Published on 12, July, 2020
Okay, so I am plus size and need to lose weight for both my mental and physical health.
The problem is, I have executive control issues which means I often can only have takeout, and when I do make food, it's using a toaster or microwave only as I have issues with the oven.
My diet is incredibly narrow, ravioli, chicken nuggets, chips, Weetabix, plain burgers, margarita pizza, gravy, and only a specific mince pie. I'm trying to lose weight but it's hard when all I can eat is incredibly unhealthy and non-filling.
People always say, if you only have good stuff in, eventually you'll eat it when you are hungry enough but I don't. I just pass out and sleep all day if I'm put in that situation.
I'm hoping someone has some experience with this and can help. But I am aware it's a tricky dilemma.
Hi, I can relate to this a lot- I’ve had phases where I only ate a handful of foods (eg only eggs, rolls apples and carrot) and I also had a takeaway only phase where I only ate pizza and tiramisu which was really awful in long term. I have ibs as well so get really anxious about trying new food as I worry about it making my digestion worse (even though the pizza was so bad for it anyways…). On top of that i am picky ( sensory sensitivities) and I struggle to take time to cook- i did know how to but all the recipes I knew took a while to make and i couldn’t get myself to put so much effort into making something i might not eat/ or which might make me ill. It will feel like a massive hurdle but change is possible. It can be hard to get going with trying new foods- there can be this huge fear and resistance and it can be difficult to take that first step but once you do it it gets easier. I can’t really explain what allowed me to break free from eating exactly same food- i think last time part of it was that i was really underweight, probably subconsciously desperate for different nutrients and i had an opportunity coming up which made me want to feel better. Step number 1 to expanding diet is to actually buy some different food- seems obvious but i tend to even struggle with this. I would suggest going to supermarket and grabbing some new foods that catch your eye. It doesn’t even have to be something you need to cook - there are a lot of ready options that are healthy and are ideal especially as a transition- maybe try a wrap from supermarket? There are also some healthier ready meals. Or if you feel up to a bit of meal prepping yourself you can make your life easier with things like ready roasted chicken or falafel which you can add to a wrap with some sauce and vegetables or get a stirfry sauce to add to some protein and some microwave rice on side. Eggs and toast are also nice and easy. Or since you like ravioli, why not try some different types of fresh filled pasta to mix things up. You might not like these specific foods but the idea is to make you life as easy as possible when trying new foods. I also liked getting some things from m and s and the occasional takeaway from itsu (because i like rice a lot) . Fruit also doesn’t need much prep.
it can be stressful to buy new food and worry about not eating it and having to throw away. It’s good to give yourself a safety net there- if you don’t try things, there is a lot of food that can go into freezer.
Also there are some frozen meal delivery services which might be helpful ( i tried allplants - it was quite adventurous but surprisingly good- too expensive though for me- but i had a delivery from them to help me try new meals without having to cook).
If interested I can also recommend a great dietitian who has helped me a lot. She has several autistic clients.
I am still struggling with food but my diet is so so much more diverse than it has been in years. I didn’t think this was possible but it is. It takes time though and when i am in stressful situations it will ultimately affect my eating. I am sure you will be able to expand your diet- but don’t put yourself under too much pressure and give yourself time and be kind to yourself .