How we overcome our mindset

You can change your taste buds, but it takes time. For instance if you're eating a lot of highly processed food on the road, a lot of that is greasy and salty, and if that's how you're used to food tasting, the less greasy/salty foods may be really bland and boring. So I think at first it's just a matter of eating the bland stuff anyway, and waiting for your taste buds to catch up. In other words, I don't know of any way to change your taste in foods to make the healthier eating easier... But it will get easier if you do it anyway.

If you want to learn to like something, try the "tiny tastes" method, which is used with picky children with some success. Basically you take a miniscule portion of the thing - like really minuscule, the size of a pea - and you have that on your plate along with your normal food. And if you can eat it, you eat it. If you can't face eating it, you just give it a lick. The next day you do it again, and the next day, and the next. And over time, in most cases, you acclimatise to the thing and start liking it. There will always be some things you will just never like, but often it's just that you need time, and the idea of the tiny taste is that it's not intimidating. Even if you hate it, it's just a tiny bit.

I've changed my tastes and learned to like quite a few things over the years. It's amazing what you can adapt to.

You can change it. You have to if you want to take control of your health. My father was one of 11 siblings, and grew up poor. When I was a kid, I used to get served up a huge plate of food (as much as my 6'2" 120kg Dad would eat) and then yelled at until it was all gone. The reward for eating it all was dessert. By the time I left home I had such a screwed up relationship with food. It's taken me 20+ years to change my thinking. I do not need to eat until I'm stuffed all the time. Every meal does not have to come with pasta or mashed potatoes or bread, and does not have to be followed by ice-cream. A sandwich is not the only lunch option. Butter is not the root of all evil, and margarine is not healthier. Vegetables are not just an afterthought on the side of the plate to contribute to the pretence of a balanced meal.

My father died last year at 68. He was desperately unwell for the last 15 years of his life. Diabetes ruined him, as did his firm belief that bread and pasta were good for him and fat was bad (this belief reinforced by his diabetes "specialist" of all things). If he had made a change 15 years ago, I really believe it would have made a huge difference to his quality of life. When he passed away I removed a garbage bag full of medications from his house. None of them worked.

If not now, then when?

You are not a computer that can be "programmed" against your will. You are a human being with a brain that can make choices and find something you like to eat..... stop being a victim and take responsibility for your own food choices.

You are not programmed to do anything other than to eat, sleep, and reproduce - stay alive. This is behavior. Identify the behavior that lead you to being overweight and change those behaviors. Don't take on more than one at a time and go slow. You didn't get to 300 lbs in a year - it's not going to come off in a year, but it will likely come off much quicker than it went on - that all depends on the effort you put into this.

Small changes have dramatic impact over time.

I found these books to be very helpful in changing my mindset: The Beck Diet Solution and the Power of Habit, both of which were suggested by members in other threads. It still takes some effort, but the books give you a good understanding of how the mind works, how habits are formed, and the tools to make the changes. As far as eating veggies and other healthy foods, keep trying them prepared in a variety of ways. I hated broccoli until I was well in to my 30s - the perfectly steamed broccoli that was served with my meal at a restaurant looked so appealing, that I decided to try it and now it is one of my favorite vegetables. I still don't care for raw broccoli, but love it roasted or steamed.