I need some help with my "diet"

I would say moderate the portions of the foods you do eat. Set a calorie goal, weigh and log your food to create a calorie deficit.

What is your aversion to fruits and non-starchy veggies? Taste or texture? Have you tried different ways of preparing different foods? For instance, I find steamed cauliflower unappealing, but I enjoy it mashed or roasted.

At a certain point you won't be able to exercise off bad eating habits.. your at that point.. time to get serious with your eating habits and calorie counts.

I think you know what needs to be done.

At a certain point you won't be able to exercise off bad eating habits.. your at that point.. time to get serious with your eating habits and calorie counts.

I think you know what needs to be done.

^^Pretty much this. You need to eat healthier foods in healthier portions. OR at the very least eat what you like but at calorie deficit.

Start with small changes and each week or two set a new goal. If you try to do it all at once odds are you will backslide and have a hard time.

Start, like other suggested with reducing portions - take small fries/ burger or child size meals rather then large or regular size. You may be surprised how full you can still be because portion size are HUGE even for kids.

Find low cost grocer or cheaper places to buy fresh produce if thats the problem. I live in LA and we have a store called 99 Cents, where everything is 99 cents or less and they have TONS for fresh fruits and veggies - including berries and stores like Trader Joes also have great deals.

Try different things - eating rights is not just about eating "clean" or "healthy" but eating what works for you. For fruit alternatives try grapes ( they are REALLY sweet, especially the red seedless) or watermelon also sweet. As for veggies that is tricky and sometimes does require more work lol. I find that I eat more raw veggies (baby carrots, green peppers, radishes, etc) with a dip rather then a salad since I like that more. I also buy a lot of prepared veggies with flavors and sauces and heat them.

Good luck.

I believe it's all about portion control. Eat what you want, but stay within your guidelines. I also hate most vegetables, but I highly recommend trying them again if you haven't had them in awhile. Sometimes I am surprised by what I actually like when I try it again after a long time.

As far as your water goes, have you ever tried flavored carbonated water? Every grocery store I go to has their own brand as well as Target. Some flavors are better than others, but it can be easier to increase your water intake with something yummy.

At a certain point you won't be able to exercise off bad eating habits.. your at that point.. time to get serious with your eating habits and calorie counts.

I think you know what needs to be done.

QFT!

My question is, Are you really any healthier now than you were 73 lbs ago?
From what you said, I'm going to have to really say, no.
Stronger? yes. More endurance? yes.
Can you still have those things you love? In moderation, yes.
You CAN LEARN to like different foods. Your skin, hair, nails, sleep, energy, etc. can all improve IF YOU decide that's what YOU WANT.

There are small things you can do... fresh fruit may be hard on your wallet so maybe try frozen berries. You can always throw them in a blender with a little almond milk, freeze it and that can be an ice cream substitute. If you have the burger, don't eat the bun or eat half of the bun. I understand what you mean about water but adding the right kind of flavoring to water really helps. Personally, I have modified my portions and added lots of veggies to help make me feel full. Lastly, you have to plan... if you plan your meals, you can make more conscious decisions on what you eat... Hope some this helps.

I agree to make small changes. You don't need to completely change your diet so that you're eating food you hate. What you need is a calorie deficit, and that's just a lot harder when you eat mostly calorie dense foods. To begin with, you've managed with your normal intake and exercise, but as you get lighter, you need to decrease your calorie intake to still see results. Eat the vegetables you already enjoy, just increase the amount you eat. You can try to expand your palate by gradually introducing new things and making yourself try them a few times to get used to them. It can be done - I used to be extremely picky but have learned to first tolerate, then enjoy new foods.

First things first though. Are you already logging your foods? Look at your diary and see where you can tweak things to shave off a few calories here and there. Have the same food, but smaller portions. Or, have the fried food you like every other day, and the days in between have something leaner, like grilled (broiled) chicken. Have sweets, but less of them. Smaller portions. I still eat chocolate every day and often have other things like cookies etc, but in much smaller quantities than I used to. And, I cut down gradually to allow myself time to get used to it.

