I need some tricks. I am on the go all of the time, just like most of you. I work 50+ hours a week. I am raising my 3 year old grandson. Lastly, my husband and I are remodeling our home ourselves.

I rarely eat breakfast due to the lack of time in the morning. I usually realize around 2:00 that my headache and inability to concentrate are due to hunger. By then, I am miserable and am forced to eat something...anything. It isn't because I want it. I am usually nausiated by then and only force myself to eat out of necessity. When I get home, I fix a decent dinner and find myself eating agian right before bed. I dont eat a lot, but I eat what is fast. Sometimes I have been so food deprived during the day that I will wake up in the middle of the night starving and have a quick bowl of cereal and then back to sleep.

I know that I have killed my metabolism and that is why I have really ballooned up in the last six months, but I am not really excited about eating and it is such an inconvenience. Truth is, I only cook at night so my family eats well. If they aren't home I just have a sandwich.

I hate the card board tasting alternatives to real food. I don't want to cook 12 chicken breasts to eat throughout the week, because I have already learned that I wont eat them. They gross me out after a day or so. The only things that I enjoy as left overs or from the night before are lasagna and spaghetti.

What is quick, easy to fix and tastes good enough to get me out of not eating all day? What are your choices and how do you fit fixing them into your schedule? I know it sounds rediculous, but I just may be:<) I know I could easily take time each morning to fix a gourmet lunch for later, but I have a hard time giving up that extra 5 minutes of sleep after working late or getting up with my grandson or not falling asleep easily the night before or...I am not so great in the morning. My husband thinks I have an evil twin. lol!

I think we've all heard about how important breakfast is...so it's time for you to add some in! I usually like Peanut Butter on toast and a piece of fruit, or granola (could be a bar crumbled up) in some yogurt. It's quick, easy, and fills me up. Worst case scenario: buy cans of V8 and drink one on the way to work.

And what about prepackaged salads for lunch. I'm cheap so I make my own at home (I even squirt dressing into a little tupperware bowl) but the grocery store sells them all ready to assemble. It doesn't get easier than that, and doesn't take long to prepare or eat.

Good luck making better food choices!!

OK, so you seem to have a couple of misconceptions that I can see.

1. Healthy food has to be complex. There isn't anything WRONG with a nice healthy sandwich - whole grain bread, some turkey, some dijon, lots of veggies - yummy and healthy. You can buy a tub of hummus and some baby carrots or stirfry mix at the store and have healthy snacks with little to no effort. Fruit is easy to grab for snacks, or string cheese - all "real food" and all within 5 minutes. There is no reason to cook elaborate meals if that isn't what you care for.

2. Healthy food has to be time consuming, gourmet food. We all have QUICK breakfast, lunch, snack, and dinner options to rely on. Otherwise, no WAY would I be able to get this all done! Stock your fridge with whole wheat tortillas, bananas, and natural peanut butter. In the morning, spread a tortilla with a tablespoon of the peanut butter, microwave 10-15 seconds, and wrap it around a banana - under 2 minutes, and you're out the door with breakfast in your hands. Breakfast IS important...not only for weight loss, but just listen to yourself describing how you feel when you don't eat! Do you want that?

Have you experimented with some of the newer more natural frozen entrees? If you don't like more conventional frozen choices (like Healthy Choice and Lean Cuisine), you might still enjoy the Kashi and Amy's frozen meals, made with whole grains and all natural ingredients. They might be great to keep on hand, even for breakfast (that's another thing...breakfast doesn't have to be "breakfast" foods...no reason not to eat a small frozen meal, if that is what sounds good to you...)

You HAVE to eat, though, or you'll feel icky. And feeling icky is no way to go through life. Consider this - you said you have trouble motivating yourself to give up that extra five minutes in the morning to get food together. But how much are you LOSING by not doing it? An entire day of feeling good. How much more could you get done if you were feeling energized, not nauseous, ready to face your day? More than enough, I bet, to make up for 5, 10, or even 30 minutes of food prep throughout the day.

I grab a small tupperware in the A.M. and pour 1/2 cup of instant oats in it, take it to work and pour the hot water from the water cooler in it. Instant oatmeal!

I also buy pre-hardboiled eggs from Trader Joe's, and grab 2 of those to go with the oatmeal. Instant protein and hot breakfast.

Or, nothing is quicker than a flax-peanut butter-sandwich. Wheat bread, spread with peanut butter, add a tablespoon of ground flaxseed. Yummy.

