Irrational Ideas About Eating. Lets see how many we can come up with, add your own to this list

1. I MUST eat everything on my plate.

2. I MUST eat when it is time for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

3. I MUST eat a big dinner in the evening.

4. I MUST have 3 meals a day.

5. I MUST eat until I am very full or else I will not be OK..

6. I MUST have something to eat to feel better emotionally.

7. I MUST eat it all quickly or I will starve.

8. I MUST have meat at every meal, or at least every day! “Where’s the BEEF?”

9. I MUST eat when others are eating.

10. I MUST eat the food that somebody has fixed for me or else they will think I don’t like them any more.

Larry,

I have to eat or I will be hungry/grumpy later.

Sometimes this is a good thing, like eating a healthy snack before being confronted with unhealthy options at a party, sometimes it's totally not necessary.

You've done a pretty thorough job with that list! I would add, "I must eat to have a good time (at any social event)"

I must eat that leftover cake/pie/cookie/ice cream just b/c it's still there sitting in the fridge giving me the stink eye.

I MUST eat the rest of the leftover food in that container, because there's just a little bit left, not enough for another meal or even another snack, and I can't put this container back in the fridge with just that small amount in it. May as well finish it.

I MUST explain/justify my food choices to other people.

I must eat junk all evening because I am **starving** from healthy eating during the day.

Yeah right - I should get up and go for a walk instead - two problems solved!

Great list, Larry! I will add the following (which is something I have really had to work hard on.):

I MUST eat as soon as I feel the slightest bit of hunger, otherwise I might starve to death!

I MUST eat that peanut butter cup/doritos/fast food because it might be the last chance I ever have to eat it. I might die tomorrow and I would have missed my last chance to enjoy something!!!

This probably isn't what you bargained for but...

"I must eat this sandwich crust all the way around before I get to eating the nicer middle sandwich part. Because if I don't, and I leave crusts in my lunchbox Mom will turn them into bread pudding later and that is grosser than just dealing with the crust now!"

I'm loooong out of elementary school. But when confronted by a sandwich I STILL think about my mom's evil bread pudding.

A.

LOL This is so funny. But I love bread pudding! Yumm wish I could have some now. LOL.

Hm, trying to think... Most ideas about food are so ingrained that I don't even notice them anymore.

If I am craving something I MUST eat it!

I must have something sweet (usually chocolate) after I have just eaten a meal and should really not be hungry.

I must overeat at the buffet so that I "get my money's worth"

I must have something to snack on in front of the TV or computer.

I just spent money on this restaurant meal/snack/strange liquid diet plan, so I must eat it all up.