I want to share my thoughts on food wasting issue. I think it comes from my food addiction and its about how I respect and adore food. And it went even worse now after WLS because of really small portions I need for every meal.

I hate wasting food. My ideal model is that I am planning everything and nothing is wasted. But not every time you can foresee what you will eat and how much. I have an obsession on planning. If I have in the fridge something with close expiry date then all my thoughts are how to use it quickly. Sometimes I cannot throw it away even if the expiry date passes. The other family members does not have this obsession. They left the leftovers from meals and they don’t bother to throw them away. If I leave something after meal I am trying to pack everything – even small amount of food and keep it in the fridge for the next time. Unfortunately next time this food is usually not fresh or I may crave for something else. But it really disturb me and I cannot stop thinking that I need to utilize that remaining food.

As you may imagine after WLS the problem is even bigger. Its hard to perfectly foresee how much you will eat and your portions are so small that one pack of a product is sufficient for a very long time.

I am trying to utilize that food for my boyfriend and sons but sometimes it’s hard to convince them that they should eat something for the sake of not wasting food.

I think this problem it’s a part of my unhealthy relation with the food. And WLS didn’t solve this problem so far. I need to work this out by myself.

Just wondering if anyone else has this or similar food disorder.

Have you considered seeing a therapist about it? It sounds like a form of OCD.

It's not a form of OCD in my opinion. I grew up poor. My mom could make leftovers last a week. Nothing was wasted. We also had the "clean plate club". I'm sure that many other people here had something similar. Didn't matter if you liked it or not, that's what there was to eat. We were praised as children to finish our food and "clean our plate" with the slice of bread at the end.

Now that I am older and not poor, you would think that I could break that habit. Nope. I didn't get this far by being a wasteful person. Unfortunately, I did get fat by not being the wasteful person. Here is what we are doing in my house now. We are only cooking a very little bit. If they are still hungry afterwards, they can make something for themselves. Turns out, if they have to work for it they aren't that interested in it! Maybe try that for your boyfriend and their kids.

Can you buy some small stackable containers you can freeze the leftovers into individual meals with?

This way you won't feel the urge to eat it because it was sitting in the fridge a few days.

If all of you are out for the day and come home late or someone needs to leave early before supper is ready, they are available.

Edited November 19, 201510 yr by 4MRB4PHOTO

I'm a little different, if leftovers make it into the fridge, I have no issues watching them spoil and then throwing them out. However, I've always been a member of the "clean the plate" club. So I have to be extremely careful about measuring out my portions because if it's on my plate, I'm going to try to eat it.

I. think it comes from my food addiction ... I respect and adore food.

. I have an obsession on planning. If I have in the fridge something with close expiry date then all my thoughts are how to use it quickly. Sometimes I cannot throw it away even if the expiry date passes. The other family members does not have this obsession. .. I cannot stop thinking that I need to utilize that remaining food....I think this problem it’s a part of my unhealthy relation with the food. And WLS didn’t solve this problem so far. I need to work this out by myself.

Just wondering if anyone else has this or similar food disorder.

You don't need to solve this all by yourself. you can get help. You've self-diagnosed with some serious issues surrounding food. I really encourage you to see a counselor or therapist, preferably one who specializes in issues with OCD and/or eating disorders.

While all of us need to change the ways in which we relate to and use food, you have voiced some concerns over and above those that most of us have to deal with. You don't have to do this alone.

Good luck!

Edited November 19, 201510 yr by 2goldengirl

You should not try to solve this by yourself. I would definitely recommend seeing a therapist that can help you work through this issue.

Having you tell your family members they need to eat it until gone might in fact cause a health problem with them.

I will say that purchasing a vacuum sealer is a very good investment for us. You can vacuums seal portions that are small enough, throw it in the freezer and pop it into some boiling Water. The Protein stays moist and you always have something to eat on hand.

That doesn't take care of that need to not waste though. You could end up a member of the clean plate club as you continue to heal and that could sabatoge your efforts. Realistically there will be some waste and it honestly is ok.

It is a big issue, especially in a culture where food is abundant but we are hard wired to survive famines.

