Phobia of food textures - really quite depressing
pichiPurinsesu
Posts: 776 Member
ok - so i have been down the road of weight loss before. i lost 40lb with MFP 3 years ago (goal weight is 130lb, i got to 170lb) before falling sick and putting the weight all back on due to meds etc... anyways!
I have a phobia of textures of food but i really REALLY want to start eating better. I eat like a child and it's so frustrating that i only eat rubbish (the thought of even eating certain foods makes me physically feel sick)
I have been eating my calorie amount of 1770kcal and exercising around 3-5 times a day (this can range from 30mins to an hour) since Jan 1st i've lost 8lbs but this fluctuates sooo much! (it's all the crap like sodium and water retention i guess?) I have cut out carbonated drinks and try to drink around 3ltr water a day (sometimes i don't manage this but hey!)
point in this thread is, i wanted to know if there was anyone else in my shoes with this phobia and how they're dealing with it to loose weight
goal is still 130lb - it seems forever away
I have a phobia of textures of food but i really REALLY want to start eating better. I eat like a child and it's so frustrating that i only eat rubbish (the thought of even eating certain foods makes me physically feel sick)
I have been eating my calorie amount of 1770kcal and exercising around 3-5 times a day (this can range from 30mins to an hour) since Jan 1st i've lost 8lbs but this fluctuates sooo much! (it's all the crap like sodium and water retention i guess?) I have cut out carbonated drinks and try to drink around 3ltr water a day (sometimes i don't manage this but hey!)
point in this thread is, i wanted to know if there was anyone else in my shoes with this phobia and how they're dealing with it to loose weight
goal is still 130lb - it seems forever away
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You need to try to expand your diet even If a tiny bit, my presumption is that it's the healthy items you have a phobia of? This is normally caused by being forced / strongly told to eat it when little and the rebellion manifesting itself into your phobia. Just take it one day, one food at a time ( I have a friend with this) with slow encouragement and lots of support she can now eat some veg equalling a faaar healthier diet and easier path to weight loss. Sweet potato and peppers were the easiest to get her on board with! Good luck I hope you have some luck with this x0
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i have had it since i was 4 (i'm 30 this year!) it's been tough as when i come to try something i gag and it's like i take an anxiety attack! it's ridiculous and very embarrassing to admit to. i feel like we've exhausted every option so may need to go down the hypnosis path perhaps.
thank you for your kind words
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I was like that with most vegetables for a long time. If I didn't eat my veggies my parents made me drink V8. Not a good cycle, but I was stubborn. As a parent now, I totally get them and don't blame them. However, it stuck with with a general dislike for veggies. I too would gag when I tried to swallow them. I've always liked salad and I find spinach is an excellent salad base. It's taken me years to really find broccoli edible. I still generally need to eat it with something else (rice, steak, anything!). You might try broccoli slaw, it's match stick size pieces of broccoli. I used to mix it with a little ranch dressing and shredded cheese. Not super healthy, but it's a start. You just have to keep trying to eat it. It will get better. Best of luck to you!0
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What about mixing those things you don't like into things you do? Like finely chopping veggies and putting it in pasta sauce. Then you can slowly increase the size of the chop to your comfort level.0
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My daughter (she's 25) has this thing with food textures, too, and always has.
Anything mushy or gritty will trigger her gag reflex big time! It's been easy enough for her to simply avoid the foods that trigger this, and it has not prevented her from eating a full, well balanced diet.
Good luck to you, OP.0 -
Hmm...are you sure it is a texture issue? Just asking because there is a wide variety of texture with vegetables, e.g a raw carrot, a boiled carrot, a stir fried carrot, and a roasted carrot are all a bit different.
From things I've seen with people that have various phobias the usual therapy is desensitization, like start with just smelling/touching but not tasting; then maybe try putting some in your mouth for a short time, but not swallowing it...gradually increase the time so you get more accustomed to it. That sort of thing...0 -
Some people believe that losing weight involves eating special weight loss food. That is not true.
