Re: need to start eating real food again

[Guest guest]

,

The best method that I've come up with for helping myself figure out

what I want was to create a list of all of the foods/meals I

love/like for breakfast, lunch, and dinner...with ingredient lists

for some of the meals. I use this list and knowing what's not in my

cupboards to create my grocery list, so that I have foods that I

like in the house. I look at the list and get a sense of what foods

are appealing to me the most that week and buy those. I've added to

this list as time has passed when I remember additional foods or

discover new foods. My food tastes are relatively consistent...so as

long as I buy foods that I like/love regularly...I usually want to

eat them that week.

For cooking, I've tried to make daily meals as simple and quick as

possible most days (unless I plan ahead) and make multiple portions

when I cook. I've had to give cooking a certain priority in my

life...because I typically feel better when I eat something I've

cooked and I don't eat as much either. Figure out which methods work

best for you. For example, I buy chicken breasts, grill them or

sautee them early, cut them up and freeze them (or buy already

frozen chicken strips). I can make a quick stir fry with chicken,

rice, and fresh vegetables and a sauce in 10 minutes. There's quick

rice and 40 minute rice. I have both in my cupboards to use

depending on what type of time I have. I have cereals that I love

and fresh fruit, cheese, and nuts...so when I don't feel like

cooking an entire meal...I eat that and get satisfied. I have cut

turkey breasts, a generic stove top stuffing that's great, and

canned yams (with a little sugar) makes a great satisfying meal in

10 minutes. I've had to experiement to figure out what makes sense

for my life...it's been alot of fun and made my life alot easier and

less stressful around eating.

L.

Practicing IE since Jan '08.

> How do you all handle cooking? How do you buy food for the week

> without knowing what you will be hungry for?

>

>

> IE since 9.12.08

>

[Guest guest]

Your suggestion about making lists of what you like to eat at

different meals, etc, is very helpful to me. I even liked a lot of

the things you said you keep around....I don't eat meat of fowl, but

the idea is soooo helpful and the whole process feels nurturing, just

reading and thinking about it felt nurturing.

You have great messages in this support group...I keep thinking that

you are a writer/author....if not, you might want to think about it.

> > How do you all handle cooking? How do you buy food for the week

> > without knowing what you will be hungry for?

> >

> >

> > IE since 9.12.08

> >

>

[Guest guest]

At first I thought I needed to know EXACTLY what I was hungry for, but

as time went on, and I practiced other areas of IE, I began to

understand that 'knowing what you want' is not an exact thing. It

seems to me that besides figuring out - hmmm, am I seeking something

filling (protein, fats) or a quick bit of energy (sweets), or am I

wanting to 'crunch' on something (emotions) etc. With that in mind, I

didn't sweat making a dinner for the 'thing' of that moment. Rather, I

do try to cook a variety of menus of things both hubby and I generally

like to eat. This seems to work well and while some dinners are more

'delicious' to us, mainly because we are hungrier those times, we

seldom leave the table totally unsatisfied.

And because we only go to town and shop about once a week (live

'out'), most of the meats I prepared are frozen so need defrosting the

day before. This requires that I think ahead about that I want to make

from it, although I have been known to change my entree type at the

last moment too.

All in all, its not as big a deal now as I made it into when I started

IE. Play with what works for you, and let us know too so others can

learn from your experiences as well.

Best to you - Katcha

IEing since March 2007

>

> For the past week (my first week in IE), I have been eating mainly

> junk food. Why? Well, cooking meals would require me to know what I am

> hungry for in advance, so that I can go shopping, and I haven't been

> doing that.

>

> So I took a lot at one of Ray's cookbooks in the bookstore and

> jotted down a couple of recipes that I can try. I realized that I was

> coming home in the evening and eating a box of cookies and chips just

> because they were the only things available.

>

> How do you all handle cooking? How do you buy food for the week

> without knowing what you will be hungry for?

>

>

> IE since 9.12.08

>

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

I try to have a variety of food in my fridge and pantry, fruits, meat, fish, whole grains and cereals, but also, my favorite once forbidden food: chips, cooking, fettucine alfredo, white rice, bagels, full fat cheese. I sometime cook a meal for my family and eat something else, if I don`t feel like it anymore. For me, this is the key to really eat what I want, and sometimes, it is healthy food...sometimes not. But if I don`t have it in my fridge, it is really hard since they don`t carry healthy stuff at the corner store.

Hope this help,

Nat

need to start eating real food again

For the past week (my first week in IE), I have been eating mainlyjunk food. Why? Well, cooking meals would require me to know what I amhungry for in advance, so that I can go shopping, and I haven't beendoing that.So I took a lot at one of Ray's cookbooks in the bookstore andjotted down a couple of recipes that I can try. I realized that I wascoming home in the evening and eating a box of cookies and chips justbecause they were the only things available. How do you all handle cooking? How do you buy food for the weekwithout knowing what you will be hungry for?IE since 9.12.08

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[Guest guest]

You're so right...the process of identifying foods I love/like feels

very nurturing to me too. I'm taking better care of myself than I ever

have in my entire adult life and I feel the difference.

No...not a writer by trade...I just love language, connecting with

others, and sharing my experiences. I've thought about writing

articles...a book feels to much like a talking head to me and I love

writing in response/in relationship with other people.

Latoya:)

> the idea is soooo helpful and the whole process feels nurturing,

just reading and thinking about it felt nurturing.

>

You have great messages in this support group...I keep thinking that

you are a writer/author....if not, you might want to think about it.