Another picky eater - no lectures please (long post)

Like you OP I have always been an extremely picky eater, but as I've grown older I've found more and more things to like. Your list of foods you like is much longer than mine, yet I find enough food to eat that it's a struggle not to keep going over my macros ;-)

5 years ago the thought of peanut butter made me gag...but once I discovered crunchy and whole nut I was hooked Also olives, baked beans, broccoli were not part of my diet barely 3 years ago.

It also sounds like you're a bit of a fast food addict from your post...you need to wean yourself off that rubbish asap. If fast food 'meat' tastes better than home cooked there is a problem.

I generally ignore the 40/40/30 split as it doesn't work for me. I grew up eating carbs, am a carbaholic and athlete so I'm happy with 50 carbs and 20 protein as that is what is realistic for me.

I agree with Ron that this is a mental disorder. My son and wife have struggled with their son for 15 years trying to help him to eat better. He is not overweight. Loves carbs, but plain, no butter, jam, gravy . A lot of his seems to be texture sensitive. My DIL literally fed him one grain of rice at a time to get him to eat it. He likes wild rice rather than white but only a little. Would not eat chocolate as a child, now that was not a bad thing. Then I think he discovered the sugar content in it so now will eat it. They try to keep relatively healthy snacks in the house because he could live on packaged snacks. He eats only certain things at certain restaurants, not usually many veggies except raw carrots, a bit of lettuce.

Most "normal" people can not understand this problem and so therefore the suggestions they give you will not usually work. Try to find someone in the medical field, if you can, that can help.

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.

Have you tried behavior modification therapy? This sounds like a phobia just like those that affect people who are paralyzingly scared of spiders or cats or other people. Maybe exposure and the right therapist will help.

I am a bit of a foodie, so I feel awful for you that so many foods bother you! Especially if it is a new thing. I noticed you like raw carrots, if you want a sweet treat that is super healthy and low cal, one of my favorite things to do is grate carrots and apples into a bowl with a squeeze of lemon (sometimes I add a half teaspoon of sugar).

Try adding grated celery and grated fennel bulb to that. It's a great combo.

I read the article you posted and it somewhat describes me too. I cannot stand the texture of "crunchy" in something that's supposed to be smooth (fruit in yogurt, celery in pasta salad). Texture is crippling to me because it takes so many healthy foods out of my reach. I sympathize with you on bananas, I gag if I eat one and then think about the texture. People tell me to get over it all the time, but it's not something I can control. I wish I could point you in a direction but I am almost as lost as you are. One thing I can suggest is Hidden Veggie and Garden Delight pasta by Ronzoni. It has a serving of veggies in each serving of pasta, so it might help some with nutrients you would otherwise avoid.

Add me as a friend if you want to, and let me know if you have gotten any other good advice that I can use.

Good luck, and keep your chin up, we can do this.

Echo

Im the exact same way. I don't put celery in things, but I like it raw with dip. I don't like veggies on subs, the combo grosses me out. Things like that. It sucks, but its the way I am. I pisses me off when you get people saying to suck it up and learn to eat it. No. It doesn't work that way. We are all different and like different things. I don't eat stir-fries, I don't eat any veggies cooked, I don't like soup with veggies in it. I will not suck it up and learn to eat it. And yet, I'm not a baby.

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

I agree!

With that said, "selective eating disorder" isn't in the DSM and cannot be diagnosed, but it might be treated by a therapist similar to a phobia. Systematic desensitization can be helpful, which many of the kind people before me have mentioned when suggesting that you begin incorporating things gradually into your diet that you have refused to eat. If you have serious anxiety problems, therapy and medication might be helpful. Any time a problem is interferring with your social or emotional funcitoning it is wise to seek professional help outside of an online community forum.

Do keep in mind that even the best counselor can't help someone who doesn't want to help themselves. I'm a counselor, and I've tried. When someone finally hits "rock bottom" they'll be willing to try practically anything, including a crockpot and an earlier bedtime.

Best of luck!

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

Thank you for pointing out the burger thing. When I read that line in the OP I knew this was definitely a mental thing more than anything.

