Forums: January 2012 Kickstart Forum: losing interest in foods
Created on: 01/12/12 03:50 PM Views: 1243 Replies: 9
Wistful Joined: 01/02/12 Location: Montreal, QC Posts: 12	losing interest in foods Posted Thursday, January 12, 2012 at 3:50 PM Hi, SOmetimes when I reform by eating habits, I hit a point where I lose interest in food. Nothing looks good or what might be good feels like it would take just too much effort to make. It usually happens a lot farther into my heatlhy eating plans, but this time it's hit in the second week. With a history of depression and self-medicating with sweet carbs or cheese, it may be due to the drop in seretonin that I usually get from those foods, I don't know. Does this happen to anyone else? Any ideas how to work past it? Thanks, Erin Erin Vegetarian since I was 14, The bane of previous attemps at becoming vegan: Cheese.
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cch22 Joined: 09/08/10 Location: New York State Posts: 1000	RE: losing interest in foods Posted Thursday, January 12, 2012 at 4:13 PM Well .. you could look at it a different way instead of looking for a different food. So say.. nothing looks good.. so you want to go eat pizza. Instead.. say.. it's just food. Now that it is not calling my name, i am not hungry, it is a good thing. Cravings are gone? Just bored? It is a good thing. So ..what you could do tho.. is make something similar that would be considered "comfort" food made if made with cheese. Might i suggest a homemade pizza with no cheese? or lentil shepards pie? Or very easy & quick burritos? a pannini sandwhich? I really like the hot sandwich and sweet potato fries, with some broccoli or your fav veggie. cch
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Bugsmom Joined: 09/13/10 Posts: 2072	RE: losing interest in foods Posted Thursday, January 12, 2012 at 4:57 PM Definitely look for favorite comfort foods that can be made vegan (or comes in a vegan variety ready-made even). Mac'n'cheese with not-cheese sauce or nachos are some of our go-to comfort foods. Both are made with not-cheese sauce which uses cashew butter (1 or 2 tbls for the whole batch, not non-fat but not bad). If you've got some favs that you really wish for, post a request for ideas on how to get pizza or nachos or whatever made vegan and lower in fat and such. Folks here have lots of experience and ideas that might work. For me (no history of depression FWIW), I deliberately keep small amounts of good quality, dark vegan chocolate in my routine. The higher the cocoa percentage, the less sugar is generally added. I go for about 72% cocoa most of the time. Even if it's just once or twice a week, it satisfies (most of the time, it's a small sprinkle of chocolate chips on my cereal - instead of triggering a chocolate craving, it keeps me satisfied for the day). I think maybe I have some extra taste buds - salt, sweet, sour, bitter, and chocolate! --Deb R
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BCMomma3 Joined: 01/02/12 Posts: 14	RE: losing interest in foods Posted Friday, January 13, 2012 at 11:11 AM Interesting! I have always looked at it differently although certainly not intentionally. When I start feeling like I am not as interested in "eating", then I am thrilled because I believe that is the point where the food isn't controlling me so much and instead I am starting to eat to nourish myself not eating out of boredom or for entertainment value.
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cch22 Joined: 09/08/10 Location: New York State Posts: 1000	RE: losing interest in foods Posted Friday, January 13, 2012 at 11:13 AM @ bc That is exactly what i was trying to say!! to the tee. It is a good thing! thanks...
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Wistful Joined: 01/02/12 Location: Montreal, QC Posts: 12	RE: losing interest in foods Posted Friday, January 13, 2012 at 12:37 PM Thanks for the food ideas. Losing my apetite is a shift, for sure, as I am usually craving things, so that is good. It only becomes a concern When I know I am not eating enough, as that backfires on one's health. I can't exist on a piece of whole wheat weight watchers bread and pbutter. I also become more likely to eat soemthing unhealthy when I do get hungry since it those things I am missing that become more palatable. Any non-cheese centered food ideas? Most of the desserts so for include tofu, so I haven't had them. Erin Vegetarian since I was 14, The bane of previous attemps at becoming vegan: Cheese.
