Can't Make A Normal Meal. Just Eat Crap

[yorkiegal73]

I have never been able to cook regular meals, whether healthy or not. I spent a long time living in shared houses with poor kitchen facilities when I was younger, so tended to live on take aways and sandwiches, but I moved into my own place ten years ago and have never been able to learn how to cook.

I live on crisps, pastries, sweets and diet coke. I'll occasionally buy pre packaged fruit but generally just eat rubbish. Even heating up a pizza is too much work some days. I just come home with my bag of shopping and lay down on the sofa to stuff my face. I used to have massive binges and they are smaller in quantity now, but happen every day.

Every few months I'll try for a fresh start and try to cook a proper meal. But I can't keep up with it. I never get round to doing the washing up afterwards and end up throwing away pots and pans and cutlery.

To give you an example this is what i have eaten today:

breakfast - two packets of quavers

tea - a whole ginger cake, snickers bar, mars chocolate drink, pack of mini cheddars.

I was going to get a chinese takeaway but couldn't face walking into the shop.

I would have eaten a lot more but slept most of the day.

It's not an aversion to proper food. I love veg and have no problems eating a meal if I'm visiting my dads for example. I just seem incapable of doing it for myself at home. I'm so incredibly lazy.

[Pynn]

try to do it in small steps...

Try making yourself a proper breakfast first, then after 2 weeks or so, you try breakfast and lunch, then after a while when you feel up to it, you make proper breakfast, lunch and dinner!

Take steps to break through behavioral patterns.

I hope it helps!

[sundries]

Cereal is good to have in the morning and you can just chop up a banana to go on top of it as well. That at least sets you off well and gives you energy for the day. An egg in hte microwave and hten dumped on peice of bread is also a v.quick and healthy breakfast.

Fraid i am same with you for all other meals of the day. IN last couple of weeks have put back on all hte weight i lost in the previous month.

after 6 pm yesterday i had

- large tub of red pepper hummus (820kcal)

- 2 thai and cream sauce and vegetable noodle pots (295kcal each) (microwave from tescos they were reduced)

- stew and dumplings ready meal from tescos (750kcal)

- portion of sweetcorn (120kcal)

- tub of olives and feta cheese (200kcal)

- 3 actimel drinks (90kcal)

so, in the space of four hours that equals a grand total of .......2570kcal

[Fairy]

I would start really slowly, grilled chicked and baked beans, as an example. I find it easier to do the washing up as soon as I have finished eating. I tell myself I need to be active for a few minutes to help my food go down.

How about buying some fruit and chopping that up for a starting point? Healthy and also only a knife and chopping board to wash.

Fairy xxx

[Paris]

I just read this and thought wow i could have written this, i rarely cook, if i do anything its toast and heating up milk for porridge, to me is seems pointless cooking for one, i also randomly cook a meal and end up throwing most of it away and the plates and pans i cooked it with too!!

My suggestion that works for me is one of those grills thing- like the george foremean grills, you can do everything on there, even potatoes, and its healthy and does not involve a lot of washing up

also sometimes i get those frozen individual steam packets of veg taht go in microwave- they do rice and veg too, again less hassle and washing up but healthy food- also dont waste it as its ihn the individual portions.

i really do get it as i too can go shopping buy a load o junk and sit there and eat it all and feel pretty grotty after, its about changing those habits, now when i go shopping i make sure i have eaten first as then i dont tend to buy junk as i am full!!

Its not easy I know but good luck with trying to change the habits- says me who has eaten nearly half a choccy cake - i mean a huge one to herself since sat at 6pm

Paris

[sunshine_bear]

Hey

I used to be like this. The way I tackled it was I made something like a shepards pie like a really big one and ate a bit of it and then froze the rest therefore now i just go into the freezer and stick it in the mircrowave, you can do it with pretty much anything.

sunx

[missP]

Some ready meals can be quite healthy and team with with a big handful of salad (you could also just buy ready washed lettuce and a few cherry tomatos or microwave 'steamed' veg). That way you only have your plate and knife and fork to wash up and nothing really to cook apart from in the microwave. Also a yoghurt for breaky and a piece of fruit is a good option as you dont have any washing up and its healthy.

