All things are good in moderation, right? I’ve heard this floating around a lot from people who are using Beachbody products and those who are not. I think people misuse the word moderation. I can understand how. Moderation becomes an excuse and a reason to allow yourself to indulge. “I can have these cookies because it’s all in moderation, right?” Wrong. Below is the actual definition of moderation.
ˌmädəˈrāSH(ə)n/ The avoidance of excess or extremes, especially in one’s behavior.
If you invoke the moderation rule several times a week, then you aren’t really using it appropriately, are you? You’re just feeding a bad habit. To me, moderation means sparingly. Maybe you have cookies once a month, or one treat meal once a week. That doesn’t mean you throw caution to the wind for an entire weekend either. You aren’t moderating when you do that. I’ve had several discussions surrounding this topic lately. People defend their habits behind a lie of moderation, when really, they are just overindulging and not owning up to it. It isn’t my body that I’m wrecking, or my poor choices. It’s yours. When you start to question why you’re stuck in a plateau, not making any changes, or you just feel like shit look at all of your “moderations”. Are they holding you back? The answer is yes.
I read an amazing quote the other day. “You aren’t a dog, so stop rewarding yourself with food” Being healthy isn’t a punishment. I see people set goals all of the time that look like this: “If I make it through the first week, then I’ll let myself have a big burger this weekend” My question is WHY?! Why not reward yourself with something else? Maybe something that feeds into your motivation and overall goal. How about this instead, “If I make it through the first 21 days, I’ll buy myself a pair of SMALLER jeans” I could list a hundred things that you can reward yourself with that are non-food related items. I understand that life is meant to be enjoyed. Have that piece (I SAID 1 PIECE) of birthday cake on your big day, or that celebratory meal after a promotion at work, but let it end there. Look at your week. If you have three birthdays, a wedding, and a bachelorette party, choose wisely. Don’t MODERATE for every occasion. Pick and choose your battles. This is where the education comes into play behind having a healthy balance. This is what you’re building yourself up to learn throughout the course of any fitness and nutrition program. Too much moderating in a week will undo all of the hard work you put in.
If you don’t buy it, then you don’t have it, right? I do not buy junk. I refuse to spend any money on crap. I save money because I only buy what we need. I have a busy, hungry toddler, so snacks consist of fruit, graham crackers, and veggie straws. That’s about all the “junk” you’ll find in my house. I do not purchase cookies, chips, cakes, ice cream, etc. It doesn’t mean I’m a bad mom either. Emerson isn’t deprived. He has his treats in MODERATION. Every Sunday, I take him to Dunkin Donuts to get a donut, while I enjoy a latte. All week, we stay on track and eat healthy meals and snacks. Sunday is our day to enjoy a little. Life is about enjoying. You really learn to appreciate the smaller things in life when you don’t have it in your face all of the time. It’s also a great way to control your budget. I spend roughly $4 every Sunday at Dunkin Donuts. Imagine if we spent money to eat out every night. It would be insane. I control our budget and our bellies by controlling how often we indulge.
I guess I just have a hard time understanding why anyone goes to the store and loads up on potato chips and crap. I don’t have money to spend foolishly like that. Ensuring we have breakfast, lunch, and dinner is far more important than having those little snack cakes. I hear people complain about money, but I also know they spend wildly at the grocery store. My grocery budget is constantly getting a makeover. I look at everything I buy and I ration with myself and ask if we really need it. Most of the time, we do. I’m proud of myself because I do make the best decisions for us money and health-wise at the grocery store. I can’t decrease our rent, or my car payment, but I can certainly control the dollars that are being spent in the store.
This brings me to the topic of Shakeology. I hear that it’s too expensive, but then I also see how much excessive garbage people are packing into their shopping carts. I don’t understand why anyone has to buy soda. If you came into my home, you’d find nothing to drink but milk, almond milk, and tap water. Occasionally, I do splurge on bottled water, but it isn’t often. I don’t buy juice, soda, etc. Emerson drinks water, or milk. The amount of money people spend on beverages is unreal! I can afford Shakeology because I’m smart about the way I’m spending my money in the grocery store. It’s a $4 meal that I have every day, which is a hell of a lot cheaper than any drive-thru . On top of that, the shakes taste like you’re drinking a milkshake for breakfast. Who doesn’t love that?! It cuts down on my cravings so much that I don’t even think about eating poorly in moderation. It feels like I’m cheating every day.
My perspective on food has changed so much over the last 2.5 months. I view it as a method of living. I need to eat to stay alive. I need to fuel my body properly, so that I can feel energized to keep up with my busy lifestyle. Food is no longer my entertainment, or hobby. There are times that I will enjoy something that I wouldn’t ordinarily eat, but that’s using proper moderation. I think society just needs to start viewing food as just food. We’d save a hell of a lot of money, and our bellies would benefit too.
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