Fussy eater

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?

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:

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

I think maybe you should re-read your posts and look at all the excuses you've made for yourself

Bingo!!

I'm fat, because I have eaten badly most of my life and lived a mostly sedentary lifestyle. Are or were there previously things beyond my control (childhood diet, lower than average metabolism, long work hours in a desk job)? Sure there are, but that's not going to get me to my goal and just like you, I have to stop making excuses.

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?

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!

Dude, you live in Worcester, not the ghetto! (I live in Stratford-upon-Avon so not far from you....!) Unless you would be cycling or walking around in the early hours of the morning after the pubs and clubs have kicked the drunk students out that is no excuse not to use trails that are mapped out especially for the purpose of cycling and walking!

I am an extremely picky eater...
...but I have learned to at least eat some vegetables. Sometimes. You need to look up recipes and try adding flavor to your stuff, which I find most people do not do and then they hate vegetables.

I hate exercising...
...but I still force myself to go for those walks (so we're not talking hardcore exercise) but I doesn't matter, it gets done. And that is with the cold physically killing me and causing me tremendous pain. (Yeah my neurologist thinks I might have fibromyalgia.)

Sometimes my joints hurt so much I want to crawl in a ball and just sleep...
...but then when I'm physically up for it, you bet I'm outside.

I love junk...
...so yes, I did walk 4.3 miles to Wendy's and 4.3 miles back. For a Frostee. (Amongst other things.)

I don't like paying attention to servings. I don't like logging. Or weighing my food...
...but I do it.

I didn't own a bike...
...but I snagged one.

I work nights so I don't really see the day, my eating is all insane (really I just had a slice of pizza for breakfast) and many of my days are spent just walking to and from my car...
...but you do what you need to when you want it.

If you're looking for a tasty way to get fruits and veggies, try V8 V-Fusion. I have been a picky eater my entire life and I love that stuff. No chunks of anything! The only vegetables I like are potatoes and frozen/fresh corn. And the only fruits I like are bananas and McIntosh apples. I'm very picky about my meat as well and I'm not a fan of chicken unless it's processed in some way. I'm a total out-of-a-box eater. And I love my sweets. It's all about portion and self control. I signed up for a half marathon in April, giving myself less than 5 months to prepare and starting out I couldn't even run a mile without stopping. I had to pay a lot to get into this race and without training, I'll never finish, so that has been my motivation to get to the gym or on my treadmill. I find that if I go to the gym immediately after work I'm much more consistent. I've made it so that I don't have a choice to work out or not if I want to be able to finish this race. For me, my picky eating is a texture and an anxiety thing. I was forced for so long to try things that I hated that now I have no want, need or desire to try new things unless it's on my terms. It makes losing weight difficult because I can't just switch to salads like most people. I tried a piece of lettuce and I couldn't stomach the thought of eating a whole leaf. I've never understood why people get so irritated about what I eat. It's none of their business. I don't expect people to cater to me and my weird eating habits. To lose weight, all you need to do is burn more than you consume. It's math. And motivation :-) Sign up for a race, that will get you started and give you something to work towards. It's amazing to see my body adapt to further distances that I've never been able to do before and it gets easier and easier each time until I push myself further. You need to make working out a PRIORITY. I'd say "good luck" but losing weight has nothing to do with luck. Get out there and make it happen!

It sounds like you are not ready to undertake this journey. As far as not trying new things, and your current lifestyle, think about your son and what he is learning from watching you. So, make up your mind to make it a family time after work. You don't say how old your son is but he could benefit from a stroll around the block or two. If he is of age, he could be riding his bike while you walk. Or get a bike and ride with him. As for eating, make it a point to start planning. Since you have a busy week, you would benefit by using the weekends to plan. There are a lot of simple meals if you don't like to cook. The potatoes, you already know should be limited, so work that into your plan. Good luck, start experimenting with new foods, and activities.