# I need healthy cooking tips!



## Pauline (Apr 10, 2011)

I could use a nutrition coach! I know i will still eat items that arent healthy for me or will add to my never-ending hips but i cant give everything up cold trukey! I am in California, does anyone have ideas or know of a good plan or has had personal experience that will be helpful to me? Thanks!

~Paulee :kiss2:




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## KHayes666 (Apr 15, 2011)

Why do you need one?


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## Buffetbelly (Apr 16, 2011)

I have a friend who married a chef. She was 150 pounds when they were marred, and 15 years later she is over 300. She denies being a feedee, but I'm pretty sure she is one.


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## Pauline (Apr 17, 2011)

I will never be skinny, but 300 will be skinny to me after being 700! My idea was just to have someone come a few times a week and help me cook, and teach me the right things to make...good fats/bad fats etc. Ive had a lifetime of wrong eating to i just need to re-learn stuff. I cant stand up long enough to cook a full meal and sometimes its even difficult to sit in front of the stove very long too. I really need someone to answer to about if ive done my excercising or drank my water for the day...that kind of thing. Reality is that #1 that folks are too busy with their own lives to come help me live mine and #2 i am a grown up so i need to take care of myself! Have to learn to tell myself "NO" more too. So...same ole thing with me...still just trying to get on a good plan  Why cant this be easier?!?

~Paulee :kiss2:


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## KHayes666 (Apr 17, 2011)

Pauline said:


> I will never be skinny, but 300 will be skinny to me after being 700! My idea was just to have someone come a few times a week and help me cook, and teach me the right things to make...good fats/bad fats etc. Ive had a lifetime of wrong eating to i just need to re-learn stuff. I cant stand up long enough to cook a full meal and sometimes its even difficult to sit in front of the stove very long too. I really need someone to answer to about if ive done my excercising or drank my water for the day...that kind of thing. Reality is that #1 that folks are too busy with their own lives to come help me live mine and #2 i am a grown up so i need to take care of myself! Have to learn to tell myself "NO" more too. So...same ole thing with me...still just trying to get on a good plan  Why cant this be easier?!?
> 
> ~Paulee :kiss2:



A personal trainer would be more suitable. I'm sure they can give you diet tips as well as get you started on proper exercise


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## EMH1701 (Apr 17, 2011)

IMO start a diary. There are numerous ones online or you can just use Word or Excel. Record whether you exercised, drank water, whatever you want to keep track of. Don't pay for a tracker. There are many web sites online with trackers, but they just want to feed on people's money on a monthly basis. Use a free one or software you already have. Or just get a plain old notebook from the store.

If you can't cook on the stove, can you microwave? I wouldn't heat meat in it from scratch, but surely you could make vegetable soups and things like that in it. Also what about raw vegetables and such? No need to cook if something's edible raw. I wonder if a nutritionist could help you out?


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## mossystate (Apr 17, 2011)

Buffetbelly said:


> I have a friend who married a chef. She was 150 pounds when they were marred, and 15 years later she is over 300. She denies being a feedee, but I'm pretty sure she is one.


Not really appropriate for the health forum.



Pauline said:


> I will never be skinny, but 300 will be skinny to me after being 700! My idea was just to have someone come a few times a week and help me cook, and teach me the right things to make...good fats/bad fats etc. Ive had a lifetime of wrong eating to i just need to re-learn stuff. I cant stand up long enough to cook a full meal and sometimes its even difficult to sit in front of the stove very long too. I really need someone to answer to about if ive done my excercising or drank my water for the day...that kind of thing. Reality is that #1 that folks are too busy with their own lives to come help me live mine and #2 i am a grown up so i need to take care of myself! Have to learn to tell myself "NO" more too. So...same ole thing with me...still just trying to get on a good plan  Why cant this be easier?!?
> 
> ~Paulee :kiss2:



Pauline, have you contacted anybody from where you get your healthcare? I know that the clinic I go to has a nutritionist ( which I am supposed to be visiting, but am putting it off...eeeee ) and also will refer for therapists. I would get in touch with them and tell them exactly what you are looking for. So much of this is all connected...mind and body...that you might want to begin with having mental support in place.
While you are looking into options, you can make some adjustments on your own. Start with what might seem to some as small steps. It's not even so much what the steps are, as long as you are doing them. Drink an extra glass of water...move a tiny bit more ( whatever you are able )...organizing a junk drawer. That last one might seem weird, but we tend to shove so much aside that focusing on any forward move is a great thing. One move can lead to another. That's how habits are changed. I am trying some of my own right now and it isn't easy, and I falter and try again. 

