Why does that last 2-3 bites left on my plate EAT AT ME until I eat it or trash it??? I am full. I am full, I don't need to eat it. I AM FULL---DON'T EAT IT!! It still bothers me to leave those bites there. Something to mull over and banish!

I think it's a holdover from childhood. My Mother was a member of the "Clean your plate there are starving children in Africa" club. Was yours?

Why does that last 2-3 bites left on my plate EAT AT ME until I eat it or trash it??? I am full. I am full, I don't need to eat it. I AM FULL---DON'T EAT IT!! It still bothers me to leave those bites there. Something to mull over and banish!

That took me a long time to get over too. . . I'm almost 2 years out and still find it tough to throw out food. . . but i do it, just get up and do it. . . . it's tough and always will be but together we'll get through this. . .

apple-saucy, my mom was from the "waste not want not" club . . . you don't finish whats on your plate, you don't get the next meal. . . . ugh memories

I think it's b/c we were so poor when I was young and my mom always said we need to finish this bc it's not easy to get and there may be a day we don't have anything. nice. That poor shit affects me in so many ways. I'm hoping my counselor will help me move past it.

The starving children who would love to have my food were always in China for some reason!

I suffer from the same problem of wanting to eat every last bite but throwing up several times from eating after I am full has made a big impression on me. Now when I feel that pressure in my chest that says I am full I get up immediately and wrap up the rest of the food if I am saving it ...or toss it in the trash if I am not. It is too easy to eat another bite mindlessly and spend an uncomfortable hour afterwards. I won't even put a drink on the table when I am eating because I forget and take a drink when I am eating. I have a lot of years of programming to overcome!

I haven't moved to mushies stage yet, so I don't know how I will feel. But pre-op, I have 2 adorable dogs who stare at me the whole time I eat, waiting patiently for any leftover morsel, so it's probably not gonna be a problem for me since I do spoil them rotten and love doing it!

They look at me funny as I am drinking my protein shakes now, like WTH??? So I have to get them a piece of cheese or something as a treat while I don't even get to eat. The other day, I even went through a drive-thru just to get the one who goes everywhere with me a plain cheeseburger haha. I knew she was hungry cuz we had been out running errands and I knew she hadn't eaten. I was so shocked that it didn't bother me to smell it or pinch it up into little pieces for her. Anyway I digress.....

So I figure yeah, they'll clean the rest of my plate for me and be confused that there's not more since I will be eating so little anyway. Spoiled rotten Furbabies!!

I have found putting the majority away. I also consider the fact right now, I am still on liquids. I went to my mom's house last night and drained some soup to get the broth. She saw me eating/drinking. I stopped and had a lot left. Her first question was if I got enough. i had to tell her that I had found my limits the other day and wasn't going to push it. Luckily when I have jello, I have an 11 yr old who will finish it for me. I look to him when I go onto other foods to finish what I don't. I also don't worry about him food wise since he is in that "I will eat anything and everything.....I'm starving....oh look, I grew another 2 inches" stage. It is easier to throw out those last few bites than to make yourself sick. If it is enough to save, then save it. If it isn't don't stress, just toss.

I don't think I've cleared my plate yet.............but I'm only 3 weeks post surgery. I eat until I hiccup. then, regardless if I feel full or not, I stop eating. I've read on many posts that this was the warning sign...... the body telling you that "hey, no more room, or else". I don't want to have the pain that some has described, so I learned early!! And in my generation, it was kids in Korea! I think I told my kids they were in Viet Nam!!

You can either waste it in the trash or waste it on your waist. =) lol. That's what I try to tell myself. If I'm full, either way the food is going to be wasted. Wasted on excess calories or wasted in the trashbin. I'll give my trashcan those extra calories.

Make sure not to serve yourself too much so you don't feel bad. I still have a problem doing that lol. Also, you will get used to making several meals out of one meal. If I don't finish my meal, it's usually the next days lunch

I'm totally eating like a SKINNY girl now! I'm so not used to this yayyyyy!

My mother's starving children were in East Germany!! I agree that hearing "finish your meal" for year after year remains with us for lifetime.

I have rationalized the whole deal with giving my leftovers to my standard poodle--as long as the leftover is meat. The rest of the leftovers feed "Mr. Disposal".

Like the Flintstones, I imagine I'm feeding the animal under the sink. Insane? :crazy: probably, but it keeps me from eating after I'm full lately.

Valentina ( a Jewel of June) :grouphug:

usually the next days lunch

I'm totally eating like a SKINNY girl now! I'm so not used to this yayyyyy!

I look forward to having SOMETHING for my poor dog- he has been suffering since Mama is the ain one who spoils him- he is losing weight too! With splenda and such being poison for him everything I have no is off limits.

If I have a lot left my husband will gladly eat it and serve another important service- getting heavier so my goal of weighing less than him is more attainable! ;-P

this is one of the reasons I haven't cooked yet, because I live alone and I don't want to waste food. But with the sodium content in pre-packaged foods I think I need to start

I find it easier for me to feed myself if I have cooked because it's right there as left overs. No hard decisions to make (I HATE trying to figure out what I want for Breakfast & lunch).

My having a hard time leaving food has nothing to do with the starving children in whichever country but it's just an impulse.. it tastes SO good I want more.. but that's what got me in this spot huh?

I make sure that I've got "vultures" (a phrase I've coined) around me when I eat. You know the ones that will not mind picking at your leftovers? I've got 3 saint bernards, a husband & a roomie who all don't mind eating what's left on my plate. I tend to cut everything in half first.. or if it's like chicken breast, I'll cut up the whole tiny serving.... to allow myself a visual stopping point where I can wrap the rest up for later or divide it 3 ways for the dogs. I've found that if I do that, I don't have the impulse to "keep eating" strangely enough.

I still feel that way. But before surgery I would spend tons of money on healthy fruit and veggies and not really finish it, so this isn't as bad. Also, when I am trying not to waste, I make little portions and put them in little tupperware containers, and sometimes I get depressed when I grab one because it's so little. I really think I enjoyed eating alot before. Like a mental bandaid or something.

OMG this is my struggle too! My dad's line was" if it wasn't good it wouldn't be on the table. Now eat it." I feel this need inside me to finish my meal, it's Insane. Drives me nuts. I have to work on it every meal.