There is a new documentary out about food surplus (a different term for food waste). I can't remember the title, but the filmmakers were interviewed on NPR this week.

Another documentary I recommend is THE GLEANERS AND I (French) about waste in the food supply.

Just remember, you are not a garbage can. Eating something you don't need is not better than throwing something away.

My grandma raised 12 kids during the Great Depression and never threw anything out. Consequently, we rarely got fresh food to eat. We were always eating bits and pieces of the bad apples before anyone would get a good apple. We had to drink the almost sour milk before we could drink fresh milk. Leftovers from dinner showed up for Breakfast - consequently, we never got a fresh-cooked breakfast. Anything else that just was not edible was given to the dogs and if the dogs would not eat it, it was given to the hogs.

Since having my surgery, I have to remember two things: 1) Leftovers that I would eat because no one else will, just need to be thought of as hog feed. 2) I can throw dabs of this and that away or just directly tape them to my hips.

@MonikaMakal--

I won't diagnose the behavior you're describing as OCD or anything else. Your mentioning your "respect" for food and urging your boyfriend and sons to eat everything brings to mind what is known in the U.S. as "depression-era mentality," a common mindset among people who lost everything during the Great Depression and often passed on to their children by example. As @@BigViffer said, it's about poverty. The fear of wasting food is part of fearing that there won't be enough of it tomorrow. While we might expect that children of the depression era would have been very thin, chubby children were not uncommon because of the parents' urging to clean their plates.

It's difficult to tell whether you really may have an emotional disorder or just think that you do or think you should see it that way. Whether you actually throw things out or have a refrigerator filled with moldy, smelly, inedible food makes a difference. Does all of your careful your planning ahead and thinking about food and wasting or not wasting it interfere with other areas of your life? If so, you would be wise to see professional help for developing a healthier attitude toward food. If it doesn't interfere with the rest of your life, think about why you're so uncomfortable about it anyway. If you don't come to any useful realizations, a therapist can help here, too.

Edited November 19, 201510 yr by WLSResources/ClothingExch

The documentary I mentioned above is called JUST EAT IT. The interview with the filmmakers can be found here:

http://www.npr.org/tags/141123294/food-waste

i have family members who live close to me. if i have leftovers usually the food i am cooking for my husband i call my daughter and she picks it up on her way home. i love cooking and baking for my husband but don't want all that around for any length of time. so i save him a portion and give the rest away. perhaps you have neighbors especially elderly that would love to share your food with you

I was raised to clean your plate. Once the allergies kicked in as an adult I did change a bit. Early on post-op I learned that taking that last 1 or 2 bites was often not worth it. I am frugal and on a fixed income, but I just learned that I sometimes have to let things go. I am pretty good about making smaller portions and I am pretty crafty with leftovers. I rarely have to throw food out, but yeah, basically I had to give up the clean your plate mentality. I think this is an issue for many of us, however once it gets to unhealthy proportions such as keeping food past the expiration date it may border on a addiction. If this starts to feel unmanageable you may want to seek counseling.

This is a tough subject in my opinion.

I had a bad habit of eating the leftovers... Mine and my kids. Did not serve me well.

This got better after surgery. I don't need the last couple of anything! Then, we lost our beloved labs one at a time and with no dogs there was even more "extra".

I think it is a different mindset to me now... But it has been years..I truly shop less... Cook less ... And absolutely eat far less. Food gets tossed... And not into my mouth.

It took awhile to just know it was ok to do that.

Best of luck to us all????

I have the same issue. I have depression-era parents, so that may be part of it. But then, waste in general really bothers me. Like when I'm at a restaurant and someone takes enough napkins for an army when they just need one. ARRRGGGHHH!!!

I work in an office where people often bring us restaurant breakfasts and lunches. I encourage all the other staff to take all the extras home, but when they don't, I bring it home and give it to my neighbors. They get all the Pasta, the bread, the Desserts, etc. We've been getting a lot of breakfasts lately and one common one is an individual quiche baked with a croissant crust. My neighbors love those.

No guilt for me, treats for the neighbors. Win-win.