Workouts? No problem! But food is another story

When I started Fittest Loser the first time in 2013, I really thought the hardest part would be the workouts.

I have never been athletic. Plus, back then, a nightly stroll around the block was me being "really active" (I actually told my doctor that once).

It didn't take long, however, to discover my real challenge was food - and it still is. In a way, exercise gets easier over time as you get used to doing it. But food? It's something I have to think about all the time.

For one thing, food is more than just a meal. Are you celebrating? EAT FOOD. Are you having a feeling? HERE IS FOOD. Are you hanging out with friends and/or family? HERE IS MUCH MORE FOOD.

I've also always been a picky eater. It's in my genes: Just before my parents got married, my dad gave my mom a list of the things he would eat. It was one column on one side of a piece of notebook paper so, like, maybe 25 things.

While I've expanded my palate over the past few years, there are still totally normal things I don't like, such as all pork (yes, even bacon); all seafood; most poultry, except chicken; spicy food; cilantro (please stop putting it in everything); anything with "too much flavor" and, of course, "anything weird." In a shocking development, my definition of "weird" is pretty broad, but to give you an idea? The first time I tasted a sweet potato was about four years ago.

There's only so much I can do; I'll always be surrounded by food and people trying to feed me (out of love!). I also know I'll probably never be an adventurous eater. But I can absolutely keep working toward changing my relationship with food.

First of all, I had to stop telling myself a long time ago that this is a diet, because "diet" implies it's temporary (e.g. "Once I'm done with this diet, I'm going to eat 76 kajillion peanut butter cups. Because I will no longer be on a diet.").

While I didn't necessarily stick to the Push Fitness plan after I was done last time, I kept many elements of it and never went back to the way I'd been eating (like a toddler did the meal planning). Long after my trainer, Push Fitness owner Joshua Steckler, wasn't looking at my daily food diary, I still managed to make good choices more often than not because of everything I'd learned from him.

When it comes to certain foods (I'm looking at you, Cheetos and pizza) I focus less on "I can't eat that" and more on "I choose not to eat that." Framing it as my choice puts me in control of the food, rather than letting the food control me.

I also had to stop pretending I could make (insert healthy food here) taste exactly like (some junky thing) with a little kitchen wizardry. Kale chips do not taste like Doritos, cauliflower pizza crust won't make you forget Lou Malnati's, and zucchini noodles will not make you think it's Prince Spaghetti Day.

But you know what? They're all pretty good if you take them for what they are.

I made myself (gasp) try new foods. A few of my discoveries over the past few years: Quinoa, almonds (that are not in a baked good), beans of all sorts, hummus, spinach, asparagus, zucchini, tofu and sweet potatoes, among other things. All foods I was convinced I'd hate, but I tried them anyway and now love them.

I also had to make my eating plan tenable with daily life. You can lose a lot of weight quickly on a cabbage soup diet, but it's super gross and not sustainable. I had to find balance between eating well and not feeling deprived or like I had to eat things I hated.

Here's the thing: While I'd love to tell you all these things have come together and I'm now of the "food is only fuel!" mindset, that's not the case. I hate salmon, even though I know it's good for me, and brownies make me feel more joyful than broccoli.

But it's like I keep telling myself: This is a journey, not a destination - and I'm definitely making progress.

• Melynda Findlay is a multiplatform editor at the Daily Herald, where she's worked for 19 years. And it's true - she doesn't like bacon.

Melynda Findlay, 49, Arlington Heights

Starting weight: 226

Current weight: 218

Weight lost: 8 pounds

Total percentage lost: 3.5 percent