25 Aug 2012 Wellness equals moderation
by Kellie Dye
According to the American Heritage dictionary, the word “wellness” means the condition of good physical and mental health, especially when maintained by proper diet, exercise and habits.
What is meant by proper diet, exercise and habits can mean different things to different people. You can find thousands of diets via the Internet claiming to be the proper diet. The same goes for exercise. To me the definition of wellness seems to be missing a few important terms, such as moderation and balance. If we add the words moderation and balance, then a lot of the fad diets and exercise gimmicks would fall by the wayside when it comes to wellness.
If we strive for balance and moderation in all things, then wouldn’t a state of wellness come about easier? It seems like many people would rather focus on the extremes and the dos and don’ts of diet and exercise instead of practicing moderation.
Moderation means to avoid the extremes and find strategies and habits that we can maintain for the long run. You may have heard before that 95 percent of people who lose weight will gain it back again. It’s practicing the extremes and the lack of moderation that help to make up that 95 percent.
Embracing moderation means letting go of labeling food as good or bad and not believing the extreme messages you hear about diet and exercise. Letting go of these things leads to less guilt and more satisfaction. People who have lost weight and kept it off seem to have gotten this message.
Here are some ways that people put moderation into practice:
“I aim for healthy eating 80 percent of the time along with sane eating 100 percent of the time.”
“If I can’t squeeze in exercise, I will find ways to be more active, such as getting up from my desk more and taking the stairs.”
“I really want to eat a second cookie, so I will eat less at dinner tonight to make up for it.”
“Before I eat something, I ask myself if I am truly physically hungry. If not, I try to find out what it is that I truly need.”
“I gained one pound this week, but I am going to stay positive, avoid restricting my food too much and see what next week brings.”
“My shins are starting to ache, so I will try exercising in the pool this week.”
If moderation thinking does not come so easy for you, think about what wellness advice you might give to someone you care about. We can be our own worst critic and our own worst enemy. Think about something that you have struggled to find balance with. What if a person you cared about struggled with the same issue? What would you suggest to them?
You most likely wouldn’t suggest something extreme. You would use common sense and moderation in your advice for a loved one. Try to do the same for yourself.
Let go of the extremes and unrealistic advice and keep moderation in mind when it comes to wellness.
