Leaving the Clean Plate Club

I find that I LOVE food. No people, I don't just like it I love it. I love the smell, the taste, the texture. I will be full on something that I am eating, but because I enjoy eating it so much I often find I cannot stop. Period. There haven't been many exceptions. I grew up in the Clean Your Plate Club. It was expected. It was celebrated. You were a good eater, a healthy child if you cleaned you plate at each meal.

That cycle is hard to break. I find that I struggle with this as a parent. I fix a meal and I expect my family to eat. I don't put a lot on the kid's plates, so why shouldn't they be able to eat it all? Ugh! Why would I EVER think this is OK? Children have a built in mechanism that tells them when they are hungry or full. (We as adults also have this mechanism, we have simply ignored it for so long that we don't know how to recognize it.) I believe some call it conscious eating. If my kids are hungry, they will eat. I've seen this happen, it's amazing. Hungry children will eat food. Full children, will pick at food.

So, with all of that being said... I intend to leave the Clean Plate Club. Yes, I have spent over 30 years as a member. I was dedicated, vigilant and eager. Now -- well I'm just fat!

My goals are simple:
1. I will not force my children to eat everything off their plate, nor will I plague them with those "Please take one more bite." speeches.
2. I will work on portion control. I will weigh/measure food before putting it on my plate.
3. I will not expect to be perfect. Only God is perfect. I am not God.
4. I will track my calories

It's a small start, but one that I feel can have great rewards. With portion control I will have the ability to clean my plate if I'm still hungry and yet stay within my calorie range. I will also be able to leave something on my plate if I feel that I am full.

Weigh maintenance is a lifelong journey. I am embarking now. Won't you join me?