Moderation or strict health food...what's your approach?

Hi all,

As I approach week 6 (cleared for regular diet), I've been thinking about what my philosophy towards food will be. Moderation approach or strict nothing but healthy healthy healthy?

Thanks to therapy, I know why I got fat - emotional eating everyday and "treats" everyday. 

Will I be able to handle the moderation road? Should I? Should I just avoid it all together and stay strict? Will I feel deprived?

I guess I'm thinking outloud and wonder what you all did/do? FYI, My "plan" does encourage whole grains and I know some don't. And I am WELL AWARE of avoiding chips, crackers, white stuff,....just curious... Happy Sunday!!

I was very strict early out.  But I guess my version of strict may be different than others - I did eat some carbs, healthy carbs (yogurt, veggies etc.).  But I did not indulge at all w/ sugar.  I went to an all inclusive resort 6 weeks out and did not have any dessert at all.

I have moved to more moderation now, but it is a slippery slope.  At work on Friday someone brought donuts in.  I didn't think about it much and before I knew it I had polished one off.  When I was strict it would not have crossed my mind.  

I'd definitely recommend being more diligent early out.  You want to use this time to build life long habits. Good luck!

Thanks, I definitely agree with being more strict early out AND the slippery slope!!

I try to make my daily routine strict.  Healthy foods - and making my numbers for protein, water and vitamins.  But then I give myself some wiggle room when I am at events, celebrations, or eating at friends homes, etc.  As long as I don't let the "wiggle room" become the routine, I figure I'll do ok. For example, I will have some bites of desert or bread or appetizers when having dinner at a friends house, but I never do so at home or at restaurants.

 It seems to be working for me so far.

best wishes,

Carol

Thanks Carol, that's what I was thinking, but worried about the guilt I might associate with that. I've already felt like I messed up when I had a few bites at a party, but reminded myself of how on track I am on a daily basis. 

I'm hoping for moderation, but I know some people say when they allow themselves carbs it restarts the craving monster. I think we've just got to try it out and see what happens. As long as they are whole grains I would think having them on occasion (a couple times a week?) would be okay. That's my hope anyway. The reality may be very different.

I'm looking at healthier substitutes for the things I love (like Quinoa crackers instead of a baguette to put that cheese on!) But I'm only 2 1/2 weeks out so you may want to listen to the vets instead.

I posted this in my journal the other day and I think it's relevant.  

P and I were talking today in the car on the way home from the market and we got on the topic of pasta and he made the comment that I might not have pasta until I was in maintenance and this lead to me telling him about my foodstyle philosophy. The way I see things, I'm not following a "weight loss" diet now that will change into something different once I reach my goal. The way I see things, I'm eating the same diet now that I will be once I reach goal - I'm already at my "maintenance" diet, I'm just maintaining 120 pounds instead of the weight I had on my body in the beginning.

I see a lot of people who never really change their lifestyle or their way of thinking when it comes to weight loss - they're still in diet mode as they lose weight. They're mostly strict, they keep carbs super low, they think moderation is a dirty word, etc. But these people also really beat themselves up if they eat a donut, or have a "bad" weekend with food, or whatever. And then, when goal comes along, if goal comes along, they get completely derailed and eat everything because they didn't spend their weight loss time working on forming a healthy, permanent lifestyle way of eating. Instead, it was always just a diet. And that is not something I want, even if it might cause me to lose weight faster. I want to eat now the way I'll be eating for the rest of my life. And the way I'll be eating for the rest of my life involves the occasional donut. Or pasta. Or sushi. I did NOT get fat by eating a slice of pizza every other month, I got fat because I'd eat an entire pizza by myself every other week. Plus Outback cheese fries and a party platter of sushi. I certainly get that there are people who cannot moderate carbs or "bad" food, but I can. I just haven't in the past.

And this is how I see my foodstyle. My diet. My Way of Eating. Whatever you want to call it. I'm not in some "weight loss mode" of eating right now, even though I am losing weight. I'm in the "this is forever" way of eating. If I'm still losing weight once I reach goal, I'll need to add a snack to my day, but I'm not going to go crazy because I, as of this moment, have never felt deprived. If I want things, I eat them. The difference is that I eat them in very small amounts and very infrequently. You know, in moderation. And as long as it truly is moderation, instead of the moderation that a lot of people (including my former self) fool themselves into, it's fine. I refuse to think of food as being "bad," there are just better choices and worse choices. If I make good choices 95% of the time, the other 5% will not make me obese. What did make me obese was switching those percentages and convincing myself that I hadn't.  

Love it! That's exactly what I needed to hear!

Thanks.  I do accept the fact that, somewhere down the road, this might no longer work for me and I might find that I have to change things to continue success, but I think that's true with any lifestyle - sometimes we have to course correct if a path is no longer giving us the results we want.  But, at least for now, this is working very well so I'll stick with it.  

My therapist (eating disorder specialist) said the same. There are no "bad" foods. It's all in how we use them and being able to control our emotional responses to them.