Selective eating/Weight loss advice

[Steadylee68]

I have a couple of questions, I am hoping to get some assistance on. They have probably been asked on here before. It’s to do with being a selective eater and being on a vegan diet, and help for a skinny person on a vegan diet. It’s not the same as a picky or fussy eater, I am quite limited in what like. I am a newbie vegan, but my previous 50 years was full of eating mainly processed, sweet, savoury and fatty foods, in other words junk. I am still quite hooked on sugar, which i find extremely hard to cut out, so I’ve cut back instead. Whilst I was eating all that crap, I noticed from a young age there was not much variety in what I was consuming. I tended to like just a handful of certain meals, maybe three or four at best. I would alternate these regularly.

Not much changed in my adult life, still ate the same old stuff which wasn’t great quality either. Growing up my whole family ate nothing but this kind of junk food, but they seemed less selective than I was. I have tried a fair few other foods over the years but haven’t had much success. It’s hard to eat something you truly don’t like the taste of. I came to the realisation I have a selective eating disorder. Wasn’t hard to work that out. I feel quite isolated with all this. This may have been one of the reasons why it took so long for me to go vegan, I was worried about a lesser variety than what I used to eat. If you already have a varied wide selection of food before going vegan, the transition may be easier than it is for someone with a limited diet.

My other question is regarding weight loss and weight gain. I’ve always been quite skinny and aswell as having Asperger’s I suffer badly with BDD (body dysmorphic disorder) please look it up if you need to. I have lost some weight since going vegan, not sure if cutting back on sugar was the cause or the vegan foods. I’m not sure. losing further weight has caused my anxiety to soar and make my BDD flare up.

My vegetable intake is very low, my fruits are pretty varied but i tend to have those daily in a smoothie. I tend to eat a few of the vegan alternatives to what I used to eat, but I am finding the variety even more limiting.
You could call it the vegan junk food, but I would never go back to my old diet.

I would appreciate any advice on how to help a limited selective eater on a vegan diet, and also any advice on foods for weight gain that I may like. Thankyou



Lee

 

[Veganite]

This is such a complex issue, my friend. Unless you're aiming to be a bodybuilder, being slim is not entirely a bad thing. It really depends on how underweight you are. Have you spoken to a doctor about your weight before? Do you know where your BMI is and where it should be? That could give you an idea of where you should be at.

Sugar isn't your worst enemy. If you were trying to lose weight and prevent cavities, I might suggest none at all, aside from fruit, but a bit of sugar most likely isn't your worst problem. I'm not going to say it's great for you either. It's definitely better to get your sugars from complex carbs, as apposed to simple ones. Dried fruits can be a healthier alternative.

You really should make an effort to get your greens in there. We need to eat our veggies. Maybe try incorporating some veggies in those smoothies. I make one with plant milk of my choosing, loads of spinach, a banana, and a tablespoon of peanut butter. It might sound odd, but the flavour is amazing, and you get a great dose of raw greens.

A lot of new vegans fill up on low caloric foods, which cause them to under eat, and lose weight as a result. It's a very common mistake with new vegans.

I'm sure more people will have some advice. I hope this helps, nonetheless.

I am not familiar with the first guys YT channel, but he seems to have some good advice on foods to include. Mic the Vegan has a great YT channel, but not specifically related to your weight gain interests. This video below seemed to have some fair advice though. He also provides some links to other videos and help with gaining weight on a vegan diet.

 

[Consistency]

I also agree that vegetables are important for protein/iron. I believe reading on the definition of nitrogen balance will interest you and help you understand the importance of adequate protein.

Do you have digestive issues with spinach or other vegetables?

I am asking because sometimes having an aversion to a food is a way of our body trying to tell us something. I experience digestive issues with fresh baby spinach and other greens unless I leave the pack of baby spinach on the counter until the leaves have wilted. It seems like the natural chemical defenses in the leaves are chemically broken down as the leaves try to survive. This is what I believe because I feel a boost of iron after drinking a smoothie with little fruit and wilted baby spinach leaves.

