Ah. I had a liver biopsy done during a gallbladder removal, so there's that. If you got any bloodwork done, seeing the levels of liver stuff and how out of range they are could give an idea. My liver didn't show up as altered in the preop ultrasound I had, but I had a few enzyme levels higher than normal which was why I got the biopsy Ok so for my diet! There are, unfortunately, a lot of vegetables. Spoiler: Breakfast Option 1: 1 large slice of whole wheat bread 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil 1 cup nonfat milk + coffee + a teaspoon of cinnamon Option 2: 1 large whole wheat toast a teaspoon of olive oil 1 medium slice of white cheese Option 3: 1 large slice of whole wheat toast 1 egg 1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil Option 4: 1 medium banana + a teaspoon of cinnamon 100ml nonfat yogurt 1 tablespoon granola Option 5: 1 tangerine or orange or 1/4 of a medium mango or 1 large slice of melon or 1 medium slice of papaya or 80 grams of strawberry 1 slice of white cheese Basically this is some combination of toast and protein or fruit and protein (hence the yogurt and milk). You can mix and match like 80 grams of strawberries with the granola as long as it looks something like those options. Fruit portions are about 100 to 130 grams, except for berries and sweeter fruits, then a portion is 80 grams. Spoiler: Morning snack 1 medium slice of papaya or 1 large slice of melon or 1 medium banana or 1 orange or 1 tangerine or 1/4 of a medium mango or 80 grams of strawberries ON DAYS WHERE BREAKFAST WAS NOT FRUIT WITH SOMETHING 1 slice of whole wheat bread + 1 egg or 1 spoon of olive oil on days where breakfast was fruit with something Spoiler: Lunch The base is always a plate of green leaf salad and 4tablespoons of sauteed or cooked legumes. I know you mentioned having issues with those but they are really necessary for padding the plate :/ Option 1: Base 4 tablespoons of whole rice 1 medium ladle of cooked beans 1 medium chicken upper tigh, cooked or roast Option 2: Base 3 tablespoons of cooked cassava 4 tablespoons lentils 4 small pieces of meat, cooked Option 3: Base 2 medium potatoes, roasted/baked or cooked 3 tablespoons of cooked peas 3 tablespoons of canned tuna or 2 canned sardines (low-fat, not in oil) Option 4: Base 4 tablespoons of cooked corn 4 tablespoons of chickpeas 2 hardboiled eggs (you can make an omelette of those) Option 5: Base 4 tablespoons of whole rice 1 medium ladle of beans 1 medium fish fillet, grilled or cooked, salmon preferred. Option 6: Base 1 serving spoon of whole wheat pasta with tomato sauce 3 tablespoons of ground beef GREEN LEAF: lettuce, arugula, collard greens, spinach, endives, chicory, radiccio, chard, cabbage, sprouts of some kind, etc. Legumes: carrots, zuchinni, kabocha, eggplant, bell peppers, okra, pear squash, other squashes, beets, palm hearts. Spoiler: Afternoon snack Option 1: Mix of oily nuts: 2 Brazil nuts 3 almonds 4 hazelnuts 3 cashew nuts Option 2: 25g of 70% chocolate Option 3: 1 granola bar Spoiler: Dinner Same as lunch or: 3 large ladies of vegetable soup with pasta or rice and meat Or 1 sandwich with: 2 slices of whole wheat bread Lettuce and tomato 1 medium grilled slice of chicken breast or steak or 2 eggs And some fruit for dessert Spoiler: Night snack Option 1: 1 small portion of Fruit salad Option 2: 1 small pear or apple Option 3: 3 tablespoons avocado Option 4: 1 kiwi fruit or medium slice of fresh pineapple Option 5: 1 large piece of coconut Portions for meats are around palm sized. You can probably substitute the dairy for nondairy things, like tofu and almond milk, since you have issues with lactose; and use gluten free bread instead of whole wheat, but its probably going to be less filling - im not celiac and never had glutenfree bread, so i wouldnt know. This is a weight loss-y diet, but honestly I don't feel that hungry in it; it' just that I am a bread monster while anxious and now I'm studying for med school entrance exams and could kill a man for gluten. I can also have as much coffee and tea as I wish, as long as it is sweetened with Stevia (or a very, very small amount of honey, and if I use honey I can't have a fruit). I usually drink my coffee black or with milk so it doesn't bother me that much. This is also my diet tailored for my taste, so you can absolutely substitute the fruits and veggies for things that you like! I'm just not a fan of grapes so they don't show up lol and the legumes/vegetables and leaf greens there are just examples, my dietitian said I can eat anything along those lines in around that amount. And I'm in Brazil, so maybe some of the stuff is not available there.
I am also free to use as many aromatic herbs as I want; you mentioned issues with onion and garlic, but can you use thyme/rosemary/basil/marjoram/bay leaves etc? Cause they can mask the smell of egg pretty well imho, if you don't mind all your food tasting vaguely italian. And if you are not part of the population that has the coriander = soap gene, it is also pretty tasty in omelettes. Ah! And I was encouraged to eat tuna and salmon at least twice a week, for omega 3 reasons. I don' do that because I'm not a fan of canned tuna by itself and salmon is fucking expensive, but my dietitian was very emphatic that I should be eating healthy fats.
