One thing that's really helped me is to eat slower. Leaving food on my plate doesn't bother me, per say, because I try to only take little bits at a time. What gets me is that I scarf down food and go for seconds without giving my stomach a chance to realize HEY I'M STUFFED STOP IT. So now I just eat slower. I only take a little bit at a time, and I wait between helpings. Like last night, I went to the gym, and had a sandwich when I got home. I thought I might still be hungry (it was only a 2 point sandwich) so I waited about 15 minutes. When I was still ravenous, I had another one. In the past I would have just made 2 and be done with out, without even thinking about it. This has been a HUGE change for me.

Originally Posted by garstar:
I feel guiltly throwing away food, even at resturants. When I cook for me - I make just enough that I will eat. No more.

I think we will never break the mentality of the clean plate club - but it's something we CAN work on and change our habbits, maybe our mentality will follow.... who knows.

New habbit to change; ditch the clean plate club, just because it's there dosen't mean you have to eat it.

hmmm.

Also, I realized that when I go out to eat, if I order something I don't absolutly love - I won't over eat as easily.

I think from now on too, I"m going to stop taking my leftovers home and try not to feel wasteful. Resturant food is good for a treat, but not for 2 days worth of treats you know?

You know what really has helped me in terms of not overeating (or feeling like I have to be a part of the clean plate club?) I put my food on salad plates. My husband and I did this when we went to an all-inclusive resort with tons of buffets and food available 24/7. Every time we ate - breakfast, lunch or dinner - we'd grab the smaller salad plates and use those. Amazingly I NEVER went back for seconds. We will also eat off of them at home... for me it helps with portion sizes as well as that mental component of feeling like I got enough to eat.

I have found the key for me eating out is to not let myself get extremely hungry when we go. If I'm not starving then I am less likely to make bad choices at the restaurant.

Originally Posted by stellarosa27:
One thing that's really helped me is to eat slower. Leaving food on my plate doesn't bother me, per say, because I try to only take little bits at a time. What gets me is that I scarf down food and go for seconds without giving my stomach a chance to realize HEY I'M STUFFED STOP IT. So now I just eat slower. I only take a little bit at a time, and I wait between helpings. Like last night, I went to the gym, and had a sandwich when I got home. I thought I might still be hungry (it was only a 2 point sandwich) so I waited about 15 minutes. When I was still ravenous, I had another one. In the past I would have just made 2 and be done with out, without even thinking about it. This has been a HUGE change for me.

I have been doing this, too! If I finish one serving and think I need another, I make myself wait for 20 minutes or so and then evaluate if I'm really still hungry. The food will still be there in 20 minutes if I'm still hungry.

I'm also a member of the clean plate club and don't think I can break it. So for me the easiest solution is small plates and bowls. One serving of cereal fills up half a regular bowl but fills a small bowl up to the top. So I take the small bowl and I can never accidentally eat too much without realizing it. And I take a smaller amount, and take more later if I want more. If I take it, I HAVE to eat it, I can't stand leaving any, so I take less. If I really do end up not wanting it, I pass it off to my brother. Can't stand to leave it though. It just NAGS at me.
Restaurants are tougher though. At a restaurant I have to split the meal in half if I don't want to eat it all, or I will. Like split it in half and divide it and clearly make one side "will eat this" and the other side "will not" and pretend the other side isn't there. But merely eating it and being able to leave a little bit.. I can't do that. However, one thing I found helped me at restaurants is no appetizers. We usually get bread at restaurants but I won't touch it. To me, that's empty calories! I avoid meals with tons of sides to them. If I want a sandwich, I get that... JUST a sandwich. I don't get pop, or iced tea with it.. just water. Sometimes a small cup of soup with it. Then, if I eat the whole meal, I'm not actually eating THAT much food. It's all the things on the side that really get you!

Originally Posted by stellarosa27:
How can you not feel like another cookie? I always want another cookie!!!

I was so proud of myself yesterday! I was with my BF and she and I were watching her sister. On her counter was a HUGE plate of chocolate chip cookies and thanks to TOM they smelled like heaven. So what do I do? Once I got hungry, I had ONE smaller cookie and a bit of milk. Ate it slowly and savored it, mmm yummy! and go me! lol

Wow! This thread was so ... I don't know. I'm glad it exists because I've felt this way about myself for a long time. I have such a hard time with the whole idea of leaving food on my plate. I've found that if I use a smaller plate ... I do a much better job of not overeating. I am proud of myself for abandoning the empty plate, butttt ... I think I'll have more. That was NOT a good time in my life. It's SO hard. My husband is so much like the rest of yours. Tall, thin, and eats like a HOG when he gets home. I'm talking 4-6 White Castle cheeseburgers, a can of Pringles, some Hohos, some Fritos, and some taquitos. Oh, and a hand full of Reese's or two. UNFAIR!

Originally Posted by KEmery08:
Wow! This thread was so ... I don't know. I'm glad it exists because I've felt this way about myself for a long time. I have such a hard time with the whole idea of leaving food on my plate. I've found that if I use a smaller plate ... I do a much better job of not overeating. I am proud of myself for abandoning the empty plate, butttt ... I think I'll have more. That was NOT a good time in my life. It's SO hard. My husband is so much like the rest of yours. Tall, thin, and eats like a HOG when he gets home. I'm talking 4-6 White Castle cheeseburgers, a can of Pringles, some Hohos, some Fritos, and some taquitos. Oh, and a hand full of Reese's or two. UNFAIR!