Most people only need about eight 8-ounce cups of water. Carbonated drinks are fine unless you feel that you need to cut or reduce them for some reason.
Eat foods that are safe for you. Those are the foods that you will eat to lose weight.
Weigh and log in the diary meticulously. Consider a progressive weightlifting program.
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I had trouble with this in the past but for me it wasn't a phobia, it was a combo of sensory issues and OCD. So I can't relate to your exact situation but I will say that talking with a counselor was helpful for me. Have you considered that route? They might be able to help you work through the phobia and find some coping mechanisms.
You mention that you're adverse to the texture of the food and not certain foods specifically. Would it be possible to find healthier foods that have a good texture for you? For example, if you can eat chips maybe you could find a cracker that was similar in texture. You don't have to overcome this all at once, just take it at your own pace. Good luck!!0 -
pichiPurinsesu wrote: »ok - so i have been down the road of weight loss before. i lost 40lb with MFP 3 years ago (goal weight is 130lb, i got to 170lb) before falling sick and putting the weight all back on due to meds etc... anyways!
I have a phobia of textures of food but i really REALLY want to start eating better. I eat like a child and it's so frustrating that i only eat rubbish (the thought of even eating certain foods makes me physically feel sick)
I have been eating my calorie amount of 1770kcal and exercising around 3-5 times a day (this can range from 30mins to an hour) since Jan 1st i've lost 8lbs but this fluctuates sooo much! (it's all the crap like sodium and water retention i guess?) I have cut out carbonated drinks and try to drink around 3ltr water a day (sometimes i don't manage this but hey!)
point in this thread is, i wanted to know if there was anyone else in my shoes with this phobia and how they're dealing with it to loose weight
goal is still 130lb - it seems forever away
What textures bother you? Do not feel bad I am a 35 year old chef and I can not tolerate certain textures. What is it that bothers you about them? Is it the mouthfeel? What consistancy really bugs you?0 -
My niece is autistic and has food texture issues as well. She just turned 5 yesterday and has been doing ABA therapy since she got diagnosed last year. Anyway, therapy has helped her with food aversion, she recently ate an orange for the first time. Here's what I found in a quick google about ABA food therapy:
Instead of making a child eat a non-preferred bite of food, we break it down into small steps and reinforce gradual progress. For example, the child may first touch a small bite of food before the therapist reinforces this behavior. Then the therapist may require the child to put the food to their lips, and even lick the food before requiring the child to put the food in their mouth. Overall, it moves at a pace comfortable to the child and often takes the tears out of eating.
Not at all saying you're autistic or that you need therapy but maybe breaking it down into tiny steps like that will help?0 -
I know some of the others have mentioned food therapy. I think it would definitely be worth it to try! Because it sounds like the sensory of eating (along with the anxiety of it) is causing a lot of your issues. I work at a pediatric clinic for Speech, OT, and PT. One of our therapists offers feeding therapy for some of the kiddos. (A lot of the kids that come here have autism, sensory issues, and some of them just have issues with textures and food in general) She's seen a lot of success! I would definitely encourage you to give it a try!0
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What do you eat right now? You say you eat like a child or like rubbish but what does that mean?
What are you struggling to get enough of? What textures or foods bother you?
My dd won't eat some foods at all. Sometimes it matters how a food is prepared because she will eat it in another form like no raw or chunky tomatoes but pureed tomatoes in a pasta sauce is fine. We work with what she will eat and try to expand on it. She loves most fruit so she eats more fruit than vegetables. Vegetables have to be mixed in something- sometimes chopped fine or pureed. She won't eat every kind of meat. She does eat some beans, eggs, dairy products. She loves pasta and rice. She tends to like processed store bought or restaurant prepared foods because they are always the same. She knows she likes them and they are safe. It is harder for her to try a new recipe or new restaurant. We don't try new things every day but once a month or so we ask her to try something different.
