Does anyone else not diet...(moderation)

Tay617
Tay617 Posts: 70 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I never been a dieter I would look at my friends and family members on special holidays saying they couldnt eat this or that because they were on "the lemonade diet" the south beach diet" "atkins" ec. but I have never been that person, I did do the Special K aka the cereal diet once for 2 weeks awhile ago but that was only morivated by my love of cereal. lol , but Ive always been the one to work out and take food I love in moderation. I call it my moderation diet. So i never turn down the ice cream or the cake, I try to just have a certain amout, If I have a craving for buffalo wings and blue cheese, I will eat it, not 20 pieces, (well) but you know what I mean, plus I usually stay within the 1500-1800 calorie range and thats not including the extra calorie burn from when i work out

now dont get me wrong, I'm not an unhealthy eater,( for the most part):wink: I love my fruits and veggies and water. I just love my steak and cheese. chicken, chili fries, coffee coolatas, ...WELL I LOVE FOOD,

Just wanted to CONFESS that, ... I am in fact a MODERATION eater, I believe life is too short for me to not eat waht I want as long as I know when its too much and I keep myself healthy.

anyone else?:glasses: :smile: :wink:

-Tay
«13

Replies

  • londoneye
    londoneye Posts: 192 Member
    Depends how you define moderation:

    "While moderation is often a helpful goal, it can also be deceptive. It’s easy to forget that “moderation” is a relative term, and if you’re aiming for moderation, it’s helpful to ask yourself, “Moderation, in comparison to what?”

    I thought of this when a friend told me he was going to cut back on his drinking. “I don’t need to quit, but I want to keep it in moderation,” he said. “So I’m going to limit myself to two drinks a night.” Zoikes, I thought, I don’t have two drinks in a month. I’m not saying that two drinks is too much, but rather, the idea that a particular amount is “moderate” depends on your point of view.

    Along the same lines, in his brilliant book Why We Get Fat, Gary Taubes points out that two hundred years ago, we ate less than a fifth of the sugar that we eat today. So eating a “moderate” amount of sugar by today’s standards could be considered excessive by historical standards."

    http://happiness-project.com/happiness_project/2012/07/be-wary-of-the-goal-of-moderation-plus-a-cocktail-party-trick/
  • tadpole242
    tadpole242 Posts: 507 Member
    I never been a dieter I would look at my friends and family members on special holidays saying they couldnt eat this or that because they were on "the lemonade diet" the south beach diet" "atkins" ec. but I have never been that person, I did do the Special K aka the cereal diet once for 2 weeks awhile ago but that was only morivated by my love of cereal. lol , but Ive always been the one to work out and take food I love in moderation. I call it my moderation diet. So i never turn down the ice cream or the cake, I try to just have a certain amout, If I have a craving for buffalo wings and blue cheese, I will eat it, not 20 pieces, (well) but you know what I mean, plus I usually stay within the 1500-1800 calorie range and thats not including the extra calorie burn from when i work out

    now dont get me wrong, I'm not an unhealthy eater,( for the most part):wink: I love my fruits and veggies and water. I just love my steak and cheese. chicken, chili fries, coffee coolatas, ...WELL I LOVE FOOD,

    Just wanted to CONFESS that, ... I am in fact a MODERATION eater, I believe life is too short for me to not eat waht I want as long as I know when its too much and I keep myself healthy.

    anyone else?:glasses: :smile: :wink:

    -Tay
    Yes, I eat any food that I want to eat, be it triple chocolate biscuit with my extra cream ice cream or hot dogs in chilli sauce. But portion control is king. Most household dinner plates now are bigger than the serving plates used to be. Choose to Eat less, not have less choice to eat
  • laus_8882
    laus_8882 Posts: 217 Member
    I think moderation is the way to go. If I get a dinner invitation or I'm going out for the evening I want to enjoy myself within reason. Obviously this doesn't mean eating a huge entree, main and dessert, but it does mean enjoying a normal sized meal and not fretting if a small serve of sticky date pudding or creme brulee happens to fall into my tummy. I've a crazy diet history behind me and see no reason to diet myself up to a size... I don't know, 30. So I eat dark chocolate most days, enjoy nuts and seeds and plenty of fruit and veg, but trade that off by eating some low fat dairy in order to enjoy an omelette cooked in butter. Oh, and I will never, ever, ever forego sugar on my porridge. If I'm eating oat mush I want that sweet caramel taste that comes from brown sugar not some powdered peanut butter and stevia muck.