For lunch I throw lettuce greens and frozen veggies in a tupperware and 1/2 cup of canned beans on top. I keep a spoon and bottle of salad dressing at my desk so I can measure out 2 tablespoons when I'm ready for lunch- and the salad doesn't get soggy! It seriously takes me 4 minutes to pack breakfast and lunch in the morning.

Tonight I'm running to the stable to work a shift, and I'll grab a peanut butter and flax sandwich. That will keep me satisfied all night.

I used to feel like I didn't have the time to eat healthy either. I realized that was something I was going to have to work around in order to get my weight under control. I don't like cooking enough chicken breasts for one week either. What I do is buy packages of turkey breast tenderloins. Cut them in 4 ounce portions and butterfly them so they are a bit thinner. Then freeze them individually. They defrost int he microwave in about 2 minutes, while they are defrosting I heat up my George Foreman grill, once defrosted I season it and toss it on the foreman while I am making and or eating something for breakfast. It cooks in about 5 minutes, I chop it up and put it on a bed of greens with some shredded carrots and diced tomato. I buy a bottle of dressing and portion it out into small plastic containers. I keep all the containers in the fridge...quick and easy to pack in my lunch bag. When I buy carrots, celerey, brocoli, I wash it up and package it in individual serving bags or plastic containers, again another grab n go!! I do the same with frozen fruit. I buy a big bag then protion it out and leave the containers in the fridge until I pack my lunch. I usually do my "planning and portioning" on the weekend. I like brown rice with supper, but HATE the time it takes to cook. So now I cook up a HUGE kettle of brown, divide it up and toss it in the freezer. I stir fry veggies (which I prepped on the weekend) toss in my rice and grill up a salmon fillet or chicken breast...supper is ready to serve in 15 minutes.

IMO, healthy, controlled eating doesn't "just happen". I have to make it happen. Once I started "making time" to plan, prepare healthy food, I was amazed how much better I felt the rest of the time and how much more time I seemed to have.

I agree with mandalinn (as per usual)--healthy food doesn't have to be complicated, time-consuming, or cardboard-like.

My absolute favorite standby is a peanut butter and jelly sandwich--doesn't get much easier than that! And you could even share with your grandson I buy bread that is 100% whole grain (I happen to buy Nature's Own Double Fiber bread, so it also has extra fiber and Omega 3s) for 50 calories per slice, add a tablespoon of Smart Balance peanut butter (all natural, added flaxseed), and add a tablespoon of all natural no-sugar-added strawberry preserves (sweetened with fruit juice). It's VERY healthy and delicious. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches aren't just for kids

For breakfast, I just have some no sugar added chocolate Carnation Instant Breakfast. I pour some milk in a plastic container with a lid that screws on, dump in a packet or 2 of the powder, shake it up, and drink it in the car on my way to work.

A favorite of mine on a gloomy day is Trader Joe's low sodium organic tomato and roasted red pepper soup. It comes in a cardboard carton, so there's not even a can to open. I just pour some in a cup, heat in the microwave, and sip atraight from the cup--no need to even dirty a spoon!

On weekends, I'll often dump a bunch of stuff in a crockpot and let it cook for a few hours, then just scoop into small plastic containers and toss in the fridge or freezer. Right there, now I have at least 5 or so meals already prepared for myself for the week! And all they require when I'm ready to eat is a minute or 2 in the microwave.

What an amazing response! You are right on with many of the points you made. I know how rediculous I sound, but these are the obstacles I am facing. Most of the obstacles any of us face our in our head to start with.

What I am doing is low carb - high protien, no sugar, no flour and no processed foods and no fruit for the first month. I am trying to stick with things that haven't been fiddled with much. There are many foods that I know would work well eventually, but eating albacore tuna from a pouch for lunch at work 5 days a week is old and honestly not exciting enough to get me to eat even though starvation has set in.

I have fibromyalgia and all my research suggests that my problem is preservatives. I also have a list of food allergies that has plagued me since childhood. I have been on a rotation diet, which really means I dont repeat an allergen within a four day period in order to allow my body to get rid of it. Many food allergies are just the absence of enzymes to fully break that particular food down. Then it basically rots in the digestive system and floods the blood stream with toxins. The toxins are what cause the inflammation connected to my pain and the diagnosis of fibromyalgia.

My rotation foods are corn or anything made with corn starch or corn syrup, barley, yeast, apples, green beans, chicken and beef. With this Atkins style - South Beach hybrid that I have chosen I am pretty limited.

I know it is rediculously complicated, but it is also part of the reason I posted the topic. I just know that someone out there has just the right thing for me!

