all things in moderation???... REALLY???
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I think eventually portion control just starts to become more important than giving in and eating the entire bag. Sometimes if you make a food forbidden you will crave it big time and then end up binging on it at some point. Doesn't necessarily happen with EVERYONE but it is a very likely thing that can happen. But if you allow yourself a serving size, it's basically like... I don't *need* anymore, I have allowed myself to eat a little bit and that's good enough. You can have a slice of pizza and still be in with your calorie goal, but if you eat 4 you will be way over. So you can think about it like, I can enjoy this slice of pizza and still be within m calorie goal without having to feel guilty about it, but I don't need to have anymore because then it will cause me to go over.
I am not sure if that makes much sense, but it seems to work for me. I know that I can have the foods I like and not go over my calorie limit, so I don't really need/want to eat the entire bag because I don't want to go over my calorie goal for the day.0 -
Do what works for you...Just stay under your calorie goals...
I agree.
I will allow myself a bite or two of chips or sweets, like when I pack lunches for my family. Then I put them away and I feel better.0 -
I guess it really is just "what works for you" ... I dont know about anyone else, but THAT is seriously the MOST frustrating answer lol .. i KNOW its definately the only answer that truly works .. but if I knew "what worked for me" ,, I wouldnt BE overweight lol .. ughhh i dont know. Today was just not a good day i guess .. i feel like a complete whinebag haha ..
But the one thing I do notice that "works for me" (...LOL seriously I want to punch that phrase) is when im out with friends and their eating all sorts of crap, I dont feel the need to have any of it ... Call me what you want, but my competitive side comes out and I feel superior when I can say no to a quesidila (I totally butchered that spelling, I knowlol) or nachos etc and they cant .... but if you were to leave me alone with said quesadilla ( <-- that looks more correct to me... why couldn't I spell it one line previously? oh well, im not changing it above .. whatever) or nachos .. and i would clean house
I guess my main point is, this time period of my weight loss journey, I do not feel that moderation is good for me. Maybe I could just say I wont eat any crap until my cheat day on Saturdays .... That could probably work .. because then i'd plan all my meals down to the second for how much crap I could eat .... hmmm..that might work.
Okay -- which is better? Having to wait to until your "cheat" day to eat what you want? Or learning to count out 19 chips (or whatever the serving size is) and eating WHEN YOU WANT IT? For me, a "cheat" day was too diet-ish. I don't want to wait until a set day to eat something that I love. I want to eat it NOW - when I want it. Then I feel like I can move on with my life. So, I figure out the serving size, eat it, log it in my food diary and move on with my life. I've had what I wanted, accounted for it and don't have to wait for a certain day to do it. Another thing *I* found with "cheat" meals? I let cheat meals turn into cheat days and cheat days turn into cheat weeks.
Much better for me to just eat what I wanted and keep going.
This is about self control. Learning how to be in control of food instead of letting food be in control of you. Yes, you have to do what works for you - as much as you may hate those words. It is up to YOU to figure out what works. We can all sit here and tell you to do this or that, what worked for us or whatever... but honestly.. at the end of the day it is up to YOU to figure it out for yourself.0 -
Humans naturally eat everything infront of them... Grab a hand full from the bag of chips, put them in a bowl, and put the bag back in the cupboard. Try and do that with every food that isn't that healthy that you love. I had to get used to this also, if I didn't do this, I could eat the whole bad /: I believe cutting something out completely will only lead to worse overindulging.
This is my tactic too. I never sit down with more than I am allowing myself to eat. If there is cake, I hide it from myself. I am pretty weak willed, but getting a bit better. I pay more attention to when I eat, and put a lot of effort into getting settled in with my book or at the table before I eat, so there isn't any snacking that doesn't involve what is on my plate. Still a challenge.
