Does anyone else feel wasteful sometimes?

I have been to a buffett once. It was a waste of money but I was on vacation with family. I usually freeze leftovers for another meal or for lunches. I'm not fond of eating leftovers for two meals in a row.I have 5 kids so that usually takes care of any leftovers. My kids have lost weight along with me. We rarely go out to eat now. We used to do it all the time presurgery.

My husband and I both had RNY and even after 13 years out we still avoid buffets; breakfast, lunch or dinner. We will go to a brunch for a special event like Mother's Day, Easter or Thanksgiving. We will sit and enjoy our time there for a couple of hours by talking and reminiscing. We will review what is on the tables and then take a small spoonful of what we want to eat. I ALWAYS only will take a small salad plate for my food; never the large dinner plates. Even after all these years we feel restriction and it keeps us in line to not eat too much. I am not a dessert person so I luck out in that arena unless it is pumpkin pie which luckily only is on the menu during Thanksgiving!

On a side note about going to a regular restaurant we will get many meals from what we order when it is a full meal. Many times we will have the wait staff box up a soup, salad, potato or fruit and will take it home so we can concentrate on the protein. This includes when going out to breakfast. We do not feel wasteful because we plan what we are going to eat with the intentions of having leftovers for several meals afterwards. We rarely waste our leftovers. We share many of our choices while eating and many times we will only order a couple appetizers to share.

It will get easier!

I'm ok with leftovers,so I usually just take them home and use later. But if for some reason I can't, I just tell myself,"I'd rather waste it than WAIST IT

I don't mind buffets. I can eat a good amount, but I waste a lot too.

I actually prefer going to sit down restaurants where I've been before so I can order the same things that I know I like.

I tell people all the time that I have "food autism" ....since surgery I like eating the same things. I don't really need to do a lot of food exploration. I do try new recipes when I'm low carbing, but I generally tend to eat the same things everyday.

Scott

You are just 2 funny - a buffet 3 months after surgery?  It is good that you felt wasteful. Either you overpaid for the $3 of food that you can eat, or you are wasting the money spent on WLS by overeating.  So, wasteful over trashed food is the BEST that you can feel.

Go to a buffet if your friends are and they will not go to a more appropriate choice of restaurant (we switched to Applebees, which is a new fav of mine).  Did you ask to try a 'reg' rest with appetizers and take-home.

Now, you may never clean your plate again.  I have spit food out beause I was not full when I started chewing it, but was by the time I was finished chewing and ready to swallow.  (Sorry if you think that gross, but I am trying to explain that not overeating is the single most important thing you can do post-WLS.)  

So, Congrats on not overeating at the buffet.  Over time, you will reframe how you feel over throwing food out.  I liked the responder who said you can pay for food one or twice.  That is a good way to reframe thinking about leftover food.  It also happens when traveling and you have left-overs, but not a refrig to store it in. 

I will only go to a SALAD ONLY Buffet....Love Em

One thing you can do is ask to pay by the pound as if you were getting a to-go box.  I did that often my first year, still enjoyed a meal with friends, and spent a whopping $3 or less.

I am three years out. Not a vet. One thing I will not do is go to a buffet. I know I will go off course. Not saying you will. 

I tell myself I am not a human trash can. 

Read out loud that you always cleaned your plate. Think about what you would say if someone told you this statement. 

 

I don't do buffets but I didn't do them before either, usually not that great of food on them anyways.

But I do feel wasteful or at least like I'm spending a lot of money on a little food that I will end up throwing some away because it will go bad before I eat it all. I legitimately don't care. My theory is that it all comes out even in the end  with the amount of food I was eating before so I had to buy greater quantities of cheaper food.

And even if it doesn't? I still don't care. I don't like to waste money or food but at this point I'd rather my health be better and throw away some food or waste a little bit of money than be 377 pounds again.

Going on 14 years at goal and have yet to even go to a buffet. Seeing a lot of food makes me gaggy. The rare times I eat at a restaurant I ask for a to go box right away. While others are busy eating I put at least half in my box and then enjoy my meal. At the end my plate is empty:-)