Wasting food can you justify it?

It seems lately in order to prevent myself from over eating I through alot of food away if I do not have anyone to share it with.  I been justify it to myself as I am preventing myself from consuming extra calories but I feel so bad about trashing it.  If I do not tra**** I will eventually eat it because I am still working on this will power thing.  How do you handle it? If I am dining out I can not just have my left over at the house because I will eat them the same day.  There is not splitting things in to multiple meals for me it seems.  I try to get someone in my family to split a meal with me but they all have the attitude I am not on a diet I want my own meal.  If I am at work I can always share my leftovers with a co-worker.  I will be laid off next week so I will try to make sure I am cooking at home and only have healthy options. 

If you don't throw food away... you're WAISTing it.  Meaning, it'll just end up on your waist. 
It took me a while to get used to it, but now I don't have an issue with throwing things away that I don't need to eat... or don't want to eat.  I'd rather waste a few dollars in food than put that food on my body as extra pounds.

One thing I do a lot of is freeze stuff.  For instance I made a big pot of beef stew this weekend (bigger than I expected it to turn out because I just kept adding stuff to it  LOL).  So I packaged up 6 bowls of the stew for lunches this week, then poured the rest into a large bowl that went straight to the freezer.  I didn't use to do that.  I'd just eat that stew until it was gone even if I had to eat it for all 3 meals a day.   I'm single and don't have anyone around to share my food with, so freezing seems to do the trick. 

So a month or two from now when I need to cook lunches for the week, instead I'll pull out that beef stew and package it up into small bowls for lunches.

When I go out to eat I always bring home leftovers.  But I have a hard time remembering to eat them because I've already got all my meals planned out for the week ahead of time.  So the leftovers usually end up trashed or not eaten for several days after they get home.  So maybe pre-planning meals for yourself is an option so you're not tempted to over-eat leftovers when it's not scheduled into your day.


 

Since I will be at home next week I will pre plan my meals and package them up. Thanks

If freezing the leftover portion is not an option for you to keep from consuming the food, then by all means throw it away!!

Portion control is very important to success, but it is a lifetime issue not a short time thing. Your portions will increase, but never to the point that they were before.

You are very early out, so do what you have to do. I would usually not take home restaurant leftovers. Most things didn't reheat very well anyway.

Martha

I agree with the other posters. That's not a problem at my house because my wonderful husband is a human garbage disposal! The man will eat anything...lucky for him, since I'm not much of a cook. Very little goes to waste at our house. However, in your situation, if you don't have anyone to share it with, it's much better to dispose of it than eat it if it's more than you need.

Jenny

I don't see it as wasting it as much as taking care of your health and the health of your family and co-workers.  At first I'd give things to my family members because I didn't want to waste it.  And then I realized that they really don't need to be eating the extra calories - especially when dining out!  Try portioning out food from the grocery store or eating out and freezing it immediately when it comes into your home.  A lot of food can be frozen - google - freezing food and expiration dates.  I also look through the a la carte or the appetizer section of a menu when dining out.

Yes, I hate wasting food.  However, I've had to learn that the starving children around the world are not going to get fed just because I overstuff my face and cleaned my plate.  I am fortunate enough to be able to resist leftovers until it's time to eat again, but if that's difficult for you, toss it.  it's not worth your health!!

I don't tend to waste (or waist) food. Here's what I do:

-As soon as I buy something I divide it into "me-sized" portions. I tend to buy things that way if possible (Purdue Perfect Portions chicken breasts, etc.) I should buy stock in Zip-lock.

-When only cooking for myself, if I have to make something more than my portion (like in the beginning tortilla pizzas were ALWAYS too big) I'd find someone to share with. When I make batches of stuff I either freeze it or feed it to other people.

-If you have a pet, they appreciate left overs too. I'd keep a box for my mom's dogs and then my cat LOVED my tuna experiment leftovers.

-My latest "waste not" strategy: I have a friend who composts. So if I buy veggies that have sit too long or I cooked and never ate, I give them to him for his compost pile.

I agree with the other posts.  It is OK to throw food away.  If you're concerned with how much money you're wasting look at it this way:  How much money will you have waisted if you allow old habits back in and you end up gaining all the weight back?  I don't know what your surgery costs but between all the Drs and hospital and all costs my insurance company and I paid over $45,000.  I would MUCH rather waste an average of $10 a week than the entire $45,000.

You may want to try 1/2ing your recipies so you're not cooking as much.  Definately freeze the foods you can.  That serves two purposes - you're saving food instead of throwing it away, plus you don't have to took on a different night.

You do what you need to do in order to work your tool.  You mentioned you still stuggle with not stopping your eating even though you know you're full.   For this I would very strongly suggest you get back to your councelor.  There is probably some underlying issue that you need to address that is causing your eating.  I know for me, my eating was emotional.  I used food for EVERY emotion.  I had to find a new coping mechanism.  My mechanism became turning to God and listening to christian music.  Please work on finding your own coping mechanism.

Best of Luck you too.  God Bless

I tell myself that whether I eat it or throw it, the poor kids in Ethiopia are still starving.  It was hard at first, but now I just toss it!  I used to watch my SIL throw food out and think how waseful she was, but ya' know what?  She isn't overweight.