Help! Sneaking non-plan food; dislike healthy tastes

Share your McDougall successes here in order to inspire others.

Moderators: JeffN, f1jim, carolve, Heather McDougall

Help! Sneaking non-plan food; dislike healthy tastes

Postby plantstrongS » Tue Nov 06, 2012 5:23 pm

Not sure where to post this, but I need some help, please!

I'm a very obese 58-year-old woman. I've had cholesterol readings in the 320s over most of the last 40 years (since I was 18). I refused medication until a few years ago and then started taking simvastatin (which I rarely remember to take). I've poked around vegetariansim, Dr. Ornish's book, Dr. McDougall's plan, etc., during those years but never gave it much of a try. This past February, one of my husband's younger friends died of a surprise, first and final heart attack. Everyone was stunned. A couple of days later, I found "Forks Over Knives" in the library, as well as "The China Study." We watched the DVD three times that weekend, and we were convinced we needed to eat a plant-based diet. We've scoured the internet for lots of recipes and have enjoyed Dr. McDougall's resources (thank you, Dr. McDougall!).

My husband has done very well, down by 30 pounds. His cholesterol has always been very low, but it did go up some after eating plant-based. Not sure why. Even without the simvastatin, my cholesterol went down a little.

This is why I need help: My husband sticks to a no-oil, plant-based food plan very well. As far as he knows, I'm doing basically the same thing, but I'm not. I'm at McDonald's right after I drop him off for work for their sweet iced tea (32 oz.) and a biscuit (or two) with 2 pats of butter for each biscuit. Then possibly another sweet tea and/or a mocha frappe later in the afternoon. Sometimes I'd swap out an item for fries and a burger (with bacon and cheese, of course) from a different fast-food place.

Every time I do this, I know it's not in my health's best interest, but I crave the tastes of those foods so much. I really mean it when I say that just the smell of beans or fresh veggies can make my stomach lurch. I mean no offense, but it's true.

I'm very confused and disappointed. I want to be in better health, but I can't stand the smell or taste of healthy foods, even after all these months. I've even thought of leaving my cash/plastic cards at home so I couldn't go to the fast food place, but I know myself well enough to know that I'd just drive home and get the money. My husband works two full-time jobs, and I certainly don't expect him (or anyone else) to watch my every move around food.

Can anyone please help? Has anyone gone through this and been successful? Thanks so much in advance.
plantstrongS
 
Posts: 4
Joined: Sun Sep 09, 2012 6:55 am

Re: Help! Sneaking non-plan food; dislike healthy tastes

Postby JohnLarson » Tue Nov 06, 2012 6:41 pm

There has to be at least one program food you like.

Find something you like to eat and eat that. You do not have to eat beans and fresh veggies. I have found potatoes with condiments to fill in for meat. I treat the potato as meat. I loved meat. Grilling and smoking meat were a hobby for me. The best way to beat the cravings is to stop eating the items you crave. Once you stop, the cravings will go away. A potato covered in BBQ sauce is pretty good.

"Drastic times call for drastic measures." It is up to you to define how drastic times are. While going meat, dairy, oil and refined flour free is drastic, so is heart surgery. When I see a slice of pizza and think that one slice will be okay, I ask myself, "if I am dying for it and willing to die for it?"

I try to take it a moment at a time and not think about forever. One day I might have a cheeseburger, just not today. I have a goal. Maybe once I reach my goal I will have a big fat steak or some ribs. Right now, those items are killing me.

So my advice, find somethings you like to eat and stick to them. Keep it simple. Do not think about forever, but what is in front of you now. Get honest with your husband. Set some goals and objectives.

You can enjoy eating a plant-based diet.
Image

My Current Journal

My First Journal

The McDougall Program is not a "diet," and it was not designed primarily for weight loss – however, loss of excess body fat naturally results as people regain their health. - Dr. John McDougall
User avatar
JohnLarson
 
Posts: 1474
Joined: Tue Jul 31, 2012 9:33 pm
Location: Fayetteville, NC

Re: Help! Sneaking non-plan food; dislike healthy tastes

Postby eaufraiche703 » Tue Nov 06, 2012 7:35 pm

do other things to support a huge change like this in your life. this is a lot to put into place. a huge change like this is really a huge life makeover.

maybe poke around deepak chopra's, oprah's or self magazine's (they have an excellent make over your life book) website.

