[Slightlydelusional]

Im sorry to say my depression has extended into its third month. Ive caught a lot of bad luck and been lazy as heck, but have made some positive gains in my main addiction.

My new addiction is crappy food and after doing the trifecta of Taco Bell, Burger King and Dominos yesterday Ive decided I need to make some massive changes. It should start with a trip to the store tomorrow and a plan for a much better diet.

Ive gained 25 pounds in the last two months from lack of exercise and the above diet (meds not a weight gain issue). Plus it costs so much more than when planning.

Im do depressed but going to store and dieting is soooo difficult, but I got no choice, so tomorrow I got to report back on this thread I went to store and have diet plan.

Any diet tips for single guy who can't cook that well, even when not depressed!

[Sunflower123]

Good luck and best wishes on your trip to the grocery store and on your resolve to eat better.

[Daonnachd]

Hey. Take a look at this list of recipes. I love them.
https://greatist.com/healthy-recipes

[Guiness187055]

Google is your friend when it comes to cooking. Tons of great recipes and even some you tube videos.

I'm lazy too, so I like to eat lazy but healthy foods. I'm also single, so I don't want to have to buy tons of random ingredients.

Instead of junk food, buy fruits and veggies. Fruits? Can eat instantly
(unless you're making a smoothie or salad.) Veggies? Sometimes takes like 30 seconds in the microwave, but not long

I also buy Barilla Protein PLUS pasta, which are noodles made of chickpeas. I can't taste the difference between regular pasta and chickpea pasta. So... what's the catch? There is none! Well, except the fact Barilla Protein PLUS costs about 50% more. But it's better than loading up on empty carbs imo.

There's also the tri color pasta. I'm not a huge fan of it flavor wise because I can taste the difference (unlike the chickpea one), but it's good for you anyway and I'll eat it.

But yeah, pasta... put on boil for like 10 mins and add red sauce. I actually loooove Arribiatta sauce. The spicy kick makes it great. Had some yesterday!

Also, I like to buy canned soups... the low sodium ones. (I hate tons of salt in general anyways, so it's a win-win for me.) Toooons of options there. Lots of cool, exotic flavors.

If you want a "treat" and you know you're not good at resisting sweets, try some gum.

Imo, recipes are nice, but i always give up and resort to quick eats. That's why I made those suggestions above (from a fellow lazy person )

[Slightlydelusional]

Originally Posted by vertigo

Hey. Take a look at this list of recipes. I love them.
https://greatist.com/healthy-recipes

Man those dishes look incredible, but I may need to start more elementary, cause I suck and hate cooking!

Originally Posted by bluebicycle

I'm lazy too, so I like to eat lazy but healthy foods. I'm also single, so I don't want to have to buy tons of random ingredients.

Instead of junk food, buy fruits and veggies. Fruits? Can eat instantly
(unless you're making a smoothie or salad.) Veggies? Sometimes takes like 30 seconds in the microwave, but not long

I also buy Barilla Protein PLUS pasta, which are noodles made of chickpeas. I can't taste the difference between regular pasta and chickpea pasta. So... what's the catch? There is none! Well, except the fact Barilla Protein PLUS costs about 50% more. But it's better than loading up on empty carbs imo.

There's also the tri color pasta. I'm not a huge fan of it flavor wise because I can taste the difference (unlike the chickpea one), but it's good for you anyway and I'll eat it.

But yeah, pasta... put on boil for like 10 mins and add red sauce. I actually loooove Arribiatta sauce. The spicy kick makes it great. Had some yesterday!

Also, I like to buy canned soups... the low sodium ones. (I hate tons of salt in general anyways, so it's a win-win for me.) Toooons of options there. Lots of cool, exotic flavors.

If you want a "treat" and you know you're not good at resisting sweets, try some gum.

Imo, recipes are nice, but i always give up and resort to quick eats. That's why I made those suggestions above (from a fellow lazy person )

I love fruit and when I get healthier I replace the sugar crap with them. I just need to get into the habit. I also love salads.

Im glad to see a fellow lazy person making it on the diet! I like soup too as so easy but when depressed they just sit there unless run of money n I go for the fast food. But will incorporate them once I get going .

I just started a new diet thread so maybe you could come join me over there? I'm not much of a cook either and i am currently boycotting anything that would create dishes to wash. Raw fruits and veggies are great options. I'm not into cooking with meat so i drink whey protein powder. It's 25g of protein for 110 calories -- you can't beat it! I like the Kaizen brand. I like this uber-good-quality bread made with chia and supergrains. I toast it and put peanut butter on it that is just pure crushed nuts i get at the health food store from this grinding machine that's like a little factory.

Lets support each other!