As a PP said as well, there are things that I just don't touch. Not worth the calories. Regular potato chips, full cal soda, things like that. But I still allow french fries to sneak into my diet, as well as a bowl of frozen yogurt here and there
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I have learned to just not keep certain foods around if I can't enjoy them in moderation. I can have a bottle of wine and drink one glass and the rest can sit on the counter until the next day (or until I eventually end up cooking with it because it is no longer tasty to drink). But this is not the case with something like cookies or ice cream. If I open that bag of cookies or carton of ice cream, I'm eating at least a couple servings.
Does that mean I have completely cut them out of my life forever and ever? No. But it means that if I really want ice cream, I need to walk to the ice cream place about a half mile away (Mitchell's! Best ice cream in SF.) and buy a scoop. More often than not, I decide I don't really want ice cream.0 -
THanks everyone! I really appreciate all your advice ... I know I dont trust myself right now with moderation ... but I do realize I cant cut out all things that are "Bad" for me forever ... it's just that right now, I am not where I need to be mentally in order to say no after one serving ..... I think I will try a cheat day once a week and see how that goes ... if that turns out to be too much .. I'll cut out all my vices ... Let's just wait and see!! Thanks everyone again for your kind words and motivation
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It all really does depend on how you would like to do it. There are some people who think you should cut those things out all together, and others who feel every once in a while is ok... I do try to make better food choices, HOWEVER, I honestly eat whatever I want. I've realized that it takes less to fill me up than it used to and that I'm still losing weight ;-) I eat candy, chocolate, cake, pie, hamburgers, fries, whatever... Unfortunately, learning moderation is the key and it's different for everyone. Trying the smaller portions is a great choice, such as the smaller bags of things, the 100 calorie packs, or the snack size candy bars. Give it some time. Try eating things out of a smaller plate, if that helps ;-) Either way, it's something personal, and when you feel you're ready, that's when you'll have to try it and find out. Have some faith in yourself and realize that this is something that you're doing for you; only you can make it happen :-)0
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You have to find what is right for you, obviously. If you know you can't do it in moderation than take away the temptation until you do have your eating and portion sizing under control.
For me, I like to do meal planning (not only does it help my budget it helps my waist line). And I usually plan my meals completely in the morning. I even log it in the morning so that I know what I need to eat if I'm working out or what kind of snack I might get at night. This way you have everything already figured out.
And if you know that portion control is not your strong suit then plan your portions. I have a food scale, ziploc baggies, etc. to plan my meals. I also love the 100 calorie mini bags of butter popcorn and kettle corn. I can eat the whole bag and not feel like I've done anything wrong.0 -
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.
LOL @ relating cake to a boyfriend .. thats great....yeah I'm definately in the mindset where I gotta cut it out .. I gotta delete my boyfriend Tortilla Chips dipped in sour cream (....!!! ugh they're so good) from my phone and stop drunk dialing him .0 -
I think there is a blend of strategies that you can use, and where you are during your progression from obesity to your ultimate goal partially determines what that blend of strategies is.
So you may cut out some things totally, for me I rarely eat french fries, that's my weakness. But I do eat them occasionally, maybe 4 times per year if I were to count.
I love to drink wine, lots of calories there. But my strategy is to cut out all alcohol between bicycling season and ski season, so that I don't take in those calories when I don't burn as many through exercise, and I just appreciate resetting, and avoiding alcohol dependency issues.
But I also use the moderation strategy, I eat McDonald's, but instead of getting a Quarter Pounder with Cheese, I get a double hamburger no cheese. And I don't go there as often.
I eat more salads, measure portions, use no fat reduced calorie products. But I indulge in my favorite foods from time to time. Like rack of lamb, good cheese, chocolate souffles. Just not very often. And I really savor the moment. Knowing that I can indulge periodically doesn't seem nearly as restrictive as cutting that permanently out of my diet.