You absolutely don't have to cut out everything you love, but as you're not making progress now, you will have to compromise somewhere. Focus on making cuts to things that aren't your favourites. Remember, you don't have to eat your favourite food every day to enjoy it - once or twice a week will do too. Or, if you currently have a lot of fried food for two meals of the day, have it for one meal and a salad for the other meal. Small changes will get you surprising places. Chances are, you'll find that your tastes gradually change so it doesn't seem so hard.

I cheaper way to eating berries is to buy them frozen. I buy my store brand of strawberries, raspberries and blueberries. In the morning I put half a cup into a baggie and take it to work with me. By the time lunch comes around they have thawed out. Night time is when I usually get my sweet tooth, so I will take a cup of mix berries (defrosted), two heaping spoonfulls of cool whip and sprinkle some sugar in the raw on top and have that as my dessert. It is a much healthier way to have dessert, plus it is pretty filling.

I hate the taste of fruit... and as far as non-starchy foods I just don't grab them first...

Do you cook? If not, do you want to start? I overhauled my diet by learning how to cook, and I just started following recipes. I still follow recipes for the most part. There are many recipe resources out there to go along with every diet style imaginable.

Success is all in finding something that works for you! If you hate ____, then don't eat it, plain and simple. I would suggest finding more things you do like so that you have variety and get more nutrients in your diet. For every starchy veggie you pick up, pick up a leafy green or pepper or whatever.

I used to hate the taste of fruit too except for berries...but I think I read somewhere that you need to try things at least 10-15 times before you write them off completely. Also I've found my tastes have changed drastically in the last 10 years. So something you used to hate, may be you can tolerate now. Like I still HATE bananas but I've added apples, oranges, avocados and pineapple to my list of fruits I can eat.

I actually love apples now with almond butter and eat one every day.
So just keep trying stuff is my suggestion.

Sugar is so hard to kick. So I find the less like cake, cookies, candy I eat the less I crave it.
Just be patient, I've been doing this 2 years and for me it's been a slow, slow process.

Good Luck to you! :drinker:

Wow, well depending on how what your weight loss goals are, you may be looking at a lifestyle change.
I can't see your diary, and you haven't provided too much information but with the foods you love, we know that they are all high in calories and fat as well as sodium and sugar.

This is probably going to be a long road to create an eating plan that will compliment what you're doing for exercise.

I would suggest small steps for sure. Rather than completely cutting foods you love out, I would take baby steps to eating better.

For example if you eat a dessert at every meal, and you eat 3 meals a day...maybe just eat a dessert at 2 out of 3 of your meals. If you like hamburgers...maybe get the bun on the side to help lower carb intakes to make up for added sugars in your desserts.

If you eat snacks that are high in calories...let's say you snack three times a day. Snack 1: Chips, Snack 2: Popcorn, Snack Three: a Candy Bar. Make one of those snacks a healthier choice...you don't like fruits on their own, but could you maybe try them blended in a smoothie? Or Eat veggies with a fun dip like a ranch sauce...then eventually switch the ranch to something healthier like hummus.

I would set little weekly goals for yourself like that.
Week 1: Eat 1 less Dessert
Week 2: Eat Dessert at only 1 meal
Week 3: Eat A Veggie Snack
Week 4: Eat a Fruit Smoothie Snack
Etc.
Don't stress about completely changing everything about your diet tomorrow! Because you'll probably end up bingeing or over eating the foods you love later. Which may cause you to begin gaining the pounds you have worked so hard to lose.

I've seen a lot of people mention portion control. That is very important as well! If you don't have a food scale, I'd recommend getting one. This way you can stop guessing how many ounces of hamburger your eating, or cheese etc. Also, read labels. Eat only the suggested serving sizes of your processed foods (or less than what's suggested). This way instead of eating a whole bag of M&M's you just eat a handful. That will satisfy your sweet tooth without completely blowing your calorie intake.

Also, sometimes when I plateau, I change up my workout routine. It can be simple things like, doing longer cardio sessions, if I do a group fitness class like Zumba for a month, next month I'll switch up to a pilates class, etc. You're body eventually gets used to the same routine all time and eventually your results tend to slow down because of that. Kick start your weight loss again by switching up your workout routine.

Also, you have to drink water! Even if it has lemon in it. It's better than nothing! Cut out the sugary drinks...those are bad! Drink a glass of water before every meal. This will also help you eat less as it will help you feel fuller before you even dig in to your hamburgers.

Good luck! I hope this helps