I am looking for advice on where to find a custom diet plan. I don't eat vegetables or Fruits, except Corn, Pickles, and Apples. I don't eat vegetables and Fruits because I don't care for the taste, so I would prefer to leave them out any diet plan, with the exception of the ones I will eat.

Looking for any advice, suggestions, etc.. other than eat vegetables and Fruit...

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Wow, that's rough. Your best bet is probobly to shell out the money to see a nutritionist/dietition in your area. The only suggestion I would offer is make sure you take a multivitamin, and perhaps some fiber, since you have such a tough time eating fruits and veggies. Best of luck to you!

I resisted eating fruit and veggies for a long time -- I really did! Growing up, I would go for days sometimes without ever eating a single veggie serving. I would whine when my wife slipped a single lettuce leaf in my hotdog-and-bun.

It's tough, until something life changing happens to you. In my case, it was a colon cancer scare, combined with verified high blood pressure and possible renal deterioration. I made up my mind the week I was having a colonoscopy and I learned that my father died of a heart attack or stroke at age 64, after several years of very painful declining health. I wanted to start making a difference now, before I find myself bedridden, half-paralyzed, and in extreme pain from blood clots in my legs.

What helped me might work for you: take it in stages. I got serious about exercise 7 years ago, but totally ignored cardio until a year ago, then totally ignored diet until two months ago.

If you like apples, corn, and pickles then make sure you get one serving a day. Set a goal to reach 3 servings a day, then 5.

Start cutting down on salt, sugar, and condiments in your food. Once your taste buds get used to less extreme flavoring, you might find vegetables more palatable -- but the cutting down is a benefit in and of itself!

Do try to figure out what it is that turns you off veggies. If it's flavor, then reducing salt and sugar intake as I mentioned will help. If it's texture, try steaming vs. boiling, or try raw veggies. Soggy overboiled veggies are pretty horrid, and I like mine lightly steamed and crunchy.

Finally, do read up on diets. If I could recommend just one book, it would have to be You: The Owner's Manual. If you still need convincing, I'd suggest The China Study next.

Above all, the fact that you're here is really good news! It means you're keeping an open mind, looking for answers, and are on the verge of what we hope will be a transformation into a better, healthier lifestyle.

Welcome, and best of luck!

Ok, you're going to have to help me out because my limited imagination can't fathom a diet without vegetables or fruit. What do you eat? What's a typical day like right now?

one of the main things fruits and veggies help you get is fiber. low fiber diets are linked to painful diverticulitis/diverticulosis, and even more scary, to colon cancer. you can work on finding other ways to increase your fiber intake- start comparing bread, english muffins, and cereals to find the one that really pack a lot of fiber. (fiber one cereal has a ridiculous amount). it took me a few weeks to get used to the taste, but when I thought about how good it was for me- and added a few blueberries or strawberries, or some flavored yogurt instead of milk- it got easier. try looking for ways to make that small change to your diet, and good luck!

ps- apples and potatoes (with the skins) have a decent amount, too!

Answer: Itadaki Mouse

You actually may be on to something, I know I eat way to much salt, and used to eat alot of sugars but have cut way down on sugars(except soda). Growing up I ate veggies and Fruit, not sure at what age I stopped but my mother always brings up stories of me eating pees out of can and loving carrets. But I have no memory of that.

Answer: Christopher B

Typical day is No breakfast, lunch varies as I go out with co-workers but usually bbq, hamburger, pizza, etc... Usually not fast food, dinner usually the same type of things I eat at lunch but I usually cook dinner myself.

Examples: Today Saturday 3/24 - Breakfast - nothing, lunch - pork burger(made at home), dinner chicken tacos(made at home)

Yesterday: Friday 3/23 Breakfast(friday is my only breakfast day that me and co-workers go out and eat breakfast early, usually my only breakfast all week) had eggs and pancakes at IHOP, lunch had Wendys, normally don't get fast food but everyone was busy and we all made a quick run to wendys(had chicken nuggets and fries), dinner(chicken and rice, home made)


Answer: Megan G

My diet has lead to health issues. About a year ago I ended up with gall stones. Ended up having my gall bladder removed, since then I have cut down on portions and its problably the only reason I am not 300+ pounds. I actually took fiber suppliments every morning since my surgery per recommendation of my doctor, but have since stopped. I know part of my new diet will need some vitamin and fiber suppliments.

News: My workout room I have been remodeling(myself) will be up and running in a few days, this will mean I am working out again after almost 2 months of no workouts.

Yikes, a diet like your typical days could easily lead to gout if you're genetically predisposed to it. I would be careful. I know a man who suffers from it, and it's not pretty. I hope you'll talk to a physician asap about what you can do to help your diet.

