I'm not a cook. I wish I was. I am so jealous when I read the things some of you cook with lots of veggies and spices and stuff. Sounds so yummy!

I, on the other hand, can't cook if her life depended on it. I have tried, oh, how I've tried. Ruined a lot of good food and spent (wasted) hundreds of dollars on a lot of mistakes. Yuck! I just don't have the knack for it, and I've had a hard time finding things to eat because of it. Dinners consist of smaller portions of things my dh makes (very fattening stuff), the same Lean Cuisines over and over, and slim fast shakes. I am so bored! Some days I eat take out and fast food because I'm desperate! (my kids and dh are happy, though!)

Curious, do you think my slow progress (15 lbs only in 11 months) has to do with my not being able to cook? It doesn't exactly help.

Heidi

Not being able to cook probably has something to do with the slow loss of weight. I do 99.9% of the cooking here so I control whats cooked how its cooked. During the day I make simple things like broccoli (fresh steamed or frozen boiled), boiled skinless boneless chicken breasts (seasonings added after), pan fried fish(canola spray), hard boiled eggs, etc. I cook the simple things.

If hubby is the cook can you ask him to take a small portion that would be for you and cook if differently. Lets say its fried pork chop night. Can you ask him if you cut the fat off you chop and the bone can he pan fry in for you using canola spray?

Well, one good thing about slow progress is that it usually indicates a more succesful maintenance.

I don't really cook either. I also use a lot of the frozen foods, canned soups, etc. What I do, though, is chop up my favourite veggies and cook them quickly in the skillet and add them to my Lean Cuisine or canned soup or even my fast food. It gives me more bulk, more fiber and nutrients. For instance, I may stop at McDonalds one night and grab a chicken burger to take home ... get home, scrape off the mayo and use mustard instead. Then cook up some veggies, add a salad. Still quite a bit of calories from the burger, but also some great food too.

Even the processed foods ... like frozen french fries ... can be healthied up this way. Just try to get the ones without hydrogenated fats. Again, add a salad and some veggies on top.

I also purchase some canned beans (as well as the dried) for quick add ins. When I make some processed food, like Sidekicks rice, I cut down on the white rice and add in some red beans.

My nephews eat the Kraft dinner and the canned Zoodles quite a bit. I chop and steam some broccoli and add it in. They don't mind it.

Even the processed deserts have the same option .... a fat free pudding cup? I only eat half the cup and add a handfull of chopped strawberries or other fruit. The same with yogurt. I eat half, and use the other half of the calories for fruit chopped into it. Regular full fat ice cream .... a half or even a quarter cup just to use as an accent to fresh fruit.

I too have have had slow progress. I think my total loss was about 12 pounds over a year, I actually was at a higher weight, 177, before I joined the forum.
I lost that weight, kept regaining and then sort of plateaued, so you have to really analyze what you're eating.

You can eat healthy at restaurants, but I have found in general it was just better to stay away from them. They seem to put al lot of sodium in everything.

I love to cook, but you really have to cook the right things, or you can be a great cook that's over weight.

I think in general healthy cooking is easier because you generally use fresh ingredients and fewer ingredients, and you broil, grill, bake or poach, easier than complicated baking or making heavy sauces. Have you tried a weight watchers cook book, or looked online for simple low fat recipes?

Not at all. I can't cook either. I have experimented with things, thrown out things. When I had more time, I would cook on the weekends and freeze stuff for the week. Believe me, it wasn't always the best tasting food. LOL I'm always on the run and eat out quite often. I also eat sandwiches and Lean Cuisines. Mostly, I grill up lean meats and microwave bags of veggies. I fix the Lipton whole wheat Alfredo packets and Kraft whole wheat Super Mac & Cheese dinners. The directions are on the boxes. Even I can't mess that up...I don't think so anyway. Though...I did burn boiled eggs once. Its amazing how you can do that if you go to the computer and forget you left the pot boiling on the stove for nearly an hour.

Well, hubby's idea of a dinner is usually greasy tacos, spagetti, hamburgers or steak. Healthy isn't his lifestyle, just mine. I do the best I can, but sometimes I just skip his meals all together and eat popcorn. Easier than talking myself into going back for seconds.

Heidi

To tell you the truth, I wouldn't know where to start if I tried to cook now. My kids are picky so I would be having to make their meals, plus mine, and that's a lot of groceries. I'm on a very tight budget. Thanks for any help.