I am so grateful for your response. I understand where you are coming from and will use some of your suggestions later on.

I looked at your progress collage. You look amazing! Great job! You are absolutely beautiful. You have a classic american beauty that reminds me of starletts from the 40's.

I look foward to hearing from you again

Everyone, please keep your suggestions coming. I need your help.
Thanks

The crock pot and freezing portions is a fantastic idea. I will have to do that this weekend! I never thought about doing it, but you are right, it will be pretty easy to do.

I like the soup idea, too. I was crazy about soup at hand. So crazy that I got really burned out on it. This soup sounds better than just basic tomato.

What about meat? I read your signature and it says you are doing something very similar to me. How do you keep your protien intake as high as it should be?

Amanda,

I love your suggestion of tortilla-peanut butter-banana wrap. Gotta try this soon. The only thing is, I was actually looking at tortillas at the grocery story this weekend but they seemed to have a ton of calories per piece. But I looked only quickly, I am sure I will find some that are a better choice.

I think I like peanut butter for the first time in my life. :-)

The idea originally came from Glory87 - but it became such a staple, especially for my partner, when she is running out the door. We use the La Tortilla Factory wraps with 50 calories and some ridiculously high amount of fiber per piece - we've found them at the grocery store and at Trader Joes.

Her other trick? If she's running REALLY late (too late to even make her coffee at home), she grabs a canned SlimFast. Then she goes to Starbucks and gets 2 shots of espresso in a large cup of ice. Pours the slimfast over and....but that's really processed, and I don't think that's what the OP was after. Still, its SO easy (and really good!)

When I don't have a lot of time, and I don't want to cook, I have my old standby...the neighborhood salad bar. Mine happens to be in a grocery store. Greens, non-starchy veggies, 2/3 cup cubed chicken breast, 1/4 cup kidney beans...I usually throw a tbsp or two of sunflower seeds on top and bring it home to top with my own dressing. No brainer, as long as you watch portion size and don't add any of the salad bar ingredients that can raise the calorie count into the stratosphere (tons of cheese, bacon bits, croutons, heavy dressings).

If you like ranch dressing take low or no fat cottage cheese add a little milk and cream it in the blender add a ranch packet and there you have a higher protien salad dressing. If you like spaghetti so much use wheat pasta separated into small portions drown it in tons of either homemade spaghetti or the really good for you storebought stuff with turkey meat or 98% ff beef. Make it in a big batch put it into containers and freeze what you won't eat in the next few days.if this sounds good for breakfast then grab it then or take it for lunch or whenever. Thee are no rules about the order of eating if you crave sandwiches for lunch and eggs for supper then enjoy what you want! Just make sure you are eating something!

My favorite coworker is grossed out by the smell of cooked eggs, so I just dump a serving of protein powder in my oats and add hot water when I get to work. Protein-fortified oatmeal, and no egg smell to upset anyone else in the office (I mention this in case you're not big on eggs).

you may look into another "weight loss program" for you. Since you are on such an already restricted diet...due to allergies etc...it might be hard to stick to an atkins. It would help if you gave us an idea of foods you are allergic to and have issues with. I would recommend either calorie counting or weight watchers since you have limitations. Not that atkins isn't a good plan..however, if you have huge restrictions, the other two give you more flexibility.

Morning for me consist of either 3 egg whites (which actually cook up very fast) and i personally have started forcing myself to get up 5-10 min early just to make sure i have a nice breakfast (and trust me...i use to be up and out the door with a crappy breakfast in hand in less than 10 mins prior to my healthy life change). other breakfast include peanut butter on an apple (very easy to take on the go), yogart with 1/8 cup of barenakid granola (only 4 ingredients). As for lunch..i usually love boar's head lunch meat..no preservatives in the lunch meat. Or you can spend your day off grilling/cooking some chicken and eating off that for a few days. I highly recommend prepping food on your day off. When i'm off, i go to the store and get a bunch of fruit/veggies etc. I always bring them home and chop and prep them..that way i have no excuse for fresh fruit/veggies. DH and i buy our fresh whole grain bread at either Trader Joes or Whole foods. usually only 5 ingredients and no preservatives.

You may also want to discuss your weight loss plans with a nutritionalists. Since we don't know all of your "restrictions" they may be able to help you come up with great and convient recipes. Good luck!!!!

I am so excited about what I am reading that I can't get it written down fast enough! This is exactly what I need! Please keep it coming! These are "real life suggestions" that I will put in place immediately.

I am going to have to compile a list of quick and easy foods from what everyone is giving me on this thread and post it for newbies like me. I love it!