Dieting when I like nothing healthy!!!

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Danielle_Duke
Danielle_Duke Posts: 12 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Here lies my BIGGEST issues when dieting... I am a very picky eater!!! I like almost nothing!!! NO JOKE!!! I do not like anything green except cucumbers and pickles. I do not like hardly any vegetables except the ones that aren't that great for me. I do not like fish. Since there isn't a lot I do like and there's even less that is healthy that I do like I quickly get burnt out on healthy things I do like... Do you have any pointers or advice that might help me lose the belly fat? Thanks
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Replies

  • nomeejerome
    nomeejerome Posts: 2,616 Member
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    A calorie deficit is all that is needed to lose weight. There is no way to spot reduce and the body chooses where the fat will come off first and last. Since you are a very picky eater, eat at a deficit, research for various recipes and maybe try to incorporate new items slowly. Sure, you can eat whatever you want as long as you are in a deficit to lose weight. However, you would be missing out on nutrition.
  • TheDoctorDana
    TheDoctorDana Posts: 595 Member
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    Eat what you like just keep it under your daily macro requirement :) Check out the IIFYM groups. There are no "bad" foods.
  • eblakes93
    eblakes93 Posts: 372 Member
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    A calorie deficit is all that is needed to lose weight. There is no way to spot reduce and the body chooses where the fat will come off first and last. Since you are a very picky eater, eat at a deficit, research for various recipes and maybe try to incorporate new items slowly. Sure, you can eat whatever you want as long as you are in a deficit to lose weight. However, you would be missing out on nutrition.

    Agree 100% with what you said about calorie deficit/sport reducing.

    If you find that being a picky eater is having a negative impact on your life, such as having a hard (emotional) time choosing groceries or ordering at restaurants, then you might want to consider working on trying new things. Buy one raw vegetable, like a carrot, and cut it into very tiny pieces. Make something you like to eat, and alternate a bit of what you like with a small piece of the vegetable. Only try two or three pieces of the vegetable at a time, like twice a week or so. This may help you get used to some new foods and associate it with foods you like.
  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
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    I've never been a big veggie person, but recently I've been really working my way up the ladder. Start with eating what your do like, so long as you can fit it in your calorie goal. Then, try literally everything that you"don't like". Cook it 7 different ways before discounting it all together. It may just be a case of not flavored to your tastes. It's okay if you take a bite and decide not to like it, but don't decide until you've REALLY tried it. This is what has worked for me, and now I eat way more veggies than I used to.
  • cameronwheeler
    cameronwheeler Posts: 89
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    I am just like you, I suffer from Selective Eating Disorder. I literally only eat less than 25 things. I'm extremely picky, no seafood, no mexican, no asian food, no spaghetti or pasta, no turkey, i'm literally probably the most pickiest eater ever.

    Calorie deficit is how you do it. I literally just watch what i eat, maintain calories for my daily goal, fat, sodium, sugar etc.

    It can be done. You could literally eat mcdonalds every day, all you have to do is stay within you MFP boundaries.
  • jenifr818
    jenifr818 Posts: 805 Member
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    Pasta sauce can be your best friend when it comes to veggies. I can't stand 95% of the vegetables out there, but if I blend them thoroughly into sauce, I don't even know it's there. Make your own pasta sauce, blend veggies, and voila! Nutrition without the *gag* factor
  • jenifr818
    jenifr818 Posts: 805 Member
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    I am just like you, I suffer from Selective Eating Disorder. I literally only eat less than 25 things. I'm extremely picky, no seafood, no mexican, no asian food, no spaghetti or pasta, no turkey, i'm literally probably the most pickiest eater ever.

    Calorie deficit is how you do it. I literally just watch what i eat, maintain calories for my daily goal, fat, sodium, sugar etc.

    It can be done. You could literally eat mcdonalds every day, all you have to do is stay within you MFP boundaries.

    You saying "no mexican" makes me want to cry, then go get a massive enchilada with refried beans and spanish rice. I blame you :tongue:
  • Factory_Reset
    Factory_Reset Posts: 1,651 Member
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    Eat what YOU LIKE

    A calorie deficit is all you need
  • HefferSprint
    HefferSprint Posts: 124 Member
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    My daughter (13) is a picky eater. I've been on a mission to find vegetables she will eat, and am cooking them different ways. I don't like brussel sprouts, but I want to. They taste different depending on how they are cooked. I still have hope that someday I'll find a recipe that I like.

    My daughter's range is getting bigger for what she'll eat now. I don't like fish either. I wish I did. Doesn't mean I still won't try it on occasion. I kinda like it if it's fried, so goodbye healthy benefits with that one.

    But I'd suggest you just try things that you usually ban, if you see it cooked in a different way.

