I need help with food I'm at a loss!

I'm a big fan of Turkey Sandwiches, especially if I cram an entire avocado into it. Then I'm very happy. I usually have it on wheat bread with mustard, lettuce and tomatoes, sometimes sprouts and pickles. Also, I never used to eat breakfast myself because I was always in a rush, plus I'm usually not hungry right when I wake up. Then I'd always feel kind of sluggish and get a little shaky late in the morning so I've started forcing myself to eat something even if I'm resistant. Usually something like a small bowl of yogurt and some fruit. It seems to help me remain conscious throughout the earlier part of the day. That's just me though!

I don't understand people saying "You don't need breakfast"... Uhhh... Yes. Yes you do. Sure, you don't have to, but you don't have to diet either, or HAVE to do anything for that matter either. Need and want are different things. The fact remains, eating breakfast WILL speed up your metabolism. Your body NEEDS it because it needs to BREAK the FAST (sleeping for 8 hours) Thus the word BREAKFAST. The sooner you can eat upon waking up, the better... and actually the best thing you can do for your body in the morning, before you sip any coffee, eat anything, or workout (working out first thing in the morning has also been proven to increase weight loss over working out later in the day) is to drink a big glass of water. But yeah. Getting used to eating breakfast is tough to get used to. For me, I used to feel like throwing up, because I was not used to eating breakfast during the weekdays. Your body quickly adjusts though, because it is actually optimal for it do so, and to eat more calories, earlier in the day, rather than later. And that's not just my opinion, ask any dietician or physician.

As for cold foods... if you really do have that strong of an aversion to cooking, I tend to like string cheese, for on the go, and tuna for a good protein filling food. Be watchful of sodium though, particularly if you eat more processed/packaged foods.

Good luck!!

Yogurt with berries and a bit of granola or nuts It's pretty cliched on a diet, I'm sure, but I eat it all the time because it's just yummy.

I hate most of those yogurts in (fake) berry flavors, though. It's not the same taste at all, in case you hate those, too.

I will be the lone dissenting voice here. I follow something called leangains, which is an intermittent fasting protocol. I eat all of my daily food in an 8 hour window and then don't eat for 16 hours. Basically, I eat lunch and dinner, then sleep and skip breakfast and don't eat until noon or later the next day. Fasting lowers blood sugar, helps promote pancreatic function, AND seems to make things live longer!
http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2013/08/06/a-beginners-guide-to-intermittent-fasting/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intermittent_fasting
I have had great success, once I got over the initial discomfort of being hungry sometimes, as it lets me eat a large, full lunch and dinner and be very satisfied, rather than spreading my calories out over a normal 16 hour feeding window and eating, in my case, an average of 600 calories for each of 3 meals, I eat 2 meals of 800 and 1000 calories each on non-workout days and feel very full and content.
It isn't for everyone, and I think that first article even says that women should probably aim for a 14 hour fast rather than 16.
But I have transitioned from being very hungry as meal time approached before I started this schedule, to sometimes not even realizing that it is time to eat until 3 or 4 in the afternoon these days.

I don't understand people saying "You don't need breakfast"... Uhhh... Yes. Yes you do. Sure, you don't have to, but you don't have to diet either, or HAVE to do anything for that matter either. Need and want are different things. The fact remains, eating breakfast WILL speed up your metabolism. Your body NEEDS it because it needs to BREAK the FAST (sleeping for 8 hours) Thus the word BREAKFAST. The sooner you can eat upon waking up, the better... and actually the best thing you can do for your body in the morning, before you sip any coffee, eat anything, or workout (working out first thing in the morning has also been proven to increase weight loss over working out later in the day) is to drink a big glass of water. But yeah. Getting used to eating breakfast is tough to get used to. For me, I used to feel like throwing up, because I was not used to eating breakfast during the weekdays. Your body quickly adjusts though, because it is actually optimal for it do so, and to eat more calories, earlier in the day, rather than later. And that's not just my opinion, ask any dietician or physician.

As for cold foods... if you really do have that strong of an aversion to cooking, I tend to like string cheese, for on the go, and tuna for a good protein filling food. Be watchful of sodium though, particularly if you eat more processed/packaged foods.

Good luck!!

Absolutely false. Eating breakfast will not speed up your metabolism. It's a myth. Eating breakfast is purely personal preference. "Breakfast" as a meal is a thoroughly modern invention, not at all necessary for health.

^^ What this person said. You absolutely don't need to eat breakfast. The myth that it "speeds up your metabolism" is a common myth perpetuated by folks like Shape magazine, right under the "Six Days to a Six Pack!" article. The specific times of day that you eat don't matter, as long as you eat. More often than not, I just eat lunch, afternoon snack, dinner and an evening snack. Anyone who tells you breakfast is a requirement doesn't understand metabolism or how the body works.'

Edited to add: With that being said, do whatever works for you. If you want to start eating breakfast, cold whole-grain cereal with fruit is always a good bet. Good luck!

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Breakfast is a myth.

I believe in breakfast. I've actually eaten it myself. I know other people who share my delusion.

You definitely do not have to eat breakfast to lose, meal timing has no relevance. Do what works for you and what you can be consistent with. I much prefer having 1-2 bigger meals.

As for cold things to eat:

Peanut butter is always good
Turkey sandwiches (even better if you add bacon which you can microwave since your scared of the stove)
BLT
Yogurt
Salads

I never eat breakfast. It's just not my thing.

You don't need to eat breakfast, if you don't want to. But you may find that you start wanting it as you up exercise levels. The big thing is - listen to your body and do what works best for you. If you start mindlessly snacking mid-morning, you might want to think about having something healthy earlier. If you find you can't face food until 3pm, then don't try to force yourself.

All that said, I feel sad that you're afraid of the stove. You're going to be eating food for the rest of your life and it's really worth your time to learn to prepare and cook good, healthy food. There's something intensely satisfying above and beyond the food itself when you sit down with friends to eat something you've cooked from scratch.