Help! I'm over 40 and have the tastebuds of a 12 yr old!

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Help! I'm over 40 and have the tastebuds of a 12 yr old kid!

tkrossmail505tkrossmail505 Member
February 27, 2017 12:04PM edited 12:05PM in Introduce Yourself
I was always under weight until I hit my 30s, could eat whatever I wanted and not gain. Now my metabolism has hit a brick wall but the problem is, I don't like fruits and veggies and am not sure I can go a day without my beloved carbs. So what's a woman to do when she doesn't like healthy foods

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  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    You don't have to eat fruits & veggies to lose weight, but they can be a great tool.

    Fruit & veggies have carbs, fiber & micronutrients. (Non-starchy) veggies are not as calorie dense as a lot of foods & fiber is filling (great for your digestion too). I can "bulk up" a casserole or soup with veggies; a bigger portions....lower calories. Fruit can sometimes take the place of a sweet treat; takes longer to eat an apple than it does a Snicker's bar.

    If you want to eat fruits & veggies .....you will. Try a new fruit & a new veggie each week. Try fresh & frozen. Some frozen veggies are better than others. Prepare it different ways.....raw, steam, roast, grill. They will have different textures. If all else fails, puree it - smoothie or sauce. Try different seasonings too.
  • bhwalsh1
    bhwalsh1 Posts: 16 Member
    edited February 2017
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  • BishopLord
    BishopLord Posts: 55 Member
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    Change your eating habit and eat something you may think you don't like. It just might kickstart your metabolism. In other words, do something that you haven't already done (or refuse to do) to get the results you desire.

    I can guarantee you this, if you put leafy greens, blueberries (or strawberries), and bananas (and maybe a scoop of protein powder) with some ice in a blender, you wouldn't even notice you're consuming vegetables.
  • tkrossmail505
    tkrossmail505 Posts: 3 Member
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    Interesting! Thanks.
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,135 Member
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    Eat what you like, just less of it.
  • MelanieCN77
    MelanieCN77 Posts: 4,047 Member
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    TeaBea wrote: »
    Prepare it different ways.....raw, steam, roast, grill. They will have different textures. If all else fails, puree it - smoothie or sauce. Try different seasonings too.

    Pureed veg isn't going to be filling as the fibre is reduced. Juices and smoothies are calories without any satiety for most people, plus the question isn't how to get veg in her.
    BishopLord wrote: »
    Change your eating habit and eat something you may think you don't like. It just might kickstart your metabolism. In other words, do something that you haven't already done (or refuse to do) to get the results you desire.

    I can guarantee you this, if you put leafy greens, blueberries (or strawberries), and bananas (and maybe a scoop of protein powder) with some ice in a blender, you wouldn't even notice you're consuming vegetables.

    That's not a thing that really happens. And again the OP didn't ask how she can eat more vegetables.

    The answer is, eat what you like and remain in a calorie deficit. You may want to branch out into whatever veg you can tolerate to bulk up your meals if hunger is a problem, as it's the simplest solution, but it's not necessary for weight loss beyond managing hunger.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    You don't have to eat any particular foods to lose weight, and plenty of very healthful diets are higher carb (although not vegetable-free). You don't need any particular level of carbs to lose. Just count calories and figure out what is satisfying and sating for you.

    That said, I think eating a healthful diet is worth doing and it's possible to develop a taste for foods you don't currently enjoy, in many cases, through learning how to cook foods in a way you enjoy them and, especially, trying them more and in different preparations. The old rule about kids having to try foods multiple times to learn to like them probably applies. Personally I find that what I eat affects what I want to eat.
  • Afura
    Afura Posts: 2,054 Member
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    I find vegetables to be boring often. Vegetables with spices however, a different story. There are ways to play them up so they're not jut 'blah'.
    That aside, I still have cookies, cheese and coffee creamer and often I have some carbs for dinner - some and I lose weight. It's about learning to work with moderation, and serving sizes (ie weighing out my portions) and deciding what I can have, and what I can live without to be within my calorie deficit. It's about making what you love to eat work, and learning to make the best choices for you!
  • CattOfTheGarage
    CattOfTheGarage Posts: 2,750 Member
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    @Afura I've heard of a lot of eccentric snacks, but cookies, cheese and coffee creamer may be the strangest.
  • BishopLord
    BishopLord Posts: 55 Member
    edited February 2017
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    TeaBea wrote: »
    Prepare it different ways.....raw, steam, roast, grill. They will have different textures. If all else fails, puree it - smoothie or sauce. Try different seasonings too.

    Pureed veg isn't going to be filling as the fibre is reduced. Juices and smoothies are calories without any satiety for most people, plus the question isn't how to get veg in her.
    BishopLord wrote: »
    Change your eating habit and eat something you may think you don't like. It just might kickstart your metabolism. In other words, do something that you haven't already done (or refuse to do) to get the results you desire.

    I can guarantee you this, if you put leafy greens, blueberries (or strawberries), and bananas (and maybe a scoop of protein powder) with some ice in a blender, you wouldn't even notice you're consuming vegetables.