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Browse the internet for ways moms sneak healthy food into their kids diet. (Short term)
Food therapy. (Long term)0 -
I'm a very adventurous eater but there are still some textures that bother me/make me gag (squishy fruit in yogurt is the worst, especially strawberries), so I don't think it's inherently weird or awful to be offput by certain foods. What's more concerning is that it causes you distress and you feel like your diet is constrained by it. I agree with the suggestion to see a therapist specializing in eating/phobias. Systematic desensitization can be effective on people with really extreme phobias of things that are much more inherently scary than food textures, it can help you, too.
In the meantime, it is absolutely possible to lose weight without eating any specific foods, and while it's certainly true that nutrient-dense, low calorie foods like vegetables are beneficial for nutrition and can make eating at a deficit while maintaining nutritional balance and satiety easier, they're not mandatory. You can start eating appropriate amounts of food without changing a single thing you eat, and see results, as you're seeing- 8 lbs since Jan 1 is great! Fluctuations are normal for everybody- sodium can make them more dramatic, but they aren't evidence that weight loss isn't working, they're just part of physiology.0 -
maybe i should re-phrase the way i eat; i eat bland carby startchy foods, pasta, rice, potatoes as well as things like cheese. Also, the meat i eat would probably be classed as 'crap' processed meat. i can eat burgers but there has to be no onions in it and the mince meat has to be so finely grinded into a patty it's crazy.
what i don't like about foods; it can be testure, it can be smell, i can't even touch chicken.
some examples of things i just cannot eat:- red meat in certain forms (yes, i know this sounds strange) like steak. I remember being at a wedding and they had steak pie on the menu. I felt so embarrassed as out of the whole plate full that was served (carrots, steak pie, roast tatties, and some other form of veg) all i could eat off the plate was the roasties.
- chicken; i can eat chicken but it has to be VERY finely cut as if i find it's stringy that's it - automatic gag and that's me put off the rest of the meal.
- oranges; to me they're like jelly ( can't deal with jelly either)
- bananas: they feel fuzzy to me, they make me boak
- apples: it's like biting into Styrofoam to me
the list is endless. It happened when i was 4 - before that i'd eat everything. I'm pretty sure i'm not autistic but my 3 year old son is in the process of being assessed for being on the spectrum (but that's a different subject)
i've tried as best as i can to bring my kids up with a healthy balanced diet as i don't want them suffering like i feel like i do. I am so embarrassed with it and it stops me going out for meals now as i'm so scared there will be nothing on the menu i'll eat!0 - red meat in certain forms (yes, i know this sounds strange) like steak. I remember being at a wedding and they had steak pie on the menu. I felt so embarrassed as out of the whole plate full that was served (carrots, steak pie, roast tatties, and some other form of veg) all i could eat off the plate was the roasties.
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My daughter has similar issues. The vegetables she can tolerate are mostly in raw form. Broccoli specifically gives her a gag reflex. She likes baby spinach salads but can't do any other kind of lettuce. She actually does enjoy lightly stir fried snap peas. For her, the reaction is mild enough that I ask she try one small bite. We have to expose ourselves to food to expand our palette. I have a feeling she is a "super taster." I know her dad is. I will eat anything, hence my need to lose 50 lbs. LOL. So together, we made picky eaters and now I cook in a modular fashion. Take what you want, leave the rest. Try things over time to see if the taste any different to you.0
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Not a solution, but you might want to check out this book and others like it for tips and tricks that might help both you and your child.
amazon.com/Deceptively-Delicious-Simple-Secrets-Eating/dp/006176793X0 -
My boyfriend has this issue. Lettuce will cause him to gag and nearly throw up. Poor guy choked down a salad at a dinner party once because he thought it would be rude not to eat it. I thought he was going to lose it on the floor.