Heidi

You can have steak and eat it like I do. Before its cooked take and cut away as much of the visible fat you see and ask hubby to cook it for you using canola spray. For the spagetti boil you some whole wheat noodles/boil 2oz hamburger meat/use a few tablespoons of sauce (this is what I am having tonight). For hamburgers as hubby to grill them instead and you can have it with out the bread. Tacos once again boil some of the beef, use whole wheat soft burrito type wraps and use a little of the taco seasonings.

I understand the budget thing. I have 3 boys, 2 are picky, hubby and me. I just modify everything they eat to fit how I eat.

But cooking doesn't mean more food. You're still feeding 4 (or however many) people at dinner.

There have to be other options than eating "greasy tacos" and eating popcorn. This is the only body you have; treat it with some respect. Popcorn isn't dinner.

I often use a strong type of lettuce or cabbage instead of buns/tacos when it coems to having mexican or hamburgers. For spaghetti instead of noodles I use spaghetti squash. Something you can consider a blessing about not being able to cook is that you probably eat the majority of your vegetables fresh, thus not losing any of the nutrients (as one often does when cooking them, not to mention the added calories used with cooking spray). Do you own a slow cooker? It's a good machine to have if you're too busy to cook or don't know how to. I often will put chicken broth and tons of vegetables in the cooker the morning before work and I have a nice stew for dinner! Another option instead of slimfast, since your'e getting sick is maybe making your own smoothies? You don't need much knowledge, just a blender, honey, plain yogurt and your choice of fruits. Buy chicken breasts and ask your husband to bbq you one while he bbqs his steak. As for fast food, do what i've done. I have looked at all their websites online. Essentially all of them have the nutritional information for their menu. I have copied down a list of approximately 3 choices I can have from each place. I carry it in my wallet at all times so if it comes down to me having to order fast food I know what my healthy options are.

My canola oil spray has no calories, no fat, no carbs.

It would be much harder for me to lose weight if I didn't cook. On the other hand, I didn't wake up knowing how to cook. It takes work and practice. Sorry, I don't mean to be controversial, but I don't know that I really believe that someone "can't cook" or at least can't learn to cook. Obviously you can read, so that means that you can read a cookbook and follow the directions. It doesn't have to be gourmet, but something like what need2loseinga mentioned. Go to the library and get a cookbook for beginners. Watch some cooking shows to see how to do things. That could help. If I had to eat Lean Cuisines and Slim fast shakes all the time, I'd go crazy. And I know that you can cook from scratch cheaply too, probably cheaper than the processed foods that you mention, since you mentioned being on a budget. And kids need to learn to eat healthy just like we do, so why not have them eating the same foods that you do.

I think the fact that I cook (and quite frankly, cook well) is a big reason I have lost weight. Because I LOVE the foods that I am eating, so it therefore makes it more enjoyable to STAY on plan. BUT having said that, there is a lot of food that doesn't require much if any cooking at all. Breakfast I rarely cook (cereal and milk). Lunch is not a big deal, I wouldn't call it "cooking", per se' I usually eat a Morning Star Farms Chick Pattie with cooked cauliflower. Not very difficult cooking up that cauliflower. Dinner is more varied. It usually involves chicken breast and vegetables of some sort. Or fish. Really not very difficult to do. Salads don't require any cooking. My snacks are not the cooked variety usually.

DoIlookfat, since you asked, no I really don't think one can "blame" slow progress on not cooking. That usually lies within not staying on plan very well. Not eating the right things, making poor choices. So maybe you need to rethink your plan a bit. Revamp your meals. Make them healthier and more palatable.

As far as eating well on a budget. It's doable. I buy whatever produce is lower priced for the week. Boneless chicken breasts frequently go on sale and freeze beautifully - so stock up. Fish also goes on sale. Fat free cottage cheese and yogurt - all go on sale.

I'm not a cook at all (more of a baker and that certainly does not help with dieting). You don't need to be a cook to lose weight. I eat a lot of morningstar farm burgers with a salad and the "just for one" vegetables (great for pre-portioning). I also buy chopped peppers and add them to purdue chicken strips with some salad dressing and tomatoes. I don't consider that "cooking." I relied on the lean cuisines in the beginning but have veered away from them. I buy the purdue baked chicken, put some ragu on that and it makes a great lunch. I also buy the south beach wraps. Bumble Bee makes pre-packaged chicken in bbq and other flavors. I just microwave those, add veggies and a salad and there is a great meal. If I can't make it in less than 10 minutes I won't prepare it. Look around your grocery store and be creative. I also make a green bean and red mini potato salad with olives and dressing (and sometimes throw some croutons in or garbanzo beans). I also eat of lot of hardboiled eggs. Basically, if you can boil water and use a microwave, there are lots of simple things you can make. I have lost over 100 lbs this way (calorie counting and exercising too of coourse)