Afraid to share

wow, i have very similar issues as you when it comes to processed foods! while i was on weight watchers i ate so much processed crap because i only cared about the points, not nutritional value. now that i'm on mfp, i have been trying my best at slowly decreasing the number of processed foods i eat. so far *i* think i have been doing a good job (however, a stranger might think i still eat too many processed foods).

my saving grace since i started this journey is the george foreman! it is so awesome, let me tell you! you can grill a chicken or turkey burger in 6 minutes! so convenient and easy - even i (the non-cook) haven't messed that up.

good luck to you and try not to be afraid to try out new recipes! i know i have a ton saved on my computer (i can send you some if you like) but i have only had the courage to try a few ;/ i'm working on it, though!

I'm not a chef, but i love to cook. You can ask me cooking questions and I'll answer to the best of my knowledge.

*HUG* I'm no cook either, but I just wanted to give you props for having the courage to post in the forums, and with such great advice you're getting, and the motivation I know you have, you'll make it through

To put together a meal plan start with thinking about what you like. I do all my cooking on Sundays (or at least I try) and when I do my shopping I think "Okay, I need some veggies, some starch, and some protein." I generally get 2 or 3 kinds of raw protein (chicken, cow, pig, seafood), and ground turkey all taco'd up is a staple quick fix in my house. Buy a crockpot and look up slow cooker recipes (theres a magazine), if you follow the instructions and buy the right cut of meat slow cooker recipes are a no brainer. Buy yourself a betty crocker cook book, if you don't have one, every kitchen should have a betty crocker cook book. I hardly cook the recipes in it anymore, but I'm always using it as a reference tool.

I share my diary, let me know if you have any questions.

Thank you for shareing your story! I hope you find the inspiration you are looking for here!

I can relate to the cooking issue! My parents never cooked (I grew up on fast food, yikes!) and so I found myself at 20 years old not knowing how to cook a single thing, but not wanting to feed myself fast food (and not being able to afford it, lol). I ate a lot of carrots and dip, hehe. I took it one day at a time- looked at scarey recipies for weeks sometimes before I'd try them. And, looking back, most of the recipies I tried weren't all that good. But, just getting my feet wet, so to say, helped me learn how to cook, and here I am years later cooking every night for my family! If you'd like, I keep a blog that I occasionally post recipies to- dishesbyglitterpony.blogspot.com

Good luck!

First of all, Jacque, YOU ARE SO BRAVE! You sat down and typed up something very personal about yourself that you are ashamed of, shared it with a bunch of strangers, and ASKED for help. You know what that makes you? STRONG and INTELLIGENT.

I couldn't even finish reading through everyone's responses to you because I was so moved by how supportive and informative and caring they all were. We've all been there...maybe not exactly where you are, but in our own version of 'there'. And now, we're all in varying phases of BETTER! Know that we are here for you...we, the MFP crowd. We want to succeed and we want to see each other succeed as well. Are you feeling the love? I know I am!

I don't know what you like to eat. I don't if you think it might be easier to cook one meal at a time or you're thinking maybe cook big (casseroles and soups) and either freeze servings or package them for your week. But there are so many options for you. You just need to continue to be brave and try things out. Personally, I started out with my slow-cooker (crockpot). SOOOO easy!!! I could make healthy meals and package them in several TupperWare containers. I didn't mind eating the same thing for lunch every day.

I also didn't mind a simple menu. I had fruit and oatmeal for bfast every day. Now I do eggs and my Shakeology (meal replacement shake). You can do sandwiches for lunch (lean cold cuts with lettuce and tomato), fruits and veggies on the side. Start easy and work your way up. You can totally do this! We ALL believe in you!

Hey hun...

I have been in your same shoes. You just have to jump in and try some things. Think of the things you enjoy eating and look for recipes that way. I have a folder that I keep all of the recipes I want to try and I'm always adding to those and then once a week on Saturday or Sunday, I peruse that folder and pick out a recipe and then make it. The best part about cooking for one person (because that's what I do too) you get to have leftovers for a week. Make the freezer become your best friend. Buy individual tupperwares that you can make single-serving meals. That way all you have to do is grab it out of the fridge/freezer and heat it up!

