Clean eating when you HATE vegetables

Options
zumbalover523
zumbalover523 Posts: 3 Member
in Introduce Yourself
So I am trying to loose 40lbs. I track my food on a daily basis (233 days straight!) I eat between 1200-1400 calories a day and exercise at least 4x a week. (Zumba, treadmills, CX workout, calisthenics, weights, etc). I can not loose an ounce! I am 47 and super frustrated! A co-worker was seeing weight loss doctor and he put her on a high protein diet, but all she eats is chicken and vegetables and I HATE vegetable (except corn and potatoes.) I will eat a salad with lettuce and carrots, but not much else. Any ideas on how to eat some veggies when you have an intense dislike for them? Love fruit an eat about 3-4 servings a day.
«13

Replies

  • enterdanger
    enterdanger Posts: 2,447 Member
    Options
    I think that you shouldn't do a diet that you will obviously hate. So maybe you lose some weight, but what do you think will happen when you stop eating that way?

    How long has it been since you lost weight?
  • shaunte92
    shaunte92 Posts: 127 Member
    Options
    If you haven't lost a pound in 233 days I don't think the issue is your lack of veggies.

    However, yes- smoothies!

    I'm not big on veggies either (depending on the week). If I'm working out & eating in my calorie range- i still lose with or without eating the proper amount of vegetables.
  • hypodonthaveme
    hypodonthaveme Posts: 215 Member
    Options
    Time for a check up with Dr and get some blood tests done including thyroid. Are you close to your goal weight? If you are at or close to the weight you are suppose to be, then it could be slow going. It could also be water retention due to salty diet.
  • zumbalover523
    zumbalover523 Posts: 3 Member
    Options
    Thanks for the ideas. I will definitely try adding some spinach or other veggies to into my smoothies. My weight has been stagnant for about a year. I am thinking that its not the number of calories I am eating, but maybe what I am eating since counting calories doesn't seem to be working. I have spoke with my doctor and have had my thyroid checked and it was fine. She basically told me that metabolism is slowing as you age and it gets harder to loose weight. She actually suggested going on fen-phen or welbutrin as a weight loss aide. Not sure I want to go that route because of the side effects and I think that may be a short term solution. I basically feel great, I just can't loose any weight! Ugh!
  • abadvat
    abadvat Posts: 1,241 Member
    Options
    it is not a matter of what you eat but how much you eat - you can eat as clean and healthy as you want but if you eat too much you will still pile on weight.
    All this to say - you dont like vegetables? don;t eat them, it won't have any side effects on your weight loss (possibly on your colon but that's a different topic all together...;))
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,182 Member
    Options
    You've tracked your food for 233 days. Open your diary and prove it.
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
    Options
    If you haven't lost weight in 233 days, then you are not in a deficit and/or you have a medical issue.
  • BioMechHeretic
    BioMechHeretic Posts: 128 Member
    edited August 2016
    Options
    Fruit is sugar. It is basically natural candy. Corn and potatoes are both not "vegetables" in the sense of health. Eat 3-4 servings of veggies every day. Broccoli, kale, spinach, asparagus, etc. If you want to see change, you have to make change. "I don't like vegetables" sounds like what my 9 year old nephew says when he won't finish his plate. I'd rather eat tacos every day over chicken and broccolli or spinach and turkey over and over and over but you do what you have to do if you actually want change. That said, review your caloric needs to make sure they are correct and take a moment with yourself to make sure you are being honest with quantities and amounts and timing of what you're eating vs what you're logging.
  • SoDamnHungry
    SoDamnHungry Posts: 6,998 Member
    Options
    Everyone who says it's not what you're eating but how much you're eating is probably right. Are you weighing everything? Is your calorie input accurate?

    I didn't know Welbutrin worked as a weight loss aid, but would advise against a doctor putting you on antidepressants for weight loss!!
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
    Options
    zumbalover523 wrote: »
    ...She actually suggested going on fen-phen...

    I didn't think they could prescribe that stuff anymore. My mother-in-law has permanently damaged heart valves from using that crap back in the day. :o
  • annaskiski
    annaskiski Posts: 1,212 Member
    Options
    When people say, "CICO doesn't work", have you tried not eating for a few days? You didn't lose any weight? See a doctor.

    If you did, then you are eating more than your calorie burn. (CI >= CO).

    Drop some calories from your daily total, log that stuff you are ignoring (creamer, fruit), maybe try IF.

    If you are exercising a lot, try not eating back your calories....
  • JenniferHorrell1
    JenniferHorrell1 Posts: 1 Member
    Options
    It sounds scary, but maybe you're not eating enough. I am almost 40, and when I eat 1200-1400 calories, I don't lose any weight. I bumped my calories to 1700 based on the amount of exercise I do, which is in line with your activity level, and slowly, the scale has started to move again. I suggest reading up on IIFYM (flexible dieting), and listening to Half Size Me podcast. The host has tons of information that had me thinking and eating differently without a lot of sacrifice. I do eat some vegetables, but not a ton...I don't really like them either.
  • sullus
    sullus Posts: 2,839 Member
    Options
    zumbalover523 wrote: »
    Thanks for the ideas. I will definitely try adding some spinach or other veggies to into my smoothies. My weight has been stagnant for about a year. I am thinking that its not the number of calories I am eating, but maybe what I am eating since counting calories doesn't seem to be working. I have spoke with my doctor and have had my thyroid checked and it was fine. She basically told me that metabolism is slowing as you age and it gets harder to loose weight. She actually suggested going on fen-phen or welbutrin as a weight loss aide. Not sure I want to go that route because of the side effects and I think that may be a short term solution. I basically feel great, I just can't loose any weight! Ugh!

