Fussy eater

Seajolly

Thank you very much for your welcome and reply

I have thought about cycling to and from work but it is difficult in that 1) I don't have a bike and 2) I only have a 30 min window to fetch my son who I have to pick up from his childminder and because she is a distance, albeit small, from me - about 10 mins drive, I don't feel its feasible to cycle the journey, it's just easier to drive! She does however live in an area that has a lot of cycle/walk paths, problem is I'd get lost going along the routes, they are massive and unless you live around them it is very easy to get lost!

The butternut squash sound interesting, I think I may have even seen a similar recipe somewhere.

I'm sorry but saying "I'd get lost along the routes" is a really really poor excuse. You could always test out the routes on a weekend when you don't have to worry about getting lost, since you won't be under a time crunch. Do you have a phone that you can load maps up on? Or bring an old fashioned map with you in case you get lost. If you'd rather drive, that's fine, just say that. But saying something like "I'd get lost" is a really poor excuse. I want to support you, and I hope you find lots of encouragement here, but you're really going to need to step out of your comfort zone if you want change. You can't expect new results when you're stuck in your old routine/habits. Maybe it's tough for you to find time to go cycling during the work week, but what about the weekend?

leeds230

Yeah, see, you know the answers! Have fun with your son. Do you smoke? I ask because that was 100% my nasty cough and breathlessness issues.
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No to the smoking, never have, never will. There have been various coughs and colds in our family over Christmas and my son and I have just been sharing in a circle!

leeds230

How about walking for exercise.... have a friend or hubby walk with you. Do you like smoothies? Low fat yogurt and fruit is a great sweety without a lot of calories. I've beern to Leeds, loved it. You have better winter weather than we have here in PA,usa,but I love to walk out side. Doing an exercise class with mates might be fun. Hate to exercise at home alone. I do ride my exerbike while I watch tv in the evening... I forget im moving my legs... i get so caught up in the show! I just kep going. Then when the adverts come on I pedal faster till they are over.

Don't be discouraged...best of luck.

Thanks for your response. Leeds is a very nice city but I don't live there, I just support the football team!

leeds230

Exercise-wise, having a concrete goal to get you up and moving can be helpful. If I'm not mistaken, Worcester Race for Life is on the 6th July. You have more than enough time between now and then to be able to do a couch to 5k programme to be able to cover the distance - start by building up walking, and work up to jogging/running. (And I know you've said it's raining a lot at the moment - that's true, but it's OK to get rained on; you just come home and change.) I'm not surprised you're feeling breathless and generally run down at the moment since you're physically carrying around a fair bit of extra weight, and your mood sounds pretty low, too - but I think you'll find that if you get some exercise into your daily routine, you'll start to feel a lot better about life.

I must admit I've thought about the race for life for the last few years but just never done it, partly due to my self esteem. I can't bare the thought of doing it alone (I don't really have a great friend network) and everyone looking at me but as I say I'm just very self-conscious. It gets in the way of so much but I am getting to the stage where I know I've got to do something about it.

leeds230

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I'm sorry but saying "I'd get lost along the routes" is a really really poor excuse. You could always test out the routes on a weekend when you don't have to worry about getting lost, since you won't be under a time crunch. Do you have a phone that you can load maps up on? Or bring an old fashioned map with you in case you get lost. If you'd rather drive, that's fine, just say that. But saying something like "I'd get lost" is a really poor excuse. I want to support you, and I hope you find lots of encouragement here, but you're really going to need to step out of your comfort zone if you want change. You can't expect new results when you're stuck in your old routine/habits. Maybe it's tough for you to find time to go cycling during the work week, but what about the weekend?
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I don't own a bike. Sorry for the excuse about getting lost along the routes. I find the routes a bit intimidating if I'm honest as most of them are away from the road and surrounded by trees and hedges meaning it's not ideal for a woman on her own, I would say anyway. I know I need to get out of my comfort zone, I am finding that with my work/career as well - but that's another story!

MB_Positif

Sigh. JWTOMNF

Seajolly

I don't own a bike. Sorry for the excuse about getting lost along the routes. I find the routes a bit intimidating if I'm honest as most of them are away from the road and surrounded by trees and hedges meaning it's not ideal for a woman on her own, I would say anyway. I know I need to get out of my comfort zone, I am finding that with my work/career as well - but that's another story!

Well any little thing you can do is a step in the right direction, so focus on the small steps you can do everyday to increase your activity level and healthy eating. :flowerforyou:

helenj1986

I don't understand how you can "make yourself" like food you simply don't like! I don't like 90% of vegetables ,I would rather just not eat them than force something down my throat I hate. I would dread mealtimes if I knew a plate of steaming horrible veg was coming my way .It would make me completely miserable and give up on dieting. Eating food you don't like just seems crazy to me!!

