So, I had supposedly committed myself to losing weight. I thought I was ready...but I stalled. Not for a long time, but I stalled. It reminded of me when I quit smoking. I kept picking "quit dates" then cancelling them for 1 reason or another when they arose. I did that for 2 weeks, until I finally got sick of "quitting quitting" and just did it.

This has only taken me a few days though.

It really hit me last night, I was reading "Amanda's Goal Story-133lbs Gone Forever", realizing that I can not afford to think of this as a "weight loss" journey. This is a lifestyle change.

I need to stop acting like my "picky" daughter, and start trying new foods (including learning to cook them). Eggplant and squash for example, are foods I just walk past in the supermarket. I've never really tried them, and always thought "no, I won't like that". Time for a new attitude. Time to stop taking food (especially convenient foods) for granted, and to start learning to enjoy different flavours and textures!

I may or may not be able to get out to the grocery store today, but if I do manage to get there, you can be sure I won't just walk on by new foods (especially new veggies).


Christine

Good food for thought. Good luck on your journey.

I applaud your determination for a lifestyle change and your new found interest in expanding your food horizon!

Small changes can give big results!

Good Luck

I love trying new foods! I make sure to try them in several different ways before giving up on them entirely. Try roasting them, boiling them, microwaving them, etc. Also try them IN things. I find this introduces them to my palate in a non-threatening way. I have a bad gag reflex based on nothing but newness of things.

Trying new foods is wonderful. I love searching the web for new recipes, or coming up with ideas of my own to try. I've discovered that there isn't a veggie I don't like if I roast it to yummy brownness first.

I've always hated raw tomatoes, and still do. But a few months ago I decided to try sun-dried tomatoes. Oh my goodness they are good! I put them in almost everything I cook. I'm sort of addicted to them and it makes me happy because I know the health benefits from eating tomatoes. I do love the ones packed in olive oil but they are more calorie rich, so I stick to the dried ones that are vacuumed packed. I get them at Walmart.

This really is about a lifestyle change and not a diet. You have to forever give up most of the foods that got you fat in the first place and learn to love the foods that will help you stay slim. It's a hard thing to learn, but I'm finding it to be so rewarding.

Absolutely, positively a wonderful, perfect attitude!!!

You will get FAR with it!

Get 'em girl!

You've made a key acknowledgement.

I've lost about as much weight now, as I did on "crash diets" a decade ago. And I think this has been the easiest episode... simply by accepting there is no more "going on diet". It's "change what I eat all the time".

I don't *WANT* to eat breakfast burritos, large servings of fries, or double stacked burgers any more. Like Teresa said, that stuff made me fat in the first place. There ARE tasty things I can substitute for the bad food.

Or actually, to be most accurate: I don't WANT those things served TO me. I know they're full of salt and grease from restaurants. If I really want TO EAT them, I can prepare better versions.

I wasn't a big vegetable eater prior to my weight loss. I might've eaten vegetables covered with cheese but not on their own too much.

One thing I did was focused on the vegetables I did like and increase intake of those. Then I slowly expanded out. Like I really liked grape tomatoes, carrots, sugar snap peas, etc. I also liked hummus so I used that as a dip for veggies. Then I'd branch beyond the vegetables I liked to ones I thought were ok.

Now I can safely say there isn't a vegetable I don't like. I eat a lot of veggies every day. I even get excited about eating vegetables. Like I have kale for lunch today, I'm in love with kale.

Thanks so much for all the positive words and advice everyone!

I am really excited to start trying new things. I am home alone during the days, and am so terribly lazy when it comes to making food for myself, so either 1) I get something too quick and easy, like toast with jam....or 2) I don't bother eating. I am terrible for not eating.

But now I am thinking I can make myself some vegetarian curry, maybe some lentil soup, etc, and put them in the freezer, in portion sizes, so I can just pull out something and have a quick, easy, healthy lunch.

I am excited to see what I can come up with!

You are ABSOLUTELY going to make it!!! Listen, I am absolutely horrible in the kitchen but I LOVE vegetables! I have a ridiculously easy, eggplant recipe that is pretty healthy, even with the sauce and cheese. Let me know when you are ready and I will send it!

I hope your journey into new foods has been as fun as mine. I used to be ok with veggies, but now it's a love affair. I used to tell my husband "I love you more than chocolate" and that really meant something. Now it's "I love you more than asparagus" and "I love you more than brussel sprouts" and it means even more.

By Jove, you 'get' the most important part of this life change - make it doable for you. You know what you are like and you are working with it! Yay!! And right behind that is plan, plan, plan. Yay!!!

Success will be yours!!

This is a great positive attitude. Congrats.

As far as squash goes, OMG I LOVE IT! haha.

It is the ONE type of veggie I MUST have in the house at all times. ha.

I like to make this pasta dish....I saute yellow squash, zucchini, and sweet onions in olive oil. Then I add it to the pasta and I season it with garlic salt, LOTS of basil, crushed red pepper and a bit of black pepper and it's prolly been my fave food for about a year. Ha.

It's quick and easy and tastes sooo good!

As far as veggie curry goes....I just made the recipe from Appetite for Reduction. It's a vegan cookbook, even if you're not vegan/veggie I HIGHLY suggest it for a way to introduce more FUN and delicious vegetables into your life. The potato curry I made from it last night was absolutely amazing. Did not want it to end. ha.

I seasoned it more heavily than was stated in the recipe, but I love lots of seasoning. I also used sweet potatoes instead of white cuz I don't 'do' white anything. ha.

I love to roast cauliflower in the oven, tossed in a bit of olive oil and sprinkled with garlic salt and curry powder, so I just tossed that on top of the potato spinach curry and it was just amazing!

Made rice and green beans too. It filled a huge plate, and was only around 500 cals. YUMMAY!

Seriously, pick up that book, you won't be disappointed! It's mostly just vegetable based stuff, a small section on tofu/seitan/tempeh, and if you don't eat those things it's okay the section is small. There's meal salads, vegetable dishs, pasta dishes and soups and stews sections too! AMAZING!

Also, it's on SALE at amazon!

http://www.amazon.com/Appetite-Reduc...4771764&sr=8-1

OhMyDogs, I know how you feel. I grew up in the South. Comfort food here is a killer. Literally. And there are not alot of veggies involved.

I am discovering a whole lot of things that are new to me in the produce department and learning new things every day. My new motto is "Try everything!". Just in the last 3 months I have discovered one of my new favorite foods is Beets. I love them. I've been adding herbs to things I never thought I would use like ginger and mint and I pretty much Try Everthing. My new thing this month is mushrooms. All kinds! And then I experiment.

On Saturday I made a pizza out of a giant portabello mushroom and it was AMAZING! I routinely whip up smoothies made from tomatoe, beets and strawberries.

Have fun. There is no reason change has to be scary!