Changing Ingrained Patterns

One thing I've recently realized I need to change about my mental patterns re: food is that I need to get rid of the (very very) ingrained belief that "throwing away food is evil." Seriously. I have had deep, visceral "CLEAN YOUR PLATE" reactions to leftovers, and I am trying very hard to change that.

My New Rules (that I'm still trying to make stick):

• If I am NOT hungry, I do NOT have to finish Every. Single. Thing.
• Eating something "because otherwise it would be thrown out" is a bad reason to eat anything.
• In fact, it's one of the worst reasons.
• Leaving food on the plate is preferable to Being Fat.
• Throwing food away is preferable to Being Fat.
• I would rather THROW IT AWAY than eat it "just because it's there", "it'll get thrown out", "don't want to waste it", or "it's too little to put in the fridge."
• If there's not enough to save as a leftover, and it's healthy food, give it to the dog! He loves that stuff. Usually.
• If the dog won't eat it, or he shouldn't have it, and there's not enough to save as a leftover, THROW IT OUT!
• It is not a crime to throw food away rather than eat it. Yes, it's wasteful - but it's less wasteful in the long run than eating it, gaining weight because I overate, and then wanting even more food tomorrow, and next week, and so on!
  

Gads. It's incredibly difficult for me to get my mind around "oh, it's okay to leave half your meal on your plate if you don't want it". I have a very strong aversion to throwing away that much food! But if it's not going to get "leftovered", then it's best to make it go away. I need to change my attitudes, as well as habits and behaviors regarding food, before I can successfully reduce my mass - and successfully keep it off.

I WILL NOT EAT JUST BECAUSE IT'S THERE!

IF IT IS BEING EATEN JUST TO "SAVE IT FROM BEING THROWN AWAY", LEFTOVER IT. THAT'S WHAT FRIDGES ARE FOR.

IF IT'S NOT ENOUGH TO "LEFTOVER", WELL, THERE'S NOT THAT MUCH THERE ANYWAY. AND I'M NOT GOING TO STARVE TO DEATH ANYTIME SOON. THROW THE FOOD AWAY.

It's going to be tough. VERY tough. This is an ingrained pattern that I've had practically all my life. "Don't throw food away." "Clean your plate." "Stoke your furnace while there's fuel." "Finish your dinner." But...I can do it. With God's help, I can do it.