What happens when you don’t want to cook?

food
#1

Hi everyone! I am currently 6 weeks into my keto life and feel that I have been doing great so far. However, I am beginning to get sick of cooking ALL the time! One reason I had a raging former carb addiction is due to not having to cook all the time. I loved the ease of grabbing some quick fix from the freezer or feast on bananas & granola bars.
I do not enjoy cooking at all, it is in the same category as chores in my book. Not only that, I work full time and raise 4 kids. I have done really well cooking fresh keto meals for myself up until now. I find that a I am in a food rut and just don’t want to cook anything. I have gotten some use out of my slow cooker, but I’m feeling uninspired now. I have made many recipes from Pinterest. I’m just burnt out of cooking!
Tonight, I thought my lack of appetite and energy boost was the sensation of finally being fat adapted! I thought perhaps I just wouldn’t eat dinner and begin my first fast. Well I quickly learned that I was feeling lightheaded and actually needed food. I grabbed a quest bar and ate that for dinner. I am still hungry…

What does everyone do when they don’t feel like cooking? This is the first time I haven’t enjoyed this diet… I think I miss carbs for the first time… maybe not the carbs itself- just the convenience.

Also, how long does it take to finally become fat adapted and not feel faint when hungry? Is fasting a practical thing to do for a full time working busy mom?

#2

I cook a big batch of meat in the Crock-Pot and then I have leftovers for days. Or you could hard boil eggs, eat canned tuna, sardines or salmon. I had a chunk of liverwurst and pork rinds for dinner last night.

(Cancer Fighting Ketovore :)) #3

I totally second using a crock-pot!
Right now I’ve got chicken thighs cooking with some spices and 1 stick of butter, and some heavy cream (not sure how much, as I dumped it on the pot.)

#4

I do hard boil my eggs to bring to work. I don’t like pork rinds or avocado (I know). I’ve done the crockpot meat thing already, you still have to prepare that which is what I don’t like. Okay, I just realized I just need a personal chef for every meal and I’m just lazy :joy: I would love to have a Rosie from the Jetsons

(Katie the Quiche Scoffing Stick Ninja ) #5

Haven’t cooked a meal for myself in 6 months.
I am a full time working mum, and yes, fasting suits my lifestyle perfectly!
I still cook for my family, but that’s easy.

#6

Okay that’s good to know! I guess I’m just not adapted yet because I felt as if fasting would be a struggle

(Cancer Fighting Ketovore :)) #7

I stay at home with 3 of my 4 kids (one goes to school), and I’m usually eating just at supper. Very doable!

(Cancer Fighting Ketovore :)) #8

You can always try to see if it works. If you have to stop and eat that’s ok. :slightly_smiling_face:

(Katie the Quiche Scoffing Stick Ninja ) #9

Stick at it, you’ll get there :slight_smile: It’s very liberating never feeling hungry!

(Bunny) #10

I eat meat when I feel like that (I want to spike the glucagon not the insulin), meat is good if your feeling a little hypoglycemic, I avoid carbs when ever possible (it make me want to eat more carbs when I eat carbs)! Just grab anything meat?

#11

Thanks! How long does it take to become adapted to where you’re not hungry anymore? I understand it is different for everyone, but ballpark?

(Katie the Quiche Scoffing Stick Ninja ) #12

Mine was exactly 5 weeks.
I think I did my first ‘24 hour’ fast at 6 weeks
Then my first 48 at 7 weeks, I eased into it.

(Door Girl) #13

I keep a couple proteins in the fridge that enjoy a quick heat up in the pan before eating. I’ve been grabbing a handful or two of 50/50 salad mix (baby greens and baby spinach) and tossing with dressing before adding in the pan cooked meat. Or eating the meat on the side if that feels better that day. For you at work, just put baggies with dressing and meat inside a larger baggie with the salad and combine it for lunch. Or find something else that works as a meal for you.

I’m also keeping the sides in the fridge so that I can just make some combination of parts from the fridge to make a meal.

I’m intermittent fasting as well, because cooking 3 meals a day bugs me. And I have always had to force myself to eat breakfast before 10:30 to noon anyway.

(The amazing autoimmune 🦄) #14

On Sundays I bake up about 3-4 pounds of bone in skin on chicken thighs and when I don’t feel like cooking have a couple, some spinach with dressing and some cheese. They also make a great lunch.

My go to super easy meal is fried eggs with cheese melted on top and if I have some cooked bacon I’ll add that.

(Cindy) #15

I don’t particularly like to cook either. I try to keep some type of protein that’s quick and easy. Applegate hotdogs, pre-cooked bacon, summer sausage…then if I’m hungry, I grab some salami and cheese, maybe thrown in a pickle with it. Just things that are protein/fat that are easy “finger” foods.

I’ll also fry up some ground beef with some type of seasoning (and I vary it…once a taco flavor, another time soy sauce, then maybe just garlic) with whatever veg sounds good (cabbage, onion, mushroom most commonly). That goes in the fridge to be used in a salad, as “lettuce tacos”, warmed with cheese and sour cream, etc.

#16

I throw [insert whatever protein and/or veggie] into my air fryer and top with blue cheese. often I put it on top of a pre washed store bought lettuce with avo.

ready in under 10

(Lazy, Dirty Keto 😝) #17

All good suggestions above. I’ve also invested in a vacuum sealer and often make big batches of Keto friendly meals in the instant pot or crock pot, and vacuum seal smaller batches and freeze. So when I don’t feel like cooking all I have to do is reheat.

(Gabe “No Dogma, Only Science Please!” ) #18

So funny to see this right now, because I logged in to say “if you don’t eat home-cooked food, you’re gonna be eating some inadvertent carbs.” Here’s what happened: after IFing all day, I ordered the most keto thing ever at an Italian restaurant — veal scallopine, with sautéed greens on the side, in a lemon butter sauce. I asked specifically if there was any flour, and they said no.

Once I got the food, I was sure they’d added flour or some starch to the sauce. And it wasn’t even more tasty, it was just… not merely lemon and butter sauce. They swore black and blue that there was nothing but lemon and butter in it, but sure enough, despite having a glass of dry red wine, my Abbott Freestyle Libre showed my blood sugar rising 20 or 30 points. And it’s still rising.

The moral of the story is that even when you’re super careful when ordering, you just can’t be sure what you’re eating. When I’m at home, it’s all grass fed, pasture raised, and carbless.

Caveat emptor!

(Kristen Ann) #19

I either skip eating or just eat a protein that’s easy to make. I try to meal prep some on Sundays too.

#20

I feel for you, I’ve had similar experiences. I now refrain from ordering in only 1x a month, and often Japanese (I’m a pain in the you-know-what, but they do my special orders sans rice and sauces for me).

for italian, you have to just go with the grilled options and salad…