MeanderingMammal

I don't understand how you can "make yourself" like food you simply don't like! I don't like 90% of vegetables ,I would rather just not eat them than force something down my throat I hate. I would dread mealtimes if I knew a plate of steaming horrible veg was coming my way .It would make me completely miserable and give up on dieting. Eating food you don't like just seems crazy to me!!

Personally I find statements like this complete nonsense. Given the huge diversity or flavours, textures, and options with fruit and veg I find it difficult to believe that someone would dislike all, or nearly all, of those. Even a single type of fruit or veg can have a range of flavours and textures; apples have hundreds of possible varieties as a very basic example.

There are also a whole range of ways to prepare them; boiled, steamed, grilled, roast and that's even before one considers blending and mixing in a sauce.

WhiskyMania

What do you eat in a typical day?

This might be overly personal, but you're not depressed, are you? You sound it!

rockmama72

Food for thought... Did I hate the boiled green beans my mom used to serve? Yes. Do I love the fresh green beans that I cook with a slice of bacon, an onion, and a splash of balsamic vinegar? OH yes. Expand your horizons.

seltzermint555

Do you like pizza? Make one at home and pile the vegetables on. A little cheese on top helps.

I think this is a great idea. Yesterday I was craving French bread pizza. I would have been happy with a partial loaf topped by some tomato sauce and cheese...lots of cheese...

But my husband, who is more of a veggie lover than I am, made the sauce (low sodium) and added in tons of diced zucchini, onion & garlic and then we topped our pizzas first with chunks of red & white onion, bell pepper, and sliced mushrooms...added just a small amount of mozzarella to the top. It was DELICIOUS. No less delicious than it would have been w/ just cheese as I probably would have made it if I were on my own.

megsmom2

I don't understand how you can "make yourself" like food you simply don't like! I don't like 90% of vegetables ,I would rather just not eat them than force something down my throat I hate. I would dread mealtimes if I knew a plate of steaming horrible veg was coming my way .It would make me completely miserable and give up on dieting. Eating food you don't like just seems crazy to me!!

Personally I find statements like this complete nonsense. Given the huge diversity or flavours, textures, and options with fruit and veg I find it difficult to believe that someone would dislike all, or nearly all, of those. Even a single type of fruit or veg can have a range of flavours and textures; apples have hundreds of possible varieties as a very basic example.

There are also a whole range of ways to prepare them; boiled, steamed, grilled, roast and that's even before one considers blending and mixing in a sauce.

totally this. totally.

Annie_01

Here is a beginners walking tape...takes about 18 minutes. It can be cold outside...pouring down rain...doesn't matter.

Your son could do it with you...turn it in to a game...use you imagination but especially let him use his.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkDYbmc1xz4

I don't know old he is but most young children like to do this song...you could do it with him...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ka7d-13iWbA

You don't have to leave your home...you don't have to worry about the weather...just move.

As far as food...I love pasta...I love pizza...I love crackers...I eat them all and I still manage to lose about 2lbs a week.

We all have had events in our lives that we could use for an excuse...ya gotta love yourself enough to get rid of the excuses.

I always say...a pity party got me here to where I am...It is time for the party to end. A pity party won't get you to where you want to be.

sue_stef

if you know how to heat food you know enough to know how to cook cooking is not as hard as many people assume.
If you can boil water and fry and egg and put a pizza in the oven and take it out before it is burned you know enough to cook decently

For fruits it is all about selection and picking them when they are ripe but not gone bad
apples come in huge varieties and a range of flavors and textures
I like mine crisp and pretty sweet so I do not eat Granny Smiths
I like Honey Crisp and Jonagold and Pink Lady however the BEST apple ever is called Ambrosia

For grapes pick the larger size grapes to get nice sweet ones instead of bitter ones I like green grapes

you can basically eat whatever you want and lose weight so long as you are realistic about portions unless you have health restrictions

I have health restrictions Diabetic with high blood pressure
so out goes sugar and salt

ok ok they are kept to a minimum

As for exercise walking
it is free
I use the Leslie Sansone videos on You Tube
there are TONS of classes on you tube that are all free and will get you up off the couch and moving
do you have an Xbox360 or a Wii?
if so get you and your son some fun get up and move games I play those with my 9 yr old

walk to the store
walk in your kitchen
get a pedometer or if you have a smartphone download an app for free

to get my vegetables I chose the least objectionable one I could tolerate
spinach it tastes like next to nothing especially if you mix it with onions and tomatoes
here is how I cook it

a small frying pan
I spray the pan with extra light olive oil
chop up the onions (if you like onion rings you will like this) I cook those till they get a little bit clear
I chop up a roma tomato and put that in the pan and turn off the heat once the tomato is a bit mushy I then rip up a handful of spinach I started out with 10 leafs and increased them every time I ate to deal with the texture I pinch off the stems and eat only the leaves stir it you just want them warm not mush

add in a little garlic and serve the veg with noodles or rice or couscous or quinoa add in some meat or beans and cheese you do not notice you have just eaten vegetables and it fills you up

