A few years ago when I was teaching my weight loss class in Florida we had a conversation about eating food from the trash. Do you or don’t you? Have you or haven’t you? I found this whole conversation fascinating because eating from the trash can was where I drew the line. If an M&M fell on the floor I may eat that, but not if food was in the trash can! Apparently though, in that particular group of ladies, eating from the trash happened occasionally, but there were rules.
- 1. The food had to be really good
- 2. The food had to be on top of the can
- 3. The food had to be freshly disposed of
I laughed along with them, but I was thinking – “What!! You have got to be kidding me! Food from the trash?” The more I thought about it, the more I realized that I had been guilty of doing the same thing. Not by eating food from the trash can, but by eating trashy food. What nutritional value did I get from inhaling large amounts of chocolate before 10:00 a.m. Wasn’t the over processed, fried food bad for my heart and health? Candy bars in twos and double dinners were trashy for my body. The food didn’t come from the trash, but it may as well have for all the good it did for my health and my weight.
How are you doing these days with your food choices? Is the food you are choosing to eat healthy and nutritious for your body, or are you filling yourself up with trash? The more weight I lost the more I developed the desire to eat foods that were healthy and satisfying. I still loved food, but my love for certain foods shifted. There are a lot of sites with lists of healthy foods, but here is a nice list I found at the World’s Healthiest Foods website. In reviewing their list I realized that when I changed my eating habits I added in a lot of foods from this list, just by gaining an awareness of the nutritional value of the foods I was eating, and the foods I was serving my family.
Weight loss can be achieved by following a low calorie, nutritionally poor diet, but losing pounds that way isn’t the way to long term improvement in your health and well-being. Years ago, when I was in high school some of my family and I tried one of those diets where you have shakes twice a day and then a “healthy dinner.” We all lost some weight doing that, but the minute we started eating food again, we promptly regained our weight. Don’t settle for losing pounds and your health at the same time. While losing weight try and focus not just on the amount of food you are eating but on the health of the food you are eating. You will be glad you did!
Please tell me you don’t eat food from the trash can! Diane
Sorry as disgusting as it is I have found myself reaching in the can in the past. Sick! Luckily there’s just me and my husband no one else. I would never do that outside my house though NO THAT! Blah!
I haven’t done this in quite awhile thankfully. I still find myself eating trashy food once in a while I wish I could give up sugary foods all together, but for now I will take just limiting it.
Sheri´s last fabulous musings ..Just Do It!
Nope, I’ve never eaten from the trash can, but I have eaten from other people’s plates. The things we do!
Hanlie´s last fabulous musings ..Great Expectations
over the weekend, walking out of grocery store, mom and child in front of me, child with an open bag of chips (eating them as they walked to their car), child dropped bag, four chips hit the parking lot pavement, chips looked really good, but I kept walking. . .
Vickie´s last fabulous musings ..What I did this week
As a trasher of food that is tempting me, I have not ever gone and dug it out and indulged. But I admit that a time or two it did cross my mind when I knew it was all wrapped up in there.
Karen@WaistingTime´s last fabulous musings ..Grainless Brainless
I have heard of this Diane. I throw stuff out to keep myself from eating it but when I do, I mush it up & bury it so there is no digging out!
I love the WHF site!
Jody – Fit at 53´s last fabulous musings ..Happiness with Yourself Assignment Happy Bday!
I have poured pepper all over something before putting it in the trash so that I wouldn’t drag it back out! (which I have done before on more than one occasion, if it was on top)
I just showed my students a documentary about people who eat mostly/all food from the garbage – it’s called “The Gleaners and I,” and while it’s French, it’s something that happens in the US too. Something my students all very astutely commented on was that the gleaners were all eating fruits, vegetables, and meat – but WE are the ones going into stores to buy and eat “junk”! A very interesting idea…
Mary´s last fabulous musings ..Backstory
Wow, that is funny. I confess that I’ve often thrown perfectly “good” but “trashy” food into the trashcan to keep me from eating it. I don’t think I’ve ever gotten it back out and eaten it. I usually try to put it in the trash can in such a way that it’s covered in grossness and I can’t eat it.
Laura Jane´s last fabulous musings ..Is My Scale Broken!! Week 2 Results
Your post reminded me of a dorm mate in college that used to take cigarette butts from ashtrays and smoke them! Never discount the role addiction plays if you are obese and struggling with weight loss.
I have thrown out individually wrapped chocolates – still sealed in their wrappings and gone back into the can to fish them out when I remembered they were there and I had not yet covered them with some other trash to make them ‘dirty’ on the outside. I have never gone back in to get food that was uncovered – even if it was the only thing in the bag. A while ago someone shared with me that when I tossed something out I should cover it with Comet. That worked until I no longer needed to fear food would call me. Today I can have food sitting in front of me and it will not bother me as long as I am working my program.
I have a commitment to eat only the best, healthiest foods today and not seek to add chemicals to my body when I want to indulge. So yesterday when I was out, hot, and hungry I did not stop for a fat free sugar free cup of soft serve ice cream because after the initial thought of it I realized the taste of the fake food would not satisfy me. I just waited until I got home and then had my normal meal.
Jane~
Keepingthepoundsoff.com
Jane C´s last fabulous musings ..Easter Blessings
I’ve eaten plenty of trashy foods but never out of the trash can.
MB´s last fabulous musings ..Happy Patriots Day!
I do not because the trash is my automatic trash can.