My husband and I hosted a cookout this past weekend for a club he's involved in. It was great and everyone had a good time.

So why am I pissed? Because picnic ettiqute mandates that people bring food to share, even though the invitation said specifically not to and that we were handling everything. I had all kinds of nice healthy foods and non-trigger foods for me (good fruits and veggie salads, cupcakes for the kids since those don't bother me). We had about 30 parties show up and every single one brought something, if not 2 or 3 somethings. So we had creamy potato salad and slaw, not-so-light beers, chips of every variety, and cheesecake (cheesecake for cryin' out loud!).

So after the party I begged people to take things with them but no one did. Not even my friends who stayed to help me clean up. Now the creamy salads I can deal with, those went right into the freezer for the next party. As did the cheesecake. But it's the chips! Chips are my one major binge trigger food. I will literally dig through the trash to get at chips (sad, I know) so I never ever keep them around the house. Now downstairs in my kitchen, in a pile on the floor, are 21 bags of various chips. I've already given into the potato chips and am kicking myself for it.

I asked my husband to take them to the office with him today, but he forgot. I work out of my house so I'm stuck here all day with them. No kids to feed them to. I don't know my neighbors so I can't go give the chips away to them. I'd open them all and pour them in the trash and cover them with used kitty litter, but that's way to wasteful, even for me.

How the heck do I get through an entire day with those things in the house? Thousands and thousands of empty calories packed into foods I can't resist even though they make me feel physically crappy.

I'm fearing this may be beyond my strength to deal with. Help, I'm drowning in chips!!!

Put them in a black trash bag and put the bag outside with the other 'garbage' .. haha. But seriously, black trash bag!

I think that happens a lot - people bring food to picnics even when it's requested they don't. You can't control their actions, only your own.

If the bags of chips are unopened, drive them to the closest food shelf? Otherwise, I'd approach a neighbor I don't know and use it as an icebreaker and an opportunity to get to know them.

If the bags are opened, dump them in the trash and pour something gross on them, like dish soap?

Sadly, there's only one bag that wasn't opened. And, unfortunately, my neighbors are more likely to point a shotgun in my face and ask me what I'm doing on their property than to accept some gift chips

I just wish I could get away from my computer/phone long enough to drive over to one of the building sites near here. I'm sure hungry construction workers wouldn't mind open bags of chips. My frugal side just can't throw away $80 worth of chips (or however much they cost). Ugh!

I'm gonna go have a nice fiber-y Penny's muffin and hope it does the trick.

I can sympathise - chips are my nightmare food as well.

Could you deliberately make them inedible - say emptying them into a bowl or rubbish bag and pouring something like floor cleaner or bleach or something like that over them? I can guarantee you won't find them appealing then.

Toss the chips and forget the price. You didn't pay for them and the people who did pay for them didn't want them. Don't think about their supermarket value, think about their nutritional value, which is ZERO. Anything that can make your life that miserable deserves to be dumped.

I'm with Romeo's Girly. Throw the food away. I know this goes against everything you've been taught, but you have to learn. I put way, way too much food in my mouth because I didn't want to "waste" it. Now I'm carrying it around with me every day. Do you really want to be burdened like that with food you didn't want and didn't ask for? Throw it away!

Jay

As sad as it may seem, I aggree with the above post that they should just be thrown away. Why give that unhealthy crap to ANYONE? I have a heart for chips too , so I always bake some potatoe slices with spices on them.

I would seriously just throw them away. Those construction workers don't need them any more than you do. I know they look hungry, but.....take them some left over fruit salad!! lol You never know..maybe some of them are on diets and can't resist chips. You'd be doing them a injustice..

Okay, I did it! I read your messages and before that stupid little voice of "reason" kicked in it poured them all out into a garbage bag and threw cups of used fishtank water on top of them.

Now I feel ill and I'm not sure if it's from the disgusting mess in that bag or from the nagging voice of my mother in the back of my head.

I'm gonna try to rationalize this one. No one needs those chips. Definitley not the folks in my husband's office. Those guys are mostly one Krispy Kreme away from a coranary artery bypass. I donate to oxfam. I have nothing to feel guilty about.

You guys are the best! Sometimes it just takes someone saying "go do it".

Now for some humor....I made liquid fish and chips! *shudder*

I guess I owe the fish some new water.

I completely understand what you are saying about not wasting food. I hate wasting food even if I didn't buy it. Since taking it to your neighbors is not an option I would do 1 of 2 things:
1. Do you have a friend (maybe with kids) that lives near by that you could call and take them to their house. Even if they declined initially at the barbeque if you call say that they are going to be thrown out otherwise because they are not on your diet plan they might be more inclined to take them.
If that is not an option then:
2. Get some grocery store bags and put the bags of chips in them. Tie the bags shut and put them in your car. Then when your hubby gets home transfer the bags to his car so he can take them to work tomorrow.

I too don't like wasting food, but that one was a good call on your part.

Besides... I suppose we can tell ourselves it is NOT 'food'. Our bodies don't need them, they only bring empty calories, and their nutritional value is zero. Like, dog poop has the same characteristics, save for the taste and we don't call it food. Chips aren't food, they're evil given (potato) flesh and sent on earth!

Okay, it might be a waste to throw it all away, but look at it this way: you aren't wasting your own money!!! You didn't buy it, so who cares what you do with it if people left it at your house? It's only chips and since they are a trigger for you, you have every right to dispose of them.

Who's signature says spray the trigger food with Raid once you throw it away but be careful because Raid tastes good after a while? It's from some comedienne. Your post made me think of it!

GOOD FOR YOU!!!

You have made such progress in your weight! You did the right thing! They may have tasted good for that second they were in your mouth but then what? Way to go!!! You have inspired me to walk away from that food I don't need.

I would also suggest just throwing the food out. Heck, the people who brought it aren't going to be missing it if they left it there in the first place! I see that you did chuck it, so way to go!

On a side note, I would never expect to host a BBQ and not have "normal" BBQ there. In reality... most people who come to my BBQ want "REAL" hamburgers and "REAL" hotdogs. No light or fat free or whatever. And they want to bring things! I just make sure I have enough healthy things for myself and if something is leftover that I know will be a trigger, I just throw it out. I had to do that 2 weeks ago when DH and I hosted a Pizza Party (was supposed to be a BBQ but it rained!!!) and there was leftover pizza. Not to mention a guest brought brownies and Oreo cookie pie. OREO COOKIE PIE. Well let me tell you I had a piece (reasonably sized and I had the points for it), but you can be sure I threw the leftovers of that out!

"FISH AND CHIPS"

Good for you! Best thing!

Jay