Any picky, 'oral stimmers' found a successful diet plan?

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My weight has fluctuated severely over the years. I started middle school a size 5, started high school a size 9, ended high school a size 22, lost all the weight and got back down to a size 9, and have now gained all the weight back to size 18.

The first time I lost the weight, I used Weight Watchers, which was awesome for me since I'm a SUPER PICKY eater and I could still eat all of the things that I liked. However, Weight Watchers has changed their plan now, and it's geared toward healthier foods (rightfully so), which means that all of my favorites are much higher in points than they used to be.

My other issue is, I'll often stim orally by biting or chewing on things, and this includes food. Most of the time when I eat, it's because of the desire to chew something, not because I'm hungry (although I suffer from some what feels like severe sugar crashes from time to time, but my blood sugar levels are perfect, and they've been tested multiple times over the years).

I really, really want to lose my weight again, but don't know where to start. My body seems pretty much incapable of losing weight through exercise, as I've exercised 5 days a week for months in the past, and also did P90X in the past, with minimal results (while also restricting calories or doing weight watchers). When I diet without exercising, however, I drop the weight pretty fast.

I'm just fed up with dieting, because I hate having my mind occupied with food all day. It really, really sucks. I don't want to have to think about food.

Have any of you who are either incredibly picky (due to taste/texture issues) or who stim orally found any good methods for reducing your calorie intake? By the way, I'm a vegetarian, but I hate vegetables. Yeah, it can be tough. haha.

If you need to chew something as a stim, have you tried chewing gum?

Gum, teething toys, rubber band bracelets

Are there any low cal foods that you enjoy that would help to fulfill your oral stimming urge?

I know you said you aren't a fan of veggies, but some can be really good. I'm eating lots of steamed asparagus lately. I get to chomp on green flowers! I also like jicama (pronounced "Hick-ah-ma) which most natural food stores or hispanic grocery's will carry. Jicama crunches like a pear and apple together, and has a lightly sweet, juicy flavor. It's nice to peel and cut up to just munch on.

Another thing that has worked for me (I've always loved food , maybe too much at times. I don't have too many texture issues though) is eating low carb. I understand that as a vegetarian this can be kind of hard to do, but if you like eggs and/or cheese, it can work. The fewer carbohydrates you eat, the more your body will burn off the extra.

I don't know what your texture/taste sensitivities are, but there is a healthy way of eating that fulfills your stimming needs, and helps you stay trimmer. If you want, I can help you more with this, as I've dealt with food issues my whole life. I'm a chef, a health coach, and herbalist. And if you can't tell, this sort of thing falls directly under my special interest umbrella, so I'm trying to be very careful not to be rude in offering advice or help. Let me know, and good luck!