    Moderation eating sounds so much more appealing than such and such diet. I think I'd rather be happy, healthy, and (eventually!) fit, even if that means I'm still a few bmi points shy of my ideal weight.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    It depends on how you define "diet" and "moderation".

    I don't follow a diet that has a name, so if that's how you are defining "diet" then I don't do that. But I do try to stick to a healthy diet most of the time. I don't put a % on it or keep track of how often I splurge, I just use common sense.

    I do eat only foods I like, but I don't include foods I like that are unhealthy on a regular basis. Those are saved for occasional treats. For the most part I stick to a variety of foods that I like that are also healthy.
  • placeboaddiction
    placeboaddiction Posts: 451 Member
    I did moderation too. Just focused on high protein low calorie. It's what lost me my last 55 lbs. I suck at diets. Too much of a rebel.. When I'm told I can't have a food I'll want it more.

    Moderation to me is eating enough to be full enough until my next meal, instead of eating to be stuffed.
  • MsQt
    MsQt Posts: 793 Member
    It depends on how you define "diet" and "moderation".

    I don't follow a diet that has a name, so if that's how you are defining "diet" then I don't do that. But I do try to stick to a healthy diet most of the time. I don't put a % on it or keep track of how often I splurge, I just use common sense.

    I do eat only foods I like, but I don't include foods I like that are unhealthy on a regular basis. Those are saved for occasional treats. For the most part I stick to a variety of foods that I like that are also healthy.

    I like this post! :smile:
  • MMKE4ever
    MMKE4ever Posts: 115 Member
    I eat everything I want in moderation. I am almost to my goal weight and had not had to cut out anything.
  • skylark94
    skylark94 Posts: 2,036 Member
    I have not eliminated anything from my diet. I just watch my portions and try to prioritize what I eat a little more. I also use my exercise calories as an incentive if there is something I want that doesn't fit into my goal for the day.
  • 23Missy
    23Missy Posts: 13 Member
    when I was at a good weight in my twenties. That's what I did too. Moderation, and excercise. It sounds like its works well for you. Keep it up! :)
  • noweightfisherj
    noweightfisherj Posts: 220 Member
    I have always eaten what I wanted and now I'm teaching myself to eat it in moderation.
  • MSeel1984
    MSeel1984 Posts: 2,297 Member
    I never been a dieter I would look at my friends and family members on special holidays saying they couldnt eat this or that because they were on "the lemonade diet" the south beach diet" "atkins" ec. but I have never been that person, I did do the Special K aka the cereal diet once for 2 weeks awhile ago but that was only morivated by my love of cereal. lol , but Ive always been the one to work out and take food I love in moderation. I call it my moderation diet. So i never turn down the ice cream or the cake, I try to just have a certain amout, If I have a craving for buffalo wings and blue cheese, I will eat it, not 20 pieces, (well) but you know what I mean, plus I usually stay within the 1500-1800 calorie range and thats not including the extra calorie burn from when i work out

    now dont get me wrong, I'm not an unhealthy eater,( for the most part):wink: I love my fruits and veggies and water. I just love my steak and cheese. chicken, chili fries, coffee coolatas, ...WELL I LOVE FOOD,

    Just wanted to CONFESS that, ... I am in fact a MODERATION eater, I believe life is too short for me to not eat waht I want as long as I know when its too much and I keep myself healthy.

    anyone else?:glasses: :smile: :wink:

    -Tay

    This is the way I approach dieting. "Everything in moderation" and that includes desserts on occasion...I find it easier for me to still allow some foods that some diets would consider "not allowed" because I know I can't avoid that food forever....so I have a little of it once in a while to enjoy and still aim for a calorie deficit every day. It seems to work.
  • melsinct
    melsinct Posts: 3,512 Member
    I lost 30 pounds and have maintained it for almost 6 months by practicing moderation. I generally eat pretty healthy foods on a day to day basis- lots of vegetables, some fruit, lots of fiber, a little meat...however, if I am confronted with birthday cake, I will have a small piece. A giant burger and heap of fries? I will eat some but not all. The key is to not pig out...there is no reason to, ever. If I want chocolate, I will have *some* chocolate. If I want pizza, I will have *some* pizza...not a half of a large pizza but a few slices.

