WE discovered this while dieting.

[~Sparkly~Zoe]

While we were growing up we we pretty much all told to "make a happy plate" or eat everything on your plate, etc. Now in order to lose weight we are being told to Leav food on your plate, it's ok to do that.
Some are having trouble because they have made those happy plates for so many yrs that its hard to get out of that habit.
Is anyone else having problems with that?

 

[MelanieC]

So true isn't it. I am definately one of those people.

With my own two kids, I am really trying to break that cycle and not force them to clean their plates. It's hard though, because you want them to eat enough.........and get enough nutrition, so the mom in you says...........eat eat eat. Now my daughter, who is just a tiny bit overweight according to her doctor (she really just needs to eat better and healthier) is having to learn to eat a different way. She was eating a lot a little while back, and I could see her overeat portions. I have noticed a big change in her habits this summer though, and her portion sizes are back down to normal. Now if I could just get her to stop ordering fried chicken fingers and fries when she goes out.

Melanie

 

[Harley Chick]

I have a huge problem with this. I just use a smaller plate and a smaller fork and it seems to help. I still clean my plate, there's just not so much food there to begin with.

 

[ohiominnie]

Absolutely! I grew up in the "clean your plate or sit there until you finish it" era. I think my mom was born right after the depression and she grew up never being allowed to WASTE food! Now I cook less and serve myself less, but still do not feel guilty if I throw out food.

My kids are small. My son is about 25%-ile for height and weight, but my dd is less than 5%-ile for height and weight. I fight the urge to push them (esp her) to eat more. She tells me she's full and I'm good with it. Of course, BOTH of my kids know that they can't turn around in 15 minutes and be miraculously hungry for candy and snacks!

There aren't many tall genes in our family. My dd's grandmothers are 5' and 5'1" and a great grandma is 4'8"! So she's going to be petite. That's how God made her and I'm sure he has BIG plans for LITTLE KT! I haven't heard of many illnesses (outside of anorexia nervosa) that skinny people get!

Now, if I could only stop people from looking at her and saying in a sing song voice "oooohhh, she's SOOOOO small for her age!"

 

[~Sparkly~Zoe]

I'm so glad I have never made my kids clean their plates all the way.
And I have never forced them to eat everything either.

 

[eeyorefanatic]

Both my parents lived in DP camps during WWII in Germany and were in war torn country before that and you eat everything not just on your plate but cooked for that meal!

It really has taken me a long time to learn it's ok not to eat everything. I also am prone to anorexic eating patterns where I eat nothing. So It is tough to find a middle ground between nothing and everything. LOL

I am getting better though. Ketosis is a wonderful thing as it has killed my appetite and I am forcing myself to eat now but now I eat salad or a steak instead

 

[tiggerlover]

I too grew up with parents who thought you needed to finish everything on your plate. In our house if you didn't clean your plate you couldn't have dessert and that was my favorite part of dinner so of course I complied. I found that DH and I were doing that with DS until the light hit me and I told DH that this really wasn't sending a good message. Some times when we know DS hasn't eaten enough to be full and just wants to eat dessert we do make him eat some more, but we give him the choice to make himself. And if he says he is really full but hasn't eaten enough of the good stuff we give him the option of eating it later and then having his dessert.