"Eat everything in moderation" VENT!

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  • AI1108
    AI1108 Posts: 488 Member
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    i'm SO sick of hearing "eat everything in moderation".... For the majority of people it might be great! But when you're a food addict it's SO hard.

    I'm not sure if its just me, but speaking as a food addict, I cant eat "everything in moderation". It's all or nothing- I have trigger foods (being anything that tastes good), and once I consume that, it' can be hard to stop (not always- but most of the time.)

    In my opinion, food addicts are comparable to any other type of drug addict- except, the sucky thing is that food food addicts- cant live without food- drug addicts can live without drugs. It's a hard situation: I have to face my addiction everyday (just like every other addict), but meanwhile, I still have to consume my addiction. You don't tell a crack head "Oh, just a little bit of crack in moderation."-- then why tell a food addict "oh, just a little bit of everything in moderation."

    I honestly can't stand this- my family and friends say it to me all the time- they probably don't understand, and that's OK.... but, in all honesty, if it tastes good, its so hard for me to eat it in moderation. There is no detox program for food addicts, there's no going "cold turkey"- we need to eat to live.

    I know this is might be a confusing "rant"- I'm just irritated right now. People have been nagging me about calorie intake (I eat around 1000, and my Dr. is aware), but its only because of this food addiction- i can't overcome it physically until I can overcome it mentally- and I can't overcome in mentally right now if I eat everything in "moderation"- it just doesn't work like that.

    Ok, done.

    Any advice? Am I the only one who feels like this?

    I'm one of those "eat in moderation" type people and even I totally understand what you mean.. actually most people do.. it's just human nature.

    But you asked for advice so here goes...

    I have trigger foods. As a kid I would grab a family bag of tostitos and salsa dip and sit in front of the TV watching marathons. Lucky for me I never became overweight.

    I think that part of it may be your association with food. You associate cheetos with "tastes good.. feels good" food, but what I've done is sit down and slice an apple and eat it before I even touch the tostitos (I love fruits) and then put ONE serving into a bowl with some salsa. If I'm full I'm done :) If you grab a good for you food that you like first .. you may not even want the junk food anymore. It may take some work but a little work could go a long way. The less of it you eat, the less your body learns to crave it.. so you start to savor it when you do have it. I have no problem going to birthday parties and having half a slice of cake or sharing with a friend. Actually social situations are best because I'll take a bite and then go hang out with friends and forget about the cake. You have to keep out of your mind that it's even there.

    I also plan my days ahead. If I know that I want ice cream and its in my house (which is rarely the case).. I'll eat clean all day and go work out so that at the end of the day I know I've "earned it" and put a little in a bowl and eat it without any feeling of guilt.
  • taem
    taem Posts: 495 Member
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    There are two videos (vegan centric so be warned) that deal with food addictions: one from a medical view and second a psychologist.


    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VWi6dXCT7I&feature=fvwrel

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxf4kj8Rb6Y

    I believe if eating (not popping vitamins) your nutrients, it will go a long way from battling your cravings. That said, the two videos will address those that have serious food addictions.

    I do not believe in moderation, I believe in trying to stick to a dietary lifestyle. If I fail, I pick myself up, learn from that experience and I get stronger by it.

    Some have different opinions and that's fine.

    Good health to you.
  • bunchesonothing
    bunchesonothing Posts: 1,015 Member
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    It's amazing how sensitive people are on this forum. Did I really hurt someone's feelings? lol

    I couldn't care less if you think I'm weak. I'm not sensitive. But calling someone weak or weak minded, is just plain rude. This is one of those cases, where it was jerky and completely unnecessary.
  • Kalrez
    Kalrez Posts: 655 Member
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    If I knew how to really eat delicious foods in moderation, I probably wouldn't have close to 100 pounds to lose.

    So yeah ... I hate that recommendation. "Oh you love ice cream? Well just have some but do it in moderation!" Yeah, right. Let me just pull a rabbit out of my butt while I'm at it.
  • evesacks
    evesacks Posts: 94 Member
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    Ok, but whats your long term plan to keep weight off once you are at target?

    I am at target but until I can just eat one biscuit am logging everything on MFP.
  • LeCitron
    LeCitron Posts: 71
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    I detest the phrase "everything in moderation" as well. My mother has been preaching it to me ever since I overcame my eating disorder (you want to talk about moderation? The day I broke that sucker I downed ten poptarts and was *still* hungry ;P ) Anyway, I'm an all or nothing type of person and while I admire those who can eat in moderation (did I say admire? I probably meant envy) it is something that is ruthlessly difficult for me to do. I'm sorry, but I'd rather have a full plate of something I know is truly tasty than a little bit of this, a little bit of that, and a little bit of something else.