For Lunch some ideas would be a ready made sandwich or one that is made up in a deli, again no washing up.

It helps not to even keep the sweets and cakes in the house if thats possible. I try and keep healthy stuff to pick on in my fridge so when I comfort eat at least the actual food i eat is health...just maybe not the potion size (but I am working on that).

xx

[yorkiegal73]

thanks for all the responses. i'm currently sat waiting until 7am so i can get the first bus to asda. tried eating healthily yesterday and i have to binge. i just can't settle til i've done it. but i'm going to also buy lots of healthy food so that at least over the next few days i have other options in the fridge.

[sunshine_bear]

hey

I buy healthy foods then spend time cutting and pealing things and the just leave them in the fridge prepared so if i want a binge I can just pick them up. sunx

[laurajasmine]

hi yorkie dont worry i was the same untill i found mircrowave veg and mash and u can even get mircrove healthy meals from m.s i know its a bit more money but there mirowave stuff is great save,s spending hours cookin and even asda have sum good stuff , i live off it and it tastes great , its a start anyway , dont be hard on ya self hun ,hope this has helped a iccle bit xxx

[drew]

i just buy the pre made shit that u shove in the oven no time needed .

i think it is hard to get motivation to cook for one person

perhaps u could cook something and invite some one for tea

i also avoid buying to much junk food as i just eat it cause its there i dont buy multi packs nows as i was eatting 24 pks of crisp in a night

good luck

[fucktheworld]

I feel like yorkie I can't even deal with the ed issues, I've given up. I'd had it all my life, even remember back when I was 5 having a few things on my 'never eating again' list. I don't know if my ed is a paranoid/psychotic issue, ocd...or what.

I'm terrified of food, afraid everything is contaminated. Anything that has ever been recalled, or has to be cooked a certain length, or you have to watch for cross-contamination, or not covered, or lid popped, or can lost vacuum.... or or or or or..the list is endless.

Eating is just torture. Almost everything I eat, besides an ever shrinking safe list, I'm terrified for hours--watch everyone around me who has eaten it. Not even worth dealing with, nothing helps. I'm always hungry.

Anyone else have this? [stop laughing now] embarrassingly pathetic isn't it?

:ph34r:

[Fairy]

FTW, I so understand. I have gone through stages in my life when I would only eat shop sandwiches. I would stand for ages choosing, then choose something I didn't like very much, so no one would expect me to. This sounds crazy I know.

Also, if food isn't put in the fridge at home right, dairy top, cooked meat below, raw meat below, salad and veg in the trays, I can't eat it. It is a fricking nightmare. I really think it is over thinking, but you are not alone in this.

Fairy xxx

[yorkiegal73]

FTW it's not pathetic at all.

I don't have those problems as such but I am paranoid about sell by dates. I won't eat anything if it's past the date and I won't reheat food.

For a long time I couldn't eat anything prepared by other people because I couldn't guarantee their hygiene.

[fucktheworld]

Thanks Fairy and Yorkie. I think my ed is the hardest thing to work through. The other day I was at a friend's and they had a food combining chart. More stuff ... food in my stomach attacks other food. The freaking vegans again, lol.

Also, the worst things happen to me eating out, I swear I look around for cameras. I was getting coffee the other day and the kid shoved both his hands in side by side trash cans, and then popped up and said 'Can I help You?'.

It happens everywhere it is such a big deal. And friends and family mock me, like lick my rolls or cough. I always want to pick up a knife and slice my arm open in front of them. The sh is very close to the whole thing too. Like when that kid put his hands in the trash cans, I wanted to slice my arm in front of him.

[aussiebabe]

All i eat is crap, when i eat. Can't make myself eat a proper meal, haven't for over a year. I lost over 5 stone but have put on a stone the last couple of months which really annoys me.

I know i should eat sensibly but i really don't want to.

sharon

[yorkiegal73]

managed two days of eating healthily then just ate 6 walnut whips in one go. Bloody chocolate on sale next to the till always fucks up my shopping.

[kib0ne]

Two days is great!!! Don't worry about the Walnut Whips, I had 6 (see a theme here...) treaty things yesterday in one go as well, we just have to park it and keep going, we'll get there .