"Clean your plate"

BigBravesGirl · 05-18-2004, 02:19 PM

Why do I feel compelled to eat everything off my plate, even when I know I'm full???

And when you go out to eat, the portions are at least double the amount you should be eating. However, I feel like I HAVE to eat it all. Arrrgghhhh!!!

Why couldn't I have been born skinny instead of beautiful?

MaryMary · 05-19-2004, 08:33 AM

To answer your last question first, I think we were all born skinny and beautiful.

As far as the first, the why's don't really matter. They may be different for each of us and for me trying to answer it just serves up guilt, which I don't have any use for in my life. What really matters is what you are willing to do to change your life, your thoughts and actions. Are you willing to go to any lengths to change?

Personally, at some point in my life I went from being a casual overeater, to a problem overeater (where the doctor said to lose weight for my health and I did) to a compulsive overeater (where I couldn't lose weight and had cravings that couldn't be satisfied even when I did). When I realized I was eating compulsively, I knew I needed a 12 step program like GreySheeters Anonymous or Overeaters Anonymous. They both work the same 12 steps to bring recovery from the disease of compulsive overeating, but go at it from different viewpoints.

Keep coming back!

Cinnabar · 05-21-2004, 07:42 AM

I have trouble with this!

I think I got it initially from my loving grandmother, who insisted that you clean your plate...and if you did clean your plate you must be hungry so you got some more!

It helps taking smaller portions, on a smaller plate. If you go out to eat ask for a to-go box (unless you have trouble with eating this as soon as you get home) or another plate. Immediately put your new portion on the "new" plate & send the other one away. Even with this, try to leave at least one bite of everything on the plate. Asking for a big saucer is helpful, as visually it looks like you have a full plate of food (and you do!) it's just smaller china.

It used to KILL me to leave anything on the plate, it was very distressing, and I would finish everything even if I was over-full.

BigBravesGirl · 05-21-2004, 09:32 AM

Great idea Cinnabar, thank you! I'll try that next time we go out. At home, I've been eating off saucers instead of dinner plates. Well, sometimes I do!

mcquea01 · 05-21-2004, 09:49 PM

My other eating out trick is to order a salad and an appetizer. From a portions standpoint, it's definitely enough food and I don't have the overstuffed, can't move sensation of finishing a restaurant entree portion...

MaryMary · 05-22-2004, 07:33 AM

How are you doing Big Braves Girl?

I may have been told to clean my plate at a child, but I am an adult now and can make my own choices.

One thing I forgot to mention is that once I put a food on my plate, I feel like it is mine and no one is going to take it away from me. I can't take it away from me. This feeling is a compulsive feeling, a fear of not having enough, a fear of feeling hungry. So I have learned during the last six months, that weighing out my portions based on an agreed upon food plan, writing down what I am going to have the night before based on that food plan, and calling it into my sponsor, has really helped me. I still have my battles with myself.

One day I put more chicken on my plate that was on my plan. Now you may think this is no big deal. But the idea for me is to eat clean. Eating clean no matter what is following my plan and being honest with myself and understand what is going on in my head at the time I decide to compulsive eat. I have found it really isn't about the food, but about what is going on between my ears. It has usually been building up for days before hand, where I became a little more dishonest with myself in my dealings with others, not breaking the law sort of stuff, but white lies to myself. Saying it's not that big a deal, or a little won't hurt, or I can't handle it and run away. At the basis of most of my eating problems is fear.

I heard Oprah say on TV the other day that GRACE is what happens when we make a misstake and take away a lesson from the misstake. In other words, what did I learn today when I made a bad choice about my food or life. If I learn something, then grace is made available to me and I grow spiritually/emotionally/physically with more understanding or insight into my own nature, abilities and limitations.

mamafitz · 06-01-2004, 09:50 AM

I was a memeber of the clean plate club when I was a child!

I think that is where is stems from!

cc_autumn · 06-02-2004, 07:02 AM

I have noticed that I tend to eat what I least like first then go for what I really wanted. I guess I learned that from being forced to eat everything on my plate, even the food I didnt like. I remember as a child, choking down the food I didnt like first so I could enjoy what I did like. Im now trying to avoid doing this.

CC

amadeus4313 · 06-02-2004, 11:18 AM

LOL, my skinny husband always eats dessert first to make sure he has room.