I woudln't say it's not fair. You would eat that and gain weight, right? And he wouldn't, so he's lucky? Nah, I don't think so. I think YOU are. You had a reason and motivation to eat healthy. Just because you don't gain weight doesn't mean you're healthy. That stuff is BAD for you. It's not just about thin, it's about being HEALTHY, and you're the one who's better off in the end.

Originally Posted by Jelbb:
Ohh, I can totally relate. My brother's fiance and I were playing a board game yesterday, and I made us spaghetti for dinner, portioned it out and set her bowl in front of her.

Without even thinking about it, I'd shoveled my food into my greedy face, and my bowl was entirely empty of pasta within about 2 minutes.

I stared across the table at her, and realized that my 120 lb sister in law had eaten two noodles, muttered something about it being too hot... then proceeded to graaaaze on it for the rest of the game (about 30 minutes) until it was finally gone.

Why can't I change my eating habits? How come when there's food in front of me, I shovel it into my mouth like a greedy two year old? How come I HAVE to portion control my food, because I know I won't stop eating (even when I'm full!) if I don't? Why am I like this???

:dizzy: I completely relate jelbb!

wow... I'm so glad I joined this community. I only recently realized that I live to eat.... I don't eat to live. I love food and I can't seem to get around that ? I am glad that there are others who are on the same page as me. Food makes me feel good, I love the taste... at the same time I hate it because I have to think about it all day long. It kind of irritates me to see my friends and family, as you guys have mentioned, going on living their life and not thinking of food until it is time to eat. Maybe a little portion is because I feel I have to be prepared.

I also have that little problem where I can't leave my plate with food on it. I feel like I have to eat it... I don't know how to get beyond that but I am trying.

Anyway, I can't believe there are so many who have the same problems.....

Originally Posted by rblace87:
My fiance and myself both started dieting at the same time (July 6th). His idea of dieting is COMPLETELY different from mine. I've been counting calories and doing tons of research as well as writing down every single morsel of food I eat. I've never gone over 1200 calories a day since starting this diet. Well my fiances mentality is to try and starve himself and only eat once a day, which in my opinion is extremely unhealthy considering his choice in food but no matter what I say, he doesn't listen. So starting out he was at 160lbs (he's about the same height as me, 5'5") and is down 15 pounds already, whereas I started out at 152lbs and am down only 6-7 pounds at 145-146 lbs. I just don't get it!

Your boyfriend is basically following The Warrior Diet without knowing it. The prinicple is to undereat during the day and overeat at night. Most people that follow the plan try to eat healthy; some don't. From experience, I can say it's hard to not eat a lot of junk in that one meal. The great thing is that eating one meal a day can be very healthy but it takes discipline to eat healthy in one meal. It doesn't make any difference when you take in calories and the six meal a day thing is unproved (except 6 meals a day may burn 50 calories more a day for the first few weeks!).

Originally Posted by ChloeG:
Your boyfriend is basically following The Warrior Diet without knowing it. The prinicple is to undereat during the day and overeat at night. Most people that follow the plan try to eat healthy; some don't. From experience, I can say it's hard to not eat a lot of junk in that one meal. The great thing is that eating one meal a day can be very healthy but it takes discipline to eat healthy in one meal. It doesn't make any difference when you take in calories and the six meal a day thing is unproved (except 6 meals a day may burn 50 calories more a day for the first few weeks!).

I would completely back his diet if he can withstand not eating all day but whenever he does eat at the end of the day...it's been pretty poor choices. Granted, he is extremely, extremely picky but his choice could be a bit more wise when it comes to the food he choices when he refuels himself. Plus he's constantly complaining about how he doesn't feel good but he'll just keep on eating the same bad stuff over and over again. The boy just needs some variety in his diet because he is lacking some very key nutritional elements.

I apparently should be "naturally" thin but somehow managed to screw that up. Both my parents are fit, but I just assumed that I'd gotten my heavier genes from others in my family (I don't have siblings to compare myself to). I just got my resting metabolic rate professionally (and expensively) tested and it turns out I burn almost 200 more calories a day at rest (~1650) than would be expected for my weight and height (~1480). I blame the food supply :dizzy:

Thank God for this thread! I never understand how people say "I've had enough". How could you ever have enough of something that tastes good? Why wouldn't you eat an entire bag of Doritos?! It's there..they taste good...how can you say that you don't want any more?

(Well, we know why one wouldn't eat the entire bag--it causes you to gain loads and loads of weight!)

My fiance is like this, we used to go buy pints of ice cream and he'd have just under a serving size. I couldn't stop and would eat the whole thing in one sitting. I guess that explains why I have nearly 100lbs left to lose and he only has around 20.

I was once that stick girl
 

I don't want to gross you guys out but when I was growing up I could go to a burger joint (In-N-Out in particular) and get TWO doubles doubles and TWO orders of fries AND a chocolate shake and down the entire thing without a care in the world. And I was a STICK! People would tell me all the time how lucky I was to be able to do that. I thought it was nice but I didn't realize just how nice it was until I hit the tail end of puberty and my metabolism slowed way down. In my sophomore year of high school I was 6'0 and 147 lbs. By the end of my senior year I was 167 and still gaining. I wish more than anything I could go back to the way things were so I could eat whatever I wanted. But then again, why would I want to stuff myself like a pig over and over everyday? Its a mental block that I had to come to realize. I can't do that to my body! I can't eat the same amount (or more) as my husband! That's more unhealthy! I totally understand everyone here when they try to think of what thin people eat, most of the time I just don't get it.