 

[Jinendra Singh]

I have a couple of questions, I am hoping to get some assistance on. They have probably been asked on here before. It’s to do with being a selective eater and being on a vegan diet, and help for a skinny person on a vegan diet. It’s not the same as a picky or fussy eater, I am quite limited in what like. I am a newbie vegan, but my previous 50 years was full of eating mainly processed, sweet, savoury and fatty foods, in other words junk. I am still quite hooked on sugar, which i find extremely hard to cut out, so I’ve cut back instead. Whilst I was eating all that crap, I noticed from a young age there was not much variety in what I was consuming. I tended to like just a handful of certain meals, maybe three or four at best. I would alternate these regularly.

Not much changed in my adult life, still ate the same old stuff which wasn’t great quality either. Growing up my whole family ate nothing but this kind of junk food, but they seemed less selective than I was. I have tried a fair few other foods over the years but haven’t had much success. It’s hard to eat something you truly don’t like the taste of. I came to the realisation I have a selective eating disorder. Wasn’t hard to work that out. I feel quite isolated with all this. This may have been one of the reasons why it took so long for me to go vegan, I was worried about a lesser variety than what I used to eat. If you already have a varied wide selection of food before going vegan, the transition may be easier than it is for someone with a limited diet.

My other question is regarding weight loss and weight gain. I’ve always been quite skinny and aswell as having Asperger’s I suffer badly with BDD (body dysmorphic disorder) please look it up if you need to. I have lost some weight since going vegan, not sure if cutting back on sugar was the cause or the vegan foods. I’m not sure. losing further weight has caused my anxiety to soar and make my BDD flare up.

My vegetable intake is very low, my fruits are pretty varied but i tend to have those daily in a smoothie. I tend to eat a few of the vegan alternatives to what I used to eat, but I am finding the variety even more limiting.
You could call it the vegan junk food, but I would never go back to my old diet.

I would appreciate any advice on how to help a limited selective eater on a vegan diet, and also any advice on foods for weight gain that I may like. Thankyou



Lee

Hello
i can understand your situation but nothing to worry about positive things from your end is you cut down sugar from your diet and required sugar is fulfilled by natural sugar which is come from fruits, the main concern about your diet is can simply solve if you just note down daily activities performed by you
, do you work or spent time out of house and do you workout or not, or we can say that physical activity performed by you in a full day. Now check your weight and height now
check out your current calorie intake.
now coming to the main thing according to your physical appearance and activity you perform throughout the day according to that you required a particular amount of calories, you lost weight because you cut down the carbs from your diet. the vegan product does not provide the same amount of protein and carbs as you were getting in non-vegan product, so quantity matters here. So just need to take care of your daily required calorie and make a chart of meals divide them periodically and follow a little strict diet plan. Because achieving a desired goal always required discipline.

 

[veganDreama]

Before going Vegan my diet was very limited too. When I gave up dairy I gradually started eating more vegetables which I didn't like before. I actually enjoy eating vegan food now much more then I did before. I suppose it just takes time. Try reintroducing vegetables gradually.

As for weight loss, have you tried vegan ice-cream? I can't get enough of that. In fact I started to gain weight too much so I've had to cut down on things like chips, chocolate and vegan ice-cream.

In fact I'm doing too well at cutting down on food and now I'm starting to loss too much weight. Are you afraid of gaining weight? I am. But I've been told often enough that I'm getting too thin now so I suppose I just have to eat more.

 

[Lou]

I saw this article and being that EatThis are excellent at creating headlines that require clicking - I clicked it.

4 Foods You Must Avoid to Lose Weight in 2022 — Eat This Not That

So their four foods are
White Bread, Fried foods, Sugar subs, and low fiber foods.

For me I would put Cookes, potato chips, ice cream, and cake at the top of the list.

What do you think you should avoid?

 

[Veganite]

What do you think you should avoid?

Making resolutions about dieting and losing weight


*

 

[silva]

I saw this article and being that EatThis are excellent at creating headlines that require clicking - I clicked it.

4 Foods You Must Avoid to Lose Weight in 2022 — Eat This Not That

So their four foods are
White Bread, Fried foods, Sugar subs, and low fiber foods.

For me I would put Cookes, potato chips, ice cream, and cake at the top of the list.

What do you think you should avoid?

For me personally--pasta, the kind i make and eat and eat and eat. Doesn't matter if wheat or white pasta. What I'm having now.
Probably white potatoes too.

But yes, processed grains, sugar and their lo cal subs, oils

 

[silva]

Honestly, I think the best advice is add the healthy foods first.
My goal is get dark leafy greens, or a spring mix salad, every day.
Keep those snacky balls of oats, seeds, nut butter, cocoa and dates so I can eat one when hangry.
Start making beets once a week
Make breakfast intact oat groats, farro or bulgar with berries
Try and stay away from vegan processed foods
This has helped me get back on track before.

I've been struggling with fruit. I have blueberries in freezer, but nothing else. Apples haven't been that good. Oranges have, but not at the store I was just at!

 

[PTree15]

I saw this article and being that EatThis are excellent at creating headlines that require clicking - I clicked it.

4 Foods You Must Avoid to Lose Weight in 2022 — Eat This Not That

So their four foods are
White Bread, Fried foods, Sugar subs, and low fiber foods.

For me I would put Cookes, potato chips, ice cream, and cake at the top of the list.

What do you think you should avoid?

For me, it's white bread, pasta and white potatoes. If I want to lose weight (which I do), I have to limit those foods. What has worked before is having one of those foods at just one meal a day. Also, cookies and muffins.

 

[Michael Harrington]

Being selective, on the other hand, does not restrict you from losing weight. Restore your selective eating habits by reawakening taste buds that have grown attuned to particular foods. Also, understand that your pickiness isn't always a bad thing when it comes to dieting. Sticking to a consistent set of meals on a daily basis may actually cut your overall calorie intake.

Foods to Consume:

• Beans and legumes
• Grains - Bread, cereal, oatmeal
• Vegetables - Broccoli, spinach, mushroom, potato
• Seeds and nuts - Almonds, walnuts, peanuts
• Soy products

Meal plan

• Breakfast: protein filled oats, vegan protein powder, soy milk, banana, & nut butter
• Lunch: tofu, vegan pasta, beans, red lentils, celery, onion, and spinach
• Dinner: broccoli and quinoa, black-bean veggie burger with sweet potato fries
• Snack: strawberry-banana protein shake, peanut butter and oatmeal snack bars

These Three Fat-Loss Strategies Will Help You Lose Fat FAST:

• Strength training three days a week, one hour per session
• 20 minutes of high-intensity interval training one day each week
• 35 to 45 minutes of steady-state cardio one day per week

Although a vegan diet may be beneficial for weight reduction, you are not required to follow any specific diet in order to lose weight safely and successfully. Simply increasing your intake of plant-based foods such as vegetables and fruits, reducing your intake of ultra-processed foods, limiting added sugar, and increasing your physical activity will help you lose excess weight without drastically modifying your diet.

 

[silva]

Being selective, on the other hand, does not restrict you from losing weight. Restore your selective eating habits by reawakening taste buds that have grown attuned to particular foods. Also, understand that your pickiness isn't always a bad thing when it comes to dieting. Sticking to a consistent set of meals on a daily basis may actually cut your overall calorie intake.

Foods to Consume:

• Beans and legumes
• Grains - Bread, cereal, oatmeal
• Vegetables - Broccoli, spinach, mushroom, potato
• Seeds and nuts - Almonds, walnuts, peanuts
• Soy products

Meal plan

• Breakfast: protein filled oats, vegan protein powder, soy milk, banana, & nut butter
• Lunch: tofu, vegan pasta, beans, red lentils, celery, onion, and spinach
• Dinner: broccoli and quinoa, black-bean veggie burger with sweet potato fries
• Snack: strawberry-banana protein shake, peanut butter and oatmeal snack bars

These Three Fat-Loss Strategies Will Help You Lose Fat FAST:

• Strength training three days a week, one hour per session
• 20 minutes of high-intensity interval training one day each week
• 35 to 45 minutes of steady-state cardio one day per week

Although a vegan diet may be beneficial for weight reduction, you are not required to follow any specific diet in order to lose weight safely and successfully. Simply increasing your intake of plant-based foods such as vegetables and fruits, reducing your intake of ultra-processed foods, limiting added sugar, and increasing your physical activity will help you lose excess weight without drastically modifying your diet.

That's a LOT of protein, not enough fruits or veg