    As long as my everyday foods are generally healthy, I have never seen a problem with allowing myself to eat whatever I want in moderation. If I followed any of these diets that restrict a lot of foods (paleo for example) I would revolt and inhale a loaf of bread. I will never ban any food from my life!
  • PrinnyBomb
    PrinnyBomb Posts: 196 Member
    Absolutely, though you're always made to feel guilty on here :)

    If it's within my calorie limits, yes. Dieting does not work. I simply have less of what I used to.
  • momtokgo
    momtokgo Posts: 446 Member
    I"m not on a "diet", but I don't really do the moderation thing though either. Its pretty easy in my case though. I have quite a few food allergies/intolerances (dairy, meats, tree nuts, oils, gluten) that if I want to cheat and have something I have to be prepared to pay for it afterwards. Somethings I will not eat, ice cream, fast food, chocolate, or any pre-made cake/cookie.

    It will vary from person to person what "moderation" means. To me it means a pop once a week or a bag of chips on the weekend. Some people feel that moderation is dessert/ice cream etc. every night, or a treat every day. Or fast food 2-3 times a week. Depends on the person.
  • Shrinking_Moody
    Shrinking_Moody Posts: 270 Member
    Amen - I'm not going to eat junk everyday or even every week - but the occasional treat if it fits in my macros is the way to go for me. This is a lifestyle change - and I would fail if I gave up everything. With that being said - I will be making healthy choices and monitoring my portions for every - but the occasional cup of fro yo is welcome too.
  • shannonhairr
    shannonhairr Posts: 8 Member
    I am the same way! I don't like to feel deprived!! I have found foods that are better on calories that replace some bad snacks/meals. But for those that don't have a replacement, I just make sure the calories fit into my day. As long as I stay in my calorie range, I don't worry about it. Sometimes, I have to do an extra workout because I had a splurge that day. :)
  • carriempls
    carriempls Posts: 326 Member
    I believe in moderation too.

    The problem comes when I've already "indulged" the day before or the meal before. If I have a high calorie day on Saturday, I can't go out to eat on Sunday. If I have a happy hour for work on Thursday, I can't have cake for so and so's birthday that afternoon.

    I know I'm still indulging when I want but I'm still having to tell people I can't partake and it happens fairly often. I have to pick and choose.

    Most of my friends get this now, but it's taken quite a bit of time.
  • tweetybaby69
    tweetybaby69 Posts: 258 Member
    I am not a "clean" eater by any stretch of the imagination, however, if I cannot work what I want into my calories for the day then I don't eat it. But you will find that I still like certain things from time to time. Instead of going to McDonalds and getting a quarter pounder with cheese, I will opt for a cheeseburger instead. :drinker:
  • CharityEaton
    CharityEaton Posts: 508
    I agree! I eat "healthy" as much as possible but I have Friday night pizza night every Friday! I eat ice cream, cookies and whatever I want I just balance it with my calories burned. If I want ice cream I workout a bit longer.

    Like you, I still love my fruits, veggies and lean meats but I still enjoy all my other favorites too. There ARE a few things I have cut out and find that I just can't eat at all anymore....anything fried to oblivion makes me gag and my omelets are far better and I do not like my salad to have the dressing already on it. Salt is a big thing too. I can not stand how salty food is when I go out to eat. I just don't understand why everything has to be drowned in butter and coated with salt...makes me gag! My poor husband loves salt and any time he cooks I friek out if he picks up the salt shaker....he is learning though! :smile:

    The best part is when I eat out with people that have seen me along my journey.....they are shocked at what I eat most of the time. I get comments like "oh, you mustbe off your diet." Um , no, I just know when to stop. It's all about calories in versus calories out. No, I don't eat ice cream every day for breakfast but I DO eat a small serving several times a week along with a ton of veggies every day. I can't feed my body crap ALL the time but a smal amount here and there is what keeps me from going crazy!
  • da1128
    da1128 Posts: 212 Member
    It's definitely moderation for me. I've attended several events this summer where food was in massive quantities. I took a heaping teaspoon of everything I liked and stayed well within a healthy calorie count and I do the same thing during the Thanksgiving/Christmas season. If something is especially decadent and calls out my name, I will eat it and then add on a couple of miles to my treadmill workout.

Categories