Will cabbage help me eat salad??

  I've been trying to eat better lately, but as most of you know, it's not easy.  When I was in my teens and twenties, gaining weight was never an issue.  Whatever I ate, it didn't matter.  Maybe because I was in school and was a lot more active; playing hockey, gym, etc, or maybe my metabolism was just faster.  The "real world"  hadn't arrived yet.  Stress at work, and waking up early and coming home late were not a part of my life while I was a student.
  That all changed when I started working.  Long hours, and eating out became the norm; and after a few years, the weight started coming on slowly...  at first.  To give a background, I was never much of a salad eater.  Salad at my house was iceberg lettuce with olive oil and vinegar, or tomatoes with cucumbers; two things  I didn't like at an early age.  Not to take anything away from my Mom's cooking...  Greek cuisine ie "the Mediterranean diet", is very healthy, but can be very challenging to a picky eater such as I was.  I struggled with salad and seafood, setting a very bad framework for the future.  This would be something I still struggle with to this date, although to a lesser extent.

Green salad with red and green cabbage!!
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   Compared to many years ago, I eat a lot more variety of foods...  especially vegetables.  I now eat tomatoes and cucumbers, but still can not tolerate raw onions, zucchini, green peppers as well as some greens like dandelion "horta for all the Greeks!" and swisschard.  Although I enjoy an occasional Caesar salad, getting the right mix for a salad to have as a meal was never even a thought until I had the "Mix Salad" at one of the "Baton Rouge" restaurants near home.  Its very simple, some greens, (arugula, baby spinach, romaine), green and red cabbage, some croutons and the dressing of my choice honey-mustard.  All of a sudden I was hooked, and I have to pin it on the texture that the cabbage provides.  Both red and green cabbage don't have an overwhelming taste,  and they provide a great "crunch" to the salad.  I'm now starting to get hooked, I actually bought cabbage for the first time as far as I can remember so I can replicate the same salad as home.    The first one I had was great!!  I used more cabbage than the restaurant did, and it turned out delicious!!  Hopefully I can continue to do this, and set a good example for my growing son!  I'm so surprised something overlooked and abundant as cabbage will probably change my whole eating habits, but I have to be consistent.  I will write again in a few weeks, and check if I have lost any weight by then.  My goal is to lose about 40 pounds in the next 6 months...  challenging but not impossible!!  Will keep everyone posted!