by Heather | Oct 11, 2010 | picky eating, social issues
If you are a picky eater I URGE you to join the conversation. While there are many similarities to us as a group, there are also many differences. By sharing your story, you never know who you may be able to help. read more
by Heather | Sep 26, 2010 | Articles, picky eating, social issues
I was so excited to meet Amber. We are very similar in our food choices so when I had the chance to meet her in L.A. I jumped at the chance. I’ve met one other picky eater here in Raleigh and that was also a great experience! I love sharing fries with my new friends! I really do feel that we all share a really special bond! We feel safe talking with them and they can understand us more than any other... read more
by Heather | Sep 26, 2010 | Articles, picky eating, social issues
To me, picky eating is defined as eating a very select few items. And not being able to try new things, or having preferences for selective food brands. I only eat the following items: pancakes waffles french toast salad (lettuce only) pasta plain or with marinara sauce crackers ( saltines only) guacamole hummus pretsels chips salsa cheese pizza (sometimes onions) occasionally I will eat apples bananas broccoli corn on the cob That’s IT! That’s what I classify as a picky eater. Someone who eats only a selective amount of food. I don’t mean that we don’t prefer to eat other foods, it means that when we do try to eat other foods, ( if we can get past the smell ) we simply reject it. By reject I mean gagging or actually vomiting. I am writing this because there is a major difference between a child who is being stubborn or is having a power trip, as opposed to a person or child who simply cannot eat new things. A child who just will not eat brussel sprouts is not a picky eater and I think they should be disciplined as such. Trying to discipline a child who is a true picky eater is something you need to reconsider. I can speak for our group when we say that we have emotional scars, fear, depression and many other effects of being MADE to eat what’s in front of you or to clean your... read more
by Heather | Sep 16, 2010 | picky eating, social issues
This is what someone very close to me said this week. Yeah… -fer real- Someone as close as could be to me. I was using the TLC Freaky Eaters program ( that subject is for another post ) to bring up a conversation about my eating and how it affects me I was told that what I eat doesn’t matter to him and that I have no reason to feel uncomfortable any longer. Then he asked me why it’s affected my life and what situations I had to avoid now that I am married and don’t work outside the home. ( I work from home now ) My mind went blank? Then I was so surprised that my mind went blank! I need to get this out, and list just a “few” of the uncomfortable situations we endure. And, most of all, how DARE you suggest that my eating has not affected my life and molded the person I am today. How DARE you say that I have no reason to have the feelings I have. Good bad or ugly, we are all entitled to our feelings whether they’re the good, the bad or the ugly. Here are just a few situations that affect us: Any and all dining out situations Any and all eating at another person’s house Not able to go on picnics Not able to “pack a lunch” school lunches weddings funerals business lunches going to a fitness center and discussing your diet going to a new doctor and just skipping your diet any new friend encounters family reunions camping trips kids summer camps the military school... read more
by Heather | Aug 10, 2010 | picky eating, social issues
I am so excited that picky eating is getting so much press lately. I was recently quoted in a local Raleigh area paper. I think once the Duke study went live, lots of press seemed to take notice. This is such a great thing. The more press it gets, the more people come out of the woodwork. One would never think to google Picky eating. I had 2 people find me this week via LinkedIn and Facebook. That’s the good… Here’s the bad.. The comments people write are about as heart wrenching and ugly as one can get. Even if this disorder gets a real medical name, people will still have their comments. I’m trying to “rise above” by not reading them, or by dismissing them as ignorace, but it’s really hard. The comments people write that are mean, are the exact things that I’ve been trying to fight all of my life. The internal battles I’ve had not only with my friends and extended family, but also with acquaintances. No one would ever question dyslexia or Autism? This is the same to us. I’ve decided not to read comments and realize that the people in my life who love me are all the opinions I need. Or at least I try…... read more
by Heather | Aug 3, 2010 | picky eating, social issues
Being a Picky Eater has some major social issues. We’ve had to deal with these our whole lives. Lying that I’ve already eaten, avoiding eating situations, faking an allergy, figuring out ways to get around sticky situations is a normal occurrence for me. Creating a situation where no one knows about it is the best result we can come up with, or dodging it all-together. But when you have family that cannot accept that this is “real”. Well, that’s what hurts the most. Being accepted by the public is something I think all Picky Eater’s would ultimately love? But we know that’s an illusion. I know that I have tried really hard to make my family understand the deep and real problem with food I have. It’s when someone in your “so called” family is either making excuses as to why you eat the way you do or how to change it that hurts the most. They can see the real struggle I’ve had and how hard I’ve tried to earn their acceptance. While I know this is wrong to feel, but when the medical field comes up with a real diagnosis, or even word for what we have, I’d really love to shove it in their face and make them feel the way they’ve made me... read more
