As I sat at lunch today with my coworkers we were talking about my "picky" eating habits. I noticed some things I do that are very expensive and also contribute to me being fat. First off I always save my favorite food for last so I have to finish everything else first therefore, I almost always overeat. Second I never eat leftovers...hate em, so it gets expensive for me to cook something new for each meal. Do other people here have some "bad habits" eatingwise?

I do the same thing! One of the best lessons I've learned over the past year has been to eat my favorite part first rather than stuff myself to get the the reward at the end...just had to remind myself of that last night. It's tough to break a 32-year habit! Vegetables are still a rough spot for me too, I like them but I'm often too lazy to make them.

I also do the same thing - I save my favorite and call it "dessert"...and of course sometimes then follow it up with a real dessert. I don't hate leftovers, but my food never seems to make it to the leftover stage - I'll make too much of something, and then I'll keep nibbling on it all night until it's gone. It's so bad that I rarely cook for myself - which is another bad habit I need to break.

KIM!!! this is SOOO interesting!!! maybe we're onto something here? the only reason i eat my favorite foods first is because i won't have room for them if i ate other stuff. PROTEIN FIRST, for me.

BUT, before the surgery, it was always the favorite LAST!!!! and if i had more room, i had MORE FAVORITE!!

OK, I see your point - but PICKY eating for me is something that I didn't have before. It's like, becoming a picky eater is helping me eat better. It's a good habit for me!

What I mean is, I used to eat EVERYTHING whether I liked it or not because it was FOOD and I'm addicted to eating.

But, I am trying now to be picky and not eat what I don't like. Save the eating for the stuff I enjoy. Most really picky eaters I know are skinny!

So, I think we're using the term differently, Kim. Not eating leftovers might be expensive, but you should also eat what you like, so I think that's OK!

Angi

PS. But when I learned to be picky, I also learned to eat my faves first - or at least "save room" for them. I learned these concepts from the idea that thin people eat this way - when I did the Weigh Down Workshop.

hmmm. i do the last thing too and didn't recognize it as a problem.

i LOVE leftovers -- but i never get them because david eats so much and he always beats me to them. since leftover dinner is too many calories for my breakfast, i can't eat them then. he always eats it for breakfast!!

Well the actual picky term came from some other bizarre eating behaviors I have like nothing can be touching on my plate and I eat all of one thing first and then all of something else, etc. My coworkers think I'm nuts

Kim - I also eat all of one thing first and then move on to the next. I once read somewhere that the behavior was a sign of an eating disorder.

I have been called a picky eater, too. But usually because I like "the real thing" vs. a low fat challenger -- like mayo, butter, hollandaise, sour cream, etc. as opposed to the imitation stuff that tastes lousy.

What I've found is that if I order something tasty that doesn't require the fatty sauce, then I can stay on my program. For example, instead of having a chicken breast without skin and some horrid-tasting sauce over it, I'd rather have a smaller serving of turkey breast or steak without any sauce, grilled or roasted so that the fat drips off. And I always ask for raw veggies (tomatoes, carrots, celery, whateve they have) instead of cooked for my sides.

Granted, I'm only 3 months into any weight loss program (I was eating healthy, but gosh was I eating gobs 'o' food), but that and shunning the carbos until all my protein and veggies are consumed at lunch and dinner has helped me to lose 20 pounds in less than 3 months.

Maybe try having "RINNED" or "REPPUS" -- Dinner or supper backwards, to break the habit. For example, since Summer's coming, start serving fresh fruit desserts first, then having dinner with protein, carbs and veggies in healthy proportions depending upon your program. Maybe that will break the habit of saving the best for last. Just a thought, anyway.

Best of luck to you!

Let's talk about picky.. hehe.... I am the most HORRIBLE person to go to the resraunt with.... yesterday it took me like 20 min to decide because now I can't eat all of my favorite things.... and I have to look really hard and analyze everything to find something I will enjoy and something good for me....

I bring my lunch to work with me and it consists of 2 apples and sandwhich and a salad. I usually eat the apples first and then the samich and the salad last. And at any point if I feel even REMOTELY full I stop eating on the spot... and if I'm hungry later, I'll just eat what I didn't eat for dinner.

I don't know if any of that works or not, but that's what I do...

DeeVine, it sounds like you're on the right track!

I noticed when my Cute Boyfriend and I were eating sushi that he was "saving" his tuna for last (his fav). I notice that I'll eat part of a yummy favorite first, svoring every bit. Then, plow into whatever I don't like and finish that. Then, eat the rest of my favorite (so the end is the good stuff).

However, I have been trying to be very aware of this bad habit. I do NOT have to eat the icky potatoes just because they are there. I could just... NOT eat them! What a concept!

Jessica - I do that ALL THE TIME!! I sit somewhere eating something yucky and the whole time I'm thinking, "This stuff is pretty gross." It's only been recently that I realized that I don't have to eat it just 'cause it's there!