Tuesday, February 23, 2010

The down Side of Cooking

Growing up and the first little bit of marriage I didn't eat much. It was not because I didn't like food, it was because I didn't realize the deliciousness of food. My family was a busy one and we had a lot of box dinner. These consisted of TV dinner, hamburger helper, or simply a hot dog. My mother could cook and when we went camping or she had a break she would, but it wasn't often. Then I left for college and i carried on the tradition of not really cooking. My mother in law is a great cook and I would stuff myself when we visited. oh wait I still do that! then after my wonderful husband made a comment about not liking hamburger helper I started experimenting. I bought a cook book and started to try things. Oh my what a fabulous discovery. I liked cooking! I couldn't and still can't make it look as pretty as the pictures, but it usually tastes good. The result? Darn it, I gained weight. I gained a lot of weight because food is so delicious. Had I stayed in my ignorance of food, I think i still might weigh less. Now that I try to eat healthily it is really hard because I try to have a protein and veggie dinner. This leaves out carbs and complex meals. Well, I can't make pasta with bread sticks for lunch because I am the only one that will eat it. Some times I make those yummy meals on the weekend and then put them in single serving dishes to have for lunch, but nothing taste as good as a meal freshly prepared. Same with desserts. Why couldn't I be one of those people who can eat whatever they want? Oh yea, its from not eating as a child and being 4 10. My body really doesn't need that many calories to function. Sigh. Therefore I need to have people over so that i can make these wonderful dinners and not eat it all myself and not have leftovers for 2 weeks. I am discovering some healthy cooking options, but really that is no fun. It just taste better with all of the fat and salt in it. i don't know why. I guess I could indulge myself ans then spend every spare minute exercising, but I'm not that disciplined. Anyone else have this internal battle with food or is it just me?

4 comments:

Tina said...

Hallelujah!!! I think gaining weight just comes with getting older. Well.... of course our eating habits contribute plenty. I am watching my waist expand and trying to eat healthier but after 29 years of gorging myself on whatever I want, change is hard.

Amy said...

I love to cook too! We have a hard time going out because staying in is not only cheaper, but I can usually make the same thing and have it taste better! My kids' friends try to wrangle dinner invites because their moms don't cook. And yes, I have gained weight from eating too much good food. you are not alone! Have you seen the movie Julie and Julia? It's all about cooking. I think you'd like it!

Morgan said...

I HATE cooking!! So much easier to go out to eat, everyone gets what they want, I don't destroy the kitchen and I don't throw out tons of uneaten leftovers. My dad is so disappointed in me, he's pretty much Chez Ron and loves to cook. The trade off is yeah, when you go out to eat and buy pre-packaged food you end up getting way more calories than you need. And I'm not disciplined enough to exercise all of the time either.

Eric and Tracey said...

I like cooking things that are simple and yummy. I have a lot of easy recipes - mostly involving chicken... Let me know if you want some.