Leaving the 'Clean Your Plate Club'...

gale1089
gale1089 Posts: 67
in Health and Weight Loss
I've always been taught to clean my plate and not waste food, so I always do, no matter how satisfied I am. This has lead to a bad habit of over-eating (or slightly binging) that's been impossible to break. I'm going to start leaving some food on my plate every meal. The last couple times I've done this, I found myself thinking... well i've already measured out my servings and logged it in MFP, now my calories/protein/carbs or whatever are going to be off. I know that sounds silly and maybe like an excuse to clear my plate. Does anyone have any tips or advice to break my overeating habit? I eat pretty healthy but I just loveee the taste of any food and feeling full. :sad:
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Replies

  • smelons
    smelons Posts: 450 Member
    I was brought up to not waste food, so always clear my plate. There's a simple solution for overeating - put less on your plate in the first place.

    If you're eating out though, you don't always get a choice. I find standing up halfway through the meal helps me gauge how full I'm feeling. I don't always register fullness when I'm sat down. If you can, ask for a doggy bag and take the leftovers home. I hate to see good food get thrown away!
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
    My husband belongs to that club so I bought luncheon plates to replace our dinner plates. Now he can't pile as much on so even if he cleans it there still isn't as much food.
  • jmartis21
    jmartis21 Posts: 39 Member
    I'm also a member of this club! Looking forward to see the responses.
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    I've always been taught to clean my plate and not waste food, so I always do, no matter how satisfied I am. This has lead to a bad habit of over-eating (or slightly binging) that's been impossible to break. I'm going to start leaving some food on my plate every meal. The last couple times I've done this, I found myself thinking... well i've already measured out my servings and logged it in MFP, now my calories/protein/carbs or whatever are going to be off. I know that sounds silly and maybe like an excuse to clear my plate. Does anyone have any tips or advice for me? I eat pretty healthy but I just loveee the taste of any food and feeling full. :sad:

    If you already logged it, why would you leave food on the plate?

    I don't ever see myself leaving the clean your plate club
  • CyberEd312
    CyberEd312 Posts: 3,536 Member
    I've always been taught to clean my plate and not waste food, so I always do, no matter how satisfied I am. This has lead to a bad habit of over-eating (or slightly binging) that's been impossible to break. I'm going to start leaving some food on my plate every meal. The last couple times I've done this, I found myself thinking... well i've already measured out my servings and logged it in MFP, now my calories/protein/carbs or whatever are going to be off. I know that sounds silly and maybe like an excuse to clear my plate. Does anyone have any tips or advice for me? I eat pretty healthy but I just loveee the taste of any food and feeling full. :sad:

    If you already logged it, why would you leave food on the plate?

    I don't ever see myself leaving the clean your plate club

    Yep this..... If I have measured and weighed out my meal then I am going to clean my plate period.... I don't see the point, I have logged it so I am eating it.... Best of Luck
  • da_bears10089
    da_bears10089 Posts: 1,791 Member
    I'm in this club for the long haul. Considering making shirts and starting a committee.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I always clean my plate and wasting food is...well, extremely wasteful. If you're not going to eat it all, don't put it on your plate in the first place.

    Also...if you've already logged it then why not eat it...that just doesn't make any sense whatsoever...completely illogical.
  • gale1089
    gale1089 Posts: 67
    I've always been taught to clean my plate and not waste food, so I always do, no matter how satisfied I am. This has lead to a bad habit of over-eating (or slightly binging) that's been impossible to break. I'm going to start leaving some food on my plate every meal. The last couple times I've done this, I found myself thinking... well i've already measured out my servings and logged it in MFP, now my calories/protein/carbs or whatever are going to be off. I know that sounds silly and maybe like an excuse to clear my plate. Does anyone have any tips or advice for me? I eat pretty healthy but I just loveee the taste of any food and feeling full. :sad:

    If you already logged it, why would you leave food on the plate?

    I don't ever see myself leaving the clean your plate club

    Yep this..... If I have measured and weighed out my meal then I am going to clean my plate period.... I don't see the point, I have logged it so I am eating it.... Best of Luck

    I'm trying to break my habit of overeating... I read I should start with not clearing your plate.
  • UsedToBeHusky
    UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,228 Member
    I am almost OCD about cleaning my plate, and I really struggle to resist the urge about making my kids clean theirs.

    Because I know I am just too compelled to eat all my food, I try to make a contientious effort to put smaller portions on my plate. If I'm still hungry after, I can always go back for more. But I rarely do.
  • lunaphilia
    lunaphilia Posts: 16 Member
    Same here!! But now, i try to scoop the ingredients that i needed, followed by scooping the rice/noodles. This works for me as it reduce the amount of carbs that i take in and i also allow myself to have more vegetables! :D
  • magerum
    magerum Posts: 12,589 Member
    I've always been taught to clean my plate and not waste food, so I always do, no matter how satisfied I am. This has lead to a bad habit of over-eating (or slightly binging) that's been impossible to break. I'm going to start leaving some food on my plate every meal. The last couple times I've done this, I found myself thinking... well i've already measured out my servings and logged it in MFP, now my calories/protein/carbs or whatever are going to be off. I know that sounds silly and maybe like an excuse to clear my plate. Does anyone have any tips or advice for me? I eat pretty healthy but I just loveee the taste of any food and feeling full. :sad:

    If you already logged it, why would you leave food on the plate?

    I don't ever see myself leaving the clean your plate club

    MTE
  • ShaSimone
    ShaSimone Posts: 270 Member
    I have a similar issue. I think the problem is not entirely with just 'cleaning your plate' but eating past the point of satiety. If you are full...STOP EATING...speaking to myself mainly!
  • Justifier
    Justifier Posts: 336 Member
    Instead of thinking that you need to leave food on your plate, just put less on it to begin with. Since you are already measuring your portions, there's no need to leave it there....

    The "Clean Your Plate" philosophy is for people who don't portion correctly and need to eat less.
  • Andrew_peter
    Andrew_peter Posts: 94 Member
    +1 for buying smaller plates. I retired my "college plates", which were large and deep enough to almost eat soup out of, and found it made a huge difference to portion sizing and meal satisfaction.
  • ryry_
    ryry_ Posts: 4,966 Member
    OP i don't see the point in not cleaning your plate if you already logged it. That seems kind of like a different form of self deception.

    I do however, 100% sympathize with you in non counting situations, like going out to restraunts and such where calorie counts are availalbe. I tend to overeat in these situations and even though I'm full, i'll stop eating for a short time and then find myself going back.

    I'm getting better at it but haven't quite nailed it down yet. I think the main thing is when it happens, acknowledge it, don't beat yourself down and give up or binge, and try again next time. I have found logging a similar item before hand helps a lot.
  • CallMeCupcakeDammit
    CallMeCupcakeDammit Posts: 9,377 Member
    I was forced to clean my plate growing up. It was sealed the day my mom sent me to school with a bowl of oatmeal on my head (minus the bowl). Once I realized why I did it (as an adult), it was easier to break the habit. I eat slower and don't force myself to keep eating once I recognize that I'm getting full. That's mostly for eating out or eating at someone else's house, though, because I know what I can eat on my own, and if I logged it, I'm eatin' it! Weighing my food and seeing what an actual serving looked like helped, too.
  • Faye_Anderson
    Faye_Anderson Posts: 1,495 Member
    I've always been taught to clean my plate and not waste food, so I always do, no matter how satisfied I am. This has lead to a bad habit of over-eating (or slightly binging) that's been impossible to break. I'm going to start leaving some food on my plate every meal. The last couple times I've done this, I found myself thinking... well i've already measured out my servings and logged it in MFP, now my calories/protein/carbs or whatever are going to be off. I know that sounds silly and maybe like an excuse to clear my plate. Does anyone have any tips or advice for me? I eat pretty healthy but I just loveee the taste of any food and feeling full. :sad:

    If you already logged it, why would you leave food on the plate?

    I don't ever see myself leaving the clean your plate club

    Yep this..... If I have measured and weighed out my meal then I am going to clean my plate period.... I don't see the point, I have logged it so I am eating it.... Best of Luck

    I'm trying to break my habit of overeating... I read I should start with not clearing your plate.

    I'm assuming that would be advice for someone still overeating, if you have weighed and logged your food and are within your goals I wouldn't class it as overeating, you're meeting targets :flowerforyou:
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I've always been taught to clean my plate and not waste food, so I always do, no matter how satisfied I am. This has lead to a bad habit of over-eating (or slightly binging) that's been impossible to break. I'm going to start leaving some food on my plate every meal. The last couple times I've done this, I found myself thinking... well i've already measured out my servings and logged it in MFP, now my calories/protein/carbs or whatever are going to be off. I know that sounds silly and maybe like an excuse to clear my plate. Does anyone have any tips or advice for me? I eat pretty healthy but I just loveee the taste of any food and feeling full. :sad:

    If you already logged it, why would you leave food on the plate?

    I don't ever see myself leaving the clean your plate club

    Yep this..... If I have measured and weighed out my meal then I am going to clean my plate period.... I don't see the point, I have logged it so I am eating it.... Best of Luck

    I'm trying to break my habit of overeating... I read I should start with not clearing your plate.

    You're missing the point...if you've already logged it and it fits into your calorie goals and macro goals for the day...then you already wouldn't be over-eating, even if you cleaned your plate. I assume you have your goals set to lose weight...so if you're hitting that goal, you're not over-eating regardless of whether you clean your plate or not..if it's set to maintenance, you wouldn't be over-eating either.
  • UsedToBeHusky
    UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,228 Member
    There is nothing wrong with cleaning your plate. The problem comes when you do like I used to and cleaned the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th plate!
  • kirkor
    kirkor Posts: 2,530 Member
    This is something I've struggled with at restaurants, and upon reflection I found for me it was also related to money --- the idea that not only was I wasting food, I was wasting money I'd spent on this meal. So I wanted to "get my money's worth" and make sure to clean my plate.
    I had to shift my mental framework a bit ... the ol' 'scarcity mentality' vs. 'abundance mentality' ... so by thinking abundantly, I have the _privilege_ of leaving food on my plate if I choose to. I will always have more quality food available, so there's no need to scarf down what is in front of me right now, just because I'm paying for it.
  • gale1089
    gale1089 Posts: 67
    I've always been taught to clean my plate and not waste food, so I always do, no matter how satisfied I am. This has lead to a bad habit of over-eating (or slightly binging) that's been impossible to break. I'm going to start leaving some food on my plate every meal. The last couple times I've done this, I found myself thinking... well i've already measured out my servings and logged it in MFP, now my calories/protein/carbs or whatever are going to be off. I know that sounds silly and maybe like an excuse to clear my plate. Does anyone have any tips or advice for me? I eat pretty healthy but I just loveee the taste of any food and feeling full. :sad:

    If you already logged it, why would you leave food on the plate?

    I don't ever see myself leaving the clean your plate club

    Yep this..... If I have measured and weighed out my meal then I am going to clean my plate period.... I don't see the point, I have logged it so I am eating it.... Best of Luck

    I'm trying to break my habit of overeating... I read I should start with not clearing your plate.

    You're missing the point...if you've already logged it and it fits into your calorie goals and macro goals for the day...then you already wouldn't be over-eating, even if you cleaned your plate. I assume you have your goals set to lose weight...so if you're hitting that goal, you're not over-eating regardless of whether you clean your plate or not..if it's set to maintenance, you wouldn't be over-eating either.

    My point is that there's times when I'm out or not around my scale that I have to eat.... those are the times I overeat and even binge because I'm so used to eating everything in front of me. Like I said originally, I have a problem with overeating and binging that I'm trying to break.
  • Zelinna
    Zelinna Posts: 207 Member

    If you're eating out though, you don't always get a choice. I find standing up halfway through the meal helps me gauge how full I'm feeling. I don't always register fullness when I'm sat down. If you can, ask for a doggy bag and take the leftovers home. I hate to see good food get thrown away!

    I was brought up the same way, and I still struggle with this when I am out. I will continue to pick at my food even if I am full.

    When I am satisfied, I cover my food with my napkin and this helps me to resist the urge to blindly pick at my food. It also signals to the waitress that you are finished and they usually clear your plate really quickly.
  • ryry_
    ryry_ Posts: 4,966 Member
    I've always been taught to clean my plate and not waste food, so I always do, no matter how satisfied I am. This has lead to a bad habit of over-eating (or slightly binging) that's been impossible to break. I'm going to start leaving some food on my plate every meal. The last couple times I've done this, I found myself thinking... well i've already measured out my servings and logged it in MFP, now my calories/protein/carbs or whatever are going to be off. I know that sounds silly and maybe like an excuse to clear my plate. Does anyone have any tips or advice for me? I eat pretty healthy but I just loveee the taste of any food and feeling full. :sad:

    If you already logged it, why would you leave food on the plate?

    I don't ever see myself leaving the clean your plate club

    Yep this..... If I have measured and weighed out my meal then I am going to clean my plate period.... I don't see the point, I have logged it so I am eating it.... Best of Luck

    I'm trying to break my habit of overeating... I read I should start with not clearing your plate.

    You're missing the point...if you've already logged it and it fits into your calorie goals and macro goals for the day...then you already wouldn't be over-eating, even if you cleaned your plate. I assume you have your goals set to lose weight...so if you're hitting that goal, you're not over-eating regardless of whether you clean your plate or not..if it's set to maintenance, you wouldn't be over-eating either.

    My point is that there's times when I'm out or not around my scale that I have to eat.... those are the times I overeat and even binge because I'm so used to eating everything in front of me. Like I said originally, I have a problem with overeating and binging that I'm trying to break.

    Right, And i think when you encounter those situations, you go into them prepared. You make it your goal to just eat, don't stuff yourself, enjoy your meal and move on. Its a practiced skill, but it gets better with pracitce.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,984 Member
    You can still clean your plate.......................................just make sure the plate isn't 15" around. Shoot for a 9" plate instead.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • da_bears10089
    da_bears10089 Posts: 1,791 Member
    You can still clean your plate.......................................just make sure the plate isn't 15" around. Shoot for a 9" plate instead.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    does it still count if i stack my food on a 9" plate?
  • Mainebikerchick
    Mainebikerchick Posts: 1,573 Member
    If I logged it, I'm eating it. As long as the portions are appropriate, I don't have a problem with the clean your plate club.
  • gale1089
    gale1089 Posts: 67

    I was brought up the same way, and I still struggle with this when I am out. I will continue to pick at my food even if I am full.

    When I am satisfied, I cover my food with my napkin and this helps me to resist the urge to blindly pick at my food. It also signals to the waitress that you are finished and they usually clear your plate really quickly.

    This is a great idea! It's going to be hard, but I will definitely try it next time I'm out.
  • TheRealParisLove
    TheRealParisLove Posts: 1,907 Member
    My husband belongs to that club so I bought luncheon plates to replace our dinner plates. Now he can't pile as much on so even if he cleans it there still isn't as much food.

    I've noticed that buffet restaurants do this, too! I don't visit buffet restaurants often, but my parents love going to Sweet Tomatoes. They have quite small plates compared to other chain restaurants (like Applebee's for instance). I can still manage to load up about 1,300 calories worth of food at a buffet dinner, but I have to keep going back to get to that kind of calorie level.
  • teamAmelia
    teamAmelia Posts: 1,247 Member
    I've always been taught to clean my plate and not waste food, so I always do, no matter how satisfied I am. This has lead to a bad habit of over-eating (or slightly binging) that's been impossible to break. I'm going to start leaving some food on my plate every meal. The last couple times I've done this, I found myself thinking... well i've already measured out my servings and logged it in MFP, now my calories/protein/carbs or whatever are going to be off. I know that sounds silly and maybe like an excuse to clear my plate. Does anyone have any tips or advice for me? I eat pretty healthy but I just loveee the taste of any food and feeling full. :sad:

    If you already logged it, why would you leave food on the plate?

    I don't ever see myself leaving the clean your plate club

    I can see your point. I think that what he's saying is that you've already logged it and told yourself that it's within your limits, so you CAN have it, but, this is where I disagree w him. You should eat it IF you're hungry. Why would you eat it just bc it's on your plate? Do you eat something each time someone offers you food? Just say "no." :smile:

    Try storing your food in the fridge after you fix your plate. I'm lazy, so I'll have to realllly want another serving to even get up, go in the kitchen, open the fridge, get alll the food out, and fix another and wait for it to reheat.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    I pick an amount of food that I deem reasonable, weigh it, put it on my plate, then log it. And I always finish my plate, because if I overeat a little, it just means I won't be hungry as fast after. If I stopped eating every time I'm not hungry anymore, I'd be eating every hour or something.

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