Did You Cook Before Atkins?

[changing]

So it's been a full year for me since changing my eating/exercise habits for the better, and I've been really reflecting on how it's all changed for me. One big thing I noticed (which is less obvious than some things that have happened for me) is that I cook now. All the time. I almost never go out to eat. If it were up to me completely, I would never go out to eat. They charge you too much, half the time they screw up your order, and you have a limited range of choices that are on their menu. When I cook at home, the sky's the limit. I can cook anything as long as the ingredients are available at my supermarket (or on the internet if I plan ahead) and as long as I have the appropriate cookware (though I've improvised when I don't, with pretty good results). When I do go out to eat, it's for the social aspect and the "out on the town" factor more than the food.

This is a complete 180 for me. There was a time not too long ago in my life that I was always thinking about the next time I would go out to eat, that massive amounts of food would rot in my fridge and takeout containers would spill out of my trashcan with a veangance. What happened to me? I had gotten fat on Hot Pockets, mac n cheese, and Doritos, hardly culinary wonders. I ate my food salty, prepackaged, and processed.

I started out reading these forums for ideas for how to mimick old easy comfort foods with the least cooking required. I was interested in the least effort, the most result. I cooked directly from recipes and felt lost without them. I grumbled about the more expensive ingredients and tried to get along without them (non-traditional student on a tight budget). And somewhere along the way, it happened. I fell in love with cooking. Before I knew it, I was spending long hours researching different preparations, different vegetables, world cuisines, anything as long as it was related to cooking. I made things low-carb when they weren't and saved 100s of recipes to my computer recipe folder, organizing them into dozens of subfolders -- a recipe box. Then one day, I stopped needing recipes. I could eyeball it. I baked a few cheesy casseroles with recipes and then discovered that I could "feel out" the porportions. Now I just throw them together in my oven. Same with soups. I can make a soup out of anything now as long as I have a pot, water (or broth), and something to put in it. And things actually come out tasting good.

That's my story. So I got to thinking that this must be fairly common. So are there any of you out there who went through something similar? Or am I just strange.

Well, I know I am strange, but you know what I mean...

[HeidiE]

Re: Did You Cook Before Atkins?

this is an awesome topic..I have always adored cooking and am a biitch to take out to eat because all I do is pick apart a meal...mostly not because I dont like it ..but because I want to figure it out...

I was blessed with the ability to taste almost any food and then be able to recreate it from memory of the flavors ..as long as the flavors are familiar ...I will pester a chef if I find something I dont recognize in a food ..until they cave and tell me what it is ...

I find that I eat very healthy if I go through the entire process of food ...thinking about a dish...searching for the ingrediants to make it ....and then preparing it ...
shopping for food for me is a several times a week process and I find it very enjoyable to shop and buy foods in local markets...could never go and shop for a month because I love fresh foods

in spite of being a fresh foods freak I have a very small food budget the amount of food is much less living low carb because the foods are more filling and keep me satiated for longer periods......I buy just what I need for a meal or two at a time and it turns out well money wise...

that is it ....not really profound but true

[carina]

Re: Did You Cook Before Atkins?

This subject is really my biggest dieting problem. Before I started Atkins I was the queen of takeout simply because I've never felt like cooking for one person was worth it. Or if I did cook, I would eat the whole thing, whatever it was, in a day.

But I'm trying and I WILL be successful.

[changing]

Re: Did You Cook Before Atkins?

This subject is really my biggest dieting problem. Before I started Atkins I was the queen of takeout simply because I've never felt like cooking for one person was worth it. Or if I did cook, I would eat the whole thing, whatever it was, in a day.

But I'm trying and I WILL be successful.

Wooooo! See, this is what I want to talk about!! It's a big change, but you can do it! I never thought I had it in me when I started!

I think half the reason that so many people in the Western World are fat these days is that they're reliant on companies to cook their food for them and so many crappy filler things get slipped in!

Learn as much as you can! Cooking is such a useful skill! And it will be fun one day, I promise!

[changing]

Re: Did You Cook Before Atkins?

this is an awesome topic..I have always adored cooking and am a biitch to take out to eat because all I do is pick apart a meal...mostly not because I dont like it ..but because I want to figure it out...

I was blessed with the ability to taste almost any food and then be able to recreate it from memory of the flavors ..as long as the flavors are familiar ...I will pester a chef if I find something I dont recognize in a food ..until they cave and tell me what it is ...

I love that you said this, Heidi!!

One thing I've found too by actually learning how to cook is that it has developed my sense of taste and my ability to figure out what is in my food, just like you can (well, I'm sure I am not as good at it, but I'm certainly better than I used to be). This is really useful because I can tell more-or-less what has been put into my food without having to ask anyone. And it even makes it easier to figure out what I'm being fed in situations where I haven't cooked the food, which helps me decide how much of it I want to eat or even if I want to eat the food at all.