You don't really need a new " plan ". You probably already know many things you can do, including knowing that something fried is not as beneficial as something baked...that sort of thing. I wouldn't overwhelm yourself with huge expectations because that never works. As for some nuts and bolts ideas around eating - think about how much you eat from boxes and cans ( if you do ) and opt for less. A nutritionist would be a goldmine of information for you. And you could say right up front that at this moment you are not looking for reducing diets...that you need to know some basics, and that anything else can come at a later time, if that is what you decide. I suspect you have a lot on your plate right now in terms of your life, so while it is great that you have a desire for change , please let the proper people nurture that along with you and help you not burn out. Good luck, Pauline.


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## EMH1701 (Apr 17, 2011)

I had another idea, what about a crock pot? You can make all kinds of stews/soups in it, and not have to stand and watch it. Just sit and cut up the food at your table, put it in along with some water and spices (thought not too much salt, I use spicier spices rather than using more salt), let your food cook all day, and freeze the rest. You can check on the food occasionally without having to hover over it constantly. 

I do this in the winter a lot of the time; it's cheaper and healthier than the cafeteria food at work. When I want variety, I change up the spices and protein source.


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## Dolce (Apr 17, 2011)

Mossy, that is some great advice!

Miss Pauline, 

Number one, eat more fruits and vegetables! If I were you I would just focus on finding healthy unprocessed foods that you enjoy and substituting those for what's in your typical diet. In time you will find that you need less to fill you up. If it is the choice between eating 10 servings of junk food or 10 servings of something made by Mother Earth I would choose the latter.

Some things you might enjoy are bananas with almond butter, walnuts mixed with raisins, a big Cobb salad with turkey, bacon, egg, tomato, avocado, and blue cheese just to name a few. I like to keep big bags of carrots in my fridge to crunch on any old time for those moments when you just NEED to eat something. I know it can be so hard to cut back on how much food you eat so just try to choose whole foods as much as you can. You will find that you feel better and that alone may motivate you to continue to make better choices. 

So before you dive head first into your comfort foods try to fill up on apples, pineapple, watermelon, bananas, grapes, pears, cantaloupe... etc. Even steamed broccoli with grilled chicken and brown rice and salsa is super tasty! I have said it before and I will say it again... It is better to "binge" on healthy foods and be satisfied than to "binge" on cakes, cookies, and fast foods and never really get full (or get the nutrients your body needs). Trust me when I say that your body will get used to eating healthy foods within a few weeks if you give it a chance. These are the foods our bodies are made to consume.

If you want to get more exercise just move your arms more. I know it can be hard to walk around and we wouldn't want your cute feet to get hurt so just turn on some of your favorite tunes and shake those arms to the beat. Make sure to put your feet up when you can and drink plenty of water. 

I know you can do it! Eat more fruit, eat more veggies, fill up on protein and enjoy your life! Every day is a new day and God has brought you this far! Let us know how it goes


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## Dolce (Apr 17, 2011)

EMH1701 said:


> I had another idea, what about a crock pot? You can make all kinds of stews/soups in it, and not have to stand and watch it. Just sit and cut up the food at your table, put it in along with some water and spices (thought not too much salt, I use spicier spices rather than using more salt), let your food cook all day, and freeze the rest. You can check on the food occasionally without having to hover over it constantly.
> 
> I do this in the winter a lot of the time; it's cheaper and healthier than the cafeteria food at work. When I want variety, I change up the spices and protein source.



Crock pots are awesome! They use very little energy and all you have to do is throw some meat, veggies, and spices in the pot in the AM and by suppertime you have a delicious meal... good thinking!


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## Pauline (Apr 17, 2011)

Hi...that is a good idea! Then i will be more in touch with exactly what i eat! I will also be reminded at the end of each what mistakes i made & not to do them again the next day! Thanks...i will try that!


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## Pauline (Apr 17, 2011)

Hi...you are so right! All of these things sound doable...as i was reading the tips in this thread i realized that there ARE so many things i can do that will help & work for me. Its gonna take more effort i think than i have given in the past and more getting out of my comfort zone. I actually have gone to an appt for a nutritionist....once i got there in my powerchair, both entries were too narrow for my chair to fit through. There were only 6 people in the meeting and i asked if they could move to a nearby room with a wider door and she refused. I told this to my family doctor & he was furious! They are in the process of fixing that & then i will go back. Great tps, thanks!