We're both trying to lose weight, and it is a bit challenging as a partnership. He won't eat casseroles or crock pot meals because he doesn't like the consistency of food that has been combined and then cooked. I can't put any delicious greens like spinach or artichokes in the food because it gives off the allusion of lettuce. (Green beans are his one exception and he is only just now becoming okay with spices like Cilantro)
The only thing working on our side is that we're both the type of people who don't mind eating the same thing over and over again. So, it's chicken, rice and/or green beans... almost every night. I add salsa or teriyaki to mine to mix things up, but it's essentially the same. thing. every. day. But it's worked so far - and I do enjoy eating with him.
So, no - you're not alone. I think finding what you like and trying small variations on it might help.0 -
I have the EXACT same issues! My friends joke that the only foods I eat are beige, which isn't very far from the truth. I've also been this way since I was very very young. My poor parents tried everything, but I was too stubborn/afraid to try things, and when I did I would usually gag. I used to have anxiety as a grade school child about what I would eat in college and as an adult.
Now the thought of having dinner with someone who isn't a very close friend fills me with anxiety, since people feel it's completely fine to criticize an adult (that they might not even know very well) about what they eat.
I'm also trying to lose weight. I'm just trying to cut out/back on the the worst stuff that I love (macaroni and cheese is my vice, I can't keep it in the house) and eating more of the healthy things that I like. Sometimes I feel like I'm eating the same things every day. It's upsetting, it's the thing I hate the most about myself.
I feel like this was rambling and didn't really get to a point, but it's always good to know you aren't the only weirdo out there with food issues.0 -
I have the EXACT same issues! My friends joke that the only foods I eat are beige, which isn't very far from the truth. I've also been this way since I was very very young. My poor parents tried everything, but I was too stubborn/afraid to try things, and when I did I would usually gag. I used to have anxiety as a grade school child about what I would eat in college and as an adult.
Now the thought of having dinner with someone who isn't a very close friend fills me with anxiety, since people feel it's completely fine to criticize an adult (that they might not even know very well) about what they eat.
I'm also trying to lose weight. I'm just trying to cut out/back on the the worst stuff that I love (macaroni and cheese is my vice, I can't keep it in the house) and eating more of the healthy things that I like. Sometimes I feel like I'm eating the same things every day. It's upsetting, it's the thing I hate the most about myself.
I feel like this was rambling and didn't really get to a point, but it's always good to know you aren't the only weirdo out there with food issues.
wow, i feel like i've found my stubborn food twin. yes, i understand the anxiety side to it. i suffer with anxiety/depression and the food problems just seemed to add to it u__u since sorting out my depression and anxiety i feel this is the next thing i need to combat on my list but i'd be lying if i said it didn't scare the crap out of me0 -
I have an aversion to certain textures mine are usually gelatin like things like Jello, yogurt, jams and jelly. Also I typically hate most casseroles or foods mixed like sweet and salty. I do love apples but, they have to be incredibly firm which is hard to find a lot of the time. I hate anything apple flavored or prepared from apples. With veggies I try them at least a bite if I don't like it I will spit it out. I did that not even a yr ago when my mom had my try a sweet potato. It was the most vile thing. No thank you! I have found I can eat cauliflower raw, carrots cooked in beef broth, green onions, celery raw with ranch or on or cooked in a soup, green peppers if I cut them as small as humanly possible and put them in things like chili, or spaghetti bake. Onions are the same way. It is a lot of experimenting til you expand your menu. I tried a mango a while ago and I hated it with a deep dark passion in my soul but, at least I tried. I tried asparagus which I didn't like it but, I am pretty sure it is because I cooked it wrong.0
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I think someone else mentioned this but I would like to repeat it - try a site that informs parents how to "sneak" more veg into their childs diet. Perhaps if you puree vegetables after they are cooked, you can then add them to something else like soup, vegetarian chili or spaghetti sauce and you would not know they were there. This is a very interesting issue which is really foreign to me, so I really would like to know how you progress.0
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I know you are frustrated but maybe start with not being so negative or judgmental about food. Calling food you enjoy crap or junk maybe doesn't help you. Absolutely everyone on this planet has food preferences and foods they don't like to eat. You have stronger aversions or sensitivity to some foods than most. The food you can comfortably eat right now isn't junk though. It all has nutrition. It isn't everything you need but it isn't garbage.
