Guilt is making her clean everyone else’s plates. I grew up with the same thing (clean your plate!), but as an adult retrained my body to expect less. Overeating shortens your lifespan anyway.
It’s a Mom thing. When you’re actively involved in the purchasing and preparation of the food, it’s difficult to see anything go to waste. Therefore, it just goes to waist.
A lot of commenters must not be reading this strip regularly, or they would know that Farley (their dog, for those of you who are newcomers) rejected the leftovers several days ago.
This is a topic near and dear to my heart. I grew up on leftovers - big Sunday dinner with a beef roast, then roast beef sandwiches for school until about Thursday … NEVER ate cafeteria food or at restaurants, except as a treat. My mom made dinners in the morning - stews, casseroles, etc. - and left instructions for us kids to put them in the oven for later. And we had full course meals plus expected to eat everything we took. Had a bottomless pit as a teenager and kept going as I grew up. Used to play volleyball 3 times a week, then moved to our first house and did nothing for 7 years. Lost 45 lbs on Jenny Craig - got lied to by them (that’s another story for later) - gained it all back plus 120 on top of that. Highest weight was 385. Lost 20 lbs beginning of this year. Had gastric bypass in May, 2010 and I’ve lost 80 lbs since then. I am lighter than I’ve been for 15 to 20 years. And I STILL have to learn NOT to eat what the kids or wife left over on their plates from breakfast or dinner. Course, it helps that I cannot eat it all at one time, but snacking and “grazing” at work or at the computer will get me just as bad. Plus you can “drink” your calories that bypasses the stomach (defeating the purpose of your surgery), if you have high-sugar, high-calorie products throughout the day (including alcohol.) But I’d do the surgery again in a heartbeat because I fit in clothes now that I have not worn in 10 years or more, also buying clothes that will be too big for me in 2 to 3 months. ;-))
^rugratz2222=Congratulations. Treat yourself to new clothes a few at a time. Call Salvation Army for the others as they get too big. Eat healthy foods for snacks and no sodas. DIL had this surgery and because she still eats junk food instead of healthy things, looks like walking death. Every ounce you are allowed must be a healthy morsel. Some treats can come later. Again-congratulations.
Cosby has a old routine about life as a child, and one of the stories was meals. His father said, “There are kids in China who would love to have what you’re not eating.” So Cosby says he took his plate down to the corner and scraped it into the mailbox.
Until I was 24 and in the Army, I couldn’t gain weight no matter how much I ate. Then the metabolism changed, and I’ve been fighting it ever since, because I still want to eat too much. And that was 39 years ago. Plus a quintuple bypass procedure in 06. Had I needed that 25 years ago, I would, to paraphrase Max Kellermen in “Dirty Dancing”, “be sitting here dead.”
Moms always have to cook extra in case somebody wants more, or somebody else shows up. But if it’s something that wasn’t eaten because it wasn’t liked, most old-time moms would feel obligated to eat it. Don’t think that’s the philosophy these days, even if younger people actually cook, rather than eating defined portions out!
Of course, you don’t have to eat it that night; you could save it for lunch the next day since you gotta eat anyway.
Dear Nelly55: I know what you mean. If you could outwait my mom at dinner, you got dinner on your plate for breakfast! I was a picky eater but ended up having a weight problem all my life. (and not because she cooked alternatives, either. Her dinner or no dinner). For some reason, this rule did not apply to my two (much older) brothers. If they didn’t finish, it went in the garbage. No weight problems with them. My mom was also very slim and I never saw her eat any leftovers from plates.) I was pushed into reality when my son became a very picky eater around 3 1/2 or 4. My (older) Pediatrician told me. Look, when he’s hungry, he’ll eat. Don’t force feed him into a weight problem. Just don’t substitute ANYTHING for healthy food or snacks. Fortunately, he does not have any weight problems and has a very varied and healthy diet.. Thank you Dr. H for slapping some sense into the first time Mom.
After the delicious meal cooked and served to eat at supper time, saved the leftovers for next evening or so. Brought the leftovers out to use up and eat, the flavors in the leftover meal tasted different. Not the same flavor in the meal as before.
