Desperately Need Help

[lmfmike3]

Ok, well if you want to know why i'm trying to lose weight/be healthier read my blog, i'm getting straight to the good stuff.

I have no idea what kind of foods to buy.

I can barely cook.



Today I had nothing to eat so I didn't eat lunch. Then at dinner i just went crazy and ate everything :-(. I'm so dissapointed in myself.

I ate today:
Breakfast: Nothing
Lunch:Nothing
Dinner: Two Lean Pockets
One scoop of ice cream
Two bowls of cereal

i don't know why. I didn't really think about it.
Just kept eating


So what would really help is, links to easy recipes (since i know it's damn annoying to type them :-D), ideas of what to buy, and anything else that will help me. And I guess general diet tips. I think I can do good during the summer but during school I don't know when i'll be able to play DDR and not many good foods will be available to me. ii'm going to be on AIM for a while, goodnight.

[abrannan]

When you say you can barely cook, what does that mean? Can you boil water? Can you toast bread? Very little of cooking is technical skill, there are a few basic techniques that you learn with time (how to tell if something's cooked enough, but not too much, chopping, simple temperature management), but otherwise cooking is more artistic. Start out making some basic soups.

Get a large can of low fat/low sodium broth, some boneless/skinless chicken (or veg-chicken, if that's your path), some celery, carrots, and maybe some chopped onion (the salad bar section of the supermarket sometimes has these things pre-chopped, if you're afraid of lopping off a finger).
Take the chicken and cut it up into 1" pieces (Make sure to wash your hands/everything the raw chicken has touched when you're done, salmonella is no fun). Put the chicken in the bottom of your pot and put in on the stove on medium-high. Keep the chicken moving while it cooks so it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan (But it's not the end of the world if it does). You can also add the onions with the chicken, if you like yours a little browned (I do). Once the chicken is no longer pink on the outsides, add the broth and the chopped up veggies. Turn the heat up until the broth boils, then cut the temperature back to low/medium-low. Cover it an let it simmer for 15-20 minutes (You want the veggies cooked, but don't want to have to wait all day) and you're good to go.

Cooking should be a stress-free activity. Sure, sometimes you'll overcook something and will have tough meat, sometimes you'll find flavor combinations that don't work together, but otherwise it's hard to completely ruin food. Have no fear and dive in, you'll be whipping up masterpieces in no time.

[psisar]

I wouldn't really call eating two lean pockets going crazy Don't be so hard on yourself! Guilt leads to binge eating, and we know what that leads to.

I hear you on the cooking, I'm almost always on the go so I don't have much time to prepare meals, plus I can't cook worth anything (in the traditional sense of cooking, where you spend hours in the kitchen)

The thing I enjoy most are vegetables. Cut some up, and use some fat free ranch salad dressing as dip. Make a salad (stay away from fatty dressing though ) Like abran said, mix it up. It's really not that hard to whip together some chicken and vegetables and see what you can come up with. Steam some rice and make a stirfry. As long as you know the ingredients you're using are healthy (ie, rice, grilled chicken, vegetables, fat free sauces, etc.) you can come up with pretty much anything. I can't share any recipies, well, since I don't have any lol... I usually just cook on a whim. It's easier than you think to cook healthy though

[legend of croft]

studies have proven that those who eat breakfast are more likely to not be overweight, overheat, or binge eat.

if you'd like some more information, let me know. my nutrition class is going over some of the studies.

[psisar]

lrock said:

studies have proven that those who eat breakfast are more likely to not be overweight, overheat, or binge eat.

Well, yes and no. The reason breakfast is so important is because it gets your metabolism kick started for the day. But then again, if you eat eggs, sausage, toast with everything smeared with butter every morning that's not entirely healthy...

[legend of croft]

haha yea i didn't mean eating a load of fat but what i meant was kicking off with some fruit or whole grain cereal....i find when i eat breakfast, i eat generally small meals for the rest of the day.

[mnkeydo82]

When you wake up in the morning your body is in a catabolic state. The longer you go without eating the more your body feeds on your muscles.
The greatest breakfast ever is Oatmeal, plus natty pb, and splenda, it is hell rad.

[abrannan]

mnkeydo82 said:

When you wake up in the morning your body is in a catabolic state. The longer you go without eating the more your body feeds on your muscles.

No, it takes longer than that to send your body into "emergency metabolism reduction mode". When you wake up, your body is coming out of a mild hibernation mode, and requires some ready food energy to "prime the pump" to get your metabolism back in full gear. If you don't eat breakfast, your body essentially stays asleep, metabolism-wise, and you're burning fewer calories.

[mnkeydo82]

Yes, thats right, blood sugar levels and all that nonsense. However if you work out on a empty stomach can't that put you in a catabolic state?