John Larson's advice is good.... is it worth it to cheat?

try to figure out ways to get the flavor you are craving in an ok healthy substitute. lots of great resources out there, like fatfreevegan.com

u can do it!
what would Scooby do?
eaufraiche703
 
Posts: 1300
Joined: Sun May 25, 2008 8:33 am
Location: St Louis, MO

Re: Help! Sneaking non-plan food; dislike healthy tastes

Postby plantstrongS » Tue Nov 06, 2012 11:06 pm

Good advice! Thanks to you both. Lots to think about. Time for me to take responsibility for my health and make some quality decisions.
plantstrongS
 
Posts: 4
Joined: Sun Sep 09, 2012 6:55 am

Re: Help! Sneaking non-plan food; dislike healthy tastes

Postby applelettuce » Wed Nov 07, 2012 1:44 am

I think you are having such a hard time because you are addicted. If you get the book "The Pleasure Trap", it will help you understand what you are up against.

These videos from Dr. Doug Lisle may also be useful:

The Pleasure Trap:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxf4kj8Rb6Y

How to Lose Weight Without Losing Your Mind:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAdqLB6bTuQ
applelettuce
 
Posts: 23
Joined: Tue Oct 30, 2012 11:29 am

Re: Help! Sneaking non-plan food; dislike healthy tastes

Postby talkingmountain » Wed Nov 07, 2012 7:07 am

PlantstrongS,

I debated replying to your post because I am not following my own advice at this point, but decided to anyway because I know EXACTLY what you are going through.

First of all, please don't give up. The advice JohnLarson gave is excellent: find on-plan foods you do like and take it one day at a time.

Second; you are most definitely dealing with a chemical addiction. This may seem like a radical concept but in fact the scientific literature is quickly accumulating to back this up. So stop feeling guilty and seek the kind of help you would seek if you had, say, an addiction to Alcohol. A good book to read on this (in addition to Doug Lisle's book) is Overcoming Overeating by Dr. David Kessler.

Third, take a deep breath and come clean to your husband. He probably knows in his heart anyway; you'd be losing weight along with him if you weren't eating junk food. That will be a big load of guilt lifted off you, and perhaps one less reason to seek junk food to comfort yourself.

Fourth; don't let yourself get hungry. If you are a chronic dieter, the idea of eating as much as you want whenever you want can be VERY hard to believe, and you may be self restricting your intake without even meaning to. If you will eat on-plan foods, eat as much as you want whenever you want. Hunger, even the tiny beginnings of hunger, quickly sabotage willpower in the addicted person.

Good luck to you. You are on a difficult path but keep these two things in mind: (1) it is NOT a personal weakness or moral failing that got you there, and (2) you are not alone.
User avatar
talkingmountain
 
Posts: 1279
Joined: Mon Sep 22, 2008 7:24 am

Re: Help! Sneaking non-plan food; dislike healthy tastes

Postby Nettie » Wed Nov 07, 2012 8:05 am

Well, it seems to me you've never really been "on program," since you've been medicating yourself with food on the sly for some time. No wonder beans and greens aren't appealing: you've not actually cleaned your system out of the SAD products. You're stuck (or at least you think you are) in the Pleasure Trap.

Applelettuce is right: watch Doug Lyle's Pleasure Trap video and get the book. You're experiencing an addiction, just like an alcoholic or drug addict that needs a little "hit" to get over the rough spots.

You actually know what you need to do, I think. You need to go cold turkey, 100% full compliance, no excuses, all the way in. Otherwise, the pull of the fast food will never leave you. Have you ever actually met an alcoholic who recovered by switching from whiskey to beer? There's no tapering off, no easing into it for someone like you (and me!)

Believe me, these cravings are temporary - they will leave eventually. But only if you eat 100% McDougall. Otherwise, you're just torturing yourself with these cheats every day.

And only you can decide what you really want. This is the key to the whole thing. You have to decide for it. You must begin to see fast food as not food at all, but poison to be eliminated completely. You have to logically, coldly decide that eating that way is not what you really want and you won't do it again.

We're here for you, to coach you and cheer you on. But you're going to have to spend more time planning to succeed than planning to cheat. Most likely you spend a lot of mental energy deciding/plotting where you'll go for food as soon as you're alone. Instead you need to busy yourself with shopping/meal plans/recipes to halt your destructive thoughts and imagining the pleasure you'll get from the fatty foods.

Or....perhaps you've got some more eating to do. :\

Put on your Big-Girl pants and choose life, my friend. :nod:

Nettie
If you always do what you've always done, you'll always be what you've always been.