by Heather | Jul 24, 2010 | picky eating, social issues
Are you healthy? Actually yes, I am very healthy! I’ve not had any major medical problems, no diseases, and I have 3 very healthy and strong children. Most PE (picky eaters) are as healthy as the general public. We don’t really have any common health issues above the common issues that most of the population has Have you always been like this? Yes, I have always been like this. My mother tells me I’ve been like this as long as she can remember, starting off with only eating the most expensive types of cereal at weaning. Are you the only one in your family that eats like this? yes. I grew up in a family where my Mother cooked healthy meals every day of the week. This was not a learned behavior. I have no knowledge of anyone else in my family that eats like this Do you feel like you’re missing out? I don’t. I love the foods that I do eat, so I feel fulfilled in my eating habits. What do you eat at holiday dinners? I usually fix myself something special. I could not find any food that I would eat on our plentiful Thanksgiving table. I never felt like I was missing... read more
by Heather | Jul 22, 2010 | picky eating, social issues
Every picky eater you talk to will tell you that you’ve been like this forever. I’ve heard stories growing up about refusing food, or being forced to eat a piece of meat at a relative’s home, only to have my mother find it hiding in my mouth several hours later. I’ve experienced this with my daughter and her severe difficulties with breastfeeding (more on that later) I hope this post will give you a second thought about possible recognizing this in your child. If you are reading this, then most likely you have had picky eating issues with your child. Since the research is just beginning, there is no way to know what percentage of the world population has this. Learning what to look for is the best thing you can do with your child. MANY MANY skeptics have said something to the tune of: Put it in front of them and they’ll eat it when they’re hungry. NOT gonna work, what it will do is cause more insecurities and sensitivities in your child. Seeing my daughter sit at the table, being told to eat, seeing her face, flashes me back to my childhood. I don’t know exactly what to do with her yet, but I know that I’m somehow trying to heal my childhood insecurities through her. I’m feeling her pain, and I’m feeling her struggle. I KNOW when something gets put down in front of her and she knows she can’t eat it. photo... read more
by Heather | Jul 20, 2010 | Articles
This was quite an ordeal! Loved being able to share my story and be a part of letting others know that they aren’t alone No Age Limit on Picky... read more
by Heather | Jul 20, 2010 | social issues
What’s your elevator pitch? I don’t eat anything that has a mother I’m a vegetarian My family is normal I’m not a tree-hugger (well kind of) What’s an elevator pitch? It’s a term used in marketing to explain your idea or pitch in the time it takes to take an elevator ride. Try explaining your eating habits in an elevator ride. You can’t. What we usually do is either make excuses, lie or just change the subject when we can. Recently I was in a situation to put this to the test. It was my daughter’s “meet the teacher” night at her kindergarten and I had to try to explain her eating during an event where she could have easily been pulled away by another parent. I needed to get my point across to her teacher, but not give our life story. My main point was that I didn’t want her treated any differently than the other students. Really makes you think about your elevator pitch doesn’t it? What I ate today: Bagel and diet coke for breakfast Bagel for lunch Veggie pizza and fries from local pizza... read more
by Heather | Jul 18, 2010 | picky eating, social issues
What this is all about is.. there are many MANY adults out there who suffer from Picky or Selective eating. To what extent you ask? Because you don’t really like tomatoes, does that make you a picky eater? No. A picky eater is someone who eats a very limited diet? How Limited? Limited to where it affects your life, your relationships, your social habits and much more than you would imagine. And, there are a lot of us out there. I say we, referring to the amazing group of folks who have the same eating issues as I do. The Picky Eating Adults site is a group of amazing people who found each other through the grace of it’s founder Robert K. We are a group of individuals who have set out to, first and foremost, create a community where folks know they are not alone! That there are others out there who understand what you have felt like all of your life, who really do care and welcome you with open keyboards. The second goal is to reach out to the medical community in a manner to help us all learn more about why we’re like this? Why we didn’t grow out of it? Why we can and can’t eat certain foods. Also, trying to get this disorder recognized as a full blown medical diagnosis. That would in turn open a door for folks who may need to support of a trained professional. Knowing you are not alone is a major... read more
