Maria's Last Diet

by Maria's Last Diet

 

Moderation is a balance point in the middle of the two extremes - absolute control at one end and total loss of control at the other end.  

If you are caught between these two behaviors, it is like you are forever going through a revolving door. You are caught between two magnets, each pulling you and attracting you. One wins out at times, the other wins out at other times. And you can never find a calm place for yourself. You can’t seem to be able to rest at a comfortable balance point.  

So how do you find that balance, that moderate middle ground? Here are some concepts that have a lot to do with getting balanced: developing skills, exercising choice, becoming more and more aware, and taking personal responsibility.   First of all, acting in moderation is a skill that you can practice and learn. You begin by noting errors, becoming very aware of times when you inadvertently get knocked off balance, and you learn from these occurrences. You see what happened and then you use this awareness to give yourself corrective feedback. You say to yourself “Well, I did that, but maybe I could have done such and such. That would have made the situation a lot better for me, and I could have stayed more moderate with my eating habits.”  

So here’s where choice and personal responsibility enter the picture. You can then choose to try and do it differently next time. That’s your choice. You will be recognizing that you are the only one who actually can act differently. All the while, as you try new ways, stay aware, exercise your choice in the matter, take responsibility—all this adds to your skill level.

With enough practice, you become adept at finding your balance, your middle ground: moderation. You find this balance because you get to know your actions and reactions, and you gradually learn how to change them. This is true control, and it feels much better than careening back and forth from extreme to extreme. And once you learn the skill of moderation, it helps you overcome bad eating habits and the problem of staying overweight.