Question:
How do I get over the mentality that it is wrong to throw food away.
I am still struggling with the idea that I do not have to eat all my food. that wasting a few bites is ok. Are there any ways to help me here. It has been about 1 year and I am better but still struggle daily with this. — Lynne K. (posted on June 7, 2003)
June 7, 2003
Hi Lynne- I am still pre-op and I have a difficult time throwing food away
as well. Did you grow up hearing about the starving children in
_____________ (fill in the blank)? But since you are eating smaller
portions after the surgery, what about buying some of those tiny plastic
containers? Maybe having those last few bites at a later time for a snack?
Good Luck! Mea
— Mea A.
June 7, 2003
Hi Lynne- Mea again. I just re-read your question more carefully, that you
are wanting to know how to throw away those last few bites, not save it.
Sorry I didn't read it more carefully the first time :o)
— Mea A.
June 7, 2003
Rub it right onto your __________. Hips? Thighs? In my case, it all went
on my belly. Don't think of every bite as nourishment on any more. While
it would be for the starving orphans elsewhere, it's not really for us. At
least not in the same way. I do not see food as my friend now.
— vitalady
June 7, 2003
It may help to think about the food you have purchased, or prepared as
being YOURS at that moemnt: you can no longer save the money you spent on
it or feed it to the hungry. It's no longer available to anyone but you
and the money spent is gone, so the question becomes, do you use it to hurt
yourself or not?
— Jan J.
June 7, 2003
We all heard about the starving children in ________.(fill in the blank)
Bottom line wheather you eat the food or throw it away, sadly they will
still be starving. I haven't had surgery yet and that is an issue with me
as well. I have an easier time if I feed it to my family or the dog than
thowing it away.
— doodlebug
June 7, 2003
Hi Lynne. I had this same issue! Every day, several Xs a day, I felt bad
that I had to dump what I couldn't eat (leftovers, for some reason, don't
sit well at all in my pouch). I mentioned it to my husband, and he said
something that has really helped me, and I hope I can phrase this right...
He reminded me of how I used to eat every last morsel that was available,
and said THAT was truly wasteful, taking what I didn't need. Throwing away
a few forkfulls is OK--those extra bits won't help anyone.
— Judy M.
June 7, 2003
I had the same struggle, until my dog realized that I had weight loss
surgery. :-) Don't feel guilty it's ok to toss them in the trash.
— M B.
June 8, 2003
Hi, I know exactly how much food I can eat at my meals. It is rare for me
to leave food on my dish. What helps me is that I measure out ALL of my
food, so therefore I do not have the guilt of having to throw away any
food. I am only one month post so I am still eating real small amounts of
food. But, maybe it will help you if you get in the habit of measuring all
of your food first before putting it on your plate, then eat it, just that
amount. Then you may not have to deal with the guilt of leaving food on
your plate because you will only be eating a set amount. If you want a
little more food because what you measured out was not enough then take a
LITTLE more. Hope this helps.
— ChristineB
June 11, 2003
For me, I just try to remember that if I eat something I do not need, I am
wasting it anyway. Throwing it away is a healthier choice.
— kathleen S.
June 11, 2003
I have learned to be a real food waster! LOL This is my thinking: Before I
had surgery, I would have eaten everything on my plate and probably an
appetizer and dessert, too. If I order an entree and it will be good left
over I get a doggie bag and have it later. If it won't taste good left
over, then I am not really "wasting" it, I am just throwing away
the part that used to make me fat! When I am at home I try to estimate my
portion sizes pretty closely, but sometime I do get that "clean your
plate" syndrome and find myself trying to stuff the last few bites. I
just set the plate aside for a few minutes and usually realize that I
really don't want it and it belongs in the trash. Just think: you were
REALLY wasting food BEFORE surgery by eating more than your body needed.
NOW you are eating far less, causing less WASTE and less WAIST!
LOL<p>BTW, have you ever tried to get a restaurant to give you a
SMALLER portion? It's hilarious! The waiter looks at you like you are crazy
and 9 times out of 10 they come back with a regular size portion anyway. I
splurged on a hot-fudge-brownie sundae with my daughter (OK, well, no sauce
and the ice cream in a separate dish) and asked the waiter to only give me
half of the brownie. He said, "They only come in one size." I
told him to either eat the other half or just throw it away. Of course I
got the full size thing and left the other half for him to just . . .
throw away. Imagine that!
— ctyst
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