Another picky eater - no lectures please (long post)

j724mecham

Thanks for those who have actually replied. I do like meat. I do not like tofu or vegetables nearly enough to become vegetarian, but love to substitute beans. So as many of you have requested, here's a list of foods I do like:

I know you're not a fan of veggies, but what about green leafy things; spinach (raw or cooked), romaine, kale, even iceberg lettuce? How about parsley?

I love lettuce. I like romaine too even. Not a huge fan of kale. Spinach I am alright with cooked, but it tastes much better in a smoother I'm sure.

CuteMonkeyGal

This is most likely a bad learned behavior. If you eat fast food and trash all the time, it will screw up your taste buds...nothing will be salty enough, nothing tastes right because all the flavor enhancers have messed you up.

My only advice is to cut out the fast food. Period. Until you can get over this, eating that is going to make it worse. (And I have nothing against fast food as a general rule) Take two weeks. Promise yourself you will only eat food made at home that doesn't come from a box. Even if its boring or less than perfect. See what happens. You might be surprised.

I have to agree with this. When I first cut out soda (even diet), fast food, and candy, chips, and other "junk" food, I definitely noticed a difference in how things tasted. I remember later on into my journey when I had a diet iced tea from a convenience store because I was thirsty, I barely got three sips down before I had to toss it. It was WAY too sweet! My tastebuds had changed from my new healthy eating. They will adapt to eating foods that are less processed and with less salt, fat, and sugar.

Also, have you tried fresh herbs or the Mrs. Dash salt free blends? I noticed that a lot of veggies and such that I disliked before just needed to be cooked properly and seasoned. I didn't miss the added calories, salt, fat, and sugar one bit. Good luck!

annasor70

Maybe you should think about going vegetarian if meat is really bothering you? I see you didn't list eggs in your dislike list. What about beans and things like that?

Yes! Maybe try going veggie or vegan? Since you seem to dislike a lot of meat and dairy. I am super healthy on a plant based diet and the food can be imaginative and delicious without costing very much

tikkathyme

The answer probably isn't in finding new recipes or meal ideas, but rather in finding a good therapist that can work with you through this problem. No shame in that. Best of luck to you!

preaser

Have you tried a counselor? Perhaps one can help you work through some of the issues. Good luck!

xinit0

Thanks for those who have actually replied. I do like meat. I do not like tofu or vegetables nearly enough to become vegetarian, but love to substitute beans. So as many of you have requested, here's a list of foods I do like:

I know you're not a fan of veggies, but what about green leafy things; spinach (raw or cooked), romaine, kale, even iceberg lettuce? How about parsley?

I love lettuce. I like romaine too even. Not a huge fan of kale. Spinach I am alright with cooked, but it tastes much better in a smoother I'm sure.

Okay, you're not as crippled as you though. I'm not wild about kale either... mostly thinking about some of the macros like potassium that can be found in the dark greens. Parsley is especially good, so if you can stomach tabbouleh would be good (though you'd likely have to make your own if you don't like onions and tomatoes).

I think the suggestion to "become vegetarian" is the best approach... plan eating as if you were a vegetarian so you can find ways to get your macro nutrients in. Vegetarian cookbooks and recipe sites are typically pretty good at listing nutritional values, so you can start there and add in meat here and there as you wish. I was vegetarian for 5 years, but still ate too much

The one thing it did teach me was to look at what was in my food, and to plan better. I found a lot of new foods as a result, too... so there is that.

dpollet2

It sounds like you could have some sensory issues with smells. First of all, you've listed some foods you can not tolerate in any form, and you've listed some foods you don't prefer. I'd seperate those two lists. If you can't stand something that is quite different than you just don't really like it too much. For instance, you might find that you don't mind kale if it's in a chopped salad mixed with other greens. I think by doing that you will open up your options a little more.

Also you could make a rule that you HAVE to take one bite of every food whenever it's put in front of you. Of course, if you honestly know that the taste or texture of something will make you throw up (and I mean, really and truly throw up) than don't eat it, but if you just think it's gross and you're not going to physically puke on the table, than make yourself take one bite. Some of this is conditioning.

kitka82

Thanks for those who have actually replied. I do like meat. I do not like tofu or vegetables nearly enough to become vegetarian, but love to substitute beans. So as many of you have requested, here's a list of foods I do like:

Oh and by the way, i didn't add eggs to my list, but can't stand their taste and I've had them so many different ways. Just tried quiche the other week (couldn't even tolerate) and an omelet last night that also didn't go over well.