OP it seems to me you just like foods that are way high on salt and fat. If you want to change then you should work on cutting those out. As many people have said, your tastes will change over time if you eliminate these things. I can also add my voice that they do as well. I used to eat fast food at least once a day and I used to LOVE the stuff. After dieting for a year and not eating any FF, I finally had some again and it made me physically ill. Didn't matter what it was - Taco Bell, McDonalds, etc. All of them just way too greasy/salty for me. And I definitely don't have that same "OMG DELICIOUS" feeling while eating them so it's not like getting sick is worth it :P

So I agree with others -- you are being way too drama queen and not taking responsibility. Make the effort to change your diet, or possibly see a therapist if you really can't make yourself because to me it's all mental.

I think there were a lot of positive suggestions given. I hope some of them will meet your needs.
We need to remember that EVERYONE is different and really, no two bodies are exactly alike.

I read somewhere, long ago, that some people have enough hydrochloric acid in their stomachs
to kill a normal person, whereas some people have hardly any. ( Who knows where we read that
stuff. The internet??? LOL Bonjour! )

I have all the symptoms of diabetes but have been tested
and judged , medically, not to have it. Nevertheless I CRAVE protein, Love meat, the rawer, the better,
live on eggs Anything made of white flour or white sugar , or starches, like potatoes, sticks to my thighs, stomach, and arms, immediately! So everyone is different! Why can't we respect that?

So just ignore the idiots who are trolling your food diary for mistakes, and try to get some help some of the folks
who sincerely tried to offer helpful suggestions. Everyone is different. A refined palate is no crime!!!! But it IS
tough to find the right combination of foods which will induce weight loss.

My daughter put me on a weight watchers diet once and I gained 20 lbs. All that bread and potatoes. UGG. but I
loved it! You just never know about people! Everyone is different,

I was watching tv today and they were showcasing sushi, I think that must be what the OP feels when she looks at food she doesn't like. for me, no way does the thought of uncooked fish make me want it. Yes i know they prepare it so that you can eat it, but it still looks like raw slimy fish. People rave about sushi, but yeck, no way is that going in my mouth.... EXCEPT i did see some made without the black seaweed, so maybe there is hope.

I think there is hope for picky eaters, they have to find a way to eat food they could do better eating, like when you put mashed zuchini in bread and even if you dont like zucchini you would love zuchini bread.

I was thinking about what makes this kind of food she eats appealing? Looks like a lot of it is a diet that you go on shortly after surgery, when your supposed to eat mild food without much flavor (or something like that).

I think if anyone is a picky eater, and is used to certain food, in order to get off that, they probably have to try to eat different food, even if they dont necessary want it, but try for maybe a week to change her eating habits, and then I think she will naturally want different food. I too had to give up table salt for about 3 weeks and eat food without it, yes i was wanting salt a few times on some plain vegetables, but i just went with it, and now after a few weeks, im eating that food better, so you can say my tastes change.

I think a person has to maybe stop with the "i cant eat that yucky food" and maybe try a few different things, just to see, if they want to make a change. I did that with a few new things, didn't like it, prolly wont get it again, but i tried it just for fun. then i tried other food and i was surprised how delish it tasted and im glad i took that one initial bite.

As long as the person is still continuing to eat the same ol same ol, nothing will change. so she has to actually do it herself and be adventurous.

Hey girl! Hope some ideas have helped but I have issues w meat to. It just freaks me out to cook it and to me it takes so long to prep and cook and all that. I've discover Morningstar farms foods. They are vegetation but their chicken product taste and looke just like white meat chicken to me. I make Sammy's and nuggets and all kinds of stuff with it. And best of all you microwave it for a minute and its ready! My fav is the chicken patties! I do bbq sauce or avacado and their selfish!!! Low cal but they are high in sodium. Some of those kinda things are very helpful to me. Also my hubby will put stuff in the crockpot for me so I don't have to clean it or touch it and than I just pull it out and I don't have the " I swear I can still smell raw meat!!" Issue. We both work 40 hr weeks and have kids and all that but the crock pot is really a lifesaver. Also have you heard of the nuwave? It's my FAV way to cook everything! And it doesn't create the strong smells like the oveof crockpot because its covered. Might wanna google it. I do veggies, potatoes, meat, everything in there and it's,super fast.