Picky eating (first post)

Until now, I've been very hush hush about my picky eating habits, but thanks to a website (www.pickyeatingadults.com) which was featured on a show on the Food Network, I've been able to feel more open about my choices with food, even if it is looked down upon.  This is something I did not choose, and I have many reasons for being apprehensive with food.  I'll get to those later down the road, but for now, I'll just go into some basic details.

For starters, I'm 30 years old, and I've lived in many different places starting with southern California in the Orange County area, to Las Vegas, NV, to Colorado Springs and Denver, CO, to Freeport, IL, and to Springfield, MO.  Though for this blog, all you need to know is that I live near Denver, CO.  That is neither important nor necessary for detail in this discussion.

Though I don't know exactly when it started, or if it is something I was born with, I do know that there are foods that I simply won't eat.  Some foods I had forced down my throat as a child, which later I developed a taste for, but others I did not.  For the most part I eat foods that are plain, have a simple texture, and are not overwhelming with the taste or smell.  Unfortunately, most vegetables are a definite NO in my book, and up until recently, I've only managed to consume ONE fruit.  Sadly, that is no longer the case since I cannot eat that fruit any longer.

The social anxiety over what to eat has long been a problem for me, and for my family.  When going out to eat, the question was not where to eat, but "what can Jeff eat" at certain restaurants.  Social functions at work are always a nightmare.  I'm always having to come up with excuses like "I'm not hungry" or "I just ate", or I'll flat out just starve myself until I can be home and make something that I know I can handle.  On rare occasions, I'll bring a snack with me for that "just in case" scenario.

Even lunch times at school during my childhood were a nightmare.  The smells sent me zinging, wanting to just go outside and play and skip lunch altogether.  Eventually, I grew to ignore the sense of smell, but in some cases just the smell of certain food alone causes me to gag badly, almost to the point of vomiting.  And don't get me started on Thanksgiving, that's the worst time for ANY picky eater, adult or child.

We'll get into detail later on these topics, and more.  You'll notice that on the right side there are some links to articles posted about Picky Eating adults.  Some good, some bad, and some have comments that make any adult feel guilty over the way they eat, regardless if there is an issue with food or not.  My mother and I have talked about this, and it's amazing that some people still have the mindset of "Just eat it", even though there could be issues that they may not recognize, and that's what www.pickyeatingadults.com is aimed to raise awareness of.  Some of us have issues with taste, others have smell issues, and some just can't stand the look of certain food.  We all have one thing in common, some foods just do not belong in our mouths period!  To do so would cause agony beyond belief, and in some cases, cause our bodies to reject it through means we do not care to describe.

For now, I'll include in my blogs a record of what I have eaten so far for that day.  It may not be all-inclusive since some of the blogs might be written before I even eat, or may be written only after lunch.  But I will do my best to include what I've had to eat that day, or what I plan to eat.  My hope is that through my experiences, my stories, and my eating habits, someone might be inspired to join our group, and be counted among the many who suffer this affliction through no fault of their own.

Menu for Today 7/28/10

Lunch
Grilled Ham and Cheese sandwich w/ "Lightly Salted" Lays potato chips

Dinner has not been planned yet, though I am leaning toward a plate of plain cheese and chips nachos!