My Weight is Fine. My Diet...Not so Much. Help!

[Nodaclu]

Hi guys,

I see tons of thread from folks who want to (mostly) lose weight and (occasionally) gain weight. I never seem to be able to find others who are in the same boat I am.

I'm 6'0", medium build, 169-173 lbs, depending on the day. Ideally, I'd be 165-170, but I'm so close that I don't lose much sleep over it.

I'm one of the fortunate few who can eat whatever I want, and my weight doesn't go beyond that range. Unfortunately, I've taken advantage of that fact, and have developed a horrific diet.

I'm not a big snacker, rarely eat chocolate, don't drink and don't smoke. But that's about the end of the good stuff.

My diet consists of WAY too much fast food, red meat 1-2 times a day - every single day. Also potatoes, white rice, pasta, and worst of all...NO fruit and no veggies. I can stomach peas and green beans, and that's it.

From the time I was a kid, I hated the taste, but especially the texture, of every fruit and veggie I tried. You know how vegetarians describe the texture of meat in their mouths after being away from it for months or years? That's exactly how I feel in reverse. I find it disgusting. Weird I know.

To this day, an attempt to try and eat ANY fruit or vegetable results in a minimum of dry heaves, and a maximum of instant vomiting.

There will be those who jump into this thread, and call me a wimp - saying I should just learn and get used to it.

After years of trying, I firmly believe that unintentionally making myself Bulimic would be even worse then my current diet. :)

Others may suggest I just haven't tried enough different types of fruits and vegetables.

I promise you....I have. I've never stopped trying new things, because I know how important it is to have some balance in my diet. But at this stage of life, I'm starting to realize it just isn't going to happen.

That being said, I can get many different fruit juices down (it takes the texture problem out of the picture) but most are so loaded with sugars that I feel like it defeats the purpose.

In addition to the fruit and veggie problem, I'm not big on nuts of any kind, and the smell of a salad or salad dressing absolutely turns my stomach.

I realize I'll never be able to "eat healthy" in the way that most people do. I figure my best hope is supplementation (I know it isn't as good as the real thing). But I think what I'm looking for most is some creative ways to improve my diet and overall health as much as possible within my apparent limitations.

[Jarery]

Well it cant be the 'texture' as you state, since the variety of texture found across all the veggies and fruits I can think of its huge, from smooth soft, to hard crunchy. How do you compare texture of an apple to a banana ?

So the only thing making you gag, is the fact you know its a fruit or vegetable. Go for phsych help or learn to love McD's.

[Nodaclu]

Go for phsych help or learn to love McD's.

I appreciate you looking out for my mental well-being. :D

Seriously though, this was exactly the kind of answer I was expecting.

I don't see vegetarians being told they need to see a shrink, yet I get this kind of response constantly.

I do find it interesting that in our society, it's mostly okay for a person to be repulsed by animal-based foods, but obviously, it's NOT okay to be repulsed by plant-based foods. I'm not saying either is right or wrong, but it certainly feels like a double-standard of some sort.

I'm also not denying that some of it is probably in my head. But I'd like to look outside of that for the time being.

If anyone else would like to take a stab at something more constructive and helpful, I'd appreciate it.

[UmneyDurak]

Well if it's only the texture how about making smoothies? Just blend them with some fat free yogurt and some milk? Not sure how well that will work with vegetables, but for fruits I think it will work quite well. I usually make smoothies with fat free milk, greek yogurt, danno light vanilla yogurt and strawberries. Very delicious.
Also to be honest with you pasta, white rice, and potatoes are not bad things. Specially if you exercise, and balance the meal with other slower digestible stuff. It's just most people are sedentary and eat way too much. The fast food thing... Try to go easy on it? Thats the best recommendation I can make.

[Az B]

First go here:
http://www.debnroo.com/servlet/the-1314/Black-&-Decker-JE1500/Detail

Then here:
http://juicer.lifetips.com/tip/87865/juicing-recipes/juice-recipes/5-veggie-juicing-recipes.html

Az

[Nodaclu]

Well if it's only the texture how about making smoothies? Just blend them with some fat free yogurt and some milk? Not sure how well that will work with vegetables, but for fruits I think it will work quite well. I usually make smoothies with fat free milk, greek yogurt, danno light vanilla yogurt and strawberries. Very delicious.

I do find that I can drink a few different smoothies from places like Jamba Juice and their ilk. The ones I've tried to make at home have been....somewhat less successful. That being said, its a good idea, and I'll do my best to expand on it.