    I mean, logically we all know that moderation is key but we all also know that there are just some days when moderation is hard. Whether its those freebies in the office or a difficult day emotionally that trigger an overconsumption, it really doesn't matter. It's not just something you can turn on and off. It's something we have to learn to deal with and, dare I say, control it.

    What really bugs me, though, is that the phrase is often bantered about as a "cure all" for weight loss. As in, if you eat everything in moderation then nothing is off limits, if nothing is off limits then there's no need to feel the desire to splurge on something delicious.

    Yeah... life doesn't work like that. At least not for me.
  • Mollywater
    Mollywater Posts: 42 Member
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    Moderation in this case simply refers to restricting your intake by some measure. If you can't have any of a food without triggering a craving, then moderation in this case = zero.

    Eat in moderation isn't a weak minded thing at all though. In fact it probably takes more self-control to lower your intake than it is to cut it out completely.

    I totally agree with this. It is MUCH easier to just go without all together than to just have a moderate piece. That kind of self control is much harder. I hope to someday have that kind of control, but for now, I just can't have those trigger foods in the house. Because "Everything in Moderation" does NOT work.
  • skinnyjeanzbound
    skinnyjeanzbound Posts: 3,932 Member
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    "Eat everything in moderation" is a weak-minded person's way of saying "it's ok if I eat alot of high trans fat food, sweets, sodas and all the other crap processed food as long as I don't eat alot of it"


    You realize that makes absolutely no sense, right? If you eat something in moderation you are, by definition, not eating a lot of it.

    ahahahaha! I was thinking the same thing!
  • tb_lawkid13
    tb_lawkid13 Posts: 29 Member
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    Bumping this up because this VERY TOPIC has been my struggle.
    I'm so tired of it! Stupid food addiction. Sometimes I feel like it wold be easier not to eat anything. (I know that's foolish and dangerous, but sometimes that's how I feel)
    I just want it to be over...
  • giantsfaninvt
    giantsfaninvt Posts: 26 Member
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    Exactly! I'm so glad ya'll agree. The thing is people look at mye like I'm crazy ecause I don't allow myself chocolate, because if I eat it- I binge.... I'm so overweight- I can't afford that. I'm not healthy. My body can't afford any more trans fat, cholesterol or "unnatural" and "unhealthy "calories

    For example, those "100 calorie packs" they ahve out of junk food. Sure, i'd love to eat one- but I won't. I'll eat 2 or 3-- there's an entire candy bar. Even so, those 100 calories are filled with CRAP instead of 100 calories worth of something that contains way more nutrition. i guess my point is- I'm not eating like this because it tastes good, I don't want it to taste good--- I want to eat to live, not eat to live... and I can't do that if I'm making a pleasurable connection with eating.

    It's good that you've identified foods that lead to binges and are doing what you need to do to be in control. My concern is your statements about not eating food that tastes good or getting any pleasure from eating. Healthy food can taste good and be enjoyed at every meal without being the cause of a binge. Also, I would think it would be very difficult to make a permanent change to a healthy lifestyle without ever being able to enjoy food again.

    Sorry if I misinterpreted what you meant. I just think there can be a balance that allows you to enjoy food while staying away from foods that trigger binges (I'm a binge eater myself, so I am learning that balance as I go along).
  • grinch031
    grinch031 Posts: 1,679
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    If it were that easy this site and all the fad diets wouldn't exist. Everybody would be skinny because everybody knows that eating at levels above moderation is associated with weight gain.
  • diagyrl
    diagyrl Posts: 30 Member
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    I absolutely could have written your post - if I could avoid eating EVER I would do better ... that was how I quit smoking - just cold turkey & never touched them again! I am hungry all the time --- what I mean by that is once I start eating I just want to eat and eat and eat and eat ......

    You are not alone in this!!! HUGS HUGS
  • SillaWinchester
    SillaWinchester Posts: 363 Member
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    I know EXACTLY how you feel. I completely understand the concept of eating in moderation and I try to stick to it but sometimes it is sooo hard! Just the other day there was a party that involved cake. Everyone said "You can have anything when you eat in moderation, just measure out a small piece" - I cut a tiny piece, ate it, and was happy for the most part. Later that night? I craved it and fought it for two hours to stick with it and just not eat it but gave up and had the biggest piece of cake and even had some icecream on the side! I find it's better if I just don't get myself started in the first place! It sucks but for some of us that is the cruel reality.
  • mrschappet
    mrschappet Posts: 488 Member
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    "Eat everything in moderation" is a weak-minded person's way of saying "it's ok if I eat alot of high trans fat food, sweets, sodas and all the other crap processed food as long as I don't eat alot of it"

    Nonsense.

