[ChristinaMR]

Maybe some of you guys have some input on this...

I was pretty much raised eating garbage. I was a latchkey kid and my parents were always busy, so I ate a lot of McDonalds and Kraft Mac & Cheez meals growing up. I don't blame my parents. They worked. All the time. A lot of times I was responsible for my own dinner because they owned their own business and there just wasn't time. Whenever we ate as a family it was usually in restaurants, because everyone was too tired to cook and no one ever went grocery shopping.
Real fruit, veggies and meat were a rarity in our home and I, of course, continued that lifestyle when I grew up. Now I want to change that. I don't even enjoy eating French fries and chicken nuggets! But it's all I know, so I find it hard to turn my back on it.
Now onto my problem! I am trying to start eating veggies and fresh meat. I started out losing weight by counting calories and just eating whatever I wanted as long as I stayed in my calorie bracket. It works for weight loss, but it's not good for my overall health.
But healthy food makes me sick. Literally. Tonight I ate corn on the cob (which was fine), collard greens and a piece of baked fish. The entire time I was eating the greens and fish I was struggling not to vomit. I would chew on it forever, dreading having to swallow and when I would swallow I would have to fight off a gag. And they didn't even taste bad. They even tasted pretty good! I only actually ate half of the fish, because by the end of it my heart was racing and I was sitting there with a lump of over-chewed fish in my mouth saying to myself in my head, "Be calm. Just swallow it...swallow it. Don't over-think this..."

Does it just take time to get "used" to eating real food? Has anyone else experienced anything like this? Is it all in my head? Do I need a therapist? Haha.

I appreciate any input!

I know, I'm a lunatic. Who gets sick from eating healthy food?!

[Rochester]

I totally get this...really!

When I eat junky processed refined preservative-filled sodium-laden CRAP there are so many healthy foods that just taste gross. Fish is a perfect example. When I’m in a bad-eating place, fish makes me gag. I can’t even stand the smell of it.

Eventually, though, your taste buds should adjust, and you'll be amazed at how yummy healthy food is (and how repulsive junk food is). To make the transition easier, start out with milder flavored healthy foods, like chicken breast and broccoli. Fish and greens are a HUGE leap from nuggets and fries, and your body is rebelling and basically saying, "WTF? This isn't food!"

That's my theory, anyway. HTH.

[Vladadog]

Nearly everyone rebels at wildly new foods. It was probably a survival thing for our way back ancestors - if this is safe to eat then these things like it probably are and these other really different things might not be. Makes ya wonder how anyone ever managed to try the first lobster...

As Rochester suggested, start with things more similar to what you're familiar with - chicken is kinda like mcnuggets and a baked potato is kinda like a fry. Most people find cooked veggies more palatable than raw ones to start. There are some nice frozen veggies available - maybe start with a broccoli in cheese sauce then try cooked broccoli and eventually go for the raw stuff. You're going to have to keep trying things and then build on your successes.

Even with things like apples and fish there are just so very many variations and you may have to try a bunch before you find the ones that really appeal to you. The plain white fishes like cod are pretty mild and inoffensive if reasonably fresh. Not terribly exciting but you can flavor them up a bunch of different ways that are interesting and still healthy. Salmon, on the other hand, has a distinctive taste and oilyness. Unless it is smoked I don't much like salmon although for years I tried to eat some every week because it is supposed to be good for you. I finally decided I was not paying $10 a pound for something i hated even if it would add years to my life. Tuna, on the other hand I adore. Love love love. I love canned tuna and fresh tuna and would eat tuna steaks every day if I could afford them. It is the only fish I actually *want* to eat (as opposed to "I wouldn't mind that and it's healthy").

But I only know that because I've tried lots of different fish. And apples. And cheese. More recently I've been trying whole wheat pastas (finally found one I like). Last week I brought home 4 different plain 0 fat greek yogurts to play with. I love yogurt but always some fat & flavored stuff (which means sugar). The greek yogurt I've tried (except for one very much not low fat in any way) hasn't wowed me. But I found the one I preferred and have started by adding a bit of maple syrup. It's still less sugar and calories than the other stuff and slowly I'll add less and less syrup (although I may always add some).

Eggs are something you might do well with - an omelet with some veggies in it hides the veggies. When you find ones you like you can add more. If you like spaghetti try tossing some broccoli or spinach in the marinara sauce. If you like hamburger try ground turkey instead.

I would say don't focus too much on the calories right now - like cheese sauce for veggies is likely not low cal and the frozen stuff is only marginally "whole" but it's a start. If you like them you can work on making a healthier cheese sauce and also use less of it - but first you have ti find something you like. Even homemade breaded chicken breasts and home made mac & cheese are going to be waaaaay healthier (if not terribly lower calorie) than McNuggets and Kraft Mac.

The more you play around the braver you'll get. And the healthier!

[gardenerjoy]

I've experienced this, too. A salad that I enjoyed two-thirds of and then couldn't eat another bite. Some new vegetable that tastes good for a few bites and then suddenly causes that gagging thing. It's happened with fish as well.

The good news is, I can't remember the last time it happened. And I eat only whole foods, now. So, apparently, it does get better.

I agree with the others' advice. It gets better, but that doesn't mean forcing yourself to gag through dinner is a good approach. Find a more gradual way of doing things with food that's a bit more familiar.

Try getting some cookbooks from the library. Start with ones that advertise healthy, fast, and/or easy. You can move on to more complicated cooking when you get more experience. Cooking classes can be fun and might not be too expensive if you have a local community college. Or, a friend who cooks might enjoy helping you learn, too. Those of us who have learned to love to cook like to share our hobby!

[Glory87]

You might want to read the End of Overeating for some serious eye opening about how manufacturers deliverately make food that is easy to swallow. Like, baby food for grown ups.

[K8-EEE]

Maybe a whole plate of new stuff is too much to process for you. I would suggest eating very, very simple foods a little at a time instead of "meals."

I've found eating a bit of unprocessed food constantly during the day works better for me that "3 square meals."

Sample:

8:00 -- half whole wheat english muffin with peanut butter

10:00 -- hard boiled egg and V8 juice

12:00 other half of English muffin and peanut butter

2:00 fresh fruit with half cup of cottage cheese

4:00 raw veggies with low fat dip

6:00 half a sandwich with low fat soup

nighttime snack: 1 oz dark chocolate, green tea

I promise you will not get hungry if you make sure you eat every 2 hours. If you are at work bring things you can eat at your desk (a tangerine, an ounce of unsalted almonds, a carton of sugar free yogurt.) Keep the food healthy fresh and simple. This way of eating really worked for me.

[ChristinaMR]

I thought that I replied to this already? Weird. My work computer must have swallowed it into the abyss.

Thanks so much! I still feel like dying...but the gagging thing is gone. Ha. Now I just feel like throwing up and sleeping all the time. I think this is normal?
I remember I tried the Atkins diet before and everyone said that you would feel like dying for about a week or something because your body was learning to live without carbs. I'm still eating carbs, so I didn't know that I would still get sick. Guh.
I actually had to eat junk food today, because I just could not go through the work day feeling like this. I had a migraine and felt so weak I could barely move. The second I had chips and soda it went away. Annoying!
I guess I will try to eat healthy all day tomorrow and hope the sickness kicks in over the weekend and hopefully half-way abates by Monday...