Eating a chocolate bar from time to time shouldn't equate to having a cigarette. One of these things is not like the other. There are redeeming health benefits to the chocolate bar.0 -
I've found when I have the things I love regularly, and make sure I burn enough calories that they fit in my plan, I don't have any urge to overindulge. Otherwise, I know I'd crack and binge. When it's not off limits, it doesn't have have the "forbidden fruit" appeal. Plus, I make sure that even if I don't eat everything I love, I have to love everything I eat. If all I have is bland food, I'm not happy. If I have delicious dinners like the chicken teriyaki I had tonight, I'm satisfied. (And if I can burn enough calories that I can have chicken teriyaki, apple pie and captain morgan, I'm even more satisfied!)0
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I am still working on portion control and getting better. Tid bits that help me. I filled a coffee cup with water and then poured it into a measuring cup so I now know my coffee cups hold 6 ounces and I eat out of them a lot. I do weigh almost everything and measure out mayo and salad dressing. I have found good recipes on this site to get the skinnier version of things like sweets. I make cup cakes for portion control. Love the chocolate cake mix with 15 ounce of pumpkin. Also love the yellow cake mix with 2 cups of apple sauce. These are so good and they are much lower in calories and fat since you are not adding in eggs and oil. I go for the sweets and these help me stay on track. I also enter my food before I eat it. Like another poster said, I want to make sure it is worth the calories before I eat it! Finally, I bought a stack of different size measuring cups. I use the half cup one for ice cream and I use the quarter cup one for nuts. I eat right out of the measuring cup.You will find your own way. Good Luck0
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From my experience as a trainer, practically every client I had in my earlier years that I put on strict diets gained back the weight within a year because they started eating the foods that they loved. In the past 7 years since I've switched more to NOT restricting anything for them in choices (I only restrict their totally calories per day) the success rate has been much better and they are staying with maintenance with no issues. In fact, they are the most grateful ones.So I have been REALLY doing the whole weight loss thing for about 2 months .. definately looking better and feeling better due to consistant and CONSTANT exercise ... but my eating is still so ****ty lol .. For the past week I have been doing the whole 6 mini meals thing ... and I have never been one to SHUN certain foods completely (I did it once back in July -- no chips or full-fat sandwichs for 2 weeks until my bday lol) .. and it worked .. buttttt all the "experts" say "Dont cut anything out! Learn to eat everything in moderation" ... But for someone who is roughly 100 pounds overweight, like myself, doing the moderation thing is basically giving me permission to overindulge. ... I cant DO moderation when it comes to anything remotely resemebling a chip, piece of cake, chocolate-covered-dipped-and-then-smeared-with-shame ANYTHING .. So FINALLY MFP, Please tell me . Do you just BLOCK all these things until you THINK you can have a serving of chips without devouring the entire bag? Or, am I destined to go through this frigin rollercoaster of eating fantastic for a few days until I encounter a cookie and end up feeling like a cheap hooker afterwards? THOUGHTS
If you choose to shun foods you like, I believe that once you reach your goal unless you keep it up that way, you'll gain weight back if you choose to have the chips and cake again.
You can learn self control, but it takes practice by actually doing it.0 -
I can't do moderation either. It's all or nothing!! Basically, it was suggested to me to eat really healthy for a long time, until I feel like I can control myself ( still not there, its been two months). He also said that once I allowed myself to have a little, it probably wouldn't taste as wonderful as I remembered. I am waiting until I feel I am at that point. I have a pretty good feeling it will be quite a while still, but that is ok with me. I am tired of letting food have control over me, so this is the best way for me to regain control. It may not be the best way for everyone, but it is the best for me!! Hope this helps!! feel free to add me if you need some extra support!!!
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But that doesn't stop you from thinking about it. And if it's readily available it's just going to the store and making a purchase if the craving is strong enough.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.
