Everything in Moderation?

‘Everything in Moderation’, ‘It’s the taking part that counts'

Two phrases you will never hear me say….I’m not disagreeing with either statement but just that they don’t apply to me.

A lot of people think I’m extreme with my methods, not just with regards to nutrition and training, but the way I seem to do everything, and some recent comments have inspired me to write this blog.

I’ve never really done anything with a moderate approach, I’m definitely an ‘All or Nothing’ ‘Go hard or go home’ girl. Maybe that’s why I choose not to drink alcohol or I might have got myself into all sorts of trouble by now! I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s a personality trait. I function best that way. But, I accept the fact that some people do not…and that's ok too.

When it comes to giving something up or completing a task, there are two types of people. Those that can quit something cold turkey or commit to something with an almost obsessive compulsion, and those who need to set more moderate limitations to their approach. Maybe you are a mixture of both when applied to different situations and can cycle both methods and it works. Maybe you try something until ‘moderation’ becomes excess and then you try to give that something up altogether. I just don’t really know how to moderate whether it’s food, training, work or…anything really, so usually I don’t even try.

Let’s apply this concept to food. Some of you can allow yourself to indulge a little bit of the time, but would panic if you were told you absolutely couldn’t have something. Others (like me) think it’s a lot easier to cut something out altogether and not miss it.

Eating well, training regularly, and not drinking makes me feel good both physically and mentally. People often say to me ‘thats a bit healthy’ as though it’s some form of torture I’m placing on myself. I choose to eat the way I do. I choose to train the way I do because I like it. I love my food, I enjoy training and I like the way it makes me look and feel. To me, being ‘bad’ with things that effect my health doesn’t give me any pleasure, so it’s easy to say no. I’m sure to some of you, this would feel like a life of misery and deprivation. Hey, we’re all different.

The problem I have with moderation is that it has no boundaries. ‘Everything in moderation’ doesn't mean anything unless you have set your own levels of ‘moderation’.

I gave up coffee for 30 days and it was easy (after I’d got over the splitting headaches on day three). I didn’t have to think ‘should I shouldn't I? Can I, can’t I’?, it just wasn’t an option. I didn’t have to waste any energy even trying to exert any self control or willpower. If I had allowed myself one a day, I surely would have failed and one would have led to two and then…you get the idea. Two to three is no different to me, whereas total abstinence to one is huge.

I made the choice to give up bread nearly four years ago and I don’t think I will ever eat it again. Don’t get me wrong, I love bread. So why am I never tempted by it however amazing it smells (along with bacon, its got to be one of the best smells ever)? Because I made an informed decision to give it up and because my reasons are strong enough to do it, it never requires any self control. The way I eat today compared to five years ago is so, so different and it didn’t change overnight. It has evolved over that time due to extensive research and the resulting knowledge regarding how certain foods effect my health and performance.

So maybe when it comes to self control, we should look at things differently and rather than try to develop it as a virtue, aim to control the things or activities we choose to do in an ‘all or nothing’ way or in ‘moderation’ depending on our character.

So, when trying to create new, good habits or drop bad ones we tend to gravitate towards the two approaches ‘All or nothing’ or ‘Everything in moderation’

Which type of character do you have?

Do you thrive when you can do things in moderation, either when creating new habits or reducing bad ones? For example, if you are trying to eat ‘healthier’ and you love chocolate, do you find it easier to cut down but allow yourself the occasional bar rather than removing it altogether? You can still have what you like, but you just learn to limit the frequency at which you indulge. Maybe you feel this reduces the anxiety you may feel if you try to give up altogether and it doesn’t completely deprive you of something you enjoy.

Or do you prefer an ‘out of sight, out of mind’ mentality. It’s not that you have more discipline than the moderate approach person, you just function better that way. I’m not good with moderation so I don’t even attempt to try.

Maybe you have tried to force habit changes by abstaining from something altogether even though you would probably do quite well with the moderate approach. What happens if you try to rely on your willpower but you end up thinking of nothing else than the thing you chose to give up? Eventually, you cave in and have that cake or croissant or bar of chocolate. You feel guilty, feel as though you’ve failed and before you know it, you lose all sense of reason and have another, then another and…another. If you had just applied the moderate approach, you would have had one indulgence, been satisfied and not felt an ounce of guilt. It’s all a mindset and it’s different for different people.

Think of a temptation that you want to get in control of.

If you know you can't abstain, you need to decide what ‘moderate’ means to you. Set a limit. Then you won’t feel guilty by having something that you have allowed yourself to have. Maybe it’s easier to plan ahead and decide where and when you will get the most satisfaction from your temptation. You want cake? Have it…but the best one you can find. Make it worth it.

Anticipate situations that might make it hard to stick to your plan. A party, dinner or other social occasion. Think of some strategies that could help you. What boundaries will you set?

I would love to be able to do certain things with a more moderate approach…I just can’t. I like to stick to rules, I like things to be black and white with no room for manoeuvre.

If moderation is something you can apply to your goals and it’s working, that’s great but if it’s not, find a new strategy. But, never use 'moderation' as an excuse or justification to eat the things you really know you shouldn't.

Look out for the blog I’m in the process of writing outlining some helpful, practical strategies you can use if you're struggling to find a solution that works for you.

Contact me

Lifestyle360@outlook.com