It gets easier! Hang in!

My advice? Keep it simple. If you’re not a big cooker, odds are you like simple foods like pastas and burgers and grab & go stuff.

Try going for lower fat versions of things like hot dogs or pick up some boca burgers, which can be microwaved. A Foreman grill is AWESOME for small grilling needs. Season regular cuts of meat like lean steak, boneless pork center cut chops or boneless/skinless chicken breast with pepper, paprika, sea salt, etc and simply grill or bake them. Kick up the flavor in a salad by adding sunflower seeds, low cal croutons, fat free shredded cheese, or some salad shrimp. Stick to easily prepared things like sandwiches (PB&J and tuna salad rock!), veggie sticks, boiled eggs, low cal pudding & jello cups, low cal soups and simple tossed salads for lunches. Instant oatmeal, boiled eggs, almonds, low cal cheese, and fiber bars make great breakfast choices.

Start simple and work up from there. You can do this - you just have to overcome that fear!

I soo feel your pain. Some people are amazing with their cooking and eating wholesome food, and I'm trying to wean myself off processed (what i also grew up on!) and totally got out of the cooking habit. Plus with two adult kids at home, i'm constantly struggling to make things they like, and make sure they can grab and go as we are never at home at the same time anymore.

Anyhoo, don't give up, and never be ashamed. no one lives your life and this is not a contest!! Everyone must do their own style, what makes it easiest for you to stay motivated and move forward is what you should do! I find myself often sticking to basics...I do like the Hungry Girl Web site/book simply because she remakes a lot of comfort (aka fast) foods we grew up on....overall, she is using other processed foods...but at least in the beginning it can help ease the pain, portions can be for one or two, I sometimes search the web for "5 ingredient" recipes and things like that....to make it easier...my go to looks something like this when i am on point:

breakfast - oatmeal with fruit/nuts or cereal with milk/almond milk, or eggs with spinach/cheese or whatever i want to throw in it (if i need heartier, i put the eggs in a corn tortilla).

lunch - i'm at work, and this is a struggle because we go out a lot. When i bring, i tend to take leftovers (i make extra veggies and have with a protien like chicken or fish), or if i had fajitas the night before, i'll throw them in a wrap with some lettuce/tomato and salsa (anything can go in a wrap!).

Dinner - pick a protien (chicken, fish, beans, red meat, pork, etc.) and put it either on top of a salad (lots of lettuce and chopped veggies) or on/with other veggies...i try to cook more than one veggie so there is variety without a ton of the pasta/rice/potatoe stuff. So often i'll put fish or chicken on top of a huge thing of fresh spinach, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper, and cook on say 375 for 20 minutes or something like that.

Snacks - i love cheese, so i have laughing cow and low fat cheese sticks...sometimes with crackers if i can afford it, or i'll dip zucchini or carrots into hummus, or peanut butter with a banana, or a fage greek yogurt with fruit....

So basically, i'm cooking very simple simple things....it's easiest to log, and easy to make, and you can cook as much or as little as you want.

Don't know if that helped, but feel free to add me or ask me for recipes/ideas, or whatev. You can do this, it is daunting at first because you go from knowing nothing (at least i did) and feeling overwhelmed and like an epic fail...and soon you will get the hang of it!!

I recommend a toaster oven and a George Foreman Grill (do they still sell those??). Both are easy to use and fairly non-intimidating.

My husband sings in the opera chorus, so he is often gone in the evenings for rehearsals and performances, so it just leaves me to cook for myself. I try to find some single-serving freezer things, or just go with a good old can of Spaghetti O's (don't judge).

I do love to throw a roast in the crockpot on Sunday mornings so we have something yummy for dinner that tastes even better the next day (or a few more days - it makes a lot of food!!). Just start small and go from there!