    You could eat things in moderation, go over your calorie intake limit and gain weight.

    So yea I agree, it's a bull**** term.

    Oh really... I didn't know I was weak minded.. thanks for letting me know!
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
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    Moderation in this case simply refers to restricting your intake by some measure. If you can't have any of a food without triggering a craving, then moderation in this case = zero.

    Eat in moderation isn't a weak minded thing at all though. In fact it probably takes more self-control to lower your intake than it is to cut it out completely.

    ^^^ This, exactly.
  • KariePerez
    KariePerez Posts: 172
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    i'm SO sick of hearing "eat everything in moderation".... For the majority of people it might be great! But when you're a food addict it's SO hard.

    I'm not sure if its just me, but speaking as a food addict, I cant eat "everything in moderation". It's all or nothing- I have trigger foods (being anything that tastes good), and once I consume that, it' can be hard to stop (not always- but most of the time.)

    In my opinion, food addicts are comparable to any other type of drug addict- except, the sucky thing is that food food addicts- cant live without food- drug addicts can live without drugs. It's a hard situation: I have to face my addiction everyday (just like every other addict), but meanwhile, I still have to consume my addiction. You don't tell a crack head "Oh, just a little bit of crack in moderation."-- then why tell a food addict "oh, just a little bit of everything in moderation."

    I honestly can't stand this- my family and friends say it to me all the time- they probably don't understand, and that's OK.... but, in all honesty, if it tastes good, its so hard for me to eat it in moderation. There is no detox program for food addicts, there's no going "cold turkey"- we need to eat to live.

    I know this is might be a confusing "rant"- I'm just irritated right now. People have been nagging me about calorie intake (I eat around 1000, and my Dr. is aware), but its only because of this food addiction- i can't overcome it physically until I can overcome it mentally- and I can't overcome in mentally right now if I eat everything in "moderation"- it just doesn't work like that.

    Ok, done.

    Any advice? Am I the only one who feels like this?

    (CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP) AMEN I COULD NOT HAVE SAID IT BETTER MY SELF. AND I TOTALLY BELIEVE THE SAYING TO BE TRUE BUT WHEN YOU ARE ADDICTED TO FOOD IT JUST DONT WORK. I WAS DOING GREAT WHEN I LOOKED AT IT AS ALL OR NOTHING AND WHEN I TRIED " EVERYTHING IN MODERATION" IT WAS ALL OVER. SO THANKS FOR SAYING THIS CUZ ITS EXACTLY HOW I FEEL.
  • EatClenTrenHard
    EatClenTrenHard Posts: 339 Member
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    i have a severe food addiction.
  • HeidiRene
    HeidiRene Posts: 335 Member
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    Moderation in this case simply refers to restricting your intake by some measure. If you can't have any of a food without triggering a craving, then moderation in this case = zero.

    Eat in moderation isn't a weak minded thing at all though. In fact it probably takes more self-control to lower your intake than it is to cut it out completely.

    Couldn't have put it more perfectly.

    Agreed
  • thpeek
    thpeek Posts: 76
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    I am so used to eating between 1200-1500 calories a day that I can not eat more than that since I get full so much earlier than I used to. I slow down when I eat and I chew my food more. I drink a glass or two of water while I eat and I basically get full eating smaller portions now. I eat anything that I want and do not deny myself anything. I do not even feel like I am on a diet. I use the term, "My stomach has shrunk" I am not sure if that really happens but it feels like it.
  • frilly7483
    frilly7483 Posts: 56 Member
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    I have this problem! I am getting much better as I lose weight, but I also realise how easily I fall off the wagon....therefore, I don't deprive myself, if I want a chocolate bar then I'll have one. However, at the same time as buying the chocolate bar I buy a fitness magazine (something like UK Zest) and by the time I've got into the magazine and eaten a bit of chcolate, I don't want it anymore! I have to admit that at this point I should throw it in the bin, but I actually tend to save it for my next craving and then only allow a small piece after some exercise... If I deprive myself completely then I binge. Instead, I play a game of give and take withmy body.

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