That expression “do everything in moderation” has been around forever, but how hard is it to actually live a life of moderation? For most of us who are trying overcome binge-eating or emotional eating, moderation seems nothing but elusive, right?

There is a constant cycle of excess then deprivation, then excess again. We will deprive ourselves of food we love, or cut our whole food groups which we worry will trigger us to binge, or embark on extreme exercise, or drink ourselves into oblivion. It seems we are trapped between two extremes where there is no middle ground- it is black or white, with no grey area where moderation exists.

Of course, living our lives on either end of the spectrum is unhealthy- not just for our body and mind, but for our souls. We should be able to eat comfort foods occasionally, and really enjoy those foods without any guilt. We should be able to have a couple of drinks a few times a week without becoming drunk. We should be able to exercise so that it feels good and allows our body enough to time to rest and recover and not be injured.

So, what’s the trick to being able to eat, drink and exercise in moderation most of the time rather than taking an all or nothing approach? Mastering motivation requires practicing these six things regularly. When you do, it becomes easier to avoid the extremes and excesses and it’s then possible to reach a state of equilibrium that is healthy as well as enjoyable.