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are you an abstainer or moderator?

According to Gretchen Rubin in her book Better than Before, there are two types of people: abstainers and moderators.  Abstainers do better with an all or nothing approach to life, while moderators function better with the freedom to have a little of everything.  Knowing your tendency helps you build successful habits into your everyday life.

I personally am an abstainer when it comes to sugar.  I have never understood the people who can have a jar of candy on their desks.  If there is candy in my house it calls out to me from wherever it is hidden until I succumb to its siren song.  If I start eating the sweet stuff--even just a little bit--I start craving it constantly and have to remove it from my environment (usually by eating the rest of it!)  It's much easier for me if I just never have it.  Now I'm not saying there are no sweets in my house, they just belong to other people, and as long as I understand that, it's not a problem.  The problem occurs when I give myself permission to have a little bit of something and that little bit turns into a lot. 

Totally abstaining from sugar gives me freedom from sugar.  It frees me from the cravings and the willpower needed to moderate my intake.

Unfortunately, I have the same problem with nuts.  They have so many health benefits, but they are also a problem for me.  Maybe it's the crunchiness.  Or the saltiness.  Either way, I'm on a nut hiatus right now because I can't seem to keep my nut habit under control unless I just keep them out of the house.  Ah...freedom from nuts (giggle!)

Other people, however, find freedom in moderation.  If they know they can have a little bit of something whenever they want, they don't feel the urge to rebel and eat the whole jar of candy.  Oh, how I envy those people!  

Whatever your tendency may be, know it and own it.  If you know you can't have certain foods around without strapping on the feedbag, then make it easy on yourself and keep them out of your environment.  If having a bar of dark chocolate in your cabinet for your daily square works for you, then by all means, have your dark chocolate (and nuts--and enjoy them for me!)  

Willpower is not an unlimited resource, so if you find that moderating your eating is exhausting your willpower stores (especially by the end of the day), you might try abstaining for a while to see if that works better for you.  Whichever you choose, set your environment up for success so that building habits and preserving your willpower is easier for you.


If you'd like to talk to me more about how to implement healthy habits based on your tendencies, I've got you!  I'm a certified Nutrition Coach who will create a simple, customized meal plan for you and coach you through how to implement it into your busy life.  We also talk about all the pitfalls that make it hard, and help you make it the anchor that keeps you healthy, energized, and sane through the whirlwind of your everyday life.


I'd love to talk to you about the program, so book a free consultation with me by clicking the Calendly button. I look forward to talking to you!


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