Star_McDougaller

Image
User avatar
Nettie
 
Posts: 1166
Joined: Tue Nov 07, 2006 3:55 pm
Location: South Carolina

Re: Help! Sneaking non-plan food; dislike healthy tastes

Postby scooterpie » Wed Nov 07, 2012 11:16 am

PlantstrongS, perhaps watching Supersize Me and then watching it again, until you don't ever want to eat at McD's again is in order:-)

Free to watch here: http://www.hulu.com/#!watch/63283

I wish you well!
Image
scooterpie
 
Posts: 1367
Joined: Sun May 15, 2011 10:08 am

Re: Help! Sneaking non-plan food; dislike healthy tastes

Postby Steelhead » Wed Nov 07, 2012 3:28 pm

plantstrongS wrote:Not sure where to post this, but I need some help, please!

I'm a very obese 58-year-old woman. I've had cholesterol readings in the 320s over most of the last 40 years (since I was 18). I refused medication until a few years ago and then started taking simvastatin (which I rarely remember to take). I've poked around vegetariansim, Dr. Ornish's book, Dr. McDougall's plan, etc., during those years but never gave it much of a try. This past February, one of my husband's younger friends died of a surprise, first and final heart attack. Everyone was stunned. A couple of days later, I found "Forks Over Knives" in the library, as well as "The China Study." We watched the DVD three times that weekend, and we were convinced we needed to eat a plant-based diet. We've scoured the internet for lots of recipes and have enjoyed Dr. McDougall's resources (thank you, Dr. McDougall!).

My husband has done very well, down by 30 pounds. His cholesterol has always been very low, but it did go up some after eating plant-based. Not sure why. Even without the simvastatin, my cholesterol went down a little.

This is why I need help: My husband sticks to a no-oil, plant-based food plan very well. As far as he knows, I'm doing basically the same thing, but I'm not. I'm at McDonald's right after I drop him off for work for their sweet iced tea (32 oz.) and a biscuit (or two) with 2 pats of butter for each biscuit. Then possibly another sweet tea and/or a mocha frappe later in the afternoon. Sometimes I'd swap out an item for fries and a burger (with bacon and cheese, of course) from a different fast-food place.

Every time I do this, I know it's not in my health's best interest, but I crave the tastes of those foods so much. I really mean it when I say that just the smell of beans or fresh veggies can make my stomach lurch. I mean no offense, but it's true.

I'm very confused and disappointed. I want to be in better health, but I can't stand the smell or taste of healthy foods, even after all these months. I've even thought of leaving my cash/plastic cards at home so I couldn't go to the fast food place, but I know myself well enough to know that I'd just drive home and get the money. My husband works two full-time jobs, and I certainly don't expect him (or anyone else) to watch my every move around food.

Can anyone please help? Has anyone gone through this and been successful? Thanks so much in advance.

Reading The Starch Solution may be in order -- it is not technical as is The China Study, and it is much simpler than Forks Over Knives. Before I had even heard of Dr. McDougall, or Dr. Campbell, or anyone, I used to "diet" this way:

For breakfast, cook one cup of white rice (making what about six cups of cooked white rice?), with bananas or apples (or both), then after it was cooked put it into a big bowl, add cinnamon and sugar (or honey sometimes), a little milk and eat it -- about 1600 calories. Then only eat the rest of the day when hungry: potatoes, veggies, for example. I would do this plus ride my bike every morning for 20 miles, and weight lift in the evenings. And I gained muscle mass, lost fat, and was in great shape. My point is that for the most part my diet was starch based -- today, I would use apple juice instead of milk.

On another occasion when I was too fat, I would make up a double batch of pancake mix, add blueberries, and use maple syrup (lots), for breakfast, and then eat only when hungry the rest of the day which in this instance was skip lunch because I was still too full from the pancakes and for dinner eat one large baked Russet Potato and one large baked Sweet Potato (with some cinnamon) -- I did this for months. I would do this plus row 12,000 meters each morning, weight lift, and walk 6 to 9 miles every day on the river path with my dog: two old farts walking along the river). Again, I gained muscle mass, lost fat, and was in great shape (and so was my dog). My point again is that my diet was for the most part starch based -- today, I don't eat pancakes except once in a while pancakes made with 50% whole white wheat and 50% whole buckwheat, and no syrup, but lots of blueberries).

