Fussy eater

leeds230

Hi all, I'm new to the board. I have been half trying to lose weight or maintain my weight for quite some time now and it just always yo-yo's. I don't really do much in the way of exercise - I walk to and from my car into work every day, which is a journey of 5 minutes (so 10 minutes in total) and have to climb 3 flights of stairs to get to the office. Most days I don't tend to move from my desk as I am a medical secretary and don't have a huge need to go downstairs all the time. Today for example I went downstairs to the next floor once and back and then down to the bottom floor and back once with obviously going down the 3 flights to go home later. After that I drive to my childminder's house to pick up my son before going home, putting everything away and then sitting in front of the tv for pretty much the rest of the day and night. Unfortunately I have no motivation, or little anyway, and I therefore find it very hard to be bothered to get up and go for a walk etc. I am very tight on money as well so don't do any exercise classes and do not belong to a gym.

With regards to food, I am very fussy in that I don't eat fruit or veg - except strawberries, potatoes and carrots. I don't make food from scratch very often and realise that I eat too many potatoes. I struggle most days to know what to have - I don't plan ahead and therefore some days I even go without tea because I just can't decide what to have. Weekend eating is dreadful for me as I don't tend to eat much until tea-time and I eat too much rubbish-y stuff like chocolate and biscuits to snack on between meals.

After weighing myself at the weekend, although I wasn't shocked, I did think I've got to do something because I came to nearly 200 lb and that is not really where I want or should be.

Has anyone got any tips for fussy eaters and people who aren't keen on trying new things (at all pretty much)? Be prepared for me to say I don't like that when most of the time I haven't tried things!

Francl27

I'd say just eat what you like, just less. Also, do you really not like fruit and veggies, or do you just don't care for them? I don't care for veggies really, but I make myself eat them, as they fill me up for less calories than other things. Or I find some ways of making them better (I made a cauliflower gratin last night that was delicious, for example).

mccindy72

Hi all, I'm new to the board. I have been half trying to lose weight or maintain my weight for quite some time now and it just always yo-yo's. I don't really do much in the way of exercise - I walk to and from my car into work every day, which is a journey of 5 minutes (so 10 minutes in total) and have to climb 3 flights of stairs to get to the office. Most days I don't tend to move from my desk as I am a medical secretary and don't have a huge need to go downstairs all the time. Today for example I went downstairs to the next floor once and back and then down to the bottom floor and back once with obviously going down the 3 flights to go home later. After that I drive to my childminder's house to pick up my son before going home, putting everything away and then sitting in front of the tv for pretty much the rest of the day and night. Unfortunately I have no motivation, or little anyway, and I therefore find it very hard to be bothered to get up and go for a walk etc. I am very tight on money as well so don't do any exercise classes and do not belong to a gym.

With regards to food, I am very fussy in that I don't eat fruit or veg - except strawberries, potatoes and carrots. I don't make food from scratch very often and realise that I eat too many potatoes. I struggle most days to know what to have - I don't plan ahead and therefore some days I even go without tea because I just can't decide what to have. Weekend eating is dreadful for me as I don't tend to eat much until tea-time and I eat too much rubbish-y stuff like chocolate and biscuits to snack on between meals.

After weighing myself at the weekend, although I wasn't shocked, I did think I've got to do something because I came to nearly 200 lb and that is not really where I want or should be.

Has anyone got any tips for fussy eaters and people who aren't keen on trying new things (at all pretty much)? Be prepared for me to say I don't like that when most of the time I haven't tried things!

Kind of silly for you to ask these questions, if your answer is that you haven't tried things. How can you say you don't like any fruits or vegetables? There are hundreds of kinds of each, and I doubt that you don't like any of them. Stop eating the food you know is crap and try some new foods.
That being said, if you are gaining weight, it's because you are eating too many calories. If you cut what you are currently eating to fewer calories than you burn, you will lose weight.
If you want to be able to eat more and still lose weight, find a veggie that you like and eat a lot of it. Vegetables are very low calorie.

Katla49

If you keep doing the same old things, you will continue to get the same old results. You have to decide you want to make changes and then follow through in order to improve your health and reduce your weight. There is a lot of support here if you decide to make changes. It is up to you. Good luck.

rockmama72

Do you like pizza? Make one at home and pile the vegetables on. A little cheese on top helps. Also, experiment with soups--very easy to make for the non-cook. I make a "cream" soup by boiling the heck out of broccoli stems (in broth and water) and then I purée it in a food processor, add a little milk and some more broccoli.

Seajolly

When I first started eating healthy, I also didn't like vegetables either. In fact as a kid and teenager, I barely ate any vegetables or fresh fruit. When I became committed to my health I knew that I had to force myself to eat them to be healthier. At first, it was tough, but then my palette changed and now I LOVE fresh fruits and vegetables so much! When you're used to eating unhealthy, processed food and lots of sweets, your palette is used to that. But by incorporating other foods, your tastes will change. The body is pretty amazing! Maybe try 1 new veg or fruit a day? You might be surprised to find new foods you like!

