Mommy Bulges and Kids’ Leftovers

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One of the zillion reasons why I can't shake off my last 10 pounds is because I consume the leftovers of my kids.

Excuses, excuses but I bet other moms with post pregnancy bulges sticking with them even after 10 years of post pregnancy (post pa ba yon???) will agree.  You see I was raised thinking that the hunger issue of the children of Africa rests solely on my shoulder.  I can still hear the words of my mom echoing "Hindi ka na naawa sa mga bata sa Africa. Sila nga walang makain. Ubusin mo pagkain mo!" (Have pity on the children of Africa.  They don't even have anything to eat.  Finish your food!)

A mirage of malnourished kids flash through my mind as I see unfinished food on the kids' plate. I can't, for the life of me, bear to throw them in the trash.  So, though full, I eat their leftover. Ok, ok, that chicken finger looks yummy too.

My husband tells me I am fooling myself because I would eat it because it is "sayang" (wasteful) but I am seriously considering a tummy tuck!   He chides if I say No to the leftover and pass up on the tuck I could feed an African child for more than a year!  Dieting and eating leftovers is one big irony, figuratively and literally.

Since I have accepted that my weight issues are interconnected with the leftovers of my kids, I remind them constantly to get just what they can eat.   Don't be "takaw mata" (greedy) anyway reaching for the next serving is just an arm's reach away.  I used to put quite a heap in their plate to make sure they eat enough but I guess you can't force a child  lest she would have the same issues I had.  Actually, I think I may have read before that one way to raise healthy eaters is not to force quantity of food.

Now, if I can only stop myself from getting the arms away next serving ...

How about you?  Do you eat your kids' leftovers?

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