Will the joy return?

[JackyE]

Dear folks. I need some help from your experience. Today is the fifth day that I'm doing the maximum weight loss program. I started my vegan journey in december, slowly changing my eating habbits. Last sunday I cut out fat as the last step to start losing weight. But since I made this decision, I feel grumpy and sad. I miss the creamy taste. I miss the strong flavors. I hate it when everybody around me eats what ever they want, no matter how bad it is. When I gave up the good strong foreign cheese and the local salami, (which I ate in small amounts as a snack just for the taste) I could fall back on some seasoned nuts of a handfull of potatochips. But now thats gone too. I miss the fatty taste in everything. Food doesn't satisfy me anymore, what ever herbs or seasoning I put on my veggies and rice/potatoes.

Is this just some fase I have to go through? If this is the way to reach and maintain a healthy weight, I'm not sure I'm going to succeed.

[Lyndzie]

This is normal and a phase. I’ve been there, I totally understand! Fat is a learned taste, just like sweet and salty. I cut out salt, oil and sugar all at once, and everything tasted like cardboard for 10 days. Doug Lisle’s Ted Talk discusses neuroadaptation: https://youtu.be/jX2btaDOBK8

[JackyE]

Thank you so much for your reply, Lyndzie. Very interesting TedTalk. This motivates me to keep going and try to get through this phase. Only a couple of days or weeks of eating cardboard. I trust it will be worth it. Thanks!!

[Idgie]

It really does get better. I also found it really helpful to read The Beck Diet Solution to deal with those feelings of unfairness -- everyone else is eating fried things, why can't I?

[JackyE]

Haha. I just found a pdf of this book, and the very second I read "Preperation is the Key" I catch my self thinking: O good, now I go back eating junkfood all I want, while I prepare myself for this phase. Great sabotage huh? Looks like I good book to read... while I continu McDougalling.

[Idgie]

Yeah, I had already started my diet when I started the book, but I didn't allow myself to backtrack, and I'm glad I didn't. Six weeks and 21 pounds down, and going strong, partly because the book helped me see that compliance with my diet is a muscle I can strengthen by soldiering on even when I feel grumpy about it.

[Lyndzie]

I have to admit, Idgie, I’ve been super skeptical when I heard you mention the book, but I saw an exerpt online and it looks pretty interesting. The title is a little misleading, because I thought it as just another diet book, not a psychology book about changing your mindset to be successful at implementing healthy eating habits. I will check it out!

[Idgie]

Yeah, I don't think it has the best title. I avoided it for a long time, too.

[verde]

I feel grumpy and sad. I miss the creamy taste. I miss the strong flavors.

It's absolutely a phase and it does go away! before you know it you will be enjoying your food and surprised at how tasty it actually is once your brain neuroadapts!
However, as far as creamy texture goes, I have a trick that helps me a lot: first, mashed potatoes can be very creamy with nothing added. But also, I make creamy sauces by blending cooked root vegetables with spices, for example: beets, carrots, one or two potatoes, onion and any spices you like (maybe even some hot sauce)! Then I keep a container of sauce in the fridge for the week, and I heat it whenever I want to use it: you can pour over steamed potatoes, rice, vegetables, or even enjoy it by itself as a creamy soup.
Honestly, it truly helped me. Sometimes instead of using potatoes in the sauce mixture I use oats, which after blended with the veggies make everything very creamy as well.

Try it! It might keep you a bit more joyful and satisfied while this phase passes!

Keep up the good work! You're in the right direction!

[Suey51]

In my experience it does get better! After a fairly short period of time I noticed that plain McDougall meals started tasting better and now I really enjoy the flavours and textures in this way of eating. My brain no longer craves the taste of oil, and if I do have it, my body quickly reacts against it.

If I want moisture for potatoes, I make a sweetcorn 'butter', which keeps for a few days in the fridge. Blend some frozen or tinned sweetcorn with a little water. Then cook to make it a little thicker and serve as is or add whatever salt-free seasoning you like. The yellow colour and spreadable texture seems to help persuade my brain that its something else

That Doug Lisle Ted Talk is a good one

Keep going!

[JackyE]

I make creamy sauces by blending cooked root vegetables with spices,

That might be a wonderful trick, Verde. I will definitely try that. Mashed potatoes taste very dry to me, but maybe I should try a different potato.

@Suey, that sweet corn butter sounds delicious! Yet another thing to try.

I learn everyday from you all. Thank you for the support.

[Suey51]

Thank you JackyE for posting the original question. It got me thinking about the joyful aspects of this way of eating/way of life and inspired yesterday's post in my journal 'Keeping the weight off: riding the wave'

Like you I learn from the people on this forum everyday

[Crystal_Pegasus]

You mentioned mashed potato seeming dry... if you mash some cooked carrots with the potato, it comes out much moister. Might be worth a try?

[verde]

You mentioned mashed potato seeming dry... if you mash some cooked carrots with the potato, it comes out much moister. Might be worth a try?

To be honest I understand where she's coming from: I've had potatoes which were extremely dry and hence created a dry mash, and potatoes so moist and yummy that the mash turned out to die for.
I truly think it's a matter of experimenting with different potato varieties and brands until one finds a good quality that suits our taste buds.

Mashing with other veggies certainly helps when the potatoes are bad though.

[JackyE]

True. I have tried a crummy potato. (Is that the correct word? Or is it crumbly? ) And that tasted a lot beter. Carrot of some other root might help too. Good idea, I will try.