    I load up the stir fry with all kinds of vegetables nobody in my family would normally eat. Once it's all cooked, with a little sauce and some noodles thrown in, nobody can separate the flavors.
  • nessa2BFit
    nessa2BFit Posts: 155 Member
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    that is me... i am about the pickiest eater there is... and i love mexican... it is still a huge staple in my diet... i have just learned to make thing healthier... i eat the veggies i do like... which is only cucumbers and tomatoes but that is my lunch with a cup of greek yogurt (which i hate plain) with some fiesta ranch seasoning in it.. bam under 200 calories and a lunch that feels me up. I have lost 80 lbs it is possible you just have to be creative.
  • RealMattHopkins
    RealMattHopkins Posts: 75 Member
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    Unfortunately, you have to eat your vegetables. Rather than decide that you don't like something and write it off, recognize that you can choose to eat healthily OR you can remain at a weight you aren't comfortable with. I am not a big fan of vegetables but I am quickly getting used to a life of salads and fish filets. You have to CHOOSE to have a healthy life.

    Check out this article looking at the Top 10 Ways to Improve your Palate --> http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/top-5-improve-palate.htm
  • ItsCasey
    ItsCasey Posts: 4,022 Member
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    Figure out how to fit what you do like to eat into your calorie and macro goals. There is no secret.

    I would also suggest learning how to cook. Most people who categorically dismiss entire groups of food (e.g. green vegetables, fish) are not really "picky eaters;" they simply don't know how to cook.

    BTW, what do you mean by vegetables that "aren't that great" for you?
  • freemystery
    freemystery Posts: 184 Member
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    Firstly: nothing bar lipo will help you spot reduce (ie belly fat in isolation)

    I've found for me the last place it goes on is the first place it comes off. Not a hard and fast rule but anecdotal research (me and a bunch of people I hang around with) bears this out.

    Secondly: True, a calorie deficit is all you need. That's going to be a lot harder if your approach is to stay in your comfort zone as there will be very little you can eat and by the way you describe it, there will only be tiny portions of it. In practice this means you are less likely to stick with it... when you realise what 1500 or so calories of hamburgers and french fries looks like you may have to make the choice between being a little more open minded with your diet or being quite hungry a lot of the time.

    The only variable you have to play with is exercise... be realistic with how much you can exercise off every day, stick to your plan and you will see your weight go down. I should say, once you see how much it takes to burn off a KitKat/ buffalo wing/ twinkie you may reconsider your position on low-calorie foods.

    Whether you're trying to lose weight or get healthy, one of your parameters will have to have some wiggle room for this to be achievable.
  • LittleCulturedPearl
    LittleCulturedPearl Posts: 71 Member
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    I understand you completely! While I have always enjoyed eating vegetables, I also LOVE pastries and bread, cheeses, eggs-- you name it. So, as others suggested, if you really can't help eat these high-fat/sugar/cholesterol foods, just keep an eye on HOW MUCH of them you consume. Also, it may seem to be a "no-brainer", but if you drink several cups of water 5-10 minutes before you eat, you will feel less hungry, so you end up wanting to eat less.

    The truth is, though, part of the reason you don't enjoy eating vegetables is probably because you never ate them, so it takes a bit of time to acquire a taste for them. Try eating veggies fried/sauteed or breaded at first, with lots of seasoning, and then slowly modify your recipes--less oil/margarine/butter; less salt (also, fresh herbs are a great way to spice up foods without adding calories!!) In about a month, you will start to appreciate --and perhaps crave-- the flavor of vegetables. Trust me, there are so many kinds of vegetables out there, not to mention the countless ways you can prepare them, I'm sure you will find your niche in the produce isles soon!

    One more thing-- you can also just add a few more minutes of exercise to your daily workout schedule. That way, you won't feel starved for eating so little at a time. For example, yesterday I had a croissant, a glass of wine and some chocolate mousse. To make up for it, I biked for 60 minutes at 15 mph and then ran 30 minutes with two 2-lb weights. It was hard, but that's what I have to do in order to "guiltlessly" savor those delicious treats!

    Good luck!
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
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    how about get over it and eat some proper food...god damn...

    I didn't realize food was proper and improper. I'll take improper because those foods sound more enjoyable and less snobby and uptight.
  • jwdieter
    jwdieter Posts: 2,582 Member
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    Biggest issue is eating too much. But sorry, you just eat too much. It's the way you are.

    Seem like a bad approach?

    So is giving up on food with nutrients because you're "picky". You don't have to be.
  • Danielle_Duke
    Danielle_Duke Posts: 12 Member
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    I don't like tomatoes so pasta sauce is kinda a no go...
  • Danielle_Duke
    Danielle_Duke Posts: 12 Member
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    how about get over it and eat some proper food...god damn...

    Wow that helped! Thanks SOOOO much for your valuable opinion!!! It was much needed!
  • climbamnt
    climbamnt Posts: 190 Member
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    Start slow by cutting out as much refined and processed high salt and sugar items out of your diets. I always thought I was a picky eater, didn't eat fruits and veggies unless they were in a dessert or deep fried! But I think my taste buds were over-sensitized to to all the processed crap I ate. I started making little changes and just cutting out sodas, fried foods, etc and after a while things that I thought I didn't like tasted great! Hope that helps, just don't be afraid to try things from time to time.
  • Meg_78
    Meg_78 Posts: 998 Member
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    how about get over it and eat some proper food...god damn...

    Finally! some one said it!

    Yes suck it up! Maybe you will learn to enjoy them!!
    Try different ways of preparing them, try vegetarian recipes...Try foods from different cultures...

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