No one should ever feed people food to their dogs. There are things that we can safely eat that are very dangerous for your pet and if you’re not careful, you could make them extremely sick at best … and kill them at worst and that’s the last thing any pet owner should want to do to their little, furry, family member. The best thing to do is feed them nothing but dog food because that’s what it was made specifically for.
No, it was made specifically to produce the largest possible profits from the cheapest possible materials without doing noticeable damage to the animal.
Feeding dogs is NOT rocket science; we have only had commercial dog rations for 60 years or more; for 14,000 years before that people fed their dogs what they had that the dogs would eat.
It’s a COMIC strip people … it’s supposed to be funny, not an opportunity to show off your parlour psychology skills.
The “Finish off of your plate” is imho one of the worst rules ever, especially if the parents put the food on the kids’ plates. Destroys the natural instinct that says: I’m full, I shouldn’t eat more. Bears a big part of the blame for the obesity problem.
hildigunnur, I agree. My father-in-law demanded that my son finish everything on his plate eventho I’d point out that it was his wife that load up his plate. Now days we fix and serve smaller portions, and its working. We are losing weight. Not fast, but still losing. Went to a resturant after about a month or so of the smaller servings and could not believe how big the serving was. Nor could I believe that I used to eat that much. Now all I have to do is add an exercise program and I too can go on t.v. to tell you how to lose weight.
ejcapulet over 13 years ago
You have a dog… problem solved.
lewisbower over 13 years ago
Of course I grew fat. My parents made me clean my plate if I wanted dessert.
westcoastfan over 13 years ago
I though she was eating the leftovers that even the dog rejected.
dandjcrosby over 13 years ago
Food eaten to save waste is bad for the waist!
lightenup Premium Member over 13 years ago
Guilt is making her clean everyone else’s plates. I grew up with the same thing (clean your plate!), but as an adult retrained my body to expect less. Overeating shortens your lifespan anyway.
Donna White over 13 years ago
It’s a Mom thing. When you’re actively involved in the purchasing and preparation of the food, it’s difficult to see anything go to waste. Therefore, it just goes to waist.
alan.gurka over 13 years ago
A lot of commenters must not be reading this strip regularly, or they would know that Farley (their dog, for those of you who are newcomers) rejected the leftovers several days ago.
Ursula A Kehoe Premium Member over 13 years ago
She just needs to cook less. Simple.
Nelly55 over 13 years ago
my grandmother was an old time doctor and believed a chubby child was a healthy child
needless to say, mom portioned out the food (a lot BTW) and we were expected to clean our plate or sit there until we did
I’m slightly overweight for my age and I’ve been fighting weight all my life
ImaPlugger2 over 13 years ago
My brothers said Army food WAS just like Mama used to make. Not all mothers are good cooks. Get some new recipes, Ellie!
rugratz2222 over 13 years ago
This is a topic near and dear to my heart. I grew up on leftovers - big Sunday dinner with a beef roast, then roast beef sandwiches for school until about Thursday … NEVER ate cafeteria food or at restaurants, except as a treat. My mom made dinners in the morning - stews, casseroles, etc. - and left instructions for us kids to put them in the oven for later. And we had full course meals plus expected to eat everything we took. Had a bottomless pit as a teenager and kept going as I grew up. Used to play volleyball 3 times a week, then moved to our first house and did nothing for 7 years. Lost 45 lbs on Jenny Craig - got lied to by them (that’s another story for later) - gained it all back plus 120 on top of that. Highest weight was 385. Lost 20 lbs beginning of this year. Had gastric bypass in May, 2010 and I’ve lost 80 lbs since then. I am lighter than I’ve been for 15 to 20 years. And I STILL have to learn NOT to eat what the kids or wife left over on their plates from breakfast or dinner. Course, it helps that I cannot eat it all at one time, but snacking and “grazing” at work or at the computer will get me just as bad. Plus you can “drink” your calories that bypasses the stomach (defeating the purpose of your surgery), if you have high-sugar, high-calorie products throughout the day (including alcohol.) But I’d do the surgery again in a heartbeat because I fit in clothes now that I have not worn in 10 years or more, also buying clothes that will be too big for me in 2 to 3 months. ;-))
Mythreesons over 13 years ago
^rugratz2222=Congratulations. Treat yourself to new clothes a few at a time. Call Salvation Army for the others as they get too big. Eat healthy foods for snacks and no sodas. DIL had this surgery and because she still eats junk food instead of healthy things, looks like walking death. Every ounce you are allowed must be a healthy morsel. Some treats can come later. Again-congratulations.
