Challenging Irrationalizations

After reviewing my list of 'rationalizations' for not stopping eating when I felt comfortably full, I realized how irrational most of those excuses are. So I decided to call them IRrationalizations. Here's how I challenge each of those excuses and replace them with more logical, helpful self-talk:

EXCUSE: "I don't want to waste so little food. So what, if I feel a little more than comfortably full?"

REPLACEMENT: "Eating more than I need is wasting food. The goal of eating is to feel more comfortable by resolving hunger. Overeating causes DISCOMFORT."

EXCUSE: "Okay, I could get up and store these last 3 bites in the refrigerator. However, I wonder how much food born bacteria has developed on this food while it sat on my plate?"

REPLACEMENT: "I've never had a problem with bringing home leftovers from a restaurant. That takes longer to get from my plate to the refrigerator than leftovers on my plate at home. Besides thorough reheating those leftovers should eliminate the bacteria."

EXCUSE: "How could I possible reuse 3 bites of vegies (or meat) or casserole or soup? This is too little for a meal and I don't like to snack on vegies or casserole or soup. I might just as well eat this."

REPLACEMENT: "I add little bits of meat and vegies all the time to salads, soups and casseroles. Those little bits come in handy when I want to make a hot lunch."

EXCUSE: "I know I'll feel too full, if I eat all this food, but I don't feel comfortable getting up and leaving the table (or living room while watching Netflix) to put away this extra food, before my husband is finished."

REPLACEMENT: "I often get up to get a condiment or dessert. I can certainly interrupt the movie to put away my leftovers. That's why we have the 'pause' button."

EXCUSE: "I can't waste this food after spending so long preparing this meal."

REPLACEMENT: "I'll waste more food by eating it, than by saving it for another meal."

EXCUSE: "If I stop eating now, even though I'm comfortably full, I'll get too hungry before the next meal and just grab anyting while preparing the next meal. So I prefer to eat until I feel obviously full."

REPLACEMENT: "If I feel hungry before my next planned meal I can either eat the meal then or enjoy a snack of fruit I saved when I felt full at a previous meal."

EXCUSE: "Of course I feel full. I took a probiotic before dinner."

REPLACEMENT: "If bloating from probiotics makes me feel uncomfortable, then I will feel more comfortable if I don't overeat."

EXCUSE: "I can afford to overeat a little. I'm not overweight. It all balances out, even if I feel uncomfortably full occasionally."

REPLACEMENT: "Do I have to be overweight to treat my body with respect? I deserve to feel comfortable after eating at any weight."

EXCUSE: "I really didn't get what I wanted to eat before I got full. I still need a sweet taste or some dessert to feel satisfied."

REPLACEMENT: "Before the next meal I will carefully consider what I want to eat, so that I save room for sweets or a dessert. Those foods will still be there the next time I feel hungry. I don't need to make myself uncomfortable to eat them now."