From skwigg's journal:
Do you know what used to make my eye twitch? When I'd start some new diet and there was a huge grocery list and new recipes for each meal. How stressful was that?! No wonder I'd never last more than a day or two before going back to eating Hot Pockets and Cheetos.
What seems to work for me is having a general idea of some meal choices and portions. I keep those things on hand and rotate them in and out depending on what I'm in the mood for. I need a no-brainer breakfast for when I'm rushed and barely awake (cereal, protein, and fruit). I need quick, no-cook meals to pack for my work dinners (sandwiches, fruit and veggies, nuts, cheese, leftovers). Lunches and days off are where I have bigger meals and more variety. Then I get tacos, BLTs, steak, omelets, pizza, pasta, chicken, burgers, restaurant meals.
I'm definitely a creature of habit and will repeat favorites, even to the point of having something on the same day and at the same time every week for years. If I love it, I shouldn't change it just so other people don't think I'm weird. They're probably going to think I'm weird anyway. 😜
There's a difference between repeating meals because you love and look forward to them, and repeating them because they're safe and you're afraid to eat anything else, or because you're "shoulding" yourself to eat something nutritionally optimal instead of listening to your own wants and needs. I think the trick there is not overwhelming yourself. Maybe you eat the familiar/easy meals most of the time because they're convenient and low stress, and then build in some variety throughout the week. It doesn't have to be ALL repetitive and planned or ALL freewheeling and crazy. You find the middle ground that works for you.