Foods I love:
Avocados
Stir fry (with beef & broccoli, noodles, carrots, soy sauce, that sort of thing)
Most fruits except bananas
yogurt (if there's not fruit chunks, the texture bothers me)
Sam's Club chicken
Rice
Pasta
Hot dogs - beef only
Pesto
Bagels
English Muffins
Sour cream
Cream cheese
Cheese (sharp cheddar, pepperjack)
Ranch (sadly so fatty)
Cucumbers
Tortillas
Potatoes (in any form)
Peanut Butter
Most condiments except mayo & ketchup
Popcorn

Also, for others, here's an article that perfectly describes how it is for me:
http://mealtimehostage.wordpress.com/2012/12/13/picky-eating-vs-selective-eating-disorder/
I have OCD with cleaning BIG time, cannot touch raw meat, and get very anxious when eating socially per my selectiveness. I wanted to start this topic to have someone to relate to and for assistance as it's been a constant struggle for me.

Eat what you like. Focus on lean meats and eggs for protein. Eat the veggies you like. Eat the fruits you like. Brown rice if you can do it. Whole grains if you like them. If 40-30-30 is hard for you to reach (sometimes it is hard for me too), aim for at least 20% protein. Make sure you have a protein source at every meal. The easiest way for me to get my protein is to eat 4-5 times a day.

Don't be quick to label your food preferences with a disorder, especially without seeing a licensed psychiatrist. I think that sometimes we learn to hate foods because of the way they are prepared and presented. And sometimes the texture. I would suggest digging deep and figuring out why you hate all of those foods. You may surprise yourself.

For example, I spent 28 years of my life hating eggs. (I'm 30.) I hated the texture, the smell, and the taste. I did not just hate them--I was convinced that I was allergic because every time I bit into some eggs, I would literally vomit. And now? I have an omelet almost every day. I figured out that I need my eggs to have lots of other stuff in them (meat, veggies, cheese), and to be topped with some kind of sauce. No squishy texture, no smell, no egginess. I now use hot sauce, salsa, greek yogurt, or sometimes ketchup. So it is something you can get over, if you really want to. I could have gone the rest of my life without eggs, but I needed more lean protein in my diet, and I got really sick of chicken and turkey all the time LOL. I still will not touch deviled or hard boiled eggs, but that's okay by me.

I still hate apples, which sucks because I'd really like to keep the doctor away... But there are many other foods out there that you can include on a healthy diet. Focus on what you do like. If you can try other things, great. Good luck.

j724mecham

Have you tried a counselor? Perhaps one can help you work through some of the issues. Good luck!

I really think I need one. One who's familiar with the whole selection eating thing. I'm pretty tired of it and feel like my journey would be easier with the issue. And I'm sure those with ED's feel the same way.

cdqtducks

Suck it up, buttercup. You're acting like a baby.

See. No lecture.

It's called google... search recipes of food you like.

RobinsEgg

I'm glad you're considering going to a counselor. When you're experiencing anxiety in the presence of food, its time.

As far as the issue of losing weight on a limited assortment of food, its possible. I have a lot of dietary restrictions due to taste issues, and I'm doing just fine. Its still a matter of number of calories consumed. As long as you get your protein in, and keep your fats down, the types of food you consume don't matter that much. Take a multivitamin every day.

Don't let the negative, snarky comments get you down! :flowerforyou:

shannashannabobana

Suck it up, buttercup. You're acting like a baby.

See. No lecture.

This gif is amazing.

tikkathyme

There are plenty of counselors out there that will be familiar with this. Just be careful not to self-diagnose to the point that you go in there expecting that what you think this is about is what it's really about.

Speaking from experience, it rarely is! Call for an appointment today so you can get some relief soon!

shannashannabobana

Stir fry (with beef & broccoli, noodles, carrots, soy sauce, that sort of thing)

Live off this for a while. Seriously, when I was a kid my mom had a whole bunch of food allergies and we had stir fry a lot for like a year straight (chicken, rice, squash and zucchini). Of course, as a consequence, my brother and I pretty much hate stir fry now but that's besides the point.

Work with what you like to develop healthy recipies and try to add one thing every so often and see how you tolerate it. From what you said, it sounds pretty mental (I can't think why else you would eat take out beef which has to be terrrible quality over homemade) so a therapist might help as well. Just work around what you like or have it prepared out of your site so you don't think about it too much until you can get stuff worked out mentally.