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## CastingPearls (Apr 17, 2011)

Pauline said:


> Hi...you are so right! All of these things sound doable...as i was reading the tips in this thread i realized that there ARE so many things i can do that will help & work for me. Its gonna take more effort i think than i have given in the past and more getting out of my comfort zone. I actually have gone to an appt for a nutritionist....once i got there in my powerchair, both entries were too narrow for my chair to fit through. There were only 6 people in the meeting and i asked if they could move to a nearby room with a wider door and she refused. I told this to my family doctor & he was furious! They are in the process of fixing that & then i will go back. Great tps, thanks!


A nutritionist can be your best friend. They WANT you to succeed and are like your own health cheerleader but also an important part of your 'team' with you as the VIP. She/he will give you lots of invaluable tips so best of luck to you--it won't necessarily be easy but healthy eating is definitely a win/win!


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## Pauline (Apr 17, 2011)

I actually own a large crockpot! I love them and have owned one since i was 19 and on my own. I do make all types of beans, stews, cornbeef & cabbage....so many things! I cant imagine NOT owning one! Anyway...it is another great idea and is a good way to eat healthy and i can sit to chop the veggies etc...so thanks!


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## Pauline (Apr 17, 2011)

Hi...i LOVE fruits & veggies and do eat them all of the time! I have a few teeth in the back that are questionable at my "old" age and it is getting harder to eat some of the harder raw stuff like carrots or cauliflour & broccoli but i steam them a little and they are softer so that works. I go to the pool several times a week and i pack a healthy lunch and a few frut or veggie snacks along with water or sugar free kool aid & that works great for me all day. I stay in there and walk, swim, chat & eat....then i go home and cancel it all out by eating wrong things. I am so MAD at myself everytime i do it. But do i learn? No... i do it again & again. So...thats my struggle and i WLL fix this! Thanks for your advice. I am going to put all of these ideas together and get on the right track!


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## Pauline (Apr 17, 2011)

Hi...thanks....yes it is going to be hard. I have started this a hundred times and then messed up. I have to do it long enough to make it a habit. I can do it....i just will keep starting it until i get it right! I am going back to the nutritionist soon...thanks


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## Surlysomething (Apr 17, 2011)

Portion control is your friend.

Good luck on your road to better health.


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## mossystate (Apr 17, 2011)

Pauline said:


> I stay in there and walk, swim, chat & eat....then i go home and cancel it all out by eating wrong things. I am so MAD at myself everytime i do it. But do i learn? No... i do it again & again. So...thats my struggle and i WLL fix this!



Next time you " cancel it all out "...and you will...try not to get mad at yourself. You are not _actually _cancelling out everything that happened before the ' slip '. 
I sometimes think we get all dramatic about such things because it is comforting on some level and allows us to not really take any ownership of what we do. I know that the times I am able to not tear myself a new one when I have disappointed myself and instead I say, " ok...what part of this did I do ' right ' ", I have a better chance to build on that and do the right thing more often. It's scary doing things differently. If you get lost in the mad and the " I will do better...I WILL!!! "...it's going to be harder than you have ever known. 
Write down, for tomorrow, two things you will do different. No matter what those things are. No more than two, and it could be one. Cross it off when you have done it...tell yourself ' good job! '...and then decide if you are comfortable not reaching for a bad habit. 
Oh, and try to not have so much stuff around as temptation...whatever that is...and not just talking food.


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## Pauline (Apr 17, 2011)

Surlysomething said:


> Portion control is your friend.
> 
> Good luck on your road to better health.


Thanks! All of this advice and tips really feel good...somehow it helps to feel like i have someone rooting me on!


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## nityaarora12 (May 20, 2011)

Eating healthy food doesnt mean giving up your favourite foods and switching only to salads. Healthy cooking is easy. In many cases, your favourite recipes can be modified so they offer a healthier alternative. Non-stick cookware can be used to reduce the need for cooking oil. To keep valuable nutrients, microwave or steam your vegetables instead of boiling them.

Keep fats to a minimum
Its a good idea to minimise hidden fats by choosing lean meats and reduced fat dairy products. Processed foods can also have lots of hidden fats. Dietary fats are best when they come from the unrefined natural fats found in nuts, seeds, fish, soy, olives and avocado. Fat from these foods includes the essential long-chain fatty acids and this fat is accompanied by other good nutrients. 

If you add fats when cooking, keep them to a minimum and use monounsaturated oils such as olive and canola oil. A little added oil can be a good thing.


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