TaiwanTeacher · 07-02-2004, 10:01 AM

Here's a funny thing. In Chinese culture it is not polite to finish all the food on your plate. It's like telling your host that they didn't give you (or order you) enough food. Anyhoo, here is another little idea, try eating with chopsticks and using them to pick up little tiny bits of food at a time. This stretches the meal out a lot longer and gives you more time to get that full feeling. I know that if I have a quantity of food and I spend 20 mintues eating it rather than 5 then somehow it feels like I ate more. Use the chopsticks to pick up one little piece of lettuce at a time out of the salad, or to pick up individual green beans. Of course, don't do what most Asians do and hold the bowl up to your mouth and use the chopsticks to shovel the food in!

05-18-2004, 02:19 PM	#1
BigBravesGirl Plastic Wrap Ninja Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: not quite sure... if you find me, will you let me know? Posts: 20,253 Blog Entries: 1 Gallery: BigBravesGirl Stats: fat, but working on it WOE: My way! Start Date: 01/04/08	"Clean your plate" Why do I feel compelled to eat everything off my plate, even when I know I'm full??? And when you go out to eat, the portions are at least double the amount you should be eating. However, I feel like I HAVE to eat it all. Arrrgghhhh!!! Why couldn't I have been born skinny instead of beautiful?

05-19-2004, 08:33 AM	#2
MaryMary Very Gabby LCF Member!!! Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: New Hampshire BMI:57/24-Maintaining Posts: 4,839 Gallery: MaryMary Stats: 376 lbs/155 lbs//Age 60// 5'7" BF%:47+%/28.4%/25% WOE: GSA Cambridge Greysheet "www.greysheet.org" Start Date: Atkins 1/22/01; GSA 12/23/03 - Total Loss 221 lbs.	To answer your last question first, I think we were all born skinny and beautiful. As far as the first, the why's don't really matter. They may be different for each of us and for me trying to answer it just serves up guilt, which I don't have any use for in my life. What really matters is what you are willing to do to change your life, your thoughts and actions. Are you willing to go to any lengths to change? Personally, at some point in my life I went from being a casual overeater, to a problem overeater (where the doctor said to lose weight for my health and I did) to a compulsive overeater (where I couldn't lose weight and had cravings that couldn't be satisfied even when I did). When I realized I was eating compulsively, I knew I needed a 12 step program like GreySheeters Anonymous or Overeaters Anonymous. They both work the same 12 steps to bring recovery from the disease of compulsive overeating, but go at it from different viewpoints. Keep coming back! __________________ 2001/2002/2003 - Lost 105 lbs. on Atkins & exercise 2004/2005/2006 - Lost 116 lbs. on the Cambridge Greysheet & GSA (www.greysheet.org) - A 12 Step Program for Carb Sensitive Folks 2006- Panniculectomy - Surgically removed 6 lbs. hanging skin 2007/2008 - Maintaining Free from Compulsive Eating Abstinent since 6/21/2004 by the grace of a Power greater than myself My Journey in Pics from Jan 2001 to June 2006 --LOST 221 LBS. - PEACE !!!--

05-21-2004, 07:42 AM	#3
Cinnabar Blabbermouth!!! Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Neverland! Posts: 5,020 Gallery: Cinnabar Stats: Half-Caf Soy Vanilla Latte WOE: Broken Snickers Snackers Diet Start Date: 10/10/03 217	I have trouble with this! I think I got it initially from my loving grandmother, who insisted that you clean your plate...and if you did clean your plate you must be hungry so you got some more! It helps taking smaller portions, on a smaller plate. If you go out to eat ask for a to-go box (unless you have trouble with eating this as soon as you get home) or another plate. Immediately put your new portion on the "new" plate & send the other one away. Even with this, try to leave at least one bite of everything on the plate. Asking for a big saucer is helpful, as visually it looks like you have a full plate of food (and you do!) it's just smaller china. It used to KILL me to leave anything on the plate, it was very distressing, and I would finish everything even if I was over-full. __________________

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05-21-2004, 09:32 AM	#4
BigBravesGirl Plastic Wrap Ninja Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: not quite sure... if you find me, will you let me know? Posts: 20,253 Blog Entries: 1 Gallery: BigBravesGirl Stats: fat, but working on it WOE: My way! Start Date: 01/04/08	Great idea Cinnabar, thank you! I'll try that next time we go out. At home, I've been eating off saucers instead of dinner plates. Well, sometimes I do!

05-21-2004, 09:49 PM	#5
mcquea01 Senior LCF Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 194 Gallery: mcquea01 Stats: 124.5/116/105 (5'0") WOE: zone-SB-combo thang Start Date: December 2003	My other eating out trick is to order a salad and an appetizer. From a portions standpoint, it's definitely enough food and I don't have the overstuffed, can't move sensation of finishing a restaurant entree portion...

05-22-2004, 07:33 AM	#6
MaryMary Very Gabby LCF Member!!! Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: New Hampshire BMI:57/24-Maintaining Posts: 4,839 Gallery: MaryMary Stats: 376 lbs/155 lbs//Age 60// 5'7" BF%:47+%/28.4%/25% WOE: GSA Cambridge Greysheet "www.greysheet.org" Start Date: Atkins 1/22/01; GSA 12/23/03 - Total Loss 221 lbs.	How are you doing Big Braves Girl? I may have been told to clean my plate at a child, but I am an adult now and can make my own choices. One thing I forgot to mention is that once I put a food on my plate, I feel like it is mine and no one is going to take it away from me. I can't take it away from me. This feeling is a compulsive feeling, a fear of not having enough, a fear of feeling hungry. So I have learned during the last six months, that weighing out my portions based on an agreed upon food plan, writing down what I am going to have the night before based on that food plan, and calling it into my sponsor, has really helped me. I still have my battles with myself. One day I put more chicken on my plate that was on my plan. Now you may think this is no big deal. But the idea for me is to eat clean. Eating clean no matter what is following my plan and being honest with myself and understand what is going on in my head at the time I decide to compulsive eat. I have found it really isn't about the food, but about what is going on between my ears. It has usually been building up for days before hand, where I became a little more dishonest with myself in my dealings with others, not breaking the law sort of stuff, but white lies to myself. Saying it's not that big a deal, or a little won't hurt, or I can't handle it and run away. At the basis of most of my eating problems is fear. I heard Oprah say on TV the other day that GRACE is what happens when we make a misstake and take away a lesson from the misstake. In other words, what did I learn today when I made a bad choice about my food or life. If I learn something, then grace is made available to me and I grow spiritually/emotionally/physically with more understanding or insight into my own nature, abilities and limitations.

06-01-2004, 09:50 AM	#7
mamafitz MAJOR LCF POSTER! Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Boston Posts: 1,813 Gallery: mamafitz WOE: LCing Start Date: starting over (again)	I was a memeber of the clean plate club when I was a child! I think that is where is stems from!

06-02-2004, 07:02 AM	#8
cc_autumn Senior LCF Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Maryland Posts: 107 Gallery: cc_autumn Stats: size 16-17 / goal size 8 WOE: Low carb Start Date: re start 3/20/07	I have noticed that I tend to eat what I least like first then go for what I really wanted. I guess I learned that from being forced to eat everything on my plate, even the food I didnt like. I remember as a child, choking down the food I didnt like first so I could enjoy what I did like. Im now trying to avoid doing this. CC

06-02-2004, 11:18 AM	#9
amadeus4313 Very Gabby LCF Member!!! Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Beautiful mid-Michigan Posts: 3,195 Blog Entries: 2 Gallery: amadeus4313 WOE: One Day At A Time	LOL, my skinny husband always eats dessert first to make sure he has room.

07-02-2004, 10:01 AM	#10
TaiwanTeacher Senior LCF Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Taiwan Posts: 380 Gallery: TaiwanTeacher WOE: The Dr. Weston A. Price Diet, NO processed food!	Here's a funny thing. In Chinese culture it is not polite to finish all the food on your plate. It's like telling your host that they didn't give you (or order you) enough food. Anyhoo, here is another little idea, try eating with chopsticks and using them to pick up little tiny bits of food at a time. This stretches the meal out a lot longer and gives you more time to get that full feeling. I know that if I have a quantity of food and I spend 20 mintues eating it rather than 5 then somehow it feels like I ate more. Use the chopsticks to pick up one little piece of lettuce at a time out of the salad, or to pick up individual green beans. Of course, don't do what most Asians do and hold the bowl up to your mouth and use the chopsticks to shovel the food in!