Learn how to control your cravings with these tips & tricks.
We are in a constant ebb and flow of learning lessons, breaking rules and resetting limits. Though when you're in the flow of tightening 'dem bootstraps and using self-control, I have some quick tips and tricks that will make moderation seem less of a big scary boss we need to work against and reveal it as a handy helpful tool we can stick in our toolbox to use on a regular basis!
LET YOUR MODERATION FLAG FLY:
Don't be afraid to tell your friends and family you are practicing mindful moderation. Loved ones love to encourage us, in many senses of the word! My Mom makes the most amazing apple crumble with coconut cream, and to say she encourages going back for seconds would be an understatement. Letting your crew know you're actively practicing moderation not only gives you external accountability but gives your friends and family the tools to help support you!
GO TO A DARK PLACE... VISUALLY:
One of the coolest experiences I've had with food was at a restaurant which featured dining in the dark. This is an establishment where the servers are blind and the patrons eat in the dark, experiencing what it is to be without sight. I know what you're thinking and no, I didn't spill food everywhere! I actually think I'm a messier eater with my vision, but that's beside the point. What was most interesting to me is that, when my entree came, I only made it through 1/3 of this beautiful brown rice and roast veggie dish before realizing I was full. Normally, I would keep eating. Pick away at my plate until it is all but licked clean. I was reminded that my eyes really can be larger than my stomach.
I seriously recommend trying to eat a meal with your eyes closed or, at the very least, when you want to entice moderation, just close your eyes for a few minutes. Or if you're at a restaurant, ask the server to remove your food and box it up. Or remove temptation from your sight in another way. It's one simple step that big time works, and can help you to touch-in and recognize when you're full versus when something just looks like "more, please!"
MODERATE YOUR SPACE:
Sometimes we need to create the space for moderation. Physically! When was the last time you cleaned out your office desk drawers, or went through your pantry and checked for expired canned goods, or even scanned your Facebook friends list and severed a few less than acquaintance ties? Recently, I went through my clothes and (brutally) got rid of anything that I hadn't felt against my skin in 6 months or more. Things got real. I had a glass of wine. I laughed, I cried (mostly cried), and I cut my wardrobe down by 2/3. But being more moderate with my clothing collection made me want to be more moderate in other ways. I thinned out my makeup collection, went through my pantry and even did ye 'ol Facebook cull. A little spring cleaning, any time of the year, can help to ignite moderation in all aspects of life! This all being said, whether you're a whole pie eating girl like myself or indulge in less deep (dish) ways, know that it's okay to let moderation go from time to time. Because even moderation itself needs to be used in moderation, and if you give yourself the freedom to relax from time to time, you will also give yourself to freedom to come back to moderation stress-free and unscathed.
