Former Pastry Chef needs a new hobby
 

I used to be a pastry chef and cooking was my favorite hobby and stress outlet. Not whipping up pasta for dinner but putting in the effort into a beautiful pie, chocolate truffles or a cake. This diet has put a damper on that and I need to find other hobbies to take its place. I'm sitting here twiddling my thumbs. I've already taken two walks today and I'm sitting in front of cooking magazine. Cooking is such a slippery slope . . . Does anyone have any suggestions for any hands on crafts or hobbies I can pick up? FYI, I live in an urban high-rise apartment.

I love to knit. Mostly small items like dog sweaters, hats, scarves and baby blankets. Maybe if you still have the urge to cook you could volunteer at a soup kitchen? I know it's not even remotely the same, but maybe it would be fulfilling to help while being around food at the same time.

I've considered knitting but sometimes it's not kinetic enough. Sewing is a bit better for me. In fact, maybe I should pick up a pattern and head downtown for some fabric. Volunteering is an idea . . . I've started gardening on my balcony. That's fun. I'm trying to think of some arts and crafts I can do related to my wedding. Gah!

What about jewelry making? Oor.. there's this craft, I can't think of the name of it, where you take silicone and "ice" stuff like jewelry boxes and whatnot. You can add little jewels and ribbons, or other types of decorations. You can buy molds on Etsy, too, and make jewelry with the silicone.

i tried to channel my cooking skills into making sugar-free treats as well as healthy meals...like experimenting with healthy ingredients etc...sometimes it works, sometimes not

This probably isn't what you want to hear, but during my weight loss process I have done a lot more cooking and become a much better cook than I used to be. I've learned a lot about how to build flavor without adding loads of calories. I've been studying regional Indian cuisines and my cooking now routinely uses ingredients like curry leaves, fenugreek seeds and leaves, mustard seed and mustard oil, kalonji, turmeric, and more.

You don't have to give up cooking and it doesn't have to be a slippery slope. You probably already know more techniques than I do for building flavor without defeating your plan! It's not pastries and pies, true, but there are a lot of other things you can do with those skills...

I like the jewelry making idea! Any kind of making stuff is good - book making, designing and sewing clothes, drawing things around you in an sketchbook, etc. I am an artist and need to be involved in the creative process in some form or another. You have been so involved in that with your pastries but there are tons of ways you can do it without calories. I found an online site called Made and made a really cool cut paper lamp.
Good luck! Let us know what you chose to do!