Moderation my *kitten*!

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  • DarkAngel525
    DarkAngel525 Posts: 135
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    Sadly, I'm the same way. I always manage my calories and exercise so I can have one, full-size Hershey bar at night. The other day my mom said, why don't you get them in bulk, then you don't have to stop every night at a mart and it's probably cheaper that way. I just had to admit that while that was a smart idea, if I got a 10 pack of the bars I can't promise that I would have the will power not to eat them all. It's a true sickness for me so I just have to do what works for my situation.


    exactly! plus if you just keep stopping at the store you'll get nights where you are too tired. that's the same reason i go to the store to buy a can of pop. and it's also the same reason i can go days without drinking one

    Yes! Some days I'm just beat or not in the mood, but if it is there, at my house, it is getting eaten for sure. So glad someone else has the same stuff going on!
  • kyle4jem
    kyle4jem Posts: 1,400 Member
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    I know I'm can't be alone in this lol least I hope not. But there are certain foods I absolutely CANNOT have b/c I can't have just ONE bite or ONE piece or ONE nibble....I want the whole thing and I'll stab you with my fork if you try and pry it from my fingers :laugh:

    :drinker:
    Cheers to the Holidays Folks
    I used to be like that. I'd diet and give up all the fattening things I love the most and when I fell of that wagon, boy did I fall hard! :embarassed:

    Now, I'm not saying that I don't struggle now and again, but I find I can take two biccies out of the tin and enjoy them. I'm not quite at the nibble and savour stage, but I eat them, account for them and drink two glasses of water afterwards.

    I've been craving some chocolate since lunchtime. I've had my big bowl of chowder and the selection box they gave me at work is sitting to my left begging to be opened. But as long as it remains unopened I can ignore it. I know I have kit-kats in my drawer (they're leftover from before the weight-loss prog started) but again, out of sight, out of mind.

    Tonight I'm going to have a girlie-night in with a very dear old friend and I know there will be wine (there always is :drinker: ) and possibly a take-away (to save him having to slave over a hot stove after work) so in a way I'm saving myself for the enjoyment and pleasure of later :wink:

    You CAN get over your addictions and you can face your daemons too.

    And the next time you want a cookie... think of having abs like PBJunkie :wink: and you might find it easier to say NO! :happy:
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    Im the same way. I face this battle every day. I try to do the whole moderation thing but it doesn't work.

    Example: Yesterday we had an office party with cake and cookies. I walked into the kitchen saying "I will have one small slice of cake, thats it."

    After an hour of mingling I had downed 2 slices of cake and 6 shortbread cookies. I sat down at my desk and said WTF to myself.

    Last night after work. Went to my sisters for my dad's birthday. She made a cake. I said to myself "Okay, you had two slices of cake and 6 cookies already. You don't need anymore cake."

    Two slices of cake later, I got in my car to leave and I was so mad I gripped the steering wheel until my knuckled turned white and cried pretty much the whole drive home.

    I know, you're probably thinking it's just one day. You fall of the wagon, get back up and start fresh. Well that's not possible. In the past week, I have had 7 slices of cake, countless number of cookies and I believe a cherry pie, pumpkin pie and a slice of cookie cake was somewhere in there. Between office parties, a wedding, and my dads birthday. Things have gone to ****. But it hasn't been just this past week. It's all the time. every time. I can't just have one and walk away.

    So what do people like us do? I don't want to live the rest of my life without ever having another chocolate chip cookie.

    I just walked into the kitchen and saw the tray of cookies sitting out on the table from yesterday. I walked by it, looked at it and said "today you will be my *****. you will not defeat me. i am better than you." as i was leaving the kitchen, i almost stopped and got one, but didn't because it's only 8am.

    My suggestion would not be to go the rest of your life without these things, but do go totally without them for a while. And I mean nothing sweet at all. You may want to wait till after Christmas, but once you go without any sweets for a perios of time (several weeks, not just a few days) you may lose the cravings and when you do add them back you'll find that you simply can't eat them the way you used to. At least that worked for me. I just decided to give up sugary foods and desserts on day. Now I rarely crave them (sometimes during PMS) but the real difference is how incredibly sweet everything tastes. Too much and it just starts to make me feel a little nauseous. I have no science to back this up. I only know it worked for me.
  • JeSuisPrest
    JeSuisPrest Posts: 2,005 Member
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    But that's the whole point of moderation.....have some but stay within a single serving. If you can't control yourself then stay away. How badly do you want to lose weight? You've got to work for it for it, hon. There ain't no other way. You can do this!!
  • Asavitzk
    Asavitzk Posts: 66
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    I've found that the pain-in-the-butt-ness of entering everything I eat in a food diary or MFP on my phone helps me curb the desire to eat more. The trick is forcing yourself to enter it first, before you pick it up. Even just seeing how much of a hit my daily limit will take if I eat another cookie is enough to make me think twice and sometimes that's all I need.

    Oh, and gum.
  • KMSForLife
    KMSForLife Posts: 605
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    ....I want the whole thing and I'll stab you with my fork if you try and pry it from my fingers :laugh:

    :drinker:
    Cheers to the Holidays Folks

    I love this . . .
  • Kksd605
    Kksd605 Posts: 74 Member
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    I know just what you are going through! Chocolate, cheesecake, ice cream are some of my worst cravings ...

    Food is an addition for some of us. Unlike other additions, you can't give it up. The addage, "Everything in Moderation", is a good one, but it is definitely a constant and lifelong struggle to adhere to it.
  • MrsSpinks
    MrsSpinks Posts: 274 Member
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    Of course, I'm not talking about people with actual addictions, but I think a lot of times, people don't push themselves hard enough to be moderate. If you're strong enough to say "no thanks," then you really are strong enough to say "just one."

    There's a huge bag of candy bars in my cupboard right now. I really could eat the whole damn thing at once. I've done that before, thinking, "Oh, just one or two fun-sized bars." and the whole bag was gone in a day. Now? I've have two, but it'll stop at two, and only when it fits my calories. And those two fun-sized bars really are worth the 20 minutes I spent on the treadmill burning those calories, but they're not worth any more than that.

    Now if only I could budget my finances as well as I budget my calories. Too bad I can't earn extra cash by running! :laugh:

    Completely agree! My fridge is always stocked full of fun sized goodness - but I know I have to earn them!!
  • Umeboshi
    Umeboshi Posts: 1,637 Member
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    I am one of the 'everything in moderation' group.

    However, I totally get that you can lose control. I do my fair share of losing control still. I'm a total emotional eater and when there's something delicious I just want to KEEP EATING IT. The other day I had 3 big chocolate chip cookies that my gf's mom baked. A couple days after I had 4 or 5 frosted sugar cookies. Every time I go to dinner at the gf's mom's house she makes high-calorie stuff like short ribs or giant pork chops and I end up eating double what I should of it.

    I guess you just have to remember that nobody is perfect and if you make choices throughout the rest of the day to make up for your mistakes it'll all work out.
  • caseytcollins
    caseytcollins Posts: 2
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    Two things that have worked for me, and that may or may not help for you (especially this time of year):

    1. Limit alcohol. I eat four times as much with a glass of wine (or bottle :tongue: ) in my hand. Wine makes everything taste better, it seems. I have tried to cut back to one or two glasses a week.

    2. If you have myfitnesspal on your iphone (or other), look up the calories of what you are about to put in your mouth. That has helped me reevaluate how much I actually "want" whatever it is.
  • Shanna_Inc86
    Shanna_Inc86 Posts: 781 Member
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    Oh there are times I do really well....And I've found that keeping fruit in my diet, lowfat chocolate milk, chocolate protein bars and shakes help a lot. I've found ways to have brownies so that they're only 127cals a piece but then I have to give them all away haha

    This time of year when they're in abundance EVERYWHERE kills me! But I keep reminding myself of the things some of you have said. I'll try and talk myself down and remind myself of what's really important.