Now I have Mexican Burritos without cheese, sour cream, and guacamole, and I have veggie pizzas without cheese, and actually like these better than when I had the cheese (I used to get extra cheese). I cook up my rice (brown rice) with green onions, celery, and mushrooms, and then just eat with with some salsa or whatever. I use large Portobella mushrooms instead of "meat" for my "hamburgers" -- sometimes I go to Five Guys and order the veggie sandwich without cheese (just bread and all the veggie toppings) but this is rare because even the veggie sandwich is problematic.

I could go on, but my point is that there has to be some delicious starch-based foods that would satisfy you more than the fast food. I get so stuffed eating whole starches that I just don't have room in my stomach for junk food (although I have to admit that right now I'm eating some almonds, which is very rare indeed for me but I just needed some "junk food").

Just keep it simple: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fUHpCASq8M

And have fun with this way of eating. As the China Study shows: "Eat all you want (while getting lots of variety) of any whole, unrefined plant-based food: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, mushrooms, roots, stems and leaves, and minimize refined carbohydrates and added vegetable oils."

:cool:
No matter what genes we inherit, changes in diet can affect DNA expression at a genetic level." Michael Greger M.D.

Certificate in Plant-Based Nutrition - eCornell & T. Colin Campbell Foundation.
User avatar
Steelhead
 
Posts: 294
Joined: Sun Jul 06, 2008 11:01 am
Location: Seattle WA

Re: Help! Sneaking non-plan food; dislike healthy tastes

Postby Dechen » Wed Nov 07, 2012 6:08 pm

Hi there. I think it is great that you have taken the step to seek help with this. That is the first step. Come clean to your husband, tell him what you told us. You can never have too many allies.
Then get the above mentioned books and dvds and watch and read and immerse yourself into the reality of what the info is pointing to in your life. Go and visit a graveyard. Yes, I am not kidding. You will realize just how precarious your situation really is.
Find a help/support group that deals with people with food addiction.
Anyone who tells you that food addiction does not exist is a moron and you need not bother about them!
Your doc may be able to refer you for some cognitive therapy.
I Think Dr Lisle mentions that there is benefit in going on a waterfast to break the addiction to food. There is even and in-patient facility.
AND if you can manage it, go to the 10 day live in program in Santa Rosa with Dr McDoughall. O, how I wish I could afford it :crybaby: but if you can, it would be a real investment into your health.
Meanwhile, stay on the boards and talk and share and take our love and very best wishes for your plant-based Lifestyle ambitions.
One day at a time :nod:
https://mostlyfatfreemcdougall.wordpress.com/
User avatar
Dechen
 
Posts: 1236
Joined: Mon Dec 14, 2009 5:27 am
Location: Ashton-in-Makerfield, Wigan (halfway between Liverpool and Manchester) Lancashire, UK

Re: Help! Sneaking non-plan food; dislike healthy tastes

Postby shell-belle » Thu Nov 08, 2012 8:53 am

you are getting great advice. your taste buds have to have time to adjust. you have not even given them a chance. you are cheating yourself when you sneak that CRAP food. stop.

I USED TO EAT FRIED EGGS EVERY DAY. I ADORED FRIED EGGS. I HAVE NOT HAD A FRIED EGG IN almost 2 YEARS AND DO NOT MISS THEM ONE BIT.
TASTES CHANGE.

I also was a potato chip and parmesan cheese addict! thought i could never stop missing those but I have! they even smell bad to me now. i was at a music/wine/cheese gathering recently and the sight of the cheese platters almost tuned my stomach.

if you want to lose your taste for animal products then all you need do is stop eating them for a few weeks.
You will lose your taste for meat [ and fish and dairy and sugar ] if you go without ANY of these things for 4-10 weeks.
But you have to TOTALLY stop eating meat/fish/dairy/oil/sugar
to give your tastebuds a chance to get "dialed back". as long as you keep eating small amounts of meat, fish, dairy, oil, sugar you
will continue to WANT to eat those things. if you stop eating them and let time pass while you eat healthy things,
you WON"T WANT to eat the CRAP foods anymore. once
you stop for a few weeks, your tastes will CHANGE. give yourself and your taste buds a chance.
shell-belle
 
Posts: 1361
Joined: Tue Aug 30, 2011 7:39 pm
Location: San Diego

Re: Help! Sneaking non-plan food; dislike healthy tastes

Postby funcrunch » Thu Nov 08, 2012 3:17 pm

JohnLarson wrote:There has to be at least one program food you like.

