Is cooking that hard?

I know there are days when we don't feel like cooking.  It happens to everyone.  Sometimes the best dinner can be a bowl of cereal, simply because it's there and it's easy.  But I am really amazed at the number of people that don't cook.

As I said in the last post, I can view other people's food journals on MyFitnessPal.  If someone makes a forum post asking for meal ideas, I go check out their diiary to see what they've been eating and I can see why they have problems.  Shakes or smoothies have big followings for breakfast or lunch.  Personally, a shake or smoothie doesn't stay with me as a meal.  I like a fruit smoothie as a treat, but not a meal.  Next are the microwave meals.  Again, I'll have one every once in a while, but really don't like them.  The ones I do like are the Swanson Hungryman meals and they typically have enough fat and sodium to last a week so I don't even buy them.   After that, most people are eating take-out in one form or another.  I believe, even if you are careful in your restaurant selections, you still have no idea how many calories you're eating.  Even with the nutritional information posted, a little extra oil, a little more butter, it all adds up.  If you aren't trying to lose weight, the extra calories shouldn't matter but for someone counting calories, it could make a huge difference.

The only way I am comfortable counting calories is to know exactly what I'm eating and the only way I can do that is if I or my wife prepare it.  For example, the cafeteria at work offers omelets.  They have eggs, egg whites, egg beaters, fresh veggies and several types of meat including turkey sausage.  The first thing the cook does when you order an omelet is to splash down a ladle of melted butter.  Then when he sautes the vegetables, he lays down a little more.  Suddenly a 100 calorie omelet is up to 300 calories because of the butter.

My advice, if you are trying to lose weight, start cooking for yourself.  It's cheaper and it's healthier.  It takes a little more effort, but that's just extra calories your burning!  Don't know how?  Ask someone to teach you!  Even when I was single and lived alone, I cooked for myself.  It doesn't have to be fancy or complex to taste good.  Toss a couple chicken breasts in a crockpot with a jar of salsa or season a pork chop with a little garlic powder and put it under the broiler.  Stop relying on other people to provide you with a basic need.  I promise you, if cooking were hard or complex, I wouldn't do it.

Aha!  Once a week, I'm going to pick out one of my meals and post the recipe here.  I'll include the time it took to prepare it and the nutrition info.  In honor of my pop-tart loving co-worker, the first recipe will be for the whole wheat pancakes!

I lost 1.2 pounds last week.

On January 2nd I weighed in at 370.6 pounds
On February 18th I weighed in at 355.6 pounds

15 lbs lost so far.