If you haven't tried therapy or getting a diagnosis for autism spectrum or sensory processing disorder that might be a good thing to look into since you've been struggling with these food issues most of your life. Look up adult sensory processing disorder or adult aspergers/autism spectrum to see if it sounds like what you experience. http://spdlife.org/symptoms/index.html
Have you considered smoothies or shakes to get vitamins and protein? Possibly you can drink some things you can not eat at this time.
Do you have a food processor? You can finely chop all kinds of vegetables or fruits and add them to things like pasta sauces, soups, casseroles, smoothies, mix with meat for burgers, meatloaf, meatballs.0 -
This is awesome advice about the tiny steps.jenovatrix wrote: »My niece is autistic and has food texture issues as well. She just turned 5 yesterday and has been doing ABA therapy since she got diagnosed last year. Anyway, therapy has helped her with food aversion, she recently ate an orange for the first time. Here's what I found in a quick google about ABA food therapy:
Instead of making a child eat a non-preferred bite of food, we break it down into small steps and reinforce gradual progress. For example, the child may first touch a small bite of food before the therapist reinforces this behavior. Then the therapist may require the child to put the food to their lips, and even lick the food before requiring the child to put the food in their mouth. Overall, it moves at a pace comfortable to the child and often takes the tears out of eating.
Not at all saying you're autistic or that you need therapy but maybe breaking it down into tiny steps like that will help?
My daughter is the same way and we've been working on it for two years now (and she's only almost three). It started where she would refuse entirely, to eating and chewing it up--then spitting it out. Frustrating, but baby steps
Is it the tough texture? The fibrous texture? Something that helped my daughter was using a pressure cooker (Instapot) for everything and making them very soft and delicious. No crunchy veggies allowed!
They taste better than boiling.
All in all, good luck, this is a very real struggle and I hope things improve for you!0 -
Figure out what part in the texture you don't like and we might be able to give suggestions. Is it slimey-ness? Gritty-ness?
Bananas, oranges and apples - If you throw these into a smoothie that might help, you'd need a powerful blender to blast most of the texture issues away. You can also make banana ice cream with frozen bananas and a food processor.
Chicken - If you don't like stringy meat, what about ground chicken? You could mix chicken, beef and pork up and make meatballs or hamburgers with them. If you ask a butcher they will process it very finely for you.
What foods do you love?0 -
cross2bear wrote: »I think someone else mentioned this but I would like to repeat it - try a site that informs parents how to "sneak" more veg into their childs diet. Perhaps if you puree vegetables after they are cooked, you can then add them to something else like soup, vegetarian chili or spaghetti sauce and you would not know they were there. This is a very interesting issue which is really foreign to me, so I really would like to know how you progress.
the easiest way i get veg into my diet is through potato soup. i cut carrots, potato, sometimes leek, lentils and blitz the soup i can eat it that way.
I've tried hiding things but because it's me that's making the food in the house i know it's there and it almost makes me scared to even try it. it sounds pathetic doesn't it? a 30 year old scared there might be neep in her mash or the likes.