I know you say you do not like them but try them
there are tons of ways to cook them just start small with something and go for it
another idea is to check out the sneaky vegetables recipes online
no excuses!

leeds230

What do you eat in a typical day?

This might be overly personal, but you're not depressed, are you? You sound it!

Biscuits at work are my breakfast but not until around 10.30am (I don't get up to give myself time for breakfast in the morning purely because I want more sleep and when I do get up I'm then busy getting food bags ready, getting myself and my son sorted to get out of the house by 8am).
Dinner consists of either white bread or crackers maybe, depends how I feel possibly with a packet of crisps and maybe a chocolate bar but dinner really does consist of whatever I fancy and whatever I've bought from shopping so can vary quite a bit.
I usually go home and snack on whatever I find.
Tea will consist again of a variety of things dependent on how I feel, what I fancy and if I need something quick before going out - usually chicken or fish with some form of potato most of the time.

I haven't been diagnosed as depressed. I saw my GP before Christmas due to problems I was having at work and got signed off for a month with "stress at work". I have considered counselling and still may go down that avenue if need be due to continuing problems at work.

leeds230

Thanks Annie and Sue.

My son will be 3 next month. He takes after his mum in that he likes music so dancing to something round the living room could be a good idea for us both.

My husband has also suggested recently that, because we tend to waste some bread each week for various reasons, why not walk to the canal nearby - maybe 20-30 mins walk from here, and feed the ducks.

Sue - we have an Xbox, though I don't know how to use it as much as my husband, I find the sensor frustrating, I found the Wii sensor much easier to control. I have a couple of games - dance and Zumba - for the Xbox so have those to try. I think I'll look for the Leslie Sansone videos as they've been recommended by a few people now.

Thanks x

WhiskyMania

What do you eat in a typical day?

This might be overly personal, but you're not depressed, are you? You sound it!

Biscuits at work are my breakfast but not until around 10.30am (I don't get up to give myself time for breakfast in the morning purely because I want more sleep and when I do get up I'm then busy getting food bags ready, getting myself and my son sorted to get out of the house by 8am).
Dinner consists of either white bread or crackers maybe, depends how I feel possibly with a packet of crisps and maybe a chocolate bar but dinner really does consist of whatever I fancy and whatever I've bought from shopping so can vary quite a bit.
I usually go home and snack on whatever I find.
Tea will consist again of a variety of things dependent on how I feel, what I fancy and if I need something quick before going out - usually chicken or fish with some form of potato most of the time.

I haven't been diagnosed as depressed. I saw my GP before Christmas due to problems I was having at work and got signed off for a month with "stress at work". I have considered counselling and still may go down that avenue if need be due to continuing problems at work.

I think it'd probably do you good to investigate further with your doctor, if you've just had a month of due to stress. You know what you need to do to get healthy, I think your problem is probably deeper than learning to like apples

pobalita

I think maybe you should re-read your posts and look at all the excuses you've made for yourself - you are a fussy eater, you don't have the means to exerscise, it's too cold to go out, you don't like the video game controller. I'm not trying to be mean....I'm just pointing out what you've been writing yourself.

Now...take two or three of those negatives and make a list of little changes that you can make to overcome them and commit to it. Once you get the ball rolling, it will be easier and less intimidating. You can do it if you start making plans rather than excuses.


editied to add: if you don't believe it, please read my profile. I was there too. I practice what I preach.

ZeroTX

I tell you what annoys me, your two comments which are ridiculously unhelpful and very intimidating for a beginner, people have to start somewhere she's here and asking for help, so stop lurking/trolling and give some advice if you've got some.

Yeah, I have some advice: Eat what you need and/or should and stop being a whiny little complainer. I'm sorry if that's "intimidating." Maybe a little directness is what some people need. These are the same people who won't take medicine they need, because they "don't like how it tastes," or sit at a table rudely not eating, because they don't like "green stuff" or insert whatever other petty dislike of specific foods they have.

Get over it. Be an adult. Sorry if that is intimidating. If people aren't willing to take the steps they need to take, then they don't deserve the results -- myself included!