    That's not a thing that really happens. And again the OP didn't ask how she can eat more vegetables.

    The answer is, eat what you like and remain in a calorie deficit. You may want to branch out into whatever veg you can tolerate to bulk up your meals if hunger is a problem, as it's the simplest solution, but it's not necessary for weight loss beyond managing hunger.

    Whatever. That's what I hate about "diet" message boards. Enablers. Sometimes we have to do the things we don't like to do. It's called being an adult. Vegetables aren't going to kill you!
  • fit_chickx
    fit_chickx Posts: 571 Member
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    Help! I'm over 40 and have the tastebuds of a 12 yr old kid!

    tkrossmail505tkrossmail505 Member
    February 27, 2017 12:04PM edited 12:05PM in Introduce Yourself
    I was always under weight until I hit my 30s, could eat whatever I wanted and not gain. Now my metabolism has hit a brick wall but the problem is, I don't like fruits and veggies and am not sure I can go a day without my beloved carbs. So what's a woman to do when she doesn't like healthy foods

    Be adventurous and brave. Life is short! Get out and experience new foods and recipies to find what you like.
    Carbs are energy. If you have your macros set to weight loss, it is a matter of limiting not going without.
  • Afura
    Afura Posts: 2,054 Member
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    @Afura I've heard of a lot of eccentric snacks, but cookies, cheese and coffee creamer may be the strangest.
    lol well you know... pretty sure that's a mad hatter setup. Cookies with coffee creamer I'd attempt during 'that time of the month'. I dunno about throwing cheese in that mix, no matter how much I love cheese.

    Cookies for desert, coffee creamer with coffee for the 'morning snack', and cheese for afternoon snack. If anyone tried to take those things from me, we'd have a fight. :angry:
  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
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    Help! I'm over 40 and have the tastebuds of a 12 yr old kid!

    tkrossmail505tkrossmail505 Member
    February 27, 2017 12:04PM edited 12:05PM in Introduce Yourself
    I was always under weight until I hit my 30s, could eat whatever I wanted and not gain. Now my metabolism has hit a brick wall but the problem is, I don't like fruits and veggies and am not sure I can go a day without my beloved carbs. So what's a woman to do when she doesn't like healthy foods

    I'm with you. Most veggies are Bleh (And I'm 51). I'm okay with most fruits though. But I do like baby carrots and snap peas so I try to eat them daily. they actually have flavour, unlike broccoli and cauliflower. I just don't cook them (as then they are bleh again).

    I'd experiment and try to find something you enjoy. They are good for you (and me) in the long run. But beyond that, eat what you like while keeping at your calorie limit.
  • MelanieCN77
    MelanieCN77 Posts: 4,047 Member
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    BishopLord wrote: »
    TeaBea wrote: »
    Prepare it different ways.....raw, steam, roast, grill. They will have different textures. If all else fails, puree it - smoothie or sauce. Try different seasonings too.

    Pureed veg isn't going to be filling as the fibre is reduced. Juices and smoothies are calories without any satiety for most people, plus the question isn't how to get veg in her.
    BishopLord wrote: »
    Change your eating habit and eat something you may think you don't like. It just might kickstart your metabolism. In other words, do something that you haven't already done (or refuse to do) to get the results you desire.

    I can guarantee you this, if you put leafy greens, blueberries (or strawberries), and bananas (and maybe a scoop of protein powder) with some ice in a blender, you wouldn't even notice you're consuming vegetables.

    That's not a thing that really happens. And again the OP didn't ask how she can eat more vegetables.

    The answer is, eat what you like and remain in a calorie deficit. You may want to branch out into whatever veg you can tolerate to bulk up your meals if hunger is a problem, as it's the simplest solution, but it's not necessary for weight loss beyond managing hunger.

    Whatever. That's what I hate about "diet" message boards. Enablers. Sometimes we have to do the things we don't like to do. It's called being an adult. Vegetables aren't going to kill you!

    What's good for one person isn't good for everyone. I eat a lot of veg. I think everyone should. I am also however respecting another adult's self determination and answering the question she actually asked instead of criticizing her preferences. She'll find her way into improving her diet if she wants to, not because some stranger on a message board makes her feel stupid or gives her false information about "kickstarting her metabolism."
  • pamfgil
    pamfgil Posts: 449 Member
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    The thing is your post suggests your tastes cannot be changed. Generally you have to try a new food multiple times before you will like it, and vegetables can be cooked in multiple ways which changes taste and texture. So experiment and see what you can bring yourself to like
  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
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    pamfgil wrote: »
    The thing is your post suggests your tastes cannot be changed. Generally you have to try a new food multiple times before you will like it, and vegetables can be cooked in multiple ways which changes taste and texture. So experiment and see what you can bring yourself to like

    Or eat what you like in a calorie deficit.
  • KWlosingit
    KWlosingit Posts: 122 Member
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    I used to hate any veg other than green beans, peas and corn. I have learned to love a lot more of them since I started cooking them in the oven and getting a nice browning on them. Now I will eat many more even the dreaded brussel sprouts.