Part 4: Create a Helpful Environment

This may be the most common dietary advice today: everything in moderation. However, there are many reasons why this is really hard for most people and downright dangerous for others.

1. May Be Dangerous: Certain ingredients may harm your body or could make managing a medical condition difficult. Or, you may be sensitive to a food that leads to discomfort, like an artificial sweetener triggering a headache. Moderation does not work in this case.

2. Risk of Overeating: Second, moderation is a very vague term. How often are you having this food in “moderation”? A small amount daily? A large amount once weekly? Even what you think is a small amount may actually take up a large portion of your daily calorie budget. Also, having this small amount could lead to overeating, especially if the food is high in sugar.

3. Negotiation Trap: Eating foods in moderation can lead to negotiations and planning to “make up for it” later. “If I eat this cake tonight, I’ll run an extra mile tomorrow.” “If I go out drinking this weekend, I won’t have any alcohol next weekend.” It seems easy in the moment to seize instant gratification. However, if you use the “everything in moderation” excuse too often, you may find yourself negotiating your health away.