[BeyondtheRainbow]

Do you have a crockpot? If not it's a good thing to invest in. Even when I feel really lousy I can throw a few things in and press start. I like a lot of recipes from A Year of Slow Cooking but there are tons out there (many of which are easier than hers). You can even pre-prep and freeze some meals and then throw it in the pot when you want it. I've never tried this but made some of the meals for my sister when she had a baby. But somethings are as simple as throwing in a whole chicken, put half a lemon in the cavity and seasoning on top and maybe some broth or water (dont' remember but I assume so) and that's it and you'll have leftovers too.

[Slightlydelusional]

Originally Posted by apfei

I just started a new diet thread so maybe you could come join me over there? I'm not much of a cook either and i am currently boycotting anything that would create dishes to wash. Raw fruits and veggies are great options. I'm not into cooking with meat so i drink whey protein powder. It's 25g of protein for 110 calories -- you can't beat it! I like the Kaizen brand. I like this uber-good-quality bread made with chia and supergrains. I toast it and put peanut butter on it that is just pure crushed nuts i get at the health food store from this grinding machine that's like a little factory.

Lets support each other!

Im totally down with that! Im with u on the dishes too!!

I love your snack sounds great and I think I can do that (need a toaster though).

[Daonnachd]

Originally Posted by Slightlydelusional

Man those dishes look incredible, but I may need to start more elementary, cause I suck and hate cooking!

I thought about how beautifully they were photographed and that they might be intimidating because of the beauty, but I stand by my recommendation. The thing that I love about the Greatist collection is that there are a couple of groupings that totally fit the elementary cook. There's one that's all dishes with 5 ingredients or fewer. There's one that includes only recipes which use one single prep bowl. There are others like that which focus on ease of preparation.

Don't be intimidated by their professional chefs who could make anything look great, just look for categories which suit you. I promise you'll find something you can do.

[Standup2me]

I totally agree about the slow cooker.
Veggies soup, start with two cans of crush tomatoes and add whatever you have
Put it on low for 6 hours, and yum!
Spray your slow cooker with Pam, throw some whole mushrooms in, some baby spuds, and on top a whole chicken.
Add a little water, some spices
Put it on low for 6 hours, or high for 4, and you have chicken for dinner and lunch the next day

[Slightlydelusional]

Originally Posted by BeyondtheRainbow

Do you have a crockpot?

No, but everyone tells me the crockpot is the way to go. I dont even own silverware so that would be a big step up for me at this point.

Originally Posted by vertigo

Don't be intimidated by their professional chefs who could make anything look great, just look for categories which suit you. I promise you'll find something you can do.

Im so horrible at cooking and creating things doing one of these recipes would be a huge step with just trying. Once I stabilize off the junk food and get my base diet going and ready to expand Ill give one of the easiest ones a shot, give me 2 - 3 weeks .

[scatterbrained04]

From one lazy cooker to another, I will add that on occasion fast food is ok, you just have to change how you order. Some places have good salads and I like Taco Bell's power bowl. I usually read the nutrition info on their websites and figure out what I want before I go.

At home, I've been on a burrito kick. I'll put either black beans or chicken, then avocado, salsa, green peppers, onions, and a small amount of cheese. Roll it up and put in a skillet, brown it top and bottom. Or whatever in it I feel like. The above mentioned ingredients make it about 500 calories per burrito, so I only eat one.

[lilypup]

I am a slow cooker fan. Slow cookers are really cheap to buy.
I feel best in the mornings, so when I load the slow cooker, I know that no matter how bad things get we will have dinner. It really is a relief.

[Wild Coyote]

Slightly delusional,

Congratulations on your decision to take care of yourself!
It's the most critical step in starting a new lifestyle.


WC

[RainyDay107]

I sure do. Eat 1,200 to 1,400 daily. You can eat whatever you want. Just stay in that range. Exercise is good but optional.

It's less calories in than out. It's that simple. Perhaps run it by your doctor to see if it's ok for tou?

[RainyDay107]

Check out the MyFitnessPal app. It's free and helpful.

[Slightlydelusional]

Thanks for the suggestions will for sure look them over again when I get more strategies going.

I ended up eating really bad today as I had a horrible day, BUT I got to the store and was able to get two days supplies to get me going.

First step is breaking the fast food and soda binging and if I can get two days of cleansing, I can get back to the store and stock up more and plan.

Im focusing on salads, smoothies, soup, water, hand held fruit snacks to get through.

Ill check out that fitness app Glamslam, thanks!

Im gonna post over at the new new diet thread in a few days to update, good luck everyone!

[scatterbrained04]

I second the use of MyFitnessPal. I find it very helpful for staying within a particular calorie range and also for eating more balanced.