Often people say “moderation is just an excuse to eat crap” and “it’s for people who don’t want to work hard enough.” Perhaps these are just statements of those who do not understand the concept of “moderation” and why it is important for health and fat loss.
There’s a lot of confusion around the term moderation. For example, eating only strictly locally grown, organic, GMO-free, dye-free, label-free, high fructose corn syrup-free, gluten-free, processed-free, everything is not moderation, it is extreme.
Juice cleanses and detoxes are not moderation, they are extreme. Eliminating sugar is not moderation, it is extreme. Eating nothing but fast food is not moderation, it’s extreme. You get the idea.
What is moderation?
It’s like eating a mostly whole foods diet with plenty of nutrients from fruits, vegetables, lean meats, healthy fats, etc. The specifics will look different for everyone, because everyone has different preferences and tastes. It also leaves room for regular treats and indulgences that feed our soul and give us pleasure.
Speaking of treats and pleasure, can people please stop saying sugar lights up the same area in the brain as cocaine, therefore sugar is just as bad and addictive as drugs?
Sugar is pleasurable to humans, that does not make it equal to drugs. Cocaine is physically addicting, while sugar is not. “An international team of scientists has found no strong evidence for people being addicted to the chemical substances in certain foods. The brain does not respond to nutrients in the same way as it does to addictive drugs such as heroin or cocaine.” (Source) However, it IS possible to become addicted to the behavior of eating, like other behavior addictions.
Moderation and fat loss
Can you lose weight without moderation? Absolutely. Weight loss is not that hard, anyone can willpower their way through a quick 10-20 pound weight loss. The hard part is keeping it off. Moderation coupled with habit change is the only path to true sustainable fat loss. If you are constantly depriving yourself to lose weight, the weight you lose will not stay off long term. The trick to keeping weight off for good, is being sure you can keep doing the behaviors that led to that weight loss day in and day out, forever. Is your juice cleanse going to last forever? No. Can you sustain 1,200 calories per day forever? No.
In comes moderation! An emphasis on health, with plenty of room for treats so you don’t feel deprived and end up binging. Binge eating can ruin a weeks worth of sensible calorie deficit in an hour, and so many people get frustrated because they are trying so hard, yet still not seeing any changes. Binge eating is usually one of the reasons people who are very restrictive don’t get results. There are multiple reasons people binge, but one of the big ones is restriction. (If you are struggling with Binge Eating Disorder, please see a medical professional.)
Once you remove the restriction and guilt around eating, allow yourself a normal amount of food, and stop punishing your body, the binging goes away. It takes time, it all takes time, and that’s the hardest part. But it’s worth it.
For those of you reading this that have tried everything and aren’t happy about where you are, try moderation.
Source: Huffington Post Healthy Living
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