Are You a Moderator or an Abstainer?

When this article came through my RSS Feed, I was immediately intrigued by the concept. The article defines both as:

You’re a moderator if you…
— find that occasional indulgence heightens your pleasure – and strengthens your resolve
— get panicky at the thought of “never” getting or doing something

You’re an abstainer if you…
— have trouble stopping something once you’ve started
— aren’t tempted by things that you’ve decided are off-limits

For me, I think I’m a combination of both. For the most part I am a Moderator.

I eat good food in moderation. I drink wine, I treat myself to dessert once in awhile, I splurge on high calorie things like guacamole or pizza. But I eat those things in moderation and I don’t do it every day.

I also balance it with consistent, daily exercise.

To be honest with you, though, for the 2 years I was trying to lose 100 pounds I was definitely an Abstainer.

I was a Food Addict. Specifically a Sugar Addict. When I decided it was time to get healthy and lose the weight, I purged my house of all temptations. I stopped buying things like desserts, snacks, treats. I stocked my freezer with Lean Cuisines.

I ate a pretty strict, low calorie diet for two years. I did not trust myself to have treats in the house–so I did not have them around.

I did not trust myself to make good choices at restaurants–so I didn’t go out.

I didn’t think I could stop at one drink at happy hour and I refused to drink my calories–so I stopped drinking alcohol completely.

I had trigger foods that I could not eat in moderation, like pizza–so I did not eat pizza for 2 years.

I did not deviate my food plan or my calorie counting. Obsessive? Perhaps. But it worked.  I like to think of it as Determined.

It taught me how to eat portions. It changed my metabolism and shrunk my stomach so I didn’t WANT to over-eat. I learned how to make better choices. Once I learned these things, I was able to reintroduce certain foods and eat them in moderation.

Once I lost the weight, I thought I could go back to eating some of the things I stopped eating. I quickly realized that I’m the type of person that needs to be accountable–even if it’s just to myself. I keep track of my calories and exercise in my iPhone. It’s second nature to me and I rarely even think about it, I just do it.

Completely denying myself of all treats just sets me up to fail. I try to eat in moderation now and if I “slip up” it’s not the end of the world.

QUESTION: Are you a Moderator or an Abstainer?