One of the most over hyped suggestions I see among fitness pages & influencers is the concept of “moderation.” Particularly the advice:
“don't restrict yourself”
“moderation is key”
“eat intuitively”
“treat yo'self”
“one cupcake won’t make you fat like one salad won’t make you skinny”
It's sound advice & always offered with good intentions, but it can be problematic nonetheless.
Moderation is not always key. "Eating intuitively” doesn't work if your “intuition” is telling you to eat the WHOLE box of cookies. Especially if there's a history of disordered eating.
When did avoiding processed, low-nutrient, food-like products & only eating whole nutritious food become abnormal & restrictive?
For some, treats trigger a binge & a lot of negative emotions that can derail a person’s progress.
One cookie may not make YOU or me fat, but it’s very likely for some it starts a whole cheat day/weekend/week that puts someone significantly above their target intake.
Promoting moderation for everyone implies everyone has the same level of control & relationship with food. This is obviously not true.
Believing "moderation is key" can make a person feel worse about themselves if moderation doesn’t come easily.
Knowing which foods are a trigger & generally avoiding them, can shift the focus from: “something is wrong with me” to “this is a problematic food I should limit my access to” to create a healthier environment.
Some people can eat just one serving, not binge or obsess and go on with their healthy diet. Others can't.
If you consume enough calories for your TDEE via enough protein, plenty of vegetables, adequate fats, & some fruits & carbohydrates - there’s nothing "restrictive" about limiting your access to hyper-palatable, processed, low nutrient foods if they are a problem for you.
If you find certain foods are a problem:
🙅 Don’t buy & keep them at home where they are easily accessible in quantities that allow for over-eating.
It IS possible to “fix” disordered eating patterns but it takes time. It’s ok to avoid trigger foods.
There is no ONE diet approach for everyone!
Do you agree? What foods are triggers for you? 🍕🍪