Find something you like to eat and eat that. You do not have to eat beans and fresh veggies.

Agreed. Do you like toast for breakfast? Try toast with a little fruit-sweetened jam. Cereal? Get some shredded wheat and top with a little vanilla almond milk (tastes better to many people than soy if you're transitioning from cow's milk). How about spaghetti? Find some egg-free pasta and oil-free tomato sauce and cook it up. Whole grain is best for all of these choices, but not absolutely essential if you can't stand the taste of whole wheat; it is acceptable to transition using refined grains. You may find as your tastes change that you prefer the taste of whole grains, which contain a lot more nutrients. (I didn't care for brown rice at first, for example, now I almost never eat white rice and think that it tastes bland.)

The idea is to identify starches you already like, and build from there. You don't have to go overnight from eating fast food to eating beans and broccoli. Best of luck to you.
User avatar
funcrunch
 
Posts: 1273
Joined: Thu Oct 19, 2006 5:41 pm
Location: San Francisco, CA

Re: Help! Sneaking non-plan food; dislike healthy tastes

Postby awackywabbit » Thu Nov 08, 2012 11:26 pm

I used to eat McDonalds for breakfast daily. I know where you are coming from.

There is some great advice here but really it comes down to you. You have to make that decision that you want something better for yourself. Then decide to put in the work to get there. Make no mistake it will be work.

The best advice I can give you is to just force yourself to get off the bad food. Don't drive there. Don't have the food in your home. Tell yourself no. The first few weeks are the hardest. However the longer you go without putting the high fat, salty, sweet foods in your body the better the other food start to taste.

One year ago my typical breakfast was a sausage mcmuffin from mcdonalds with a hazelnut ice coffee and a hash brown. Lunch would be a few tacos from Taco Bell or some days a Big Mac, fries, coke. Dinner would either be chicken nuggets at home or tacos or another fast food meal. Pretty much every meal was unhealthy. My vegetables were french fries.

This morning I had oatmeal with strawberries and a hash brown cooked with no oil from organic potatoes and seasoned with Mrs Dash. Lunch was a bowl of steamed brown rice topped with carrots, broccoli, carrots and green onions. Dinner was a homemade tostado with pinto beans, no oil added corn tortilla(crisped in the microwave) and topped with salsa, onions, red & green bell peppers. If you had told me last year i would be eating this way I would have told you that you were out of your mind!

However I absolutely love the food I eat now. I crave it. Crave it, that would have been so foreign to me a year ago to be craving brown rice and broccoli? The key was breaking that addiction. I went through withdrawals but as I continued to eat plant based my tastes changed. Now I go out to eat with my family and watch them eat burgers, steaks, eggs, etc and it really looks quite disgusting to me now.

You can change but you have to really make that internal decision to do it for yourself. You're worth it. You will feel better and your body will start to heal. Start slow if you have to but do it.

Cheers friend I wish the best on this journey to better health. :)
My weight loss journal: http://www.debssite.com
User avatar
awackywabbit
 
Posts: 46
Joined: Mon Sep 03, 2012 9:16 am

Re: Help! Sneaking non-plan food; dislike healthy tastes

Postby shell-belle » Fri Nov 09, 2012 7:32 am

yes indeed - like awackywabbit says, you will eventually find burgers and meat disgusting and you will begin to CRAVE healthy foods.
It will happen if you give it a chance to work- but it does not happen in 2 weeks or maybe even 6 weeks. It takes sometimes 14 weeks.

The more starch/plant/vegan you eat - the better you will feel and the more your determination to keep eating this way will strengthen.
I think the main reason people feel better on a vegan diet is b/c the body is not wasting energy processing CRAP & hard to digest foods.
You feel lighter and have more energy. In addition to that you just feel better about yourself and all living beings when you are vegan.
It's hard to explain that is very true for me at least.
shell-belle
 
Posts: 1361
Joined: Tue Aug 30, 2011 7:39 pm
Location: San Diego

Re: Help! Sneaking non-plan food; dislike healthy tastes

Postby plantstrongS » Mon Nov 12, 2012 8:54 pm

Great advice! Thanks so much, everyone. I appreciate each comment.
plantstrongS
 
Posts: 4
Joined: Sun Sep 09, 2012 6:55 am

Next

Return to Testimonials and Success Stories

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 5 guests



Welcome!

Sign up to receive our regular articles, recipes, and news about upcoming events.