Graelwyn75

Councelling.
You will not get very far in weight loss or health, in my opinion, with such a limited selection of food likes, especially in terms of protein.
You seem to have only a taste for the unhealthy versions of things, which well. Enough said.

Dora1201

I can understand what you are going through. I went through it with my 2nd pregnancy. The smell of chicken cooking made me sick to my stomach. Yes, I know I was pregnant at the time but its kind of the same thing with you. Have you had your hormone levels tested? Not to scare you but your hormone levels can really change at any time in your life.
Try different foods by introducing them into your diet slowly. You mentioned you like 2 kinds of cheeses. Take some veggies you don't like and add some cheese. If you can tolerate it then each week decrease the amount of cheese you use.
Check out this article. It starts off by talking about pregnancy but continues to explain the aversion to food because of hormonal changes because of other reasons other than pregnancy.
http://www.livestrong.com/article/513923-food-aversions-for-pregnant-women/

avskk

I peeked at a few days of your diary, and it seems like you really eat out or eat pre-packaged food a lot. It also seems that you load up on high-calorie, low-nutrient options instead of high-nutrient, low-cal options -- I saw one lunch "salad" that was basically iceberg lettuce with a bunch of highly processed junk-food "toppings" and a massive portion of ranch. Salads are a great choice, but one salad should not be nearly 800 calories!

I'd suggest trying some healthier versions of things you already eat: swap iceberg lettuce for dark greens, ditch the nuts/seeds/croutons/breads on your salads in favor of tomatoes/cucumber/peppers/olives as toppings, make your burritos at home with some canned black beans/chicken tenderloins/tomato salsa, eliminate burgers entirely as you only like them at unhealthy fast-food joints (or try a variety of veggie burgers at home until you find a brand you like), make oven-baked fries at home instead of hitting up a Carl's Jr. Just generally stop and think before you go out to eat or reach for a packaged, pre-made item -- "What do I like about this? How could I replicate that in a healthier way?"

Also, try logging more accurately. I see a lot of slipshod measurements, quick-added calories, and carelessness with serving sizes in your diary. On a lot of items you're eating three or four times the recommended serving size, measuring it inaccurately with cups instead of weights, vaguely estimating "size" of a portion (a "small" apple or "about half" an avocado), or all three. Watch your portion sizes -- read labels to find out what a portion should be -- and track everything by weight rather than guesswork or volume.

And, finally, I agree with the people who have mentioned counseling. It could really help.

obiegirl

Here are some suggestions that may or may not help, building on the foods you like:

-English muffin with a single slice of pepperjack, half of an avocado and some lettuce. Toast the muffin, melt cheese under broiler.
-English muffin pizzas (open face English muffin, broil, add tomato sauce if you like it, OR pesto and a small amount of cheese
-Sounds strange, but a quesadilla with cheddar cheese and thin sliced apples inside. Maybe the texture wouldn't appeal - in that case, do a quesadilla with cheddar and avocado. Serve with a side of rice and some sliced cucumbers. You could also add spinach to the quesadilla.
-Do sweet potatoes in the crock pot (so easy - put potatoes in with a tbs of water adn leave them on low-medium for 6 hours). You can serve with black beans on top of the sweet potatoes and top with shredded cheddar (or just do the black beans on the side if it bothers you.
-How do you feel about gardenburgers or other veggie "fake meat" proteins? I'll be honest that they're higher in sodium, but it might give you some variety.
-Smoothies made with greek yogurt, fruit, small amount of milk, and some ice. Sneak veggies in if you can. ;-)

A website like All Recipes might be helpful...it's free and lets you get some different ideas using foods that you like.

Also, I second the recommendations provided to find a good therapist who can help you out, or a nutritionist who has experience with this type of issue.

jolybac

I can understand where you're coming from. With my last pregnancy I developed an aversion to chicken. With the pregnancy before that, I developed an allergy to egg yolk (and have always had an aversion to egg whites....a texture thing). I have a texture issue with greek yogurt as well. So, lean proteins can be difficult! I love fish, but its hard to buy quality fish where I live. Lucky for me, I LOVE cottage cheese and ground beef. I have to be careful with chicken, eating it too often in certain forms ("whole" rather than shredded/ground) can bring the aversion on pretty strong (its been 6 years and its getting better).