As for exercise - everyone has their excuses for not doing something. Even the richest people also make excuses for not working out. So don't use money as an excuse. Walking is free. You can start with that and slowly increase to other activities. Where do you live? Do you have a lululemon store near you? It's a yoga/exercise clothing company, and I ask because they do free yoga classes every Sunday and often will hold other free classes during the week too. You could also rent exercise DVD's from the library, or YouTube workouts as well if you'd rather exercise at home. Any little thing you can do helps!

caffeinekandie

I'm a fussy eater, but you know what? I'm an adult and I need to be healthy. I'm not big on fruit (I don't like sweet things) but I eat it a few times a week. With veggies, well I love most veggies but I even eat ones I don't like that much (peas and carrots) because its good to have variety. I just eat them with things I do like.

The first time I lost weight I did it because I taught myself to cook-which then backfired as I soon also learned to cook a lot of bad things. Maybe find a food blog/recipe book that intrigues you (and has nutritional information) and start with recipes that have ingredients that you like to get some new ideas. Often foods you don't like are just foods you don't like prepared one way. I hate boiled veggies now because I love steamed or roasted veggies so much more.

Could you take a walk with your son? Make it part of his routine and something the two of you do together. Maybe to a playground. Lots of adults will use a children's playground as a gym for themselves as we (body weight exercises). I believe nerd fitness has a plan for a playground workout.

I started moving more by blasting music and dancing in my living room. Now that I'm back at a gym, I still try to dance around my living room everyday because it gets my body moving and I love the music. This is also something you can do with your son if you want (I remember doing that with my mom when she came back from her runs, she'd blast her fave music and we'd dance around the living room-even now when I visit her we do it!)

NinjaJinja

I think I'm a lot like you. About 200 lbs, always been a picky eater, not that interested in exercise, do nothing all day (only I have an even shorter walk and no stairs to climb). Anyway, in order to try to make this sustainable for myself I resolved to not do too much too fast. Completely changing my diet and starting an exercise routine all at one overwhelms me and causes me to fail. So my advice to you is to just try recording what you normally eat and try to eat less of it. (I'm not good at recording what I normally eat and not eating less of it at the same time, lol.) Anyway so once you get pretty good at doing that you might want to start looking into new recipes, or teaching yourself to like new foods.

I am personally someone who prefers to eat meat over eating vegetables and fruit. I've been slowly teaching myself to like more vegetables. I've taught myself to like onions, yellow squash, corn, beans, rice, spinach, etc. Also along the way I've definitively put some foods in the dislike category: mushrooms and pineapple for instance. I still don't particularly like fruit, but seeing as how they are mostly used in sweets it hasn't been terribly hard to avoid them, lol.

Anyway - start small, make sure you can maintain it, and then start exploring slowly and see if you can't teach yourself to like more things.

leeds230

Thank you very much. My other major problem in life is that I have been in a crap job for 4/5 years now, I hate it and am trying to find a way out at the moment. My self confidence has been very low for a long time, possibly for longer than me being in this job. I think the way I feel in my head is a big issue for my comfort eating etc. My weight is something I do want to change but is in amongst a lot of other things as well, which I think is why I find things hard.

I don't really care for vegetables - I have tried some but just don't like the ones I've tried. I'm not fussed on peas but will eat them, I don't like swede or broccoli, cabbage or cauliflower (that's all I can think of at the moment). Fruits - I don't like oranges, not keen on apples, I don't mind peaches, again can't think of anything else at the moment.

Yes to pizza though we have recently acquired a brand new asda with a pizza counter and I find every time I go to asda I want a pizza. I don't always have veg on top tho - I will have mushrooms and don't mind pineapple but not too keen on the latter.

I think I will have to force myself to have more fruit and veg as that could be the only way to help myself.

I live in Worcester, UK but have never heard of the store you mentioned. I have got a couple of games for my husband's Xbox - Zumba and dance but don't often use them as I find I'm just not very motivated.

farfromthetree

Looking at the responses you received, you have gotten some great advice! I hope you use it. Try "dressing up" your veggies until you get used to them. For example I make chopped spinach and add sesame oil, soy sauce and a little garlic. It is awesome this way!!
I feel like you already have a "defeatest" attitude. Try and have a positive sttitude, and look to your child for motivation!

megsmom2

Stop identifying yourself as a "fussy eater". Grow up and eat some veg with your meals. Walk around the block before you sit in front of your tv.

this. maybe a tad harsh..but this. "I don't like veg" is not much of an excuse....there are tons of ways to cook veggies that I'm pretty sure you've never considered. Or hide them in sauces and soups. You may surprise yourself. A "poor me" attitude just means you've already beaten yourself.

AprilLizbethWire

Unfortunately, in order to lose weight and keep it off you are going to have to incorporate some life changes. It's unrealistic to expect different results from the same routine.

I often wonder what "fussy eaters" would have done back in the day when all these different food options weren't available to us. Die of starvation?

If exercise and diet are too much for your to change all at once, start with one or the other. If it were me - I would start with food. You get more full per calorie when you eat healthier foods. I would suggest trying to introduce one new fruit or veggie into your diet at a time. Wait until you get used to it, then add another. If you REALLY don't think you could try a few more fruits or veggies, then maybe just try some portion control with what you do like to eat. Do you eat much meat? You could try lean meats like chicken or fish. Try to plan balanced meals ahead - smart grocery shopping (looking for sales and buying in bulk, meal planning for the week) will help keep your grocery bill low.

