My Relationship With Food...

[G-Mom]

Something that I have figured out while on my Atkins journey is how unnatural my relationship with food is. This is nothing new to so many of us, we have overeaten, made poor food choices and been addicted to carbs. Something I have noticed about myself is that I have a terrible problem with seeing food go to waste. I have no idea why I am like this, its not like I have ever been without food.

You see, before Atkins, I would usually be the one to eat up all the leftovers, or if some food was about to expire, I would make sure to get it eaten, even if I should have chosen a more nutritious food ("oh no! the Ding-Dongs are going to expire tomorrow, must eat them"--even though I hate Ding-Dongs).

My husband is the exact opposite. If he doesn't feel like eating the leftover spaghetti, he won't eat it. I have always been upset with him for letting leftovers go bad. Since I am doing Atkins, my diet prevents me from eating those leftovers, which is definite therapy for me.

Do any of you have this problem? Atkins has really helped with this problem, and I know now that the world will not stop turning if I end up having to feed the leftover spaghetti to the chickens.

[Momtofour]

I do the same thing. I have never been without food, but I feel like I should never waste it. I actually think about how many people the food could have fed if I have to put it down the disposal. I am a very thrifty person also, so I think that part of it is like throwing money away. That just kills me. I try to be better at making the correct amount of food to be eaten at each meal. I sometimes make extra if I know the left overs will be eaten.

When I was a little girl I remember my babysitter getting upset with me because I wouldn't eat my tomato soup. She said something like there are people starving in China. With upmost sincerity, I asked if we could send it to them. That didn't go over well. I guess part of me still thinks about the people that are starving when I chose not to eat something.

[sallyseachange]

Oh I sooooo understand this! I'm always tempted to eat to kingdom come rather than see food go to waste. Now I still have to remind myself that it's my health that'll go to waste if I follow these urges!

[cristylp]

I've always done that too for the same reasons. If I throw something out, it seems like I'm throwing out my dollars. We need to remember it's better to throw it away and not have it be stuck to our hips!

And of course this never makes any sense either, but I'll buy something I really don't need just because it's close to the expiration date and marked way down. Luckily most of the time lately, I've picked the right things. One market I go to marks down bags of romaine lettuce a couple days before the expiration date on the bag. Usually I can pick up a couple bags for 99 cents. Last week I even got fresh cauliflower and broccoli for 99 cents. I had to learn to steer clear of the candy aisle, even if my favorite candy bar was 5/$1.00.

Lately it's a struggle for me to even have leftovers because I'll eat them out of boredom.

[ttdriver]

This has always helped me:

Waste or Waist ...

Betty

[sallyseachange]

Nice one Betty!

[Momtofour]

Ooooh, that's a good one Betty! I will remember that.

[Chris]

G-Mom, I think you've hit on a problem that many, many of us here share with you. After all, every single one of us has been guilty, thousands of times in our lives, of eating, not because we're hungry, but just for the sheer pleasure of eating something that tastes good. So, throwing out good tasting food, instead of eating it, really goes against those habits that we've built up over a lifetime.

I bought some brown and serve breakfast sausages that were on sale a few weeks ago for $1.00 a box. After I tried the first ones, I discovered why, even though they were a name brand, they were so inexpensive. They're terrible! I bought four boxes of the things, thinking I was getting a good deal. Now, I know that I'll never eat them, yet I just can't seem to bring myself to take them out of the freezer and throw them in the trash! How much sense does that make?!!

[dreamof145]

I totally agree G-Mom. I was always one who couldn't see things going to waste, so i ate even when i wasn't hungry. I'm glad that I've learned that it is better in the garbage than on my hips. I have a whole new attitude towards food. My life used to revolve around it, now it isn't that important to me. Glad you brought this subject up.