I'm desperate to lose weight. I'm a 26 year old male, I weight about 18.5 stone and I'm about 6 foot tall. I'm fairly active, I play football at least twice a week (although for one game I am the goalie, so less running) and I've just bought an exercise bike and I'm cycling at least 5k a day, minimum. I'm not afraid of the hard work, I've recently had a very big reason to lose weight, it's my diet that concerns me. It used to be terrible, absolutely terrible. Sweets, fizzy juice, takeaways etc all the things I shouldn't be eating. I've cut all that out now, but even then - I can't eat fruit or veg. They literally make me ill. I can eat potatoes and even carrots if they are grated into a soup or something, but that's genuinely all I can eat from those food groups.
I want my diet to improve, vastly, hoping to get the 5 a day etc but as I said, can't eat fruit and veg. I would also like to stay away from fresh oj etc due to the sugar.
Anyone got some advice on how to plan healthy meals that don't involve fruit or veg? I'd really appreciate any insight.
Thanks
Written by
chris4
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Hi, I recommend asking your gp to refer you to a dietician as they will give you the best advice, and be able to help you create a food plan that works for you. In the mean time you could start eating the low fat options for things, avoid creamy sauces, foods with high fat that sort of thing
With out fruit and veg a diet is not that good. plenty of fruit and veg with exercise of more than a couple of times a week is what is needed. To loss weight or maintain weight after a loss fruit and veg is needed sadly with 5 to 6 days of exercise. People seem to think 3 or 4 times a week of exercise is enough its not. You need 5 to 6 days with no more than 1 to 2 days off for rest. Less than this you wont loss or maintain weight after a loss. Once you start fitting exercise properly into your life you will soon just get on with it and do it without even thinking about. Motovation and laziness is what so many people lack in that's why hardly anyone maintains weight after a loss. Just get on with it and fit it into your life no matter what. Being lazy watching TV instead of going to gym one day is not a better thing to do. Why waste it sat watching shit on TV going to gym makes you feel better helps with burning cals to maintain weight, Helps towards fighting off illness, changes your mood, Makes you fitter toned etc. 100 time better than watching shit on TV just because your too lazy one day.
It might also be an idea to explore why they are making you sick - whether it is an allergy, intolerance or that you have not been exposed enough to the from a young age so you have an aversion so when you do try it makes you feel sick. It might be that there is some treatment! I agree about getting a referral for a dietitian as there is not really any way to cut down much more on the calories while getting the nutrients, unless you use one of those liquid based diets that supposedly replace all/ most of your meals (though I put on weight using one of those!!).
Rice and pasta with meat ans a low calorie sause tomatoes based,noodles ,I use the sachets half a packet of a Chinese like sweet chilli,its about 110 calories.I also use a soup maker for veg,and I smooth make it.easiyo for your fruit ,as you can get all different flavours and the kit is not expensive ,the yoghart is lovely and creamy from101 to 104 per 100grams.get a small note book and put everything you eat in it,hope this has helped
Actually, I think you probably try to get a referral, probably via your GP, to a dietician.
If you really cannot eat ANY fruit and veg - potatoes / rice / pasta are counted as carbohydrates rather than fruit & veg - it's not going to be very easy for you to take in the full range of nutrition that your body needs to function optimally, particularly whilst on a weight reduction programme.
I wonder if you can cook. I am pretty sure that there are vegetables if not friut in your takeaways and you have said that you eat them. Is it texture, preparation, smell or lack of practice in eating a variety of foods? Maybe there is a physical or medical issue but it might be more psychological. Going back to my first thought, maybe cooking more, taking one step at a time, might help. You talk about potatoes and carrots being acceptable if grated into your soup which makes me think that someone else is doing the grating. It is possible to survive on a limited diet but you appear to have been overloading on sugars (including carbohydrates) and that is difficult to wean yourself away from. So, very well done for doing the first difficult thing.
I think you need to identify why you don't like veg and try and wean yourself onto them. Have you tried every veg there is, there's such a range of textures and tastes (and smells!) that surely you could find something?
Have you tried carrot puree? My dad purees the carrot with turnip, a little margarine and salt, it looks and tastes nothing like 'normal' carrot and turnip. It's delicious. If you could start with that then cut back with the marg and salt as those aren't good for you, does that sound like a possibility? At least that would give you something you could have with meat and potatoes.
Have you tried broth? I love it and you can thicken it with pulses. I don't like the ham shank so I get those Knorr stock pots so I don't have to boil the meat. Then you add pulses and veg to taste, for the veg you could chop it up really small then the stock takes over the taste so if it is the taste you don't like then that would disguise it. I use potatoe, leek, turnip and carrots for veg then add pearl barley, red lentils and yellow split peas to thicken it.
I really don't know how you can have a well balanced diet without veg. You can try wholemeal pasta and brown rice. Sorry I can't be of more help with that.
What would be a typical day for you for food? Now that you've cut the crap out, the next step would be to reduce carbs and increase protein.
You can always do more exercise, that will help with weight loss but the diet side is important.
you seem to have issues re fruit and veg, which possibly go back to childhood. Read about the positive effects of fruit and veg. check out "Food Matters" and "Forks over Knives". There are loads of others, and one will link to another, follow the trail to health. Read "Fat Chance" by Dr Robert Lustig and "Pure, White and Deadly" by John Yudkin, not easy reads, but well worth reading. I couldn't tolerate grapefruit until I read about the positive benefits from it, so I forced myself to buy one. ( and other fruit and veg, I now eat loads of raw fruit and veg) And lo and behold, it wasn't too bad at all. I have now lost 3 stone and got rid of most of my health issues.
I love reading about food and health, it is an amazing topic and I feel that you can never know enough. It has changed my way of thinking. Think to yourself, what is it about fruit and veg or the association that you don't like. Start by adding one thing that you think you can tolerate and then work from there.
Fat causes inflammation, and that causes pain, it also causes irritation to the lining of the circulatory system, which then causes a built up of cholesterol which then clogs arteries. However, fruit and particularly veg are the opposite, they cleanse, strengthen, attack the bad stuff and work to give you a healthier body. Learn which ones are good for you. Google "Anti-inflammatory Foods".
Also learn about what they put in processed food to make it attractive, both looks and smell. The chemicals that are added affect the part of the brain that is also affected by tobacco, alcohol and hard drugs. You can find this all on line. The food industry is not honest with the public and unfortunately our government and various agencies including the NHS are ignorant of the very positive benefits of natural unprocessed foods.
The history of medicine, both here and in the USA is like a massive conspiracy story. Ask yourself, do you think it is normal for a society to have so many people overweight and ill? No, it is not and it is for many reasons. Overeating is one, but why do people overeat. It is not because they are greedy and lazy, it is because they are nutritionally deficient. Read also about toxins in food and from other sources. Our body will cling onto fat if there are toxins, because if they are released without the proper route out of the body then they will poison you. I know that sounds dramatic, but read "Dr Andreas Moritz", he had written several books and is very readable. You can also watch him on you tube.
If you can download books make a start, you can also watch numerous videos on youtube that are inspiring. I know this is a lot of information, but nothing is more important than your health. Good luck with your journey. Doing all the exercise in the world will not make you healthy, if your diet is poor. Also watch "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead" by Joe Cross, truly inspirational, I'm not necessarily recommending juicing, it has its place, but it is the idea that, as he changed his diet, he lost weight, and as he lost weight, strangely enough his health issues gradually disappeared. It is not rocket science, you are what you eat. Unfortunately there is a lot of dishonesty out here, and we find out the hard way. Good luck.
Well done on changing what you eat and increasing your exercise. You've made a good start towards improving your health.
Try to eat food that has not been heavily processed. If you eat breakfast cereal, perhaps try something like porridge, and you could have a small o j with it, as the fibre in the oats will slow down the effects of the sugar.
If you can, look for a wide variety of meats and fish, so that you are not eating the same things all the times. Eggs, nuts and dairy would also be a healthy addition. If you go for 'low fat' options, check that they do not contain added sugar.
Have a look on the net for the "Paleo diet" for an alternative way of eating, it might give you some ideas. If you are limited in what you eat, it would probably be a good idea to check out the nutrition in what you eat, to make sure that you are not missing out on anything.
Having problems with eating fruit and veg is not uncommon. If/when you feel you want to do something about this, a dietician might be able to help you to introduce new food slowly.
Good luck Chris, I hope the 'big reason to lose weight' works out well for you.
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