When I used to compete there was a Mrs. Fields cookies right up the street and when I was dieting (and I mean nothing but bland, tasteless chicken, veggies and rice practically every meal) I could smell the cookies. One night I just gave in and had 3. Of course that set back my prep so I spent 2 hours on the stationary bike burning it back off.0 -
My thought process is that if you can totally restrict yourself from eating a food, then you can eat the food in moderation. The underlying idea is the same(instead of not eating it at all, your only going to eat one serving) but the action/end result is different.
I think that thinking about it that way makes it a bit easier.. but then again I'm a psychology major 0 -
It's like you reached into my head and plucked that post from my brain, I couldn't have expressed those thoughts any better myself! At this stage junk feels like cigarettes to me...I can't have one because I would smoke the whole pack!( I've been quit 2 yrs) I honestly believe that I need to block junk from my life too...never to be touched again. I hope that's not true and I learn moderation....but it doesn't seem to be sinking for me yet either.0
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Maybe if you look at it like this..I would much rather eat 1/2 c of ice cream ( a real serving) or a mini bag of chips then to HAVE TO GIVE THEM UP!! I know I would much rather have a small serving then know I can have it at all....Its like I tell me kids...You can have a 1/2 piece of candy bar OR NON AT all..which would you rather do? 0
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From my experience as a trainer, practically every client I had in my earlier years that I put on strict diets gained back the weight within a year because they started eating the foods that they loved. In the past 7 years since I've switched more to NOT restricting anything for them in choices (I only restrict their totally calories per day) the success rate has been much better and they are staying with maintenance with no issues. In fact, they are the most grateful ones.So I have been REALLY doing the whole weight loss thing for about 2 months .. definately looking better and feeling better due to consistant and CONSTANT exercise ... but my eating is still so ****ty lol .. For the past week I have been doing the whole 6 mini meals thing ... and I have never been one to SHUN certain foods completely (I did it once back in July -- no chips or full-fat sandwichs for 2 weeks until my bday lol) .. and it worked .. buttttt all the "experts" say "Dont cut anything out! Learn to eat everything in moderation" ... But for someone who is roughly 100 pounds overweight, like myself, doing the moderation thing is basically giving me permission to overindulge. ... I cant DO moderation when it comes to anything remotely resemebling a chip, piece of cake, chocolate-covered-dipped-and-then-smeared-with-shame ANYTHING .. So FINALLY MFP, Please tell me . Do you just BLOCK all these things until you THINK you can have a serving of chips without devouring the entire bag? Or, am I destined to go through this frigin rollercoaster of eating fantastic for a few days until I encounter a cookie and end up feeling like a cheap hooker afterwards? THOUGHTS
If you choose to shun foods you like, I believe that once you reach your goal unless you keep it up that way, you'll gain weight back if you choose to have the chips and cake again.
You can learn self control, but it takes practice by actually doing it.
My trainer tried to start me out this way, too... and I posted here like the next day and had like 50 comments to fire the dude. So... I was honest with him that I couldn't do his strict diet and that wasn't part of my personal goals. We then came to have a good working relationship. I still have a few sessions owed to me once I'm able to get back into the weightlifting side of working out again, too. Damn shoulder!0 -
The more I think about what I initally wrote on this post, I think I want to clarify something. I think the reason I'm so apt to shunning my trigger foods for awhile is because I feel like I am messing up on a daily basis --- maybe this is me being too hard on myself. But I find myself "grazing" on anything I can get my hands on .... but I think to actually have a set day of the week to allow myself pizza and things like that would make more sense .... otherwise, if I dont have a set plan, I could eat pizza everyday and still stay in my calore range! .. which I could do .. but it isnt advised. Dont know if that helps any lol ... but I have gotten alot of feedback on this which is great .. and I know alot of people are dealing with the same things... so its nice to not feel alone on this0
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I'm so smart I can out-smart MYSELF! I would buy lil snack size candy bars, the 80cals each kind, and then plan on eating one when I felt like it. I sort of thought that "felt like it" would occur once a day. Turns out having candy in my possession means I eat ALL the candy asap :P So I just have to not buy things I pig out on. I had to do the cold turkey thing. Moderation TOTALLY works for some ppl, and even with me for certain things. But I can't have certain snacky foods in the house and expect to leave them alone. When I am allowing a cheat moment I try to do it with my sisters and go out to buy it. Meaning that its not in my house in quantities more than one and I also don't like pigging out in front of people
Another thing that really is helping me is writing down, by hand, EVERYTHING I eat. I kinda got numb to the plugging it into mfp. 2,000cals by the night? Hmm, didn't think I ate that much!...whatever.. Then writing everything down as I ate it made me think of what I was really stuffing myself with. Writing "3cps ice cream) in pen is wince-worthy :P
I love the thought of moderation. I, personally, operate better going cold turkey and having concrete reasons for not eating/drinking things. Ex: there's full-sugar pop in the fridge but i really don't want it because last time I drank that I bounced off the walls for 4hrs.0 -
One thing that helped me was finding healthier alternatives to things I really liked.
