Everything in Moderation is a phrase you’ve heard thrown around a lot in the fitness industry.
I’ve been sitting on this concept for a minute.
One evening, a member in a Facebook Groups posed a question to the group.
Everything in moderation is preventing you from reaching your goals.
For the people in the back – everything in moderation is preventing you from reaching your goals.
Let’s get down to it.
Let me say this another way, would you tell a recovering alcoholic, everything in moderation?
The answer is No.
Why not?
Because In AA they teach you – you are an alcoholic - and in order to attain sobriety you must interact with alcohol like one drink is going to kill you. Yes, that one drink is going to take you out!
Again, the question is this, “Would you tell an alcoholic, currently in sobriety, sure go ahead, everything in moderation.”
The answer is NO.
If the goal is sobriety, you can’t. So, in this case, this everything in moderation approach is preventing that individual from reaching their goal.
There are some things that you can’t moderate.
You are not able.
You can’t do it.
And you need to be that up front and honest about that with yourself.
Let me be real up front: I played collegiate sports. I have been fat. I have been on stage as a competitive bodybuilder. I have gotten fat, again. I’ve had to lose 30 pounds. In order for me to get that first 20 pounds off of my body. There was no wussy air quotes - everything in moderation. I wasn’t giving myself that.
It was 100% pedal to the medal. Coach what’s the plan? – Oh, okay, you need me to stick to the plan? Yes sir, can do – Execute the plan - Come up for air - enjoy the day - go back under and that first twenty was gone!
The point is – I know discipline, I can follow a plan and I am a coachable athlete – but what I cannot do is take the everything in moderation approach to a bag of snack size Snickers in my house.
People say, “Oh you can just eat one.” “It’s just a small snack, that’s why I like them.”
Well, I “just” ate one and the whole bag is gone.
But I’m not arrogant enough to think that was moderation. I’m not arrogant enough to think, “I’ve got this under control” I can just eat one. That’s your ego talking, and your ego is keeping you where it wants you to be.
I remember when I was about to start weight training. I read everything there was to read and decided, it’s time: Hire a Coach.
We had our initial intake meeting, and I explained my goals. When I started training with my Coach - because of course I had read about it, I asked when I could have a “cheat meal.”
Her response, “I wouldn’t.” And that’s all she said.
Now, 5 years later I stand in the profession as a Coach, an Athlete, and an Author – what she knew having been lifting 25 years was, “you are too young in the practice for me to say Yes to you. You do not know how to use a cheat meal as a tool yet.”
What she was saying to me was, “As it relates to the goal you just told me twenty-seven seconds ago. Um, No.”
Based on the goal I set for me learning not to cheat equaled learning the discipline.
The underlying aspect of what she was also saying was this, “I don’t know if you’re an alcoholic?” I don’t know if you have the discipline to stop. I don’t know what moderation means to you. So, no, because you don’t know what this takes yet, and furthermore, I don’t know you like that yet.
My Coach honored ME enough to tell me No.
If you find you are still asking yourself the question, why am I not there yet?
Check to make sure the answer isn’t everything in moderation.
As you walk this path, you may find that many times you are alone. And you must be okay with that. People will say all kinds of things.
My personal favorites are, you can just have one, can’t you? “one bite, just taste it.” Or “One meal won’t hurt you.”
Depending on where I am on my everything is moderation spectrum, no, I can’t just have one, one bite will derail me completely!
YOU must be serious about this. YOU. Because only YOU know where YOU really stand with moderation.
Everything is moderation? Nah, not over here. The answer is No.
Not until we hit our agreed upon Milestone #1.
Listen hear, “moderation” is great if you have the discipline to moderate.
If you don’t have the discipline to moderate; or shall I say you have not yet developed the practice of discipline or the practice of saying No to yourself then you have not established even a basic baseline definition of moderation for yourself?
The takeaway here is this, unless you have reached your physical fitness goal – I mean – You. Are. There - you are sitting exactly where you want to be, go for it, then happy everything in moderation to you.
Otherwise…
Clean it up, tighten it up and exercise self-discipline and self-restraint and practice telling yourself, No. Everything in moderation doesn’t apply to me right now.
As always, think on it, share with a friend and then put it into action!