Tip #23 - Moderation, Not Elimination

I must give credit where credit is due. Moderation, not elimination is a core piece of advice that was given to me by my former nutritionist Lisa Bunce. She stressed the fact that you never have to remove something entirely from your diet. Just as every once in a while you are allowed to splurge, having a little desert every so often is not a bad thing. There is no need to take the things you love out of your diet. What is necessary is that you limit your consumption of the foods that are not good for you. For instance, it is ok to have a cookie or two, but there is no need to have any more than that. Or, it is fine to eat some cream soup, but you should not have a bowl of it, a cup will suffice. This all goes back to the idea of portion sizes. If you are going to treat yourself to something that is not on your diet, it is ok, but make sure you do not have too much. Always remember, while losing weight and during weight maintenance (I still follow this rule), you diet is about moderation, not elimination.