Going on what you said and looking at your food diary, you like chicken and beef (tri-tip steak sandwich, marie's chicken pot pie, progresso chicken tortilla, Carl's Jr & In-N-Out burgers, etc). You are just very particular about how it is prepared (and I don't think it has to do with how close to hamburger fast food burgers actually are). I know you don't want a lecture and this probably isn't want you want to hear, but part of your problem is you are just picky and like what you like (not to minimize the issue with food aversion, I believe you are dealing with both). I don't think you're alone in that though.

Another thing to consider is your body's physiological reaction to things like sugar and carbs (and based on how much processed food you eat, probably MSG too). Some people can eat these in moderation, some people I believe need to treat it like an addiction (alcoholics don't drink in moderation, they give it up).

If I were in your situation, I would give up ALL sugar, flour & MSG for 2-3 weeks and work with your list of "likes". Experiment with new recipes to expand that list. For example, use lentils in place of ground beef in recipes like tacos, spaghetti sauce, hamburger soup. I make a chicken quinoa stew that could easily be made without chicken (its basically chicken soup with quinoa added). After a few weeks of getting sugar/flour/msg out of your system, reintroduce foods you thought you didn't like and you may have a completely different experience.

cupcakes_and_cardio

2lbs a week? I think that's asking for a little too much. I think you've done great with already losing 4lbs. PATIENCE!!

endoftheside

I am squicked out by more food-related things than a lot of people, and also have supertaster genes, so I understand at least partially where you are coming from.

You need to approach this from a place of acceptance and power. Accept that these quirks affect your choices, but don't let them control you. Take back the power.

I would get a hold of any of the recipes for relatives' food that you like...you need to build up a collection of maybe 20 or so meals you know you can eat.

I suspect that your preference for restaurant food vs. home-cooked can be fixed if you get the right spices. Fast food is extremely salty and usually has a variant of MSG like autolysed yeast extract in it. To make hamburger at home, make sure you are draining it well, and find a spice that covers up the taste or smell that triggers the yuck factor. For me, garlic powder liberally applied can cover it up. Still smell it? Add more. There is an organic lemon pepper that works very well for me in this regard, and certain taco-type seasonings. A select few BBQ sauces can do it as well. I bet if you spend enough time, you can figure out workarounds.

Crockpot = dinner with 5 minute prep time so don't use that as an excuse...find a few go-to recipes and use them.

Raw vegetables have historically been tough for me, but there are hundreds of different vegetables in the store to choose from, and even more if you garden. One of my steps toward healthy eating has been to add a vegetable to every meal. Even if it is a cup of red leaf lettuce that I cram in my mouth before eating my "real" meal, it is something I need to do.

Also, make a commitment to try each food 15 times before you write it off, yes FIFTEEN! I am currently at #2 with swiss chard, a new one for me. blerg. Try things steamed, roasted, boiled, pureed, mashed, etc. and you may surprise yourself.

If you want this to be an excuse, you will make it so. If you are willing to really work on it and face the anxiety/discomfort you will end up in a healthier place closer to your goals. Good luck!! :flowerforyou:

j724mecham

Endoftheside. I really appreciate your feedback. Even if it is selective eating disorder, I am sure the therapy would be exposure. With the whole crock pot thing, I have about 15 minutes to get ready before work. I am not a morning person and am not going to get up earlier to start dinner. Plus, I hate cooking. My husband is the one that cooks and he has meals ready by the time I get home so no need for the crock pot anyways. He's a genius in the kitchen.

My husband makes really good burgers most of the time. I think the biggest thing that helps to eat them is cheese & mustard (yum). It just seems to always be a hit and miss.

I think I just need to be boring with breakfast & lunch and eat about the same thing every day. I actually enjoy that as I don't like variety and would rather have something I know I like and don't have to stress over it.

I wish everyone knew what it's like and have trouble asking for suggestions in these forums. Thanks to all of those who had actual suggestions. To the others, try being told that you have to eat dog poo and see how that goes. That's how badly it is for me sometimes. I know I won't get much pity, but I am trying to open your eyes to how it is sometimes for people whether it be picky or whatever you think. I've tried to educate. I've tried to explain. I think I got enough information to call it good. Thanks.

Ninkyou

My husband makes really good burgers most of the time. I think the biggest thing that helps to eat them is cheese & mustard (yum). It just seems to always be a hit and miss.

