"What constitutes "moderation"? 1 bite of a cookie? 1 cookie? 1 cookie
once a week? 1 cookie once a month? I feel like everybody can define
excess and overindulgence but I've never come across good guidelines
for practical moderation, which is very relevant this holiday season. "
Although the holiday season is over, moderation is something that is beneficial to learn when it comes to eating in everyday life. My personal opinion is that you should look at how much you eat whatever that specific food or food group is on a regular basis and then try to cut that in half when you are trying to lose weight. If you find that you are having trouble reaching your goals, you may need to cut that half in half again.
One day when I was listening to SiriusXM Doctor Radio, one of the doctors noted that if you eat 1 pea a day and you can't lose weight, sometimes you must cut that single pea in half. That is how I look at moderation. If you are trying to lose weight, then you may need to exercise a stricter sense of moderation. If you are maintaining and/or not even watching your fitness and eating a cookie a day doesn't hurt you, then go ahead and eat it if you like. Of course, there are healthier options, but that's a completely different conversation. Moderation, in my opinion, depends on your goals.
My trainer always says that it can be the smallest things in your diet that prohibit you from reaching your goals. I was at the shake counter at my gym getting my usual chocolate protein shake with peanut butter after a workout, and my trainer walked up behind me and said, "You know, you may need to eliminate that dinosaur paste (peanut butter) when you are getting closer to your goals, right?" Of course I made a face because the peanut butter is the best part! But he went on to explain that when you are trying to lose weight, and your body is sensitive (like mine) sometimes you need to be more strict on your eating in order to meet your goals. Moreover, this dribbles into the topic of emotional eating because most of the time we know that we don't need that extra cookie... we just want it. There is a difference. I know that I don't need to have the peanut butter in my protein shake. I've drank plenty without it, but I just like it; despite knowing the empty calories that it is adding into my system.
How do you implement moderation into your diet?
I like my almond butter. I don't eat it all the time but a tbsp here and there doesn't hurt me. It's healthy fat and I need that in my diet. BUT eating a whole jar of it would be another story..LOL!
ReplyDeleteBy allowing myself one 'guilty pleasure bite.' Instead of eating the whole cookie--I take a bite and then put it away. Sometimes, because I know I might be tempted, I actually throw away the rest of something. And lastly, when I go out to dinner, I carve out a smaller portion of the entree and have the waiter bring me a to-go container when they bring my meal. I feel like I've eaten my meal because my plate is empty, but the rest of the food is already tucked away out of sight for later!
ReplyDeleteNot on a diet per say but I do try to not bring any sodas and cookies in the house anymore but a good ole freshly baked chocolate chip cookie is my weakness.
ReplyDeleteMy reality is that if it’s a trigger food, I’ll eat it, usually while telling myself how bad I am for stuffing that cookie/brownie/granola bar in my mouth. In the end there are just some foods that I can’t keep in the house. But that doesn’t mean that I never eat them. They just become the happy indulgences that I enjoy when someone brings them into the office or if the husband and I are on a date night. So I guess my moderation is finding ways to enjoy my favorite foods when they are only available in limited quantities.
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