eat veggies and then go back to what I wanted to binge on or I will put some orajel on my tongue to numb it so I can't taste for a few minutes. That is usually enough to snap me out of my binge frenzy. Hope you can find a system that works for you long term.

Instead of trying to moderation on all of your trigger foods, one idea might be to start with just one to "moderate" -- maybe the chips. Keep your focus on controlling the one item for a couple of weeks and then add the next trigger food item. Keep mastering them one at a time. It is a lot less of overwhelming; leads to better long term habits; and probably doesn't impact your long term weight loss goal, just a few short term ones.

Ooops, I just read that someone else made this same suggestion. I will say that focusing on one bad habit at a time has really kept me on track and healthy. Currently I am focusing on managing my salt intake.

If you can go cold turkey, go cold turkey. I do. The standard advice is to cut things about slowly, but that doesn't work for me; I just decide I'm going to do something and then do it.

Don't buy any crap at all. If you can't get it without exerting time and effort, you won't eat it.

Do you just BLOCK all these things until you THINK you can have a serving of chips without devouring the entire bag?

This worked for me. I had to do this with sugar and sodas. I am now 3lb from goal and an "everything in moderation" person.

I belong to TOPS also and each week we draw out to "No No" and one "Yes" for the week. We are challenged for a week to either not eat something not good for us or to eat something good for us. It works for me, it makes me think about not eating something I shouldn't. I am or was drinking almost 2 liters of diet soda a day. I had myself convinced since it was diet it was ok. Three weeks ago our challenge was no soft drinks all week! I didn't think I could do it but I did, then our leader challenge us to see how long we could go without them, I just this week have had two cans of diet pepsi. I finally am drinking more water and have lost weight ever week for seven straight weeks. I also have over a 100 hundred pounds to lose and have been heavy all my life. I have a sweet tooth that is very demanding but I try to be aware of what I eat and count it in my daily calories. If I fall off the wagon I try not to beat myself up, but count it and keep on going. I love MFP it works for me and it is a easy way to kept track of what I am eating. Good luck, you can do it.

I like the way you talk it makes me laugh cheep hooker lol. I try to cut out things I know I over indulge in out. I have a salt and grease tooth and I could eat a costco size bag of fritos chips in an hour and want more. So I dont buy them I get things I dont like as much like BBQ flavored lays I still get that salty crunch chip taste and its sill good but I can have a few and be done. Same with chocolate when I am really craving chocolate I will go out a buy 3 gourmet truffles from the hand dipped chocolate store down the street and savor every delicious piece not just grab a candy bar. But I had to break up with cheesebecause i truly believe I had an addiction to it if it was in the house I would devour it and I missed it it not being in my life like i had lost a friend it was not a healthy relationship. But that kinda went away after a while i got healthier and I just had cheese on my apple today and it was tasty but I didnt need to eat the whole cheese log to feel satisfied.

I guess what i am saying is do what feels right to you if you know you have an unhealthy relationship with cake treat it like a boyfriend. Dont go out of your way for cake dont bring cake home dont see cake on the side untill you are ready to have a healthy relationship with cake. and make tasty substitutions for the rest of the tasty things that dont run your life and give yourself slack sometimes I binge on jelly beans and I have a tummy ache and Its not the end of the world.

Good Luck.

This is my first time to read the messages boards. They all help. I really appreciated EVERYTHING you said. I think I will memorize it! I feel motivated by your message. Thank you!:flowerforyou: