Clean Plate Syndrome?

[Aries 95]

I've been struggling with always HAVING to clear my plate with every meal. I don't know what it is, but I hate seeing food go to waste. I guess celebrities and their commercials about starving children in Africa are to blame. What do you do to avoid eating everything on your plate?

I don't always have access to weigh my food, especially when eating out. This makes it very easy to think "just one more bite" which becomes one bite too many.

I've heard of people asking for to-go boxes as soon as they receive their meal. What else?

I guess the right answer is "just shut your trap and stop eating."

[DonRodolfo 1,416]

I've been struggling with always HAVING to clear my plate with every meal. I don't know what it is, but I hate seeing food go to waste. I guess celebrities and their commercials about starving children in Africa are to blame. What do you do to avoid eating everything on your plate?

I don't always have access to weigh my food, especially when eating out. This makes it very easy to think "just one more bite" which becomes one bite too many.

I've heard of people asking for to-go boxes as soon as they receive their meal. What else?

I guess the right answer is "just shut your trap and stop eating."

It's an answer - one of my answers to this problem is "get a smaller plate". Not kidding here, I bought baby plates at support group a couple months ago and put my Protein in one of of the smaller sections, whatever veg in the other smaller section, and leave the largest section empty.

Oh and get baby utensils. i may look ridiculous using baby plates and baby utensils but i looked far more ridiculous at 416 lbs loading up my third plate at the Breakfast buffet.

[NeverBeTheSameAgain 241]

I have that same problem & for me it comes from many yrs of my moma or family member saying "u better eat everything on that plate & u not getting up until then"...So we were forced 2 eat it ALL! Our brains are sponges, so what was put in us..stays in us & I have done the same thing 2 my son's PRE-surgery...now I tell them if their full put the plate away. After all, I'm here due 2 YEARS of over eating. Getting a smaller plate is much more beneficial. I dont have a way 2 measure my food either, so I went to the $1 store & got paper plates (the cake size) & it works. We have 2 play tricks on our own minds so 2 speak. Good luck...u CAN do this

[joatsaint 2,814]

At home, I have a small bowl (1/2 cup) that I eat out of. If I'm still hungry, I can always go back for more.

If I'm at a restaurant, I eat all the Protein first, then the vegetables. After that, I am usually too full to eat another bite.

I too am a "clean plate" addict, but Franken sleeve will let me know (painfully) if I eat one bite too much.

[JerseyGirl68 1,172]

I completely agree with Don, smaller plates, smaller portions. I grew up having to clear my plate and that habit stuck. Before surgery I invested in small forks/spoons (I found small silver ones on amazon) and a bunch of 4oz. tupperware type containers to portion out my food for home and if I take lunch to the office. I always eat on a smaller plate (salad plate) now and only take 4oz. at a time. I can clean my plate, be completely full and not waste anything. Eating out may be more challenging, ask for a side plate and put a portion on that and eat. The rest take home.

You can work the problem, it doesn't have to control your success.

[Nicolanz 1,484]

Eating out is tough for me. I usually order an appetizer but there's not always good selections with those. I struggled a lot with the clean plate syndrome in the beginning but I've I've adapted a pretty good eye of how much I can eat now. It takes time. I use small plates and utensils at home. Using normal plates really does make you want to fill up the plate, causing your eyes to bigger than your stomach! Eat slow and really be conscious of when you are getting full. I'm 8 months out and it took some time to get the hang of it.

[Firëfly 39]

When I eat out, I do ask for a to-go box when they bring the meal out. That way I'm not tempted to keep eating more than I should because the taste is so good. It also keeps the waiter from wondering why you only ate a few spoonfuls and have stopped eating the rest = it's not because the food was bad but because you are full. It avoids that problem.

[RevisionReally 3]

I am SO with you. I had lapband surgery four years ago and have a revision to sleeve scheduled for tomorrow. I was very successful with my lapband, but my body started rejecting it. I have found that I have to put a very small portion on my plate, because I am going to clean my plate, period. I know that I can always go back for seconds. Understanding that I cannot leave anything on my plate has been key. Cleaning your plate was something that was ingrained in me as a young child.

[Susie in Lima 320]

The bad thing is....my husband has a clean plate syndrome for me! So when I am finished and cannot eat another bite he feels that it is his responsibility to eat my leftovers! SO, he began to gain weight while I was losing weight. We eventually got this worked out and he is on a diet and exercise regimen and losing weight but when he isnt thinking, he still goes for those last few bites on my plate. haha I am good with leaving them there because when I am done, I am done! I dont want to feel bad for eating one bite too many.

[OKSleever 144]

The bad thing is....my husband has a clean plate syndrome for me! So when I am finished and cannot eat another bite he feels that it is his responsibility to eat my leftovers! SO' date=' he began to gain weight while I was losing weight. We eventually got this worked out and he is on a diet and exercise regimen and losing weight but when he isnt thinking, he still goes for those last few bites on my plate. haha I am good with leaving them there because when I am done, I am done! I dont want to feel bad for eating one bite too many.[/quote']

I have the same problem! Lately I've been asking for to go boxes right away and talking about how great the leftovers will be tomorrow and that seems to help him not feel responsible for cleaning my plate for me.

[NtvTxn 1,262]

It's an answer - one of my answers to this problem is "get a smaller plate". Not kidding here, I bought baby plates at support group a couple months ago and put my Protein in one of of the smaller sections, whatever veg in the other smaller section, and leave the largest section empty.

Oh and get baby utensils. i may look ridiculous using baby plates and baby utensils but i looked far more ridiculous at 416 lbs loading up my third plate at the Breakfast buffet.

Yay for you!!! I do the same thing!! I didn't go buy one, but I use a salad plate or when I was early out, I even used a little bread and butter plate!! A lot of this is in our minds!! I also eat with a seafood fork here at the house, almost all the time. I have a little one cup Martha Stewart bowl that holds ONE cup if full to the very top. I can eat out of this too some times. I too use to have the 'clean your plate' syndrome. A terrible disease, isn't it? I made it a POINT to start leaving a bite or two on my plate in the beginning, and I still do it pretty often. I don't know if you were at the support group where I told about a very exciting non scale victory......we made home made pizza, just the two of us to eat it, but it sounded good. I ate my little portion, one small slice and half of another. My husband ate 4 pieces and knowing how high in calories pizza is.....I put the left overs, 3.5 pieces, in baggies in the frig for Curt to take in his lunch. He saw me and said he did not want to take it, he didn't need it. So I opened the frig and did something that I've NEVER done in my life, I threw perfectly good pizza in the trash. I know this sounds crazy, but it was a real life changing, ah ha, moment for me!!! Throwing it away felt better than the darn thing tasted!!! I wanted to shout it from the roof tops!! Our way of thinking DOES change.....but it takes a while and many times, it still doesn't come naturally, but boy does it feel good! I still have the clean plate thing lurking, but I fight it!

[piercedqt78 658]

I only put HALF of what I think I can eat on my plate. Sometimes I will go back for "seconds" and then it's only a bite or two of the things I liked the most. Most of the time the half portion is more than enough. I also have a rule that once my plate is clean I wait at least 5 minutes before going for more. Usually I find that I'm content, not stuffed. And that's where I want to be. When we eat out, I only order if my daughter or husband orders something I can't have or don't like. We don't eat out often, and my daughter and I have very similar tastes in food. I usually let her order an adult meal, and take a few bites from her plate. She is 12, and most foods on kids menus don't really appeal to her. She won't eat breaded food, and hates hot dogs that are not all beef. So she usually orders grilled chicken, or Pasta with grilled chicken or beef strips. I will eat a few bites of her Protein, and sometimes will order a side of Beans, or veggies. That's more than I can finish. I have also learned that most places will do the meat ala carte. That saves me money, and keeps me from wasting the side dishes.< /p>

[DonRodolfo 1,416]

I don't know if you were at the support group where I told about a very exciting non scale victory......we made home made pizza, just the two of us to eat it, but it sounded good. I ate my little portion, one small slice and half of another. My husband ate 4 pieces and knowing how high in calories pizza is.....I put the left overs, 3.5 pieces, in baggies in the frig for Curt to take in his lunch. He saw me and said he did not want to take it, he didn't need it. So I opened the frig and did something that I've NEVER done in my life, I threw perfectly good pizza in the trash.

I'm sorry - I'm too mentally distraught to read any further!

I was not at the support group where you told this story. You would have remembered if I had been there - I would have been the one there with the very audible gasp. Thankfully i haven't been in a situation where i would have had to do that but it's inevitable. i hope I can handle it as well as you did!

I bow to your greatness, Sifu!

[Ms skinniness 3,003]

Yay for you!!! I do the same thing!! I didn't go buy one, but I use a salad plate or when I was early out, I even used a little bread and butter plate!! A lot of this is in our minds!! I also eat with a seafood fork here at the house, almost all the time. I have a little one cup Martha Stewart bowl that holds ONE cup if full to the very top. I can eat out of this too some times. I too use to have the 'clean your plate' syndrome. A terrible disease, isn't it? I made it a POINT to start leaving a bite or two on my plate in the beginning, and I still do it pretty often. I don't know if you were at the support group where I told about a very exciting non scale victory......we made home made pizza, just the two of us to eat it, but it sounded good. I ate my little portion, one small slice and half of another. My husband ate 4 pieces and knowing how high in calories pizza is.....I put the left overs, 3.5 pieces, in baggies in the frig for Curt to take in his lunch. He saw me and said he did not want to take it, he didn't need it. So I opened the frig and did something that I've NEVER done in my life, I threw perfectly good pizza in the trash. I know this sounds crazy, but it was a real life changing, ah ha, moment for me!!! Throwing it away felt better than the darn thing tasted!!! I wanted to shout it from the roof tops!! Our way of thinking DOES change.....but it takes a while and many times, it still doesn't come naturally, but boy does it feel good! I still have the clean plate thing lurking, but I fight it!

This is funny. I use a bread plate that's pretty small and leave it when I'm full. My husband also thought it was his duty to clean my plate and had gained weight from it. Now he has changed his eating habits totally. He doesn't eat breads, Pasta, potatoes, or anything with corn in it. He now tells me he is also stops when he feels full. My daughter does this too. Stops instead of cleaning her plate. It is hard to change this ingrained habit but can be accomplished. I like throwing food out too when it's in the refrigerator. Who needs it, not I nor my spouse. I love not being married to the "clean your plate."

[NtvTxn 1,262]

I'm sorry - I'm too mentally distraught to read any further!

I was not at the support group where you told this story. You would have remembered if I had been there - I would have been the one there with the very audible gasp. Thankfully i haven't been in a situation where i would have had to do that but it's inevitable. i hope I can handle it as well as you did!

I bow to your greatness, Sifu!

LOL - so you DO understand how remarkable this was!!!! I knew someone would see what a big deal it was.....greatness, well, I'm not sure about that, but it was a "wow" moment!!! I'm sorry you weren't there to hear it first hand, I thought maybe I'd told it at our Saturday meeting!!! Oh well.....I'll repeat it, I'm sure!