Have you tried doing Turkey burgers? It's a much healthier substitute to ground beef. It does taste different, but I think they're pretty tasty, especially with some good seasoning. You could definitely cut your calories with just that alone.

Maybe switch from a white hamburger bun to a wheat bun, or maybe even a potato bun. (I personally prefer potato buns)

I don't think breakfast and lunch have to be boring. What about eggs? Oatmeal? Raisin Bran cereal?
Do you drink milk? If you do, think about cutting back from, for example, 2% to 1%. It takes a while to get used to, but it's doable. I went from 2% to 1% over a month, and then down from 1% to Skim. And I don't miss it at all.
Just some things to think about.

I also agree with previous posters, watch your portion sizes AND serving sizes. Cut out the fast food. If you can't do that, cut it down to once a week.

shannashannabobana

I know I won't get much pity

It's just a problem that is outside most people's personal experience so they are baffled. But since you gave us a list of foods you do like, it actually includes a lot of things. Just...eat those. I mean, what else can you say. Exposure to things little by little (cooked in different ways) is probably the most reasonable course of action if you want to expand your list of acceptable foods.

magerum

First world problem

RM10003

Smoothies with lots of fruit and some yogurt and almond milk

Sandwiches with lettuce and tomato

It sounds like you may do yourself a favor if you get a really massive cookbook from the library and just start trying things. Try "Vegetarian cooking for everyone" by Deborah Madison, or a basic Betty Crocker cookbook.

I will second the Deborah Madison book recommendation.

mitfam

If you had a health problem like celiac disease or diabetes, you'd be proactive and serious about modifying your diet, right? Treat your taste sensitivity the same way, and you might be pleasantly surprised at all the healthy things you can enjoy.

Good luck!

I have to agree with this, being diabetic myself. It's proving very hard to diet to lose weight and maintain normal BG levels. I have given up so many times in the past but I must not. Honestly it is all about lifestyle changes and that means perhaps getting up 15 mins earlier to prepare lunch for the day and/or cooking at the weekend in batches, meals for the rest of the week and freezing them.
Have you tried soya "meat". Apologies if this has been suggested.
Best of luck though.

rmkramer003

You mentioned in your first post that you like some foods as long as they were in meals that are highly seasoned. You might try looking into some ethnic cook books (Indian, Chinese, Mexican, etc.) and see if that helps. There is a way to train your taste buds to accept foods you don't like, but you should definitely see a nutritionist/dietician to try it if you have that hard a time with most foods.

pobalita

I'm going to try not to give you a lecture, but I see a lot of self-justification in your post for eating crap foods - no time, you don't like to cook, no money for groceries, you have a (self diagnosed) disorder, you don't want to get up early to plug in the crock pot. You really aren't going to meet your goals until you decide to give up most of the garbage. (Note, I didn't say all.) You need to put in the effort to do that.

You listed a lot of foods that you do like. Find recipes for those, avoiding the processed garbage and fast food. This is not impossible, but it does take effort. There are a lot of people on this site who deal with dietary restrictions whether they are health related or self imposed (my diet is vegan) - they key is picking out the best possible choices in that subset of food that you can/will/choose to eat.

Here's one you can laugh at: my diet is vegan, but I loathe fruit. I have an absolute phobia of it and can't eat anything that even touched fruit. Considering I don't eat meat, egg, or dairy either, that makes my food choices probably as limited as yours. I can still find reasonable meals that are healthy and balanced.

I don't mean to be harsh in what I pointed out above. You need to put in the effort because no one else can do it for you.

shadus

I'm ok with it from fast food (obviously because it's not real ground beef).

Having worked fast food as a youth and done a fair amount of research on it for my own eating purposes, I can assure you, ground beef from fast food places... is ground beef except when there is a colossal screw up, it's just very fatty ground beef. You can duplicate it at home perfectly if you care to and have a flat clamshell grill. McDonalds for instance is 100% beef, they don't even use a binder.

Don't let dietary limitations derail your progress. You can literally eat 100% fat or sugar and lose weight as long as you keep the calories correct... it's not healthy, but it still works.

A low fat item you can try if you like veggies is greek yogurt, packet of dill dip (hidden valley) ... mix em, bang great low cal, high protein dip perfect for veggies.

Remember: People lose weight and remain healthy with far more restricted diets than yours-- vegan, atkins, juice diets, etc. Figure it out