"Diet" or "Everything in Moderation"????

Everything in moderation has been working for me. There really isn't anything I wouldn't eat. It becomes a matter of how much.

I'm cutting back on all the junk food I eat and bringing in more veggies and fruits and fish. When I have not had any junk for a few days, I start going into binge mode. I feel it's better for me to simply cut back on what I'm eating than cut it out all together. I think it's better to have a bite of my husband's chocolate bunny than sit there and think all night about how delish it would taste.

I don't think there is one "correct" answer, as different people are geared differently, and thrive with different options. So you need to see what works for you.

For me personally, I use Moderation. This is a lifestyle change for me, not a temp fix. I want food options I can live with, and I like to enjoy eating, and life. My family and I all share the same home, and foods. I don't feel they should be forced to "diet". And I don't want to "never again have........"

I use commonsense, and endever to choose good nutrient dense food options, that taste good and fit my macro and calorie goals, most days.

My family and I eat the same food items. We eat things we like, within common sense and reason.

I personally do not feel any food is evil of forbidden, but If I am going to eat that cookie, cake, pizza , ***insert bad food of choice*** then it needs to fall into my macro and calorie goals for that day. (if possible)

Or gets slotted to my "free day" - which is once a week for me, and the day I can goto the movies and have the large coke and candy and theater popcorn, and a meal after of cheesy Mexican food - or whatever, with out sweating it.

I am a very disciplined personality type however, and anal, so for me this works. I can limit portion sizes if needed, to make sure that I do eat one small handful of chocolate chips - not a whole bag. (and I count them in my food log)

If I forbid any food, then next thing you know thats ALL I crave and all I can think about. Better to eat it and get it over with. And someday, you just have to have that hugh bowl of ice cream or whatever, even if I go over my numbers that day. Thats okay too - I just make a habit not to do it everyday, and get back on track the next day.

I tried the Atkins Diet once, I DID lose weight - but the carb cravings made me insane. All I could think about was french toast, popcorn etc. Every diet was a temp fix for me, and I felt sad and deprived.

With moderation, if I want French Toast with butter, powdered sugar, a glass of milk and bacon - I have it. Not daily, as it will not fit my macro and cal goals, But once in a while - no problem. I feel better mentally and physically - and don't feel starved, or depressed because I have to avoid everything I like.


I generally eat "decently" probably 80 percent of the time, but I personally am not an all organic, all natural, no processed food person. That does not work for me, my family, or my goals. And I personally do not feel it is a requirement to be healthy or lose weight. (nor does my Dr based on my excellent lab results yearly)
I have lost 50-60 pounds total.

Whatever is easiest to adhere to, typically the more restrictive the diet the worse the adherence to it

This for sure!

I think the more reading you do here the more stories you will find of people who have lost weight/maintained by eating *smart*. That is, they take in the proper nutrition, move more, and don't sweat the small stuff too much. It seems to me, from others' experience and my own, that once you decide what your goal weight is, you find a way to get there that doesn't make you crazy. In other words, you make a lifestyle change. Don't starve yourself; take in a healthy amount of food, according to your numbers on MFP or another site you trust. Be patient. Be willing to experiment. Know that you're doing your body and mind good to eat a variety of foods and move in a variety of ways.

So, uh, I guess that means I vote for "moderation". Heh.

I never used either term when I was losing weight. I get that people can be sensitive to terminology and semantics. I also find that people care more about labels when they have difficulty seeing the bigger picture ("am I eating healthier/smaller portions overall?")

I don't think there is one "correct" answer, as different people are geared differently, and thrive with different options.

For me personally, I use Moderation. This is a lifestyle change for me, not a temp fix. I want food options I can live with, and I like to enjoy eating, and life. My family and I all share the same home, and foods. I don't feel they should be forced to "diet".

I use commonsense, and endever to choose good nutrient dense food options, that taste good and fit my macro and calorie goals.

My family and I eat the same food items. We eat things we like, within common sense and reason.

I personally do not feel any food is evil of forbidden, but If I am going to eat that cookie, cake, pizza , ***insert bad food of choice*** then it needs to fall into my macro and calorie goals for that day. (if possible)

Or gets slotted to my "free day" - which is once a week for me, and the day I can goto the movies and have the large coake and candy and theater popcorn, or whatever, with out sweating it.

I am a very disciplined personality type however, and anal, so for me this works.

If I forbid any food, then bnext thing you know thats ALL I crave and all I can think about. Better to eat it and get it over with. And someday, you just half to have that hugh bowl of ice cream or whatever, even if I go over my numbers that days. Thats okay too - I just make a habit not to do it everyday, and get back on track the next day.

I tried the Atkins Diet once, I DID lose weight - but the carb cravings made me insane. All I could think about was french toast, popcorn etc.

With moderation, if I want French Toast with butter, powdered sugar, a glass of milk and bacon - I have it. Not daily, as it will not fit my macro and cal goals, But once in a while - no problem. I feel better mentally and physically - and don't feel starved, or depressed because I have to avoid everything I like.