Tempscire over 13 years ago
howtheduck already said what I was thinking, which is that there is some sort of profound lapse in internal logic in this strip.
gofinsc over 13 years ago
Cosby has a old routine about life as a child, and one of the stories was meals. His father said, “There are kids in China who would love to have what you’re not eating.” So Cosby says he took his plate down to the corner and scraped it into the mailbox.
Until I was 24 and in the Army, I couldn’t gain weight no matter how much I ate. Then the metabolism changed, and I’ve been fighting it ever since, because I still want to eat too much. And that was 39 years ago. Plus a quintuple bypass procedure in 06. Had I needed that 25 years ago, I would, to paraphrase Max Kellermen in “Dirty Dancing”, “be sitting here dead.”
Moms always have to cook extra in case somebody wants more, or somebody else shows up. But if it’s something that wasn’t eaten because it wasn’t liked, most old-time moms would feel obligated to eat it. Don’t think that’s the philosophy these days, even if younger people actually cook, rather than eating defined portions out!
Of course, you don’t have to eat it that night; you could save it for lunch the next day since you gotta eat anyway.
pattybf over 13 years ago
Dear Nelly55: I know what you mean. If you could outwait my mom at dinner, you got dinner on your plate for breakfast! I was a picky eater but ended up having a weight problem all my life. (and not because she cooked alternatives, either. Her dinner or no dinner). For some reason, this rule did not apply to my two (much older) brothers. If they didn’t finish, it went in the garbage. No weight problems with them. My mom was also very slim and I never saw her eat any leftovers from plates.) I was pushed into reality when my son became a very picky eater around 3 1/2 or 4. My (older) Pediatrician told me. Look, when he’s hungry, he’ll eat. Don’t force feed him into a weight problem. Just don’t substitute ANYTHING for healthy food or snacks. Fortunately, he does not have any weight problems and has a very varied and healthy diet.. Thank you Dr. H for slapping some sense into the first time Mom.
Wildmustang1262 over 13 years ago
After the delicious meal cooked and served to eat at supper time, saved the leftovers for next evening or so. Brought the leftovers out to use up and eat, the flavors in the leftover meal tasted different. Not the same flavor in the meal as before.
Gretchen's Mom over 13 years ago
No one should ever feed people food to their dogs. There are things that we can safely eat that are very dangerous for your pet and if you’re not careful, you could make them extremely sick at best … and kill them at worst and that’s the last thing any pet owner should want to do to their little, furry, family member. The best thing to do is feed them nothing but dog food because that’s what it was made specifically for.
Hawthorne over 13 years ago
No, it was made specifically to produce the largest possible profits from the cheapest possible materials without doing noticeable damage to the animal.
Feeding dogs is NOT rocket science; we have only had commercial dog rations for 60 years or more; for 14,000 years before that people fed their dogs what they had that the dogs would eat.
It’s a COMIC strip people … it’s supposed to be funny, not an opportunity to show off your parlour psychology skills.
Geez.
gofinsc over 13 years ago
A late spammer flagged.
harmgb over 13 years ago
caca, an appropriate name for a spammer THREE late spammers flagged, and I’m going on a spam hunt. May they get sick and die.
hildigunnurr Premium Member over 13 years ago
The “Finish off of your plate” is imho one of the worst rules ever, especially if the parents put the food on the kids’ plates. Destroys the natural instinct that says: I’m full, I shouldn’t eat more. Bears a big part of the blame for the obesity problem.
newworldmozart over 13 years ago
hildigunnur, I agree. My father-in-law demanded that my son finish everything on his plate eventho I’d point out that it was his wife that load up his plate. Now days we fix and serve smaller portions, and its working. We are losing weight. Not fast, but still losing. Went to a resturant after about a month or so of the smaller servings and could not believe how big the serving was. Nor could I believe that I used to eat that much. Now all I have to do is add an exercise program and I too can go on t.v. to tell you how to lose weight.