I truly have no idea why I am the way that I am ..but I believe I take the term 'picky eater' to a whole new level. I've read several articles that indicate I am actually more of a 'resistance eater', than picky eater. A doctor actually told me he thinks I have something called a 'super taster' gene in which I am extremely sensitive to texture, taste and smell -- even sounds really. The list of things I CAN eat is far shorter than the list of things I do NOT eat. It affects social situations greatly because I never want to eat at new restaurants and definitely do not want to eat at people's houses for fear of their food making me sick. Literally, foods that I do not like will make me vomit. I throw up things that I cannot tolerate. Even smells can make me vomit.
This eating problem of mine has led to severe obesity, where I topped out at 318 pounds. I lost over 100 pounds and was able to conceive children after that - but still am overweight and struggle. I worry about my health as I have an extreme aversion to any kind of vegetable except lima beans and potatoes, which hardly count. I cannot stand the smell of many foods, especially Asian food. I do not like sauces or condiments of any kind. Some things about me are just odd like the fact that I like chili, but only Hormel chili, and yet I do not like tomatoes or pizza or spaghetti or anything with tomatoes in it - but yet I can somehow eat Hormel Chili. Go figure. But I tell you, if I had to bite into a tomato right now, I'd hurl.
I have many more examples like that. I have been this way my whole life and I am 41 years old. I worry about raising my 4 children to have good and healthy eating habits when their mom is so picky and strange (yep, that's me). My husband is so supportive and wonderful, I could not ask for better, and he is the better example of eating truly. Often we will have a meal and he will make something for him and the kids and I will just eat cereal or something different. My husband use to be the primary cook in the family, not me, because I needed to have everything plain and unseasoned, nobody would much care for what I eat or make. I am changing little by little and making myself learn to cook and experiment, but it's slow going.
I now see signs of this in my 7 year old son, and just fear for him to turn out like me. He through a big fit and became completely unglued a few weeks ago because my husband accidentally put ketchup on his plate with his fish sticks, and he does not like ketchup (me neither). We had to get him a new plate and new fish sticks to calm him down. This was such a familiar scene to me from my own childhood. I do wonder if this problem or condition is hereditary. But let me be clear, I had a great childhood... no trauma, no abuse.
Honestly - my biggest challenge in eating clean, or eating right - is that I have to make some kind of breakthru in trying new foods and expanding my diet. So I want to start a challenge for myself where I try one new food a day for 300 days, Cinco De May (5/5/11) to Leap Day (2/29/12) ... and blog about it - whether I hurl or not. I am not sure I am brave enough. But if I could conquer trying new foods and figuring out how to get the good stuff in me, and be done with the bad stuff - I will consider myself a success.