I have to thank you a lot for you were one of the people who truly inspired me to take up cooking. Your enthusiasm is contagious.

[MaggieBE]

Re: Did You Cook Before Atkins?

When I first moved to Belgium I was a thin 19 year old who had a mother that make stuff like hamburger helper, kraft mac-n-cheese, etc. Frank insisted that he was a picky eater and only liked food his mom made. We ate there a lot and when I did cook at home I would do the sort of meal his mom made. His mom insists she makes "fresh" food. However her idea of fresh food is a piece of meat, boiled potatoes, canned veggies, and pudding from a box. Eventually I started to learn how to cook and now Frank adores my food. I gained a lot of weight after I learned how to cook because I am a good cook. However with Atkins I am having to learn a whole other style of cooking. I am slowing "falling in love" with low carb cooking.

Carina-I am the only person following Atkins in my family. I tend to make up big batches of things like quiche, fauxtatoes, etc and freeze them in small portions. I put labels on the items with the date. I think this is a good idea for a single person too(if you have the freezer space).

[LoveIsNoColor]

Re: Did You Cook Before Atkins?

This is a wonderful topic! I recent addressed this slightly in my journal. Previous to Atkins, I craved and enjoyed any and all... here comes the dreaded... FAST FOOD.
I ate 2 meals a day, sometimes one, and it was always fast food. If I kept any food at home at all, it was cans of ravioli, micowave meals, mac & Cheese... etc.
I can't believe how much I am enjoying fresh foods from the local market. I am in LOVE with sno peas, and now I crave them. In fact, I just had 2 bowls of cucumber and ranch dressing, and I loved it. I never would have considered a vegitable as a snack, I would have gone to the Taco Bell up the road that stays open until 5am, and gotten a combo, PLUS a buritto AND another nacho. I did this minimum 3 times a week.
I haven't craved fast food once.
I didn't cook, but now I'm enjoying putting my meals together and trying new things. Just discovered spaghetti squash, going to try an eggplant this week!
Who would have thought I'd find eggplant exciting, LOL!

[changing]

Re: Did You Cook Before Atkins?

Hahahaha!! Snow peas and eggplant!! Now I'm drooling...

A big thing with my husband is that now he is learning to eat and like vegetables for the first time -- he had been tortured with bland and boiled vegetable preparations as a child... but now I have him eating spinach and liking it!! (granted it's mixed with melted cheese in a chicken casserole, but he swore off spinach so I'm doing something right). He says now that he feels like "something is missing" if I don't have a hearty serving of vegetables mixed into dinner (usually happens only if we're out of groceries). I came home from work the other day, and he had fixed himself a cucumber/tomato salad with chicken to eat... sure beats the cheeseburger Hot Pockets that he was hooked on.

He was an even bigger processed food junkie than I was... we got a container of beef jerky strips for Christmas from one of my relatives, and we tried them. I thought they were too salty, and they reminded him of plastic. He didn't think they tasted "like real food." I never thought I'd hear HIM say that. We ended up giving them to his brother, who loved them. But boy, we are becoming real food snobs.

[MaggieBE]

Re: Did You Cook Before Atkins?

Changing-I think we must be married to the same man! My dh now eats things like spinach(in salad, not cooked), real garlic, and he must have some sort of salad with dinner! I think he would divorce me now if I tried to serve him canned veggies. *shudder* Well I guess I shouldn't shudder because I do use canned tomatoes when fresh tomatoes aren't at their best.

[HeidiE]

Re: Did You Cook Before Atkins?

I love that you said this, Heidi!!

One thing I've found too by actually learning how to cook is that it has developed my sense of taste and my ability to figure out what is in my food, just like you can (well, I'm sure I am not as good at it, but I'm certainly better than I used to be). This is really useful because I can tell more-or-less what has been put into my food without having to ask anyone. And it even makes it easier to figure out what I'm being fed in situations where I haven't cooked the food, which helps me decide how much of it I want to eat or even if I want to eat the food at all.

I have to thank you a lot for you were one of the people who truly inspired me to take up cooking. Your enthusiasm is contagious.

I am so excited you said that...not the part about me but that is so nice thank you... but the part about your discerning tastes!!!! good for you girl!!!!

[HeidiE]

Re: Did You Cook Before Atkins?

Everyone orders out at my work ..it is so rare that I have a desire to do it ..I order about 2 a year. from a Pho joint or Thai food place I like ...I love knowing that what I brought myself is going to be really good ..not a crapfood fix ...and will hold me for the rest of my shift!

think of the money you can save by cooking better foods than you can get out!!!