i can have ground up chicken and red meats so burgers or meatballs ground finely are doable for me. As for the smoothies - yes, i'd need to get a really amazing blender otherwise i feel the 'grit' of the fruit and makes me
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I'm not a picky eater (was quite picky as a child, but pretty easily expanded as I got older), however I've had a lot of difficulty with eggs. I basically avoided eggs almost entirely and would gag if I tried to eat them. However, I suspected that it was psychological because I liked things with egg in them, included things that were quite close to just being egg (like matza bri). So I decided to use graded exposure to start to eat eggs. I started with very small quantities mixed with other things and gradually built up. Now I can regularly have eggs in things, and usually enjoy them, although I can still feel a little uck if I really think about the fact that I'm eating an egg. I think if you want to conquer this you need to be willing to feel the "uck" feeling when it comes, it will come and go. And build yourself slowly.0
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I know you are frustrated but maybe start with not being so negative or judgmental about food. Calling food you enjoy crap or junk maybe doesn't help you. Absolutely everyone on this planet has food preferences and foods they don't like to eat. You have stronger aversions or sensitivity to some foods than most. The food you can comfortably eat right now isn't junk though. It all has nutrition. It isn't everything you need but it isn't garbage.
If you haven't tried therapy or getting a diagnosis for autism spectrum or sensory processing disorder that might be a good thing to look into since you've been struggling with these food issues most of your life. Look up adult sensory processing disorder or adult aspergers/autism spectrum to see if it sounds like what you experience. http://spdlife.org/symptoms/index.html
Have you considered smoothies or shakes to get vitamins and protein? Possibly you can drink some things you can not eat at this time.
Do you have a food processor? You can finely chop all kinds of vegetables or fruits and add them to things like pasta sauces, soups, casseroles, smoothies, mix with meat for burgers, meatloaf, meatballs.
yeah, i'm so frustrated about it i do feel very negative about how i eat. since my son has been going through assessment for ASD i've looked at all aspects of the spectrum and to be honest it doesn't seem like i'd be on the spectrum at all. Never say never though.0 -
Do you like cake or brownies, etc? You can actually sneak certain vegetables in there and you can't taste them at all. And pureed fruit as well (not at the same time).
I can only understand what you mean because the melon family completely grosses me out. The smell even makes me sick, and I have no idea why (my other family members adore them). I was so embarrassed at a small dinner party where the dessert course was a fruit cup, because I can't even pick out the cantaloupe and still eat the rest. I can spot the smell of cantaloupe juice from a mile away, unfortunately. My sister used to chase me around the house with her cantaloupe snack to bother me, lol. But, of course, folks aren't generally faced with melons that often, so mine's no biggie.0 -
pichiPurinsesu wrote: »I know you are frustrated but maybe start with not being so negative or judgmental about food. Calling food you enjoy crap or junk maybe doesn't help you. Absolutely everyone on this planet has food preferences and foods they don't like to eat. You have stronger aversions or sensitivity to some foods than most. The food you can comfortably eat right now isn't junk though. It all has nutrition. It isn't everything you need but it isn't garbage.
If you haven't tried therapy or getting a diagnosis for autism spectrum or sensory processing disorder that might be a good thing to look into since you've been struggling with these food issues most of your life. Look up adult sensory processing disorder or adult aspergers/autism spectrum to see if it sounds like what you experience. http://spdlife.org/symptoms/index.html
Have you considered smoothies or shakes to get vitamins and protein? Possibly you can drink some things you can not eat at this time.
Do you have a food processor? You can finely chop all kinds of vegetables or fruits and add them to things like pasta sauces, soups, casseroles, smoothies, mix with meat for burgers, meatloaf, meatballs.
yeah, i'm so frustrated about it i do feel very negative about how i eat. since my son has been going through assessment for ASD i've looked at all aspects of the spectrum and to be honest it doesn't seem like i'd be on the spectrum at all. Never say never though.
I'm sorry you're struggling with this. It does sound frustrating and I agree with the other posters that small steps toward a more varied diet will be key. You have to be patient with yourself. What you've described doesn't sound like autism to me. It sounds like Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) I read an article about it recently. It's a new DSM classification. There's no need to label yourself with a disorder unless you find the label helpful. But you might find that there are a lot of people who struggle with the same sorts of food issues that you do.
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