Source: http://www.fannetasticfood.com/2016/04/07/abstainers-vs-moderators-do-they-exist/
Does the concept of abstainers vs. moderators really exist?
I’m in the mood for something a bit deeper today – care to join me?
Last week, I saw a really interesting post about abstainers vs. moderators on my friend Julie’s blog. In the post, she writes about a podcast she listened to by Gretchen Rubin (author of The Happiness Project) that talks about the idea that everyone is either an abstainer or a moderator. As the name implies, moderators are people who avoid absolutes and defined lines. In the case of food, that would be an everything in moderation approach – nothing is off limits. Abstainers, on the other hand, make things black and white. In the case of food, this would mean placing something off limits because once they start eating it they struggle to stop.
I found this concept fascinating and immediately emailed my Joyful Eating, Nourished Life Program co-authors, fellow intuitive eating dietitians Rachael and Alex. “Do you think there’s really such a thing as abstainers and moderators?” I asked them. “Or do you think it’s more a function of diet history?” R…