I generally eat "decently" probably 80 percent of the time, but I personally am not an all organic, all natural, no processed food person. That does not work for me, my family, or my goals. And I personally do not feel it is a requirement to be healthy or lose weight. (nor does my Dr based on my excellent lab results yearly)
I have lost 50-60 pounds total.

^^^^ You are living my life! Love this answer and it is what I follow as well and has worked for me. "Dieting" just doesn't do it for me and makes me cranky.

Neither...I'm going with "lifestyle change" and there are some foods that I consider too bad (or too much of a trigger) to do "in moderation". I feel like telling myself I can have anything in moderation is a slippery slope back to the bad habits, and I'm not going back there.

Now, that being said, I'm not saying I'll 'never eat that again", but some things just aren't making the cut and will be a "once in a great while" type of thing. That's what works for me anyway...but everyone is different!

I would HIGHLY recommend Fat 2 Fit Radio. Look at their website and listen to their podcasts. They are free. ;-)

When I started I cut out a lot of sugar and stuck with mostly fruits/veggies and it paid off. That said, eventually I learned how to remake some of my favorite dishes because I missed them so much I do believe in moderation for the very point that Acg67 said, being too restrictive makes it hard to stick to. Now let me just say one thing, I hate the word diet because it suggests something other than the lifestyle change you need to make to be successful. I did not diet, I changed how I ate and how I lived. I've lost and kept off more than 100 pounds by sticking to that lifestyle. Now I'm no angel and I love a good hamburger as much as the next person so once a week I have a major cheat meal. It can be whatever I want and as much as I want, there are no rules. By doing this I've found I am more inclined to really watch what I eat the rest of the week and normally the day after a meal like that, my body craves healthy food LOL

I would HIGHLY recommend Fat 2 Fit Radio. Look at their website and listen to their podcasts. They are free. ;-)

Love those guys! They read an email I had sent them a couple of months ago...they rock!

I don't think there is one "correct" answer, as different people are geared differently, and thrive with different options. So you need to see what works for you.

For me personally, I use Moderation. This is a lifestyle change for me, not a temp fix. I want food options I can live with, and I like to enjoy eating, and life. My family and I all share the same home, and foods. I don't feel they should be forced to "diet". And I don't want to "never again have........"

I use commonsense, and endever to choose good nutrient dense food options, that taste good and fit my macro and calorie goals, most days.

My family and I eat the same food items. We eat things we like, within common sense and reason.

I personally do not feel any food is evil of forbidden, but If I am going to eat that cookie, cake, pizza , ***insert bad food of choice*** then it needs to fall into my macro and calorie goals for that day. (if possible)

Or gets slotted to my "free day" - which is once a week for me, and the day I can goto the movies and have the large coke and candy and theater popcorn, and a meal after of cheesy Mexican food - or whatever, with out sweating it.

I am a very disciplined personality type however, and anal, so for me this works. I can limit portion sizes if needed, to make sure that I do eat one small handful of chocolate chips - not a whole bag. (and I count them in my food log)

If I forbid any food, then next thing you know thats ALL I crave and all I can think about. Better to eat it and get it over with. And someday, you just have to have that hugh bowl of ice cream or whatever, even if I go over my numbers that day. Thats okay too - I just make a habit not to do it everyday, and get back on track the next day.

I tried the Atkins Diet once, I DID lose weight - but the carb cravings made me insane. All I could think about was french toast, popcorn etc. Every diet was a temp fix for me, and I felt sad and deprived.

With moderation, if I want French Toast with butter, powdered sugar, a glass of milk and bacon - I have it. Not daily, as it will not fit my macro and cal goals, But once in a while - no problem. I feel better mentally and physically - and don't feel starved, or depressed because I have to avoid everything I like.


I generally eat "decently" probably 80 percent of the time, but I personally am not an all organic, all natural, no processed food person. That does not work for me, my family, or my goals. And I personally do not feel it is a requirement to be healthy or lose weight. (nor does my Dr based on my excellent lab results yearly)
I have lost 50-60 pounds total.

^^^ditto that. Not too long ago I was very restrictive and lost 20 pounds. Then I ate "normally" again and gained it all back plus some. Now I'm doing things differently. I know the weight will come off slower, but since I am not restricting anything I think I can do this for life! Not to mention I feel better, and have more energy for my workouts!

I can't eat certain foods in moderation, so I have strict days where I cut certain foods out and other days where I allow myself to freely consume.

Moderation... or lifestyle change, but no dieting. That's worked for me and I've lost over 100 pounds and kept it off for two years.

I decided when I started losing weight I would only make changes I could live with for a lifetime. That means eating smart and occasionally indulging in my favorite foods (in mderation, of course).

The trick is to find something that works for you and that you can live with. Good luck! :flowerforyou: