I have a problem

I was raised the same way, you didn't leave the table until you cleaned off your plate and if food was ever wasted we got the lecture about starving children etc etc it does get ingrained.

I still don't like to see food go to waste, I work hard for my money. Personally I think you're on the right track thinking you need to eat the leftovers, just build your other meals around it and "carby fatty pastry' notwithstanding enjoy it and if you're feeling a bit guilty do a little extra exercise today as your penance!

You could always freeze it for later consumption!
When I cook, Ill cook for four meals: One for me, one for the next day's lunch. Two for my husband (his appetite is inhuman!)\

If my husband doesnt have that second helping, he will save it for his breakfast the next day.

On days when we do a huge BBQ, I will often grill up about 10-15lbs of meats. Some are saved for the next few days worth of meals - makes it easy for dinner making where Ill only need a couple of sides to go with it. Some I will freeze individually for future use.

I hate hate hate hate waste!!!!! So, I work with the leftovers to make other meals for other that day, or freeze it for a future meal.

I save so much money~!!!

and if you're feeling a bit guilty do a little extra exercise today as your penance!

NO. Food should not be associated with guilt. You should not look at exercise as "penance". Don't punish yourself for eating. Terrible, terrible idea.

yea same here, i don't like wasting food.... so i'll eat it.
when my bf moved in i loved coocking for him and made big portions. then i'dd eat as much as he did.
i find it hard too coock smal portions.
i'm inproving tho....and my bf lost like 26lbs. great for him, but i need to do better then that to lose fat.
same problem when shopping, we shop once a week for the whole week. and often we buy too much.

just see it this way... eating it is wasting your health right? you are better of throwing it away....and then next time you will remind yourself to coock smaller portions when looking at your bin!

completly get this, mum and dad used to make me sit at the table till my plate was empty, sometimes for hours on end was a drama looking back on this,

however I waste nothing now, I work out exactly what i am eating for the week, and buy that and only that, food is ready and prepared for the week, some say its boring but i get everything i need, plus i save money and i mix it up so im happy

I sympathise - I too was told to clean my plate. Now I have two freezers and I batch cook and divide everything into small portions. I find that way I am not wasting food, I get variety (I live on my own and food can get boring!) and I save money.

I realized I was wasting a lot of food (still cooking for 4 instead of 2 since kids are away in college). Then I started using leftovers for stirfry, soup, salad, etc... With MFP I'm more aware of portions now, so I don't need to do this so much any more. Sometimes I'll freeze things and use them another time. It beats throwing away food or eating the same thing a few days in a row. If you have something you can't save for another day or use in another way, love yourself enough and remember you're not a human garbage disposal.

This was what they taught me growing up too.
I've had to re-learn how to cook, cutting portions down to the right size.

The food eating rule in my house is if you don't eat your dinner there is no snack. BUT I portion their food out on their plate, nothing sits on the table for seconds, if they have senconds they are not required to eat everything.
(I do not restrict my kids food, if they are hungry they eat. And yes we do have unhealthy snacks in the house (pretty sure I found my husbands stash of candy the other day) the kids can have them in moderation)

I remember these huge meals growing up, and the food was put on the table for everyone to just keep eating. I'm trying to work with my kids, (esp. since they are little), so they learn portions, healthy food and moderation so they don't struggle with this and have to figure it out later.

The best part of teaching the kids about healthy food and food that's not as healthy is they are beginning to make really good decisions -
Asking for a string cheese or apples and peanut butter as a snack instead of something like a cupcake. They have even gone after my husband a little bit. Every now and again they tell Daddy that his snack is not good for me lol

You have to actively change the way your mind thinks of waste, change how much you cook and sometimeseven what you're making.
I think it's one of the biggest challenges of making this lifestyle change.
Good luck!:drinker:

I was in an abusive relationship where food was a privilege and I couldn't store food in the fridge because my then husband would eat it all - everything, including my share. It's taken me years to convince myself that no one is going to take my food away from me and that I don't have to eat it all right now in order to feel like I got mine.

My trouble now is that I have a roommate who like you, has anxiety about food waste. I can't make a meal where we both get our fill and then food gets stored in the fridge as leftovers. What could easily be 1-2 portions extra gets eaten within a few hours of us haven eaten the meal the first time. It drives me crazy... right back into that negative way of thinking and it's causing me to overeat too.

Maybe freeze the leftovers?

and if you're feeling a bit guilty do a little extra exercise today as your penance!

NO. Food should not be associated with guilt. You should not look at exercise as "penance". Don't punish yourself for eating. Terrible, terrible idea.

I agree with Elisabeth, one should feel guilty about eating and then try and compencate it with exercose

Extra food will always go to 'waste'; either wasted in the bin or wasted in your body when you don't want/need it. Therefore, if it's a food you don't feel you can consume as part of a balanced meal before it goes bad, or you don't want to/can't freeze it for some reason, bin it. It'll only go to waste in your body too, and will probably make you feel bad for eating it anyway.

Exactly this. Well said.

throw all the food you must not eat OUT!! My Mom had this problem too & it caused her a lifetime of weight issues & diabetes! Throw it out, you will be happy you did.