I love chocolate. Love love love love love! But I enjoy eating and feeling satisfied with what I eat. So I counted out a serving size of Peanut M&Ms. And I really looked at it. A serving size is 1.5 ounces, or about 18 candies, and 220 calories. That's pretty much two or three "bites" when you grab a handful of them like I'd like to do. Then look at a Quaker reduced sugar chocolate and peanut butter granola bar. About six or seven "bites," and chewy so it takes longer to eat. And only 90 calories. The M&Ms might taste better, but I'm going to feel a lot more satisfied after eating the granola bar, and still get my chocolate and peanut fix.
Realizing how many calories are in Pop Tarts turned me off them completely. I used to love them as a quick and easy breakfast. Now I'd rather have an English Muffin with Nutella for half the calories and a lot more flavor.
Budgeting calories is like budgeting money. You have to get the most bang for your buck. Sometimes we have to examine just where the money is going to find out we're spending too much on frivolous things when we need to focus on the mortgage and heating bills first. Sometimes you just have to splurge, though. Just make sure you can afford it.0 -
There are some things that I wouldn't let myself have because I didn't think I could control it at first. My 2 weaknesses are Bread, and Chips...Chips I told myself I couldn't have at all for at least a month, I found other options like popcorn. When I felt like I could control it I allowed myself to have half a serving, if I felt like I wanted more, then I'd wait 30 or 45 mins, and if I still had the craving i'd have another 1/2 serving, and at that point, I will have only had 1 serving and felt that was enough. So...it just depends, if you don't think you can control your moderation on foods you love, then say you have to go without for a week or 2 then try moderation for that food again.0
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I think many people don't really know what is meant by "in moderation". Not all experts mean 'just eat smaller portions of crappy food' when they say that. Often they mean 'eat these things rarely'.0
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^ THIS.I think many people don't really know what is meant by "in moderation". Not all experts mean 'just eat smaller portions of crappy food' when they say that. Often they mean 'eat these things rarely'.0 -
^^^ YESS! I totally agree!! Since I'm in the mindset of "eating in moderation", if there is pizza infront of me today, I'll think "Oh, well its moderation so I can definately have one or two slices because, hey, at least its not a whole pizza" ..... and then the nextday if there is candy infront of me "well, i can have one or two pieces of candy because i dont want to deprive myself and have super crazy cravings for it so i'll eat it" .... and before ya know it, I've had that same mindset with 15 other things, and it turns out that I eat crap EVERY DAY! lol .. sooo yeah, I think for myself, I need to just say NO! to all my favorite things and save them for my cheatday .... If I see a slice of pizza on Tuesday and think "ok well I can have it on saturday and I'll go and get a piece of the REALLY good pizza" that makes more sense to me than eating that one slice right then and there that probably isnt even that good to begin with!0
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One thing that helped me was finding healthier alternatives to things I really liked.
