I am a picky eater

Question
I am just getting started with my married life and I have gained about twenty to twenty five pounds and I have never had to diet before.  I am somewhat of a picky eater I don't like Seafood and Some vegetables I can not do like squash and peas asparagus, and avocados.  I have been trying to find a book to follow can you give me any suggestions?

Answer
Most people have heard of the "Freshman 15," but less people seem to realize how common it is for newlyweds to gain weight...and the situation is fairly common.  You would think each person's good habits would rub off on the other, but often the opposite happens and even formerly active and healthy couples stop exercising and start eating worse together.  Add to that busy schedules and the fact many young adults today are not comfortable in the kitchen (unless a box and microwave are involved) and it is really no suprise extra weight soon follows.  I am not going to focus on you being a "picky eater" because you know what you like and what you don't and can either find recipes that fit in with your likes or can learn through trial and error what you can substitute in recipes.  The good news is there are a lot of books out there for any skill level.  "The Newlywed Cookbook" by Robin Miller looks like it has gourmet recipes, but the recipes are broken down very simply, the book contains a wide variety of foods, and there are even sections about herbs, kitchen equipment, cooking terms, and special holiday meals.  "Get in the Kitchen, BIT@HES" is a new book that is supposed to have simple recipes for new cooks while taking a humorous look at finding your way around the kitchen; I have heard great things about it but have been unable to actually find it anywhere to check it out.  Those books focus mainly on teaching you your way around the kitchen, so if you are specifically wanting weight loss and have basic cooking skills, you may want to look for something more focused on weight loss.  "Betty Crocker Win at Weight Loss Cookbook: A Healthy Guide for the Whole Family" contains over 120 recipes, all with 10 grams of fat or less and at least 20% less calories than their full calorie counterparts; with recipes for foods like french toast, cheeseburgers, and cupcakes, this book contains very American-friendly recipes.  "The Biggest Loser Family Cookbook" has pretty good recipes as well; I am not as familiar with the other Biggest Loser cookbooks available.  The Hungry Girl books ("Hungry Girl: Recipes and Survival Strategies for Guilt Free Eating in the Real World" and "Hungry Girl: 200 Under 200") and Skinny B*tch books(which have a very vegetarian philosophy, so if you don't like a lot of vegetables I would not recommend them) are pretty popular around here with women in their 20's who want to lose weight.  If you are looking for more of diet book, The Zone is probably one of the best I have read.  The Zone gives pretty sound nutrition and exercise advice and it is based on a diabetic diet (some studies have shown fat is stored most easily when there are spikes in insulin).  "Intuitive Eating" is also a good book that goes into how to recognize internal signals that your body is full, signals we often train ourselves to ignore while growing up.  

I hope that gives you some ideas.  In the meantime, try to find ways to get more activity into your day.  Taking short walks at work or around the neighborhood with your husband in the evening, using the stairs, parking farther away in the parking lot...even tapping your foot at your desk...can all add up.  You can also look at what you are drinking; the average American drinks almost 600 calories per day in soda, juice, sweetened tea and coffee, milk, and alcohol; simply reducing calories from what you drink can make a difference.  Adding fiber to your diet (found in whole grains, fruits, and vegetables) can help you feel full longer (because of the bulk) while pushing foods through your digestive tract faster (giving your intestines less time to absorb calories).  You can also keep a food log for a couple of days to see what you are really eating; many people underestimate how much they snack or how large their servings are at meals.  Most importantly, try to get your new husband involved; you will be more likely to stick with exercising and eating healthier if you are supporting each other...and it is really a bad habit to make one "diet food" for yourself and "regular food" for other members of your family, so try to get into the good habit now of just preparing one healthy meal for everyone.

Good luck on your weight loss!  If you have any further questions, please contact me again.

1. Prev:Whither whey?
2. Next:raw dairy ok after dental surgery ?