I Cant get myself to eat cooked foods..

It takes practice. Just keep plugging away. Or take cooking classes at an adult school.

Don't bring money with you.

It takes willpower and motivation. Either you want to eat your packed food or you don't. ( we all deserve treats sometimes so eating snacks isn't a bad thing. I make treats fit within my preplanned day . so the treats themselves aren't the issue )
Nobody on this site and give you the motivation to stay on track . that's something that will have to come from within. If you really want it, do it !

Well, you have to make a decision as to whether you want to improve your diet or live on Doritos and cookies (I happen to love both btw!).

Either stop making the trip to buy them, or...instead of buying a bag to "pig out" on, buy single serving packs and toss one in with your healthier lunch. They're a little more expensive but I love them for the portion control.

Another thing you may want to try is instead of packing a lunch that you don't have much interest in eating, pack up smaller items that you can eat as you go through the day. I tend to do that as I'm more of a grazer myself than one to sit with a bigger meal. Yogurts, fruits, protein bars, lunch meat/cheese sticks, ect....

Stop it.

And... are you preparing boring things like kale and chia seed salad?

Make food you actually like that fits within your calorie limit. That could mean including a nice cookie or two.

You don't have to deprive yourself to lose weight. Just eat in moderation the things you love.

Ok, this may seem counterintuitive, but if there's any anxiety involved (i.e., worry that you won't be satisfied with your packed lunches), I think next time it might be good to try buying the snack like normal but then tell yourself you can eat it after lunch if you're still hungry. Then eat lunch and see how you feel. You may find just having it there just in case is enough. If you're successful, throw the snack away so you're not tempted later, and repeat for a while until you feel you can just eat the lunch you bring. I know it seems wasteful, but you'd be spending the money anyway.

I know that suggestion may be totally irrelevant, but I wanted to throw it out there just in case. I also second the person (people?) who said that you don't have to deprive yourself of snack foods. You just have to fit them into your calorie goal.

Also, force yourself to eat breakfast. A real breakfast. It may reduce your chances of snacking all day.

misskarne wrote: »

distinctlybeautiful wrote: »

Also, force yourself to eat breakfast. A real breakfast. It may reduce your chances of snacking all day.

No, this is not required and it is not always true. I actually found I was hungrier all day if I ate breakfast.

Hmm.. I just thought it might help provide some structure, but everyone's different for sure. I shouldn't have been so forceful in making that suggestion! It's funny because I tend to eat smaller amounts more often instead of three meals a day, but when I replied I wasn't thinking of snacking as anything other than negative I think because the op seems to feel negatively about it.

...that food gets ignored" is a passive construction. It is you who are actively doing the ignoring. The grammar indicates the problem; take responsibility for your own actions and choices.

When you order food out, what do you order? Think about what you'd like to eat, then look up a recipe that is lower in calories, make it, and bring that with you for lunch.

I'm much less likely to order out if I have a tasty lunch to look forward to. Don't put food in two categories - 'healthy stuff you have to eat' and 'unhealthy stuff you'd like to eat instead'. Just make healthier versions of the stuff you want to eat... or have less of it.

You said your picky can you explain that further is it taste you don't like, texture (very different I swear I love the taste of German potato salad but the texture makes me gag,) or is it the way it's cooked? And what is it you like about the snacks you buy or the meals you eat you like?

I agree to make your own "snack bag" and portion things out so you won't go overboard. Logging is essential since you need to know how many calories are in what you're eating. It's time to take control, so if you're not eating or liking what others are preparing for you--make your own lunch bag.

I have a hard time just nuking the food I cook at home, because the texture of the sauces, etc, gets so unattractive in the meantime that it puts me off eating it. I think it's why some folks don't like leftovers.

So if I'm having to pack something, I'd probably choose a microwavable mini pizza that fits my calories or something similar. There's a calzone that I love that fits my calories and it does very well being nuked, too Cold sandwiches are nice also if there are any you like eating (I like real deli meat and real cheese with unusual mustard).