Food Going to Waist?

"Waste not want not" is a excellent practice for the conservation minded. It's a good thing to turn out the lights when we leave a room, or to consolidate trips to save gas when we run errands. However, food on a plate can be a very different matter, particularly when it comes to meals in restaurants.

A great many people are trained as children to eat whatever is on their plates. Unfortunately a lot of food goes to waist (and thighs) because of that early training. Our bodies actually have feedback mechanisms to let us know when we are full, but they can be overridden by childhood conditioning. That is why I tell my clients, "When I eat, if food is going to go to waist, it won't be mine!". And, yes, in case you were wondering, hypnosis certainly can be a shortcut to reconditioning those early habits and attitudes into something more useful.

I remind my clients that adults can make their own rules about eating, and if they choose to leave some food on their plates...well, more power to them. An old acquaintance told me once that his maternal grandfather would harshly ask him if he didn't like the food if he didn't eat everything on his plate. The next week his other grandfather would tell him, "A gentleman always leaves some food on his plate." So he was confused for a while, until he realized that he could decide for himself how much to eat.

Restaurants in particular often serve excessive amounts of food. And, a good practice for those who are interested in slimming down is to consider getting a "to go" box and then putting one half to one third of their meal in the box before they eat the first bite.

Once they have eaten the meal, if they are still hungry, the box will be happy to share.