And, as far as I know, aren't pizza, hamburgers, etc. fast food?

From Wikipedia:

Gout (also called metabolic arthritis) is a disease due to an inborn disorder of the uric acid metabolism. In this condition monosodium urate crystals are deposited on the articular cartilage of joints and in the particular tissue like tendons. This provokes an inflammatory reaction of these tissues. These deposits often increase in size and burst through the skin to form sinuses discharging a chalky white material.

Normally, the human bloodstream only carries small amounts of uric acid. However, if the blood has an elevated concentration of uric acid, uric acid crystals are deposited in the cartilage and tissue surrounding joints. Elevated blood levels of uric acid can also result in uric kidney stones.

one thing I like to do is chop up veggies and mix them into foods---they tend to go unnoticed but you still get the veggies in : D

For example, I like pulled pork sandwiches...so I take shredded carrots and mix it in. I can't even taste it but I know I am getting all the nutrients.
You can try mixing diced onions into hamburger meat. Personally I find that adding veggies to foods make them more flavorful, like having peppers and onions with meat on pizza, or peppers and onions in tacos (i'm trying to go based on the meals you say are part of your typical diet). Keep in mind that you don't have to have the veggie alone. Usually people get bored if the veggie is by itself. How about eating a potato instead of fries? Just tweaking how it's cooked makes a big difference. Do you like fish? what about grilled fish in a burger? with a side of potato wedges? Kinda like a better version of fish and chips.

Good luck!

Kat

I would second Kat's ideas. When you listed the foods you eat, the first thing that came to mind was that those same foods for me are loaded with veggies.

I add onions and peppers to almost everything. Burgers, pizza, eggs, tacos, sandwiches, tuna, burritos, pasta, and the list goes on. That's why I can't imagine not eating vegetables, to me everything has them mixed in.

Make a slow start and see if you can find vegetables that are at least tolerable, even if you don't like them.

You might also want to consider the influence of the people you're eating with. Are they healthy? Are they eating this way also? Constantly?

you already eat vegetables (the tomato on the pizza) so why not make your own sauce and chop up the zucchini really fine, chop peppers into tiny pieces, sprinkle some tinned corn on top. That puts veggies in without triggering the 'yuck' reaction.

Also, how the vegetables are cooked is a lot more important than many people realise. Take broccoli. It is my favourite vegetable when it's been steamed to the point where there is slight give but not much. If it's cooked too long and goes soft, it takes on a bitter taste and my favourite vegetable becomes my most hated. If it's mushy, I won't even touch it. It goes straight onto the compost heap. Zuchini, carrots and such like are similar in that they turn a delicious food into something unpalatable from overooking. yeurgh!

ANother thing would be to ry different vegetables with a dip - raw carrots cut into thin batons and dunked in a tasty dip transforms them.

I do suspect your tastebuds have become accustomed to high salt foods and anything that isn't salty fails to turn them on. The only way of resetting that is to cut back on salt in a big way and then they readjust (ever given up sugar for a while? If you do, its unbelievable how sweet some things then taste that before seemed to need sugar).

If it's the mouth-feel of vegetables that bothers you, try some soups. I know someone who will not eat vegetables if he can feel it in his mouth. He blames this aversion to mealtime stress when he was a child. Being yelled at and forced to eat greens turned him off them completely. He admits that he LIKES them in soup but can't bear to eat them if boiled and allowed to sit and stare at him from his plate.

You're certainly not alone in an aversion to vegetables. I hope the various hints and tips to sneak them in help. There is bound to be SOME vegetable you like - you just have to find out which ones and how they should be prepared.

Salt Reduction: As a step in the right direction I have going thru my spice rack/shelves and removed all spices/combination of spice which main ingrediants are salt.

Question: a few people have mentioned cutting down sugars, I have completely cut out candy's(for awhile now), what other sugars do I need to avoid? The only sugar I know I am getting is soda's, I can try removing soda from my diet again(have failed this multiple times).

You might consider trying smoothies.
a banana, a handful of frozen berries, some yogurt/soymilk/cow milk, and maybe a scoop of a protein powder or fibre (I use a hemp/flax/maca powder)... blend until smooth.

You also can add some whole grains into your daily life. that will give you fibre, which will help with moving the toxins through your system faster, which will lessen the negative effects of eating so much meat and starch.

Do try some varieties of veggies... raw, steamed... how about soup? a lovely smooth/chowder can hide an abundance of veggies, if they are pureed before adding to it! and you can flavor it as you like... in fact, you can finely shred carrots and add them to chili!

Good luck, and do keep us posted!

Maybe if cutting out soda completely doesn't work for you, why not just cut it down? Or make one of your daily sodas a diet one? Just that would make a huge difference, and you wouldn't feel horibly deprived.

We all have our sticking points. There are some bad things that I can never give up completely, and there are some good things that I will never be able to bring myself to eat. You're not the only one.

I am actually very similar in that I dislike vegetables. I am however a great lover of fruits. The key for myself (bear in mind I have only just really entered a health kick and despite the results being small, I am happy with the direction in which my weight is going) is finding the things that are healthy that you do like and making sure you eat them. Personally, my favourite fruit is Pineapple which I have at least one serving of a day. I don't particularly like sticking to the same fruits though, I do change and eat many different types throughout the week. Kiwi, Plums, Grapes, Apples, Tangerine, Banana, Coconut, Berries.

As for vegetables, it's funny you should mention your mother's stories of you loving vegetables. I was the same, I can actually remember eating Carrots and loving broccoli. Now I can't stand Broccoli. Carrots are slowly becoming the veg that I will eat without problem... Like a previous poster did say, texture has a lot to do with it... it's mostly the texture that causes me the problem, or at least the qualities of the veg (Corn for example is just like pockets of water and it makes me feel ill) I can't eat carrots without a sauce of some kind, be it gravy or a peppercorn or mushroom sauce... I'm not a big fan of there being a sweet flavour on my main meal plate so I need to disguise it somehow.

The biggest problem I used to have was Sunday Lunch... Any kind of meat, Potatoes, Carrots, Yorkshire Pudding, Gravy and Stuffing... not an unhealthy meal in all honesty but I had large portions and then got another plateful. That's the bad. I still find it difficult to walk past the other half of the chicken on the kitchen counter and to not polish off the bowl of stuffing.

The most important thing I could share is my list of mores and lesses

Mores:
Fruit... stick to what you like... try to diversify - If you only like Apples... does that mean you have tried all the other fruits out there or just a few and weren't impressed... The only way you know is to try. See it as being asked out on a date... the worst thing you can say is No Thanks and you never have to do it again. Say yes and the two of you could be life partners. A good idea for getting fruits in is to get or make smoothies. I have been buying smoothies each day during my lunch our at work for the past few weeks. It actually kills the "hunger" signal your body sends to your brain. This is apparantly your body crying out for sugar. Feeding it fake sugars is only a temporary fix and it will later come back to haunt you which results in that groggy feeling you begin to feel around 6pm. At least I used to. Natural sugars kicks that up the backside and it doesn't come back.

Veg... Disguise it... Soups, mix it with the other food on your plate if you have to have it solid. Whatever you do, DO NOT fork around with it on your plate... watching that can only make the food more horrible to look at in your mind. Your past 20 something years (i'm assuming) have taught you that you do not like this food... don't give it any more opportunity to put you off.

Walking... Obviously exercise had to feature... Walking is the most simple of all. Sure you need to do a lot of it compared to Swimming, Running, Cycling, Dancing and going to the gym but it is ALWAYS available. I'll repeat that. ALWAYS available. Walk around your home during advert breaks in TV shows. Whilst waiting for the kettle to boil. Waiting for the bath to run. If you find yourself waiting around... walk. Walk to and from work... or if that is too far, walk to a further bus stop or park in a car park that isn't 1 minute from your workplace... Walk in your dinner hour... don't spend it in the break room. Walk to your local shop to get milk and bread... carry it home in a bag... That's weight lifting in a way. Experimentation is the way forward. Nothing is too stupid.

Lesses

Overface yourself. - This is a simple trap and as I said earlier about your body sending you signals... it wants you to feel bad. You do not need a second plate of meat and potatoes, you do not need to eat the full pizza and the chips with the side order of hot wings with BBQ sauce.

Snack - Now, of course if someone offers you a chocolate from their box - please, take it... your hard work will not be all undone but moderate yourself. Everyone has a favourite chocolate... find it and enjoy it. Why take the ones you don't like that much? Don't pig out on momentary fantastics. Three square meals should quell the urge to snack but it never truly goes away. If you must snack, a cereal bar or a peice of fruit will be fine. If that isn't what you want at that moment, try brushing your teeth. I found this out just as an experiment... the hunger feeling can be fooled by having a flavour in your mouth. Besides, you ever tried eating something within the first 30 mins of brushing your teeth? Not nice.

Eat Junk Food - Ronald McDonald and his motley crew don't need your money. I'll put this into personal experience... as I said earlier, I get a fresh fruit smoothie every lunch break at work. two months ago, I had a McDonalds at 4pm and by 6.30 I needed a snack. I now can reach 8 or 9pm (8pm being when I finish work) before actually needing another meal and that's just in time for my Dinner. So my options are to spend £3.99 on a Big Mac Meal or £2.50 on a smoothie. It makes sense on two fronts.


I'm not claiming to be an expert... but I have just started. A motto at work is that if you need to know how to do something, ask the new starter as he's just been trained on it. I think it could also apply here

Robert,

I am similar. I am not a fan of vegetables or most of the citrus fruits (I do like fruit occasionally though (apples, strawberries and I love bananas, but fruit are not a part of my typical diet)

I am able to handle eating a salad that is only lettuce (no tomatoes, onions, or any other random vegetable). I do this occasionally.

Here is what my typical diet looks like:

Breakfast: Bottle of Water + Kashi Granola Bar for breakfast

Lunch: Subway - 6" Turkey & Ham on Wheat with provolone cheese with honey mustard and vinegar. (skip the oil) Bag of Sunchips & Diet Coke. (Sometimes I get the apples)

Dinner: This changes often but lately I have been eating the Healthy Choice Cafe Steamer meals. (they have some veggies but I can eat around them, the sauces are yummy.) I often make wraps in the evening as well using deli meat and a small amount of cheese with mustard. I have also found the Southbeach box meals to be good with no veggies.

I also take a Multi-Vitamin daily to help me out since I don't eat a lot of vegetables.

I have lost about 25lbs following this typical diet and working out almost daily.

so... you don't want to eat the two things that are delicious and amazing huh.. pity.

first off, just to let you know, vegetables are very filling, full of fiber (which 90% of Americans do not get enough of), have many nutrients, and are low in carbs and sugars. Fruits have to be limited because of their sugar content. but vegetables can be eaten endlessly (and think of it this way, if you eat a ton of veggies, then you will be full, and wont' want to eat half of what you were going to originally eat)
but anyway, you should really try to eat vegetables and fruit because obviously your diet isn't working for you right now, and too much meat isn't good for you, neither are too many carbohydrates.

Eating healthy is a lifetime commitment. I don't exactly enjoy eating vegetables every night at dinner, but i know they are good for me, and i know i eat to live, and not live to eat. you should really re-consider adding them to your diet. (and EVERY diet out there that you see on TV or just publicized has at least vegetables in it)

Everything you eat seems to be pure crap. Why are you eating those foods? This is a serious issue, because whether you know it or not you are slowly killing yourself, and last time I checked you only live once. That's something I realized 3 years ago. I was chubby, like 30lbs over weight for my age but I had some muscle. I ate crap though; cookies and pizza for lunch, and basically anything in a packaged bag at home. I felt like shit all day, everyday so I started eating fruits and found out I like them over any fast food. As Josephine said before you should really pay to see a nutritionist if you do not understand what to eat/how much to eat.

Robert,

You will need to find some foods that work for you. Everybody doesn't like the same foods, and just knowing something is healthy for you isn't going to be enough for you to actually eat it.

I think if you use a site like www.gyminee.com or another site that allows you to track what you eat , you will be able to learn what foods can and won't fit into a healthy diet.

I am not a big vegetable fan and after tracking what I eat I have been able to see how I can get my calories, limit my fat and carbohydrates and increase my protein without needing to eat a ton of food I can't stand. In my opinion, having to eat stuff you hate will hinder your ability to stick with eating better. Because, it isn't about a short term diet, but how to eat for life. So you will need to enjoy it.

And in time you may find you like some vegetables more. I used to hate lettuce. Now I like it. But you will need to find something that works for you now, and I think you can do it if you begin tracking what you eat and set some goals for yourself on how many calories, carbs, fat, and protein you will have each day.

I totally agree..you must really start adding veg to some meals, start slowly..it really concerns me that you don't eat any veg/fruit....good luck, I hope you can slowly turn this around for yourself.
Sam

Wow, I don't have a lot of advice because I really like most veggies. One thing I have done is whenever I have a sandwich I pile it with spinach, thrown on some tomato, maybe cucumber as well... it's fresh and crispy and goes well with the cheese and meat.

Get rid of soda. If you're drinking regular soda, that is terrible for you. Eat more times/day (5-6), not once or twice! I make an omelett in the morning, and can throw some onions and peppers in there for flavor - works great! I also usually put about a half to whole cup of baby spinach, chopped, into the eggs before I throw in to the pan...

@Edit - oh yeah, I added one more thing. I don't really like it, but every morning I'll chug 6-8oz of V-8: it's another 1-2 servings of veggies and it's easy to drink in the AM when I'm thirsty from not drinking all night. It's not perfect, but in addition to everything else it puts me up around 6 servings of fruit/veggies daily.

I have been drinking the new V8 Fusion Light. It tastes a lot better than V8 and gets you 1 serving of veggies in only 8oz. Dave, you might want to give it a shot, I think you might like it more.

I'll be checking that out at the grocery store tonight... Thanks, Jeff!