Okay, cool. So, I found out that I actually really like asparagus. I also sort of enjoy green beans. So, those are the two that I've used this recipe on, but it might be worth trying out a few different ones (cooking time might vary, I'm not sure) 1) get a flat pan and put tin foil on it (to help with clean up) 2) lay out your (washed) veggies so that it's a flat layer 3) add olive oil. you'll want to make sure each one is coated. I just roll them back an forth in the pan with my hands and wash my hands afterwards, but i understand if that's a sensory nope. unfortunately, that's the only way i know how. 3) add powder seasoning (I add salt and garlic powder.) not a ton, just a little bit. 4) pre heat oven to 425, put pan in for 10 minutes. or be like me and don't preheat the oven and set the timer for 15 min. You can adjust this time. if you cook it longer, the veggie will get more crispy. 5) let cool and enjoy! I really like it when these are cooked this way. they actually taste good. i end up eating them kinda like french fries. (checking your list, asparagus is out and so is garlic. but you might be able to use this as a template) Hmm, you could probably add something in while they're cooking that would counter act the smell and also make it taste better. I'm not sure what that would be though, sorry! Ah yeah, I have to deal with the low glycemic index stuff and it sucks. Some of my recipes work with brown rice because they have enough sauce to cover the taste difference, at least to me. Most of my recipes are some sort of protein + tomato sauce + seasoning over rice. They don't taste super tomato-y though. If that sounds good, or at least, not terrible, I'll write some of them up.
Oh and I H A T E carrots raw or with too much crunch. But if they're in, like, a beef stew and have gotten soft enough that they're not a formless mush, but still lacking a crunch, I don't-mind to like them. carrots aren't the best for low GI though, so I don't usually bother, haha So it might be worth revisiting some of the veggies you put in your nope pile, if we can think of a different way to cook them or get them to be a different texture. Personally, I'm a huge fan of tricking my brain into not noticing the healthy thing that I'm adding in so that I can tolerate it, and sometimes it actually graduates to liking it.
Thank you all for the advice! It is def gonna help a lot. Srry for not responding, I’ve had a few v low spoons days. I’m srry to ask, but I have another question. I stress/comfort eat a lot. Like a lot. It’s probably my primary mode of eating. Does anyone know any strategies to stop eating whenever I’m bored or sad? Anthing else I can do that scratches the aame itch?
I do that a lot too and I haven't figured out something better yet... I have ideas? but I haven't really gotten them to work for me 1) I like lettuce, so in theory could get some 0/low calorie dressing and just munch on lettuce because they're free. There's probably other stuff that you can add that's free/good for you? I tried this a few times but I couldn't get it to work for me. 2) give yourself whatever your craving, but like. only a little bit. scratch the itch and then stop. I've heard that this works for cravings, say chocolate. But it doesn't really work for me, because I want to be chomping on something. =/ 3) Get healthy snacks to munch on? Still costs calories, but at least it's not hurting. I try to munch on fruit when I can. Not great, sugar wise, but it's gotta be better than potato chips. Other people might have better ideas xP
Perhaps you could try tea? Either get stevia or just measure to control how much sugar goes in. Sugar free chewing gum isn't bad for you. Popcorn... Hmmm, there has to be something decent that works with your dietary restrictions. Maybe carrots? For non-eating solutions... A pillow-pile, a stuffed animal, and a good book?
Jerky? It's pretty filling, so you won't want to eat a ton of it at a time. Kind of expensive though.
When I was starting to deal with stress eating and suddenly caramelized, deep fried German sausage wasn't on the menu anymore I chewed a lot of sugar free bubblegum. But what really helped was addressing the causes of the eating - depression in my case, which I go to therapy for, but for you just might mean a constant stream of something so you don't get bored, or something like that. Celery sticks are also a good munching thing, and you can use a bit of dressing to change the flavor without adding too many calories. Mustard is pretty good for this imho
chewable stim toys, and make sure you're getting enough calories normally and not interpreting hunger as boredom, both might help
I tend to go for tea for stress: I go full-on loose-leaf, so it gets all meditative and fussy. That may or may not work for you. Also, with a lot of your veggie nopes, if it's texture, I 100% endorse ReAlyssa's olive oil and oven roasting advice. Veggies end up slightly crisp but tender (cooked at 350), with the option for caramelized on the outside (cooked at 425). You can just drizzle olive oil and take your chances, or roll stuff around with a spatula. Bonus with that is you can stick a chicken breast on the same sheet pan and when your timer goes off everything is done without you having had to do anything else. And with eggs, a bit of olive oil and then herbs might help a lot? Basil has some slight bite and a great smell. I'm a total sucker for Penzey's spices, and they have a lot of nice blends which might work for you. Also! If you do fridge oatmeal - let it rehydrate overnight with almond milk or sth - then it is not mush, it actually has a pretty great texture? It's cold, but you can add a ton of flavor to it with berries and spices. And there are tons of hipster recipes for ideas of flavor combos to try.
I used to do that too! Nowadays for the same effect I put the veggies in a plastic ziploc bag with plenty of room, dump oil and seasonings in with them, seal the bag, and shake it until the veggies are evenly coated. I usually hold onto the seal end with one hand (to give it some support) and the opposite end with the other, and ... I don't know how to describe the shaking motion that works best for me, but basically I move my hands horizontally, one toward and the other away from my chest. (Repeatedly, and very fast.) This method wastes a bit of oil and seasonings, but it helps me avoid the sensory nope of oily hands, and it's pretty fast. Also, you can store the bag in the freezer and re-use it a few times if you make veggies with the same oil and seasonings pretty regularly.
You can also use disposable gloves! I bought a box of vinyl gloves at the grocery store a while ago and since then cooking meat has been 900% less gross.