    You are eating more than you think you are, plain and simple. 1200-1400 calories for a year, even with a "slow metabolism" should have resulted in your 40 lbs being gone.

    There's no issue with WHAT you eat .. just with how much of it you are eating. This is most likely due to errors in or flaws with your food measuring methodology.
  • sullus
    sullus Posts: 2,839 Member
    Options
    JenniferHorrell1 wrote: »
    It sounds scary, but maybe you're not eating enough. I am almost 40, and when I eat 1200-1400 calories, I don't lose any weight. I bumped my calories to 1700 based on the amount of exercise I do, which is in line with your activity level, and slowly, the scale has started to move again. I suggest reading up on IIFYM (flexible dieting), and listening to Half Size Me podcast. The host has tons of information that had me thinking and eating differently without a lot of sacrifice. I do eat some vegetables, but not a ton...I don't really like them either.

    Usually when people experience this it's because they're actually eating less at 1700 than they ate at "1200". Generally, you decide to increase your calories, and start measuring carefully again to make sure you eat all 1700.
  • jessicarobinson00
    jessicarobinson00 Posts: 414 Member
    Options
    zumbalover523 wrote: »
    Thanks for the ideas. I will definitely try adding some spinach or other veggies to into my smoothies. My weight has been stagnant for about a year. I am thinking that its not the number of calories I am eating, but maybe what I am eating since counting calories doesn't seem to be working. I have spoke with my doctor and have had my thyroid checked and it was fine. She basically told me that metabolism is slowing as you age and it gets harder to loose weight. She actually suggested going on fen-phen or welbutrin as a weight loss aide. Not sure I want to go that route because of the side effects and I think that may be a short term solution. I basically feel great, I just can't loose any weight! Ugh!

    If you have been logging that long: you are not in a deficit. Get. A. Food. Scale: finding out I was drastically underestimating meals completely changed the game for me...and pre-packaged individual serving sizes are off as well: Finding out that MARS bar I was having at 1 bar = 49g 170 calories..actually weighed 54g: those tiny differences add up through out the day and unfortunately this may be keeping you in a maintenance level for calorie counts.
  • Lasmartchika
    Lasmartchika Posts: 3,440 Member
    Options
    When you say you track your food, how do you do so? Do you weigh your food, use measuring cups, or do you just eyeball it? Most likely you are eating more than you think.

    If you're not weighing your food, get a food scale and weigh everything you eat. Make sure the entries you choose are also correct with the calorie amounts. Then you know you're being more accurate and after several weeks see the results.

    Eat foods you love. It's more about how many calories you're eating by the end of the day than about what you're eating.
  • Marillian
    Marillian Posts: 3,892 Member
    Options
    quote <I am thinking that its not the number of calories I am eating, but maybe what I am eating since counting calories doesn't seem to be working.>

    I'm sure you have heard this before, that there is no magic "solution" to losing weight. It's just the science of calories in/calories out. While you may be staying within a certain calorie range, please review your food diaries and see where the bulk of your calories are coming from.

    I am not making any judgment against you, but when someone says that they haven't lost any weight in a really long time but are faithfully journaling, I have to question if there is total honesty in the journaling, i.e., really accurate amounts. When you eyeball things, many times, the amount is greater than what you think it is. Take butter, for example. There isn't that big of a difference between a teaspoon and a tablespoon when looking at it, but the calories are much different.

    My suggestion is, if you are not already doing so, get a good digital food scale, get out your measuring cups and spoons, and use them. Also, if you really won't eat vegetables, then clean eating may not be the wisest choice for you, personally. Perhaps a lower carb eating plan may be better for you. I certainly advocate eating organic as much as possible, but that's feasible for everyone.

    One tip to get in vegetables is to cook and puree them, and then add them to tomato sauce. This works really well with summer squash, eggplant, spinach, kale, etc.

    Good luck!
  • thatdesertgirl777
    thatdesertgirl777 Posts: 269 Member
    Options
    SoDamnHungry wrote: »
    Everyone who says it's not what you're eating but how much you're eating is probably right. Are you weighing everything? Is your calorie input accurate?

    I didn't know Welbutrin worked as a weight loss aid, but would advise against a doctor putting you on antidepressants for weight loss!!

    Everyone I know on Wellbutrin GAINED weight. That's so bizarre that they suggested that.

    And OP, yes, open your diary and let us look. And get serious by buying a food scale and measuring EVERYTHING, even packaged foods.

Categories