writingwyo's Journal, 29 October 2023

LOL. Being picky has defined me all my life. What does a vegan eat for Thanksgiving? I don't remember much of what I ate when I was a vegetarian it was so long ago. I was in high school. I know it was not what a lot of vegetarians eat now. I don't like eggplant nor mushrooms. I do like turkey breast. It's one of the meats I like and there are not a lot. My grandpa didn't like it but liked chicken. I will eat chicken breasts but am not crazy about chicken really. I don't like meat substitutes at all though. Too salty. I like most beans except lima beans, soybeans, or tofu. I never want people to have to cook for me due to my pickiness. I wonder how many others feel like me.  

There's all the sides to eat, Morticia! 😃 It's easy enough to sub vegan butter and a non dairy milk for mashed potatoes, etc. Plus, I found a recipe for a vegan turkey roast on the It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken site. I don't typically buy vegan meats, because the salt is out of control and I don't recognize some of the ingredients, but I like to make it myself so I know what's in it and I can limit salt to a reasonable level. I'm only this far down the spectrum at home or in restaurants where there are reasonable vegan options. When I'm visiting folks or at a conference, I go pescetarian. It's easy enough for people to accommodate that much. I was eating whatever was served, but I've reached a point where I just can't do it any more, because I can't stomach meat other than fish 

I do the same thing as you and go through stages when I don't eat as well as I should or eat more than I was but then I have stages where I do really better and eat better than I want.  

I looked at my gain this morning as well and wondered if I should post it. But then I did. I mean it is all a process as you say. And a long and winding road... Hope you had that tooth looked at. 

Writing i think i belong in your family. Hubs family are huge meat eaters and his daddy put a lot of time and love into his food which im sure was wonderful though not healthy. It turned my stomach to see these huge slabs of beef items and he would always son, hon you should try some. Ummm i can barely tolerate chicken or turkey and usually not even that. I did feel bad because i would be eating the vegetable and snacks after all his hard work but there was usually a crowd there. He was a great guy. 

Always say, not son, autocorrect 

Meat eaters always get confounded about vegetarians and Thanksgiving. So weird— most people I know are there for all the side dishes, and not the turkey. 

sara -- I think a lot of us do. I like to say I give myself grace, but not license 

liv -- yes I did get it fixed. Had a root canal and a temporary crown on Wednesday. An expensive and painful lesson in the value of checking whether that "pitted" date actually has a pit in it 

YOH -- I was totally grossed out by meat as a child, but it was the one thing my mother forced me to eat. In the meantime, I loved eating raw oatmeal out of the box and always finished off the leftover salad every night. Yeah, I was a weirdo even then 😂 

JB - I know! Some of the meat eaters I know seem confounded by the thought of eating any meal without meat, though, not just Thanksgiving.  

Fish is my favorite protein. It and seafood always have been. And egg whites. Due to medical conditions I am not allowed starches much though I do love them. I am limited on sugar. I never could tolerate milk even as a toddler so if I have to have something I use nut milk or water. Not a fan of nut milks other than to cook with. Like you, I can't handle a lot of salt either. It's a shame they heap it into all processed foods. I don't like a lot of meat either but ended up back on it after being hospitalized. Wasn't my plan but I was not surprised. Dieting is harder when you are picky. As a child I was happy eating a piece of toast or cinnamon toast or a fried egg white sandwich. A toasted cheese but then they discovered that my severe G.I. problems were due to gluten and dairy and soy. I like a lot of veggies but not plain and not with a lot of sauce. I like most Thanksgiving sides as long as they don't have sugar in them. I check out a lot of vegetarian cookbooks but don't find a lot of recipes I like in them. I think they are too creative for my simple taste. Meat is hard to stomach and I won't eat a lot of it but then for me so are things like ratatouille. I prefer the Thanksgiving sides but not if they are prepared in an unhealthy manner. My family would load them with butter and sugar.  

Morticia -- I have a family member who was harassed for being a picky eater, and it turned out she had legit food intolerances and serious GI issues. Sometimes, kids are picky for a reason. I also have a brother who grew up with sometimes life-threatening allergies to fish, eggs, beans, nuts, and peanuts. My diet would literally kill him. I'm fortunate I can pretty much eat anything, although there are foods I choose not to, or at least to minimize. It's a challenge to work around when your body simply doesn't tolerate certain foods, so I feel for ya. It really sounds like you've done a good job of trying to keep a varied, healthy diet within the restrictions of what doesn't work for you 😊 

I have a story for you. Around 20 years ago i decided to try and start dating again (i didnt date much when kiddo was growing up a didnt want her to see rotating cast of male characters). Anyway, my requirements were: Christian, non smoker, non drinker, non drug user, athletic and…vegetarian. I start dating this guy who was in his 50’s (so def grown up) and he says he meets all that criteria. About 2 months im at his house and open his frig and see beer and 4 fat steaks. He says the red meat was for his son and he didnt want to tell me he had the occasional beer. Turned my stomach to be honest. I just dont like to see dead animal flesh. Turns out he was a massive liar that was just the tip of the iceberg. Former airline pilot that lost his license due to drugs. But funny what people will hide. I know, my expectations were a little stringent but really? To lie about meat-eating? Hubs has the occasional steak but he buys it, grills it and its over with. Last time was a couple years ago. I converted him for the most part to pescatarian plus chicken and turkey. Does that make me a good influence?😂 

Starting a relationship by lying is no way to start a relationship, YOH! Yikes! 😳 But honestly, if I were dating again at my age, I'd be just as stringent because it's important for a partner to want a life compatible enough to enjoy similar things and be able to make reasonable compromises. My crunchy, granola-girl tendencies go back to childhood. My first husband wanted to live on McDonald's. If I so much as put dried parsley in a dish, he wrinkled his nose and asked what the "green stuff" was. Truly, we wanted totally different things out of life, not just the food. Ah...but I think if I were to build a dating profile, I'd be too honest in it to ever get a date 😂 

Writing after seeing on this site how any folks partners are non supportive to the one struggling with food i appreciate my hubs even more. He rubs and tickles my back every night to help me fall asleep, he doesnt bring bad food in the house, he walks with me (used to work out with me for years but now im struggling to want to so need my trainer) and so many other things. He was 5 years sober when we met and is now 22 years. Ive often said if something were to happen to him (and it would be a medical event because he would never leave me nor i him) that i am way too lazy to find someone to put up with me. He lets me design the house and has said if i wanted a pink house with purple sparkles he doesnt care. He just wants his in home gym and a place to work on his fancy cars. God sends us exactly who we need if we are paying attention. That guy i dated for 5 months or so actually died of liver cancer a year after i put a stop to things. Really sad ending for his family. But, yep, im like you. If i listed all my qualifiers….who would answer? Hahahaha. Lucky us right😂🥰 

Omg again. How many folks not any folks. 

Ps. I do NOT have a pink house with purple sparkles. Fyi 

YOH -- believe it or not...I have a pink house. Colorado red sandstone exterior. It's pink. It took my husband a solid decade of living here before he would admit it. He kept insisting it was "salmon" 🤣🤣🤣 

I'd say accountability cannot be overstated. It's our own personal Journal, and who would we be kidding anyways? Nice you will get to enjoy your shared food preferences with brother during his visit!