    I was on a slippery slope with men and alcohol in the past and yet I've managed to control that. I only drink a couple times a month and will nurse a drink for an hour or more. I've also learned to control my shopping. I know I can control this. However you can't hide from food completely so its been more of a challenge but I know I can
  • marisa_munches
    marisa_munches Posts: 30
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    You should read "The End of Overeating." It's written by Dr. David Kessler, who used to head the FDA. I'm still in the middle of it, but it's an incredible book. It talks about the science of addiction and the types of chemical reactions that occur in the body that lead to an eating binge once you allow yourself that first bite. It's been incredibly helpful to me to understand a little bit behind why I "can't stop" myself. From what I've read so far, it sounds like some people are more prone to addictive behavior with food than others. Good luck!
  • MLeigh18
    MLeigh18 Posts: 120 Member
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    You know what? If you want it, eat it. But drink 2 glasses of water first. I guarantee you will not be eating nearly as much. I just did this at a Christmas party I went to last week and will be doing the same at another party tomorrow. Drink a glass of water when the next craving sets in too, before any food goes in your mouth. I log everything right after I eat it. If you have a smart phone or a phone with web access,and you have the MFP app on your phone you can log the calories when you are out and about. It will make you think twice.


    Doesn't work for me. I drink at least a gallon of water/day, so drinking two glasses of water before I eat is normal for me.
  • dad106
    dad106 Posts: 4,868 Member
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    Of course, I'm not talking about people with actual addictions, but I think a lot of times, people don't push themselves hard enough to be moderate. If you're strong enough to say "no thanks," then you really are strong enough to say "just one."

    Thank you! I've been trying to vocalize this for ages but could never figure out the wording.. and you've said it perfectly.

    To OP:
    I can't really say I understand because I don't. I find moderation easy... because I know that I can have it. If you are constantly telling yourself No, I can't have XYZ, when you are a faced with it you will actually eat more since you have been depriving yourself. If you say though, I can have a little bit, soon enough you find that little bit to be satisfying without eating the whole pie.
  • frygirl01
    frygirl01 Posts: 27 Member
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    Thanks for posting about this topic!
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,707 Member
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    It can be learned just like anything else. There usually an issue as to why people indulge so much in "treats". But IMO denying yourself from them is worse. Take it step at a time.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • woou
    woou Posts: 668 Member
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    what about not stocking up on temptations in the house? have a supply in moderation, heh. if you finish them in 1 day, that's it. don't buy anymore until the next scheduled shopping trip. no impromptu stops!
  • dawnemjh
    dawnemjh Posts: 1,465 Member
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    For me I just dont have whatever it is that I am tempted by around me. I dont keep cookies or junk food in the house so I dont get tempted.
    At work if they have junk food around I avoid those areas where the junk food is.

    Of course this time of year is different because everyone is making cookies and pies etc. I allow myself a cheat treat every now and again, but try to limit it. I made cookies over the weekend and figured I would have 1. 11 cookies later I had to box up the cookies and away they went to family/friends and neighbors. Couldnt keep them around.
    This weekend I am already planning for Santas cookies sat. night and more of the same on sunday. Then sunday night back on track.
  • Sue_Smiles
    Sue_Smiles Posts: 1,001 Member
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    I just walked into the kitchen and saw the tray of cookies sitting out on the table from yesterday. I walked by it, looked at it and said "today you will be my *****. you will not defeat me. i am better than you." as i was leaving the kitchen, i almost stopped and got one, but didn't because it's only 8am.

    I'm putting this on my fridge! :laugh:
  • Kellie82much
    Kellie82much Posts: 73 Member
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    Ok I can't count how many times I've seen people post questions about whether they should have that burger they're craving or pie or whatever and so many answers of "everything in moderation"

    See, now that's a problem for this chic! Moderation when it comes to yummy baked goods, pies, sweets, most anything covered in dark chocolate...I'm like an addict. Something in my brain is triggered and I go nuts and don't know when to stop....hence why I gained weight in the first place lol
    Put some good wine, good cheese, good dark chocolate or some delicious hummus & pita bread nom nom nom
    I don't know when to stop! OH and as I found out at Thanksgiving...any homemade berry pie...done for. I'll eat the WHOLE DARN THING w/o blinking an eye!

    I know I'm can't be alone in this lol least I hope not. But there are certain foods I absolutely CANNOT have b/c I can't have just ONE bite or ONE piece or ONE nibble....I want the whole thing and I'll stab you with my fork if you try and pry it from my fingers :laugh:

    :drinker:
    Cheers to the Holidays Folks
    ,
    bahahahahahahaha! I could have written this! I have the SAME problem. And don't even try to eat "only the broken off pieces".
    Thanks for the chuckle! You are not alone.

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