Also to be honest with you pasta, white rice, and potatoes are not bad things. Specially if you exercise, and balance the meal with other slower digestible stuff. It's just most people are sedentary and eat way too much. The fast food thing... Try to go easy on it? Thats the best recommendation I can make.

I figured that fast food has no redeeming value at all, but what I wasn't sure about was actually *how* bad the meat/pasta thing really is. I don't think I'll ever be able to do an about-face on my diet, but I'd like to improve it as much as possible. This makes me feel a little better about the core of my diet - I just need to find a way to reduce it a bit.

Thanks!

[Nodaclu]

First go here:
http://www.debnroo.com/servlet/the-1314/Black-&-Decker-JE1500/Detail

Then here:
http://juicer.lifetips.com/tip/87865/juicing-recipes/juice-recipes/5-veggie-juicing-recipes.html

Awesome info. It's something I've considered in the past, and I'm going to give it a try. Thank you!

Any harm in chilling these kinds of things before consuming? If something tastes "marginal" to me, I do much better with it if its very cold.

Once I find a way to incorporate some of these kinds of things into my diet, then I'll have to learn how to balance everything, and see what ways I can replace some of my meat and potatoes diet with things more along the lines of juices and smoothies.

[ac220v]

Seriously though, this was exactly the kind of answer I was expecting.

I don't see vegetarians being told they need to see a shrink, yet I get this kind of response constantly.

Ok, some vegetarians need a shrink too. ;)

I had somewhat similar problem with anything containing even a trace of animal fat as a kid. Just threw up the moment I felt or imagined the taste. It's not that bad now, but I still go out of my way to get meat as lean as possible or do not eat it at all (didn't stop me from gaining a few pounds too many :( ). And while everybody found that inconvinient, and my grandparents said that was "sick", people tolerated my involuntary vegetarianism. Don't know what would happen if I felt the same way about veggies.

But seriously, I'd see a good gastroenterologist and may be immunologist first, try to force myself eat somethng I really do not like that much later... What if there's real good "physical" reason you can't stand it? (Say, something related to fibers/cellulose (raw fruits contain it, juices don't)).

[Jynx]

start eating small amount of vegetables before you go eating a bunch of them plain or raw. Cooked vegetables are much easier to eat. Start by adding peppers and onions to your chicken, add a sweet potatoe or regular potatoe with your steak. Try a chicken stir fry which has tons of vegetables. Have a bunch of lettuce but throw chili on top to "hide" the lettuce. Try small things first then gradually add more and more.

[Tom Stormcrowe]

My suggestion would be to introduce small amounts initially of fresh fruits and vegetables as well. Perhaps small amounts initially won't upset your system so much.

Can you eat baked potatoes, for example?

[ottsville]

I'm one of the fortunate few who can eat whatever I want, and my weight doesn't go beyond that range.

Weight isn't the only factor to be concerned with. Go get a full blood workup done and report back...

[slynkie]

Weight isn't the only factor to be concerned with. Go get a full blood workup done and report back...

+1 ... red meat 2x/day, hello high cholesterol risk?

that said, I'm actually a lot like you diet wise. I was overweight for a while, found out I had hypothyroidism so started medicating for that, and started cycling soon after. before I knew it I was down to 160-165, and even when I take a month off the bike for injury (or whatever), I don't really gain weight. I lose muscle and fitness of course, but the weight doesn't change.

my diet sucks just because I'm lazy though. both my fiance and I are too tired/lazy to cook after a long day's work, so we end up eating crap 90% of the time. It's a tough cycle to break out of, so kudos to the OP for admitting you have a problem ;)

just so this post isn't totally devoid of useful information - while you're at the doc getting your blood workup done, ask them to refer you to a nutritionist. you'd be amazed how creative these people can get, working with your likes and dislikes to get you a balanced diet.

[Nodaclu]

Thanks much for the additional tips guys!

Yes, I can eat baked potatoes, but can't seem to do peppers or onions. I've even tried them on a pizza (where other flavors are there to help mask them) but no go.

As to some of the other health numbers, I haven't been in to a doctor in about a year, but I know that my BMI was 23, (and I calculated my WTH ratio at 0.9), my cholesterol was borderline at 210. My wife has a blood pressure cuff and I use it with some regularity. Last night my BP was 107/74 with a pulse rate of 71.

I'm not sure of some of my other numbers right now, such as triglycerides, LDL and HDL numbers.

I do have some heart disease in my family. My father, and his father, are/were both large men at 6'2" and over 300 lbs. My grandfather had a massive heart attack at age 46, and was never able to work again. My dad avoided the heart attack, but required a quadruple bypass at 49.

I'm built nothing like them - though I know that doesn't mean I didn't inherit the trait for early heart disease, it at least gives me a fighting chance.

The only ones in the family that I look like physically are my (deep breath) grandmother's four brothers on my dad's side. I knew them all. All were 5'8" to 6'1", thin except for the slightest pot belly, healthy into their 80's (two were healthy into their 90's). All were farm raised, and all kept the same meat and potatoes diet they grew up with.

(My grandmother cooked with lard into the 1970's, when it started getting harder to find. She then reluctantly switched to Crisco, which she uses to this day. She's 86, lives alone, and with the exception of a bad knee, is in pretty good health.)

While I continue to hope that I will be blessed with the same health they had, since I seem to have the same physical makeup as they did, I also know how important it is to keep an eye on it. I'm not too far away from the danger zone where my heart is concerned, which is one of the reasons I'm trying to make changes where I can.

I've learned the hard way though, that changes need to be small and incremental. If I try to do a massive about face, nothing works for long. :)

But seriously, I'd see a good gastroenterologist and may be immunologist first, try to force myself eat something I really do not like that much later... What if there's real good "physical" reason you can't stand it? (Say, something related to fibers/cellulose (raw fruits contain it, juices don't)).

You just triggered a memory that makes me wonder if it's part physical and part psychological.

I was born with a tiny hole in my stomach, about the size of the head of a pin.

Trying to avoid surgery, my doctor told my mom that it was small enough that there was a chance that a steady stream of potassium might help slowly seal the hole over time.

What's the best way to give potassium to a baby in 1970? (And probably still true today.)

Bananas of course!

According to my mom, for the first 6 months of my life, almost everything I ate was banana-based. Liquified bananas, banana custard, Gerber's banana "paste".

One of my earliest memories that I still have concerning food, from about age 4, involves being absolutely repulsed by the smell of a banana. :eek:

So okay, fine - it's probably mostly in my head, but with that history, there could be a physical component involved too. :D :p

[DScott]

Given what you've described, you've clearly developed a food-specific aversion that's almost identical in function to many other kinds of phobias. Unless you're willing to address that particular problem directly, by using effective cognitive and behavioral treatment, it won't change. Know that it can, but it isn't going away on it's own. And, you can't just will it away either, nor be 'talked out of it" by others.

Really, the only other option is to keep working on more effective ways to disguise the foods you've learned to be repulsed by. I would keep regular checkups with your doctor, you never know who's genes you have.

Blend on! :)

[jacob.]

Get a blender and make fruit smoothies, or a food grinder or something and make drinks. That takes care of the texture. Add ice, and make it a nice frozen smoothie.

Thats what I would try. And as for the red meats, just eat more white meat, its better for you. The only meat i eat is chicken and turkey, but thats because i prefer the taste.

[ottsville]

One of my earliest memories that I still have concerning food, from about age 4, involves being absolutely repulsed by the smell of a banana. :eek:



I had the same thing with tequila in my late teens...

[edbikebabe]

My boyfriend is crazy picky about veggies. He'll eat some fruit - and loves berries. But veggies - no way. He'll eat celery, onion, corn, cucumber & lettuce. And peppers, if they are cut into small pieces.

He likes what he likes. I figure if he eats "healthy" within his food likes, so be it.

[DScott]

I had the same thing with tequila in my late teens...

I'm convinced there's a lifetime limit on tequila. I found mine in college...

[jacob.]

My boyfriend is crazy picky about veggies. He'll eat some fruit - and loves berries. But veggies - no way. He'll eat celery, onion, corn, cucumber & lettuce. And peppers, if they are cut into small pieces.

He likes what he likes. I figure if he eats "healthy" within his food likes, so be it.

Tell him no veggies = no sex, i bet he'll eat those veggies faster than he'll eat...well you get the point.

[Enthalpic]

Tell him no veggies = no sex, i bet he'll eat those veggies faster than he'll eat...well you get the point.

LOL

However, many chicks want it more than their men. She would be punishing herself.

[ericgu]

Given what you've described, you've clearly developed a food-specific aversion that's almost identical in function to many other kinds of phobias. Unless you're willing to address that particular problem directly, by using effective cognitive and behavioral treatment, it won't change. Know that it can, but it isn't going away on it's own. And, you can't just will it away either, nor be 'talked out of it" by others.

Really, the only other option is to keep working on more effective ways to disguise the foods you've learned to be repulsed by. I would keep regular checkups with your doctor, you never know who's genes you have.

Blend on! :)

I tend to agree with DScott here. Your descriptions are not about your physical response but rather your psychological response. Now, there could be an underlying physical reason that reinforces your aversion as well.