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Bugsmom Joined: 09/13/10 Posts: 2072	RE: losing interest in foods Posted Friday, January 13, 2012 at 12:56 PM Wistful wrote: Any non-cheese centered food ideas? Most of the desserts so for include tofu, so I haven't had them. Dang that's a HUGE territory "non-cheese centered food ideas"! For a quick snack, I'll put a couple handfuls of cooked chickpeas in a small size bowl, sprinkle on seasoning (a pinch of salt or a bit of garlic powder or chipotle powder or whatever) and eat it kinda like peanuts or popcorn. Popcorn, of course, is a go-to snack - a little nutritional yeast adds a nice flavor. Sometimes, though, I'll go with a bit of cinnamon sugar on it for a sweeter snack (rather than reaching for something really sugary like cookies). whole grain pasta with sauce (a can of diced tomatoes and a sprinkle of herbs heated up makes a quick and easy chunky sauce). Sometimes we'll do a quick fork-mash on some black beans to make it a 'meat-like sauce'. Or we'll add chopped up fresh veggies or a small pkg of frozen veggies. I love that restaurants add $$ when they call something Florentine when all they did was add spinach! Whir some cooked and cooled (or cold from the can) chickpeas in the food pro, add a squirt of mustard and a bit of your fav vegan mayo-like substance, diced onion and/or celery and maybe a wee bit of your favorite pickle relish and you've got something quite close to tuna or chicken salad. Not very low fat but sometimes just this wee bit of creamy fat texture helps get past the cravings for other stuff. Chili is always an easy go-to: throw some cooked black beans (and any others you've got handy for fun), a couple cans of diced tomatoes, a package of frozen diced bell peppers, a package of frozen corn, and whatever seasonings you like (chipotle, ancho, generic chili powder, cumin, etc) and let it simmer until it's all hot and yummy - all day in the crockpot on low works as well, though we use it at as 'last minute what's for dinner' dinner so we just do it stovetop. We've also added things like butternut squash or sweet potato chunks for a different twist on chili as well. This is a good one because the leftovers make great topping for baked potatoes, pasta, or rice. quinoa and chickpeas mixed together and served with your favorite leafy green lightly wilted in some water or veg stock. A little fresh garlic and diced onion in the pan as well is nice. ummmm what else? Oh tonight's dinner is whole wheat+buckwheat pancakes, vegan of course (no milk or eggs in the batter). We put out a whole buffet of toppings so we can customize by the plateful or by the individual pancake as each person chooses - we'll have nut butters, jam, apple butter, real maple syrup, agave, honey, cinnamon, pecans, dried fruit, fresh fruit like bananas or thawed frozen fruit maybe (blueberries for example); apple pie filling type combo is a nice topping - aples, cinnamon, with as much or as little sugar as the tartness of the apples needs. Soups of all sorts - whatever veggies are in the fridge diced up and popped in the soup pot with veggie stock and seasonings Spaghetti squash is a nice alternate for regular pasta - serve with tomato herb sauce or a nice pumpkin curry sauce or whatever else you like with your pasta quinoa and brown rice both make a nice base for stir fry and for cold salads as well (dice up celery, carrot, onion, bell pepper, toss in some raisins or dried cranberries, add some herbs and cider vinegar and you're good to go). Could go on longer but lunch hour is almost done... --Deb R
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kgershman Joined: 01/02/12 Posts: 25	RE: losing interest in foods Posted Saturday, January 14, 2012 at 2:35 PM I know what you are saying, but I actually LOVE the stage in a dietary regimen when I lose interest in food. Or I should say, when I stop playing such a huge importance on food. It is a bit frustrating, but for me who is a self-proclaimed food addict, I appreciate it when I no longer look at every bite of food as NEEDING to be great, tasty, and otherwise filling an emotional gap. We should enjoy our food...no doubt about it, but depending on your relationship with it, it should not be the component that makes or breaks your emotional well being...IMHO. www
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cch22 Joined: 09/08/10 Location: New York State Posts: 1000	RE: losing interest in foods Posted Saturday, January 14, 2012 at 6:44 PM yes i have actually (really) sat and giggled to myself at this stage.. where the food doesn't call my name, and gezh.. i can eat when i am hungry!!! i mean go figure?? no more guilt .. no more eat bad.. think i will do better tomorrow.. think i will exercise longer or harder the next day.. cringe if i don't think i did enough... or had a cookie.. now .. eat good food and eat when i am hungry!! i mean how cool is that????? nothing calling my name.. so it's like someone was holding out on me... just a great place to be.
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lafngirl Joined: 01/18/12 Posts: 1	RE: losing interest in foods Posted Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 2:21 PM Through doing my own vegan challenge this past June, I found out that I was extremely sensitive to Dairy. After 3 weeks of not eating it, I no longer craved carbs hourly. After research...found out that certain types of dairy intolerance come from the lactose blocking the serotonin from being produced..so your body craves carbs which can help produce serotonin (self medicate). Undigested dairy can turn into an opiate like substance in your body so that makes you addicted to that feeling. So you want even more dairy even though you can't digest it properly. Low serotonin from dairy intolerance can cause carb cravings, depression, low pain threshhold, and headaches. I had all the above and LOVED dairy. Ate and drank sooo much milk/dairy my entire life. I have had barely any since June and my life/mood/cravings has done a 180. Its amazing that I never knew that dairy intolerance would explain my emotional/physical issues and that I would not have the gas/bloating/etc symptoms that I associated with dairy issues.
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