My Body Is Not A Trash Can

I always wanted to share this.  This was the title of a talk from one of the speakers in our pre-op classes, and it always stuck with me.

If you're like me, you might think you know what the title "My Body Is Not A Trash Can" means... and you might be wrong.  You might think it's about treating your body like a temple and not putting junk food into it.  That's what I thought, and was ready to yawn my way through the class.  BTDT.

Nope... it was one of the the most significant things I learned in those 6 months of required meetings.  And if you're a food addict, maybe you'll think so, too.

As a food addict, I HATE to waste food of any kind.  Always have.  Even on TV I'd see a show where the waiter takes away a half-full plate and I lose track of the storyline because I can't stop thinking about that food getting thrown away (and how I'm now craving whatever was on that plate!).

What the speaker taught us that day was not to put leftovers in your mouth just for the sake of not wasting the food.  Let's say you have a scoop of tuna salad on your plate, but you get full before it's completely gone.  There's not enough left to put back in the fridge.  No one else wants it.  It's not good for the dog.  You hate to throw it away.  So you eat the last 4-5 bites anyway.  Or you make some bacon & eggs, but the kids don't eat all theirs...you know you've had enough breakfast, but somehow their uneaten food ends up in your mouth. Now you're stuffed, you've overeaten, and doing this over and over again, meal after meal... you gain weight.  (Well, at least that's my sad story.)  

The speaker taught us how it's okay to throw it in the trash.  If you think about it, sticking it in your mouth means it's going to end up in the toilet anyway - therefore, treat it that way.  It's trash.  Don't put trash in your mouth.  

Well, I've tried to live by that law, but as an addict it's still hard for me.  Today is a perfect example.  I bought this turkey sausage & cheddar stick package for CAMAW and could only eat half.  The real deal is, I didn't really like it all that much.  It was too hard to throw it away (why couldn't I just toss it???).  I offered it to a co-worker, and she took it, but was not hungry and put it in the office fridge for later.  She forgot about it, but every time I open the fridge, there it is.  Why can't my stupid head let this go?

If it's still there at the end of the day, I will FORCE myself to toss it.  Then I'm gonna pour coffee grounds or something on top of it.  

MY BODY IS NOT A TRASH CAN.  MY BODY IS NOT A TRASH CAN.  MY BODY IS NOT A TRASH CAN.   Oooooommmmmmmm.   

I also always wondered if this was so hard for me because I came from a family that said "eat everything on your plate, there are starving people in China....".  

I do the same thing and no one ever mentioned starving kids to me. Of course, "waste not want not" was a refrain I heard often.

I HATE to throw away food. I hate to throw away papers, though I've gotten a handle on that years ago. It drives me nuts how much food I throw away every week because the kids and hubby won't eat leftovers and I'm no longer having them for lunch everyday (and 2nd lunch, and after work snack, and late night snack... you get my drift, right?)

Ahhhh.  This is why I ate that small toddler sized bowl of Alphabits this morning.  Thank you so much for this post!

I love this Corrie.  Thanks for posting it.  I have a dear friend that cannot stand to see things go to waste, so if something is left in a serving bowl, she always tries to get me to fini****  She say things like, "it needs to be eaten because it won't keep well."  Or, "don't waste (insert food)."   It is not that she is trying to sabotage me, or anything like that.  She has food issues, and this is one of the ways that it manifests itself.

I always call her a food pusher when she does this, and do tell her that I am not her garbage can.  I like the line about how it will all end up in the toilet anyway.  I am using that the next time she pushes food (which is likely to be this weekend).

Yep, your friend sounds a lot like me.  And is a big reason why my poor dog is getting so fat!  

Very well put. 

I was always the one that could make a gourmet  food of leftover leftovers...  Until I decided not o do it anymore.. 

I still save 2 bites of some foods... but they better be worth saving... like filet..  or bacon... 

It Took me a while - but now i have no problem leaving a few bites of a great  food on a plate...  or .. if it is really good - I give it to my BF and he has no problem wasting it... lol..

Took me years to not put those last bites in the fridg. Drives hubby crazy. I tell him, pretend I ate it and toss. It hard to cook such small amounts

Yep!  I had a Doctor tell me once that it's either WASTE or WAIST.....you choose!

Love this!