I love chocolate. Love love love love love! But I enjoy eating and feeling satisfied with what I eat. So I counted out a serving size of Peanut M&Ms. And I really looked at it. A serving size is 1.5 ounces, or about 18 candies, and 220 calories. That's pretty much two or three "bites" when you grab a handful of them like I'd like to do. Then look at a Quaker reduced sugar chocolate and peanut butter granola bar. About six or seven "bites," and chewy so it takes longer to eat. And only 90 calories. The M&Ms might taste better, but I'm going to feel a lot more satisfied after eating the granola bar, and still get my chocolate and peanut fix.
Realizing how many calories are in Pop Tarts turned me off them completely. I used to love them as a quick and easy breakfast. Now I'd rather have an English Muffin with Nutella for half the calories and a lot more flavor.
Budgeting calories is like budgeting money. You have to get the most bang for your buck. Sometimes we have to examine just where the money is going to find out we're spending too much on frivolous things when we need to focus on the mortgage and heating bills first. Sometimes you just have to splurge, though. Just make sure you can afford it.
I totally and completely agree with this post.
There are a lot of alternatives out there that are just as delicious as the "real thing" but far less calories.
If you like pizza - make your own at home. We make our own pizza with whole wheat crusts. I can have two big ole pieces of homemade pizza for the "price" of one piece from a restaurant.
I love peanut butter and chocolate together (think Reese's peanut butter cups) and I've found Skinny Cow bars are delicious and a nice alternative (for half the calories too!).
Be creative. Go to the store and walk the aisles - don't rush. Actually, stop and read labels. Don't be afraid to try new things - you never know when you might hit on something you really like.
This isn't about all or nothing. It really isn't. That is too much like a diet. This is your life.0 -
I think many people don't really know what is meant by "in moderation". Not all experts mean 'just eat smaller portions of crappy food' when they say that. Often they mean 'eat these things rarely'.
Perhaps different people view "moderation" differently.
For me, "in moderation" means I don't HAVE to say no to the things that I enjoy (like cake or pizza). I simply eat a smaller portion of it. Americans views on serving sizes are so screwed up. We've been handed huge plates of food for so long that we have NO idea what is a true serving size of rice or whatever. Learning what the serving sizes are (and everything has a serving size...everything) and follow them is, in my opinion, learning to eat "in moderation".
You can still have the things that you love. Let's face it - this is the only life we have to live and I plan to enjoy it too. I don't want to go the rest of my life without enjoying a piece of birthday cake, some cookies, pizza or whatever - I want to ENJOY life... but I want to enjoy it while wearing my size 8 pants. You CAN do both (enjoy it AND be thinner) -- it just takes time, patience and some willpower.0 -
I had to block everything unhealthy for a couple of weeks but only when I first started losing weight 5/6 months ago.
Now I genuinely CAN eat in moderation- and I never thought I could get to that stage.
I would rather have a little bit of something and enjoy it than devour tonnes of it and feel guilty afterwards- which is what I used to do...and also feeling like I had ruined everything.
Prime example tonight, there is a tub of Strawberry Cheesecake Haagen Daas sitting in my freezer (my absolute FAVOURITE btw!)- before I would have blatantly eaten nearly all of a tub - or at least half of it in one sitting. Now I can have two scoops in a bowl and then put it back in the freezer- seriously!
You will get there eventually- u come to realise it's all about no denying yourself everything u like or you will end up craving it like no tomorrow 0 -
I suck at moderation. I blocked out most processed carbs, trying to stick to whole wheat or whole grain. Be careful about advertised whole grain though, sometimes it's not really whole grain. I don't buy junk food, if I buy it I'll devour it within 24 hours, usually within 4 hours. If you're dying for a treat like a brownie, I suggest going to a bakery and buying a single one, make sure it's not huge though. I suppose once I get to maintenance weight I will not buy my weaknesses either, since I know it triggers overeating, it's better to purchase a single serving like one scoop of icecream out instead of buying a whole container to bring home. good luck!0
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