One of the things I struggle with is leftovers, small portions in tupperware containers, a few chips left in the bag, a broken cookie, an unevenly cut pie, a spoonful of Nutella left in the jar... I CANNOT seem to leave these itty-bitty portions or "blemished" pieces of food alone. I feel compelled to either eat them or throw them out. It's one of the bad habits that makes maintenance more of a struggle for me than it needs to be. Anyone else? And any solutions?

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I loathe leftovers with a passion, so they do not tempt me.

But the little crumbs, bite size, or half servings... Those are always available to me courtesy of my kids. It's hard to resist a nibble but honestly I've had to learn just throw it out. It was hard at first but it's gotten easier....

I've stopped putting leftovers in the fridge unless I have a plan for them being eaten. I don't think throwing them out is a bad approach.

I used to keep all the leftovers for DH and DS, but DH is watching his weight now. DS is away at school--but the last time he came home, after saying hello, the first thing he asked was if there were leftovers he could have.

I don't know if it's any help to keep giving yourself permission to throw things away--but that's how I'd handle it.

I either cook just enough so that I can eat it all in one meal or make a huge pot of something so there's plenty left over for several days. I can't tupperware a few ounces of anything, I will eat it.

I don't like leftovers so I am safe there. But I do think eating a half cookie is better than a whole one, u can satisfy an urge without all the guilt at least for me.

Toss. That's my strategy, if it is a food I can eat but didn't allow enough calories to work in and temptation is an issue. Ideally I'd put it back as is, but better in the garbage than on my hips. I had to train myself to NOT eat those leftover bits when I first started losing and still ate the same foods my kids did. I'd clean their plates and leftovers rather than throw them away because of the waste, and exacerbated my already high weight with that effort!

Not licking the spoon or finishing the bowl was a hard habit to set, but well worth it. It took a lot of mindfulness in the beginning but now putting food back or throwing it away is not nearly as much of a struggle.

I always keep leftover cooked meats and veggies. Meats are easy enough to throw into something else or throw on top of a salad. Sometimes I open a can of veggies and don't want it all, so I put the rest in a dish to reheat the next day.

Since it's just the DH and myself and he doesn't eat lo's very good, I'm trying very hard to make only what we will eat in a meal, unless it's a pot of soup or something like a roast and veggies done in the crock pot. The lo roast becomes sandwiches or goes in a nice soup.

A bite or 2 left on a plate, I toss it, or give it to my outdoor kitty.

Got fed up with a fridge full of little containers containing 1 bite of this or that, that would get forgotten and turn into a science experiment.

I have a few strategies:

- Feed to kids as snack
- Pack in hubby's lunch box
- Add to dog's dinner bowl
- Toss to backyard chickens
- Throw away
- Freeze (I freeze bits of veggies and then make a big pot of veggie soup about once a month)

I also cant handle the last pieces of food - If its animal friendly i split it with my animals (luckily they all love to eat - like owner, like dog right?) so they get the peices i cant seem to leave alone, or i throw them out - I have just recieved a slab on belgin chocolate from a client and its screaming my name all the way from the fridge wanting to be eaten. i had a block and then gave it to my mom - out of sight, out of mind.
If i want it but cant have it I give it away - just do the same (dustbin counts as giving away)

I ALWAYS make enough for more than one meal when I cook so that I don't have to cook every day (and therefore refrain from trying not to nibble when I'm having to stand there and smell the food while it's cooking) and then put the leftovers in small individual containers and FREEZE them. For some reason I am unwilling to re-heat a frozen meal just for a snack, but will gladly nibble at or re-heat something from the frig
I liked banananutmuffin's ideas!

I have a kid who leaves things on his plate but fortunately, I've never been tempted to want to finish off his half-eaten food. The little bits and bites that do get saved, I've developed a very strong ability to ignore them until they are so long gone I have no problem tossing them. This week, I threw out a bag of pretzels from the pantry that had maybe an ounce or two in it - but had a sell by date in 2011!! lol!

I've been making a conscious effort to be more ruthless about tossing stuff and worrying less about the waste and the money and more about my weight and health. It's also nice to have the extra space in the fridge, freezer and pantry!

Wow! I guess I'm cheaper than I realized! I won't throw any leftovers away! Unless it is literally a spoonful of something. Of course with a husband that eats like a horse, and never gains an ounce, and 3 growing boys.....I have to have quick meals and snacks on hand!
If it's an OP food that you like, just have it tomorrow. Isn't that the best of both worlds....you eat the food and you don't wreck your diet? Even if it's just a partial serving....add some fresh veggies and you have a meal.

I live alone, but every recipe seems to be in servings for 4. So, I have a lot of left overs. The little tidbits that you mentioned -- a spoonful of nutella, a few chips, half a cookie, etc., -- don't happen since I am alone. But leftovers from cooking something happen every day.

If I really like what I fixed, I'll just eat it for a couple of days. Or I'll try to recycle it. Make a pot roast on Sunday and invite the family. Use the left over roast and veggies and make stew on Monday. Use the left over stew and put a pie crust on top and make a pot pie. I also, like others, tend to take left over meat and veggies, toss them in a freezer bag and then use them when making soup.

This is a problem that I also struggle with: a compulsion to just "finish that little bit off" or just "even out that slice." This is probably the biggest struggle I have concerning food. It's a type of obsessiveness that stems from some magical thinking that those bites, licks, and slivers do not have calories. Logically, I know they do, but the other part of me--the "I want to eat!" part---tries to deny that. Then, inevitably I "fess up" by recording those bits as best I can in my calorie-counting app, but it's a real pain to do that and to see how many calories all those tastes really do add up to.

I used to be much better about this years ago, and even now, when I do conquer it for weeks, it gets easier. I think it's just a matter of habit. During the past few weeks, for example, every time I give my dog peanut butter as a treat (I don't buy dog cookies---maybe I should!), I'll take a little taste of it before I give it to him. I noticed a few months ago that I was doing this, and I forced myself to stop. After the first several times of resisting the urge, it got easier. Of course, diligence is critical because once I slipped up again, it was a downhill slide.

So, I don't have much advice for you, but I did want to empathize.