I often find myself quite full with just a few bites left to go on the plate. In order to keep the starving kids in China from starving, I’ll try my best to finish. But almost always have to stop with just a single forkfull of the meal left on the plate. If I eat it, I’ll burst. It could be a dollop of mashed potatoes, corner of a sandwich, or the last tortilla chip and scoop of salsa.
Anybody else experiencing LBS? Do you think it’s from oversized portions? Eyes bigger than stomach? Getting older?
I have never, once, in my entire life, been able to finish a plate of food at a resturant.
I have a theory that “clean your plate” is one of the causes of obesity in this country. People are programed from childhood to consume all that is placed before them (even gargantuan resturant portions) or they feel guilty.
I leave a bite or two of nearly every meal I eat. Restaurants…well…humans aren’t designed to consume those quantities. I should order a to-go box when I order my food. I just know I’m going to have leftovers. If I go to a place like Maggiano’s, my plate looks like I never touched it.
I Thought this was going to be about when you think you have another piece (or bite) left, only to find that you already had the last one and missing out on that last bite pleasure.
But to the OP, food’s presentation is a big factor as to how people perceive the food. It is very likely that you find a mostly empty, but dirty plate, with a little food on it unappetizing, which turns off your hunger mechanism.
I used to do that until I went on a retreat. I was the only person there and the kitchen prepared these beautiful meals just for me so I ate every bite to show my appreciation.
That said, I have no qualms about putting some food away for another meal if I’m too full to continue when I cook and I pretty much figure on taking half a restaurant meal home to have later.
I think a critical element in maintaining weight is eating only until you’re no longer hungry - which can be very different from eating until you’re full. I very rarely eat 'til I’m full even though I could but I know the consequences. And I’m sure it’s because of this that my BMI, BP, and cholesterol levels are excellent.
my mom never had any trouble with us not finishing the plate but when it was, as you said, just one bite, she would ask “is that bite going to plug your arse? eat it up!”
When I was a child, I’d read something to the effect that it wasn’t “ladylike” to clear your plate, but rather a bite or two should be left. When I got older, my body seemed to perversely take that to heart. I can be fine with however much food (sometimes - most restaurant portions, I have to stop halfway) but once I get down to the last bite or two, I suddenly can’t continue.
I’m much more likely to leave half my food untouched than one bite. Like others have mentioned, restaurant portions are ridiculous, and I usually eat half (or sometimes a third, depending on the portion) with plans to take the rest home.
When I’m at home, I might leave a bite or two sometimes, but not often. If there’s only a tiny bit left, I’d rather eat it than have it stinking up my garbage.
Nope - true to my username, I invariably finish everything on the plate, then start looking around to see if anyone else needs some help. Mind you, I’ve never been to America - I’m not sure I could manage some of the portion sizes my friends have described on returning from holidays there.
The portion sizes in the US are ridiculous. I find that I can get at least three meals from one lunch!! order. I’m not thin, but have not gained an ounce since I stopped dieting about 10 years ago.
I rarely eat at fast food joints, but when I do I order a child’s meal with a glass of water. It leaves me completely full. Similarly, although I am not a senior quite yet, I order from the senior’s menu when possible.
I did come from the clean plate family, but I got over it and did not impose it on my kiddies. Neither of the Sinkids have ever had a weight problem.
Nah, I got no problem leaving food…for a to-go container, that is. Ironically, I find that I am actually less likely to overeat if I order a lot. That way, I will be guaranteed a doggie bag; however, if I order less, I find it harder to take home a container with only a couple of bites. So I order a lot.
If you are filling your own plate (not a restaurant or someone else filling it) and you always have one bite left, it is not the portion size, it is something psychological with you. If it were just the portion size, wouldn’t you have learned to take smaller portions by now?
I had a roommate who did this, and it amused me to no end. C’mon, how can it be that at every meal, you always have one bite and only one bite too much on your plate??? I think kanicbird is right, or else, like Ferret Herder, you learned not to clean your plate for some reason or another.
I’ve been in american restaurants with people from Spain and convinced them to order half-portions or “for sharing”, since we all suffer from “finish your plate” syndrome and, being in hotels, we couldn’t ask for doggie bags.
That has often led to having to explain to the server that yes, we know about the doggie bags but no, we don’t want doggie bags, we want half-portions. Oh, this restaurant doesn’t do half-portions, we’ll just bag whatever you want to take away. I’m afraid that won’t do, so please just bring 7 main dishes and 14 plates, ok? Oh yes, I’m sure you can. OK, you’ve never done it, but you can. Do you want a tip or not? 14 people and it’s kind of late, you know, we’re a tad hungry, just nobody is hungry enough to eat a whole rack of baby back ribs, so please bring it to share, OK?
I hate throwing food away. And restaurants that don’t give people the option of getting half-portions when each portion is enough to feed three.
My mother always insisted on clean plates after every meal, she told me later it was because she’d often gone hungry as a child and couldn’t bear the thought of wasted food.
In restaurants, I often ask for small portions or child-size meals instead of a regular size plate simply because I know I can’t eat that much. I guess really I just feel guilty about wastage, and I don’t want the chef to be offended and think I didn’t enjoy the third of the meal I managed to get through!
I definitley feel guilty about not cleaning my plate, down to the very last bite, whether I’m eating out or at home. I have waste issues (and leftovers just ain’t the same! Plus they tend to go bad before I get around to eating them). Yet I inevitably feel guilty about eating too much when I do so, it’s very lose-lose. Feel bad now or later? Now or later? Hmmm…
Some do, even though the “half-portion” is generally enough food to feed two people.
On occasion, I’ve asked if there was any way I could get the “lunch” portion. I always indicate I’m willing to pay the “dinner” price, but a lot of the time, they’ll actually just charge me the lunch price.