After you feel comfortable with your diet changing, start adding a walk in the evenings or something like that. I don't really want to afford a gym membership either, but I invested in some free weights and a 100 dollar treadmill (craigslist) so I can exercise at my own pace at home. Plus I like to watch TV while I walk or run.

I'm not sure what advice to offer for lack of motivation. The scale is usually enough motivation for me. Looks like it was enough motivation for you to at least start thinking about your health. I find I become blind to how I look or feel when I don't weigh myself every day. Most people go with once a week though.

You should start with making small permanent changes. The first thing that has to change is your mind, though.

"I will lose weight. In order to do that I need to be a bit more active or make some healthier meal choices."

tapirfrog

Be prepared for me to say I don't like that when most of the time I haven't tried things!

Then there is absolutely nothing I can say or do that will help you.

You're trying to build a new life with all-familiar materials. Nope. Won't happen. If new things scare you off, then you are scared of the new life you're trying to get.

TavistockToad

You're not motivated? Look at your child... Get motivated....

leeds230

Thank you farfromthetree - you are right in that I already have a defeatest attitude but I find that my work issues and a recent family bereavement have added to my already existing attitude about things.

Ninjajinja - it's good to have some things in common with people when it comes to weight and loss and food likes/dislikes but I agree, doing things all at once can be daunting so doing things in smaller steps are better.

I probably ought to get out more with my son too - whilst I'm at work he goes out all the time with his childminder then when I come home we stay indoors, can't be much fun for him. We have a park that's not too far away - dependent on the weather of course as it's been awful here lately. I am part of a vocal contemporary group and standing still is not usually our "thing", though again my confidence tends to get in the way. We also have a major event coming up soon which is a world premiere for musical theatre - not sure I'm allowed to say much more at the moment but there will be something in the local and national press at the end of month.

peachstategal

It sounds like you know exactly what you need to change! Now, all it takes is motivation to do so. You could deliberately go up and down the stairs several times a day for a workout. Then, you just have to make better choices about what you eat. As someone else said, there are so many choices of fruits and vegetables, it would be difficult not to have more variety in your menu. If you don't buy the chocolates and biscuits, you won't eat them. Finally, you need to set a good example for your son.

Wishing you well and hope your journey will be a good one.

MeanderingMammal

..... I'm just not very motivated.

Only one person can help you here.

What do you want to achieve, and what will success look like to you?

Once you've answered that question you can move on to how to reach that goal.

Fundamentally if you want to lose weight then you need to consume less energy than you expend over a reasonable period of time, and do so in a sustainable way so that you stay where you end up.

MysteriousMerlin

You're gonna have to "woman" up. I'd suggest starting small. Try something you never thought you'd like, or something you didn't like as a kid. You'd be surprised what you'll find you like now.

You don't have to make everything from scratch to eat healthy. You simply need to make better choices. I stopped buying canned beans when I found frozen beans, as the frozen beans have a mere 10 g of sodium. Same price, and they're super easy to add to any hot dish for a boost of fiber and yummy beany goodness.

Ninkyou

This will probably sound harsh, but please don't take it that way....

I hear alot of excuses. I don't like this, I don't like that, I don't want to walk, I'm lazy, blah blah blah. You know what? We all have things we don't like, and yes, most of us like to laze about at some point. You need to stop making excuses. Instead of focusing on the stuff you don't like, focus on the stuff you do. If you like potatoes, by all means, eat potatoes, but you need to fit them into your caloric needs. If you like carrots, eat the carrots. But fit them into your daily caloric needs. If you want pizza, eat the damn pizza. But you sure as hell have to make sure you fit it into your daily caloric needs. Once you've gotten to the point where you can fit things you like in your day nicely, then try incorporating the things you don't like. Try every single vegetable prepared 10 different ways before you decide you don't like it. On days that you work, eat your lunch and then go walk around the office building. You're not there for social hour anyway, and it doesn't take a full hour (or even 30 minutes) to eat your food. Take your kid out for a walk in the evening before bath & bedtime. Set goals for yourself and stick to them. And.... stop with the excuses.

leeds230

Thank you so much for replying everyone. I will aim to pick a vegetable and see if I can incorporate that into a meal/food that I do like to see if I can get used to the taste and like it... Or at least try that way of going about things anyway.

silver_arrow3

You came to the wrong place for motivation. MFP can provide inspiration and support, but the motivation has to be something from within. I suggest you start small. Perhaps get a pedometer (I'm sure you can find them pretty cheap - my mom got one from saving up proof of purchases from cereal boxes) and set small goals such as "take 1000 steps today." Once you accomplish that goal, try for something bigger.

As for food, I suggest you just try new things. If you were a picky eater as a child, those habits tend to carry on to adulthood, though you may not actually still dislike things.

It really is as simple as calories in vs calories out. Move around and burn more calories than you consume and you'll lose weight.