Lately I have been spending a lot of time thinking about cooking. If you are a regular reader, then you know that my husband does most of the cooking in our household. But the funny thing is I still consider myself a quasi-foodie even though I spend more of my time reheating leftovers or tearing open packaged veggies.
A closet cooking goddess
I spend more time collecting cookbooks and stocking our kitchen (who say we do not need another colander?) than my husband. I browse my cookbooks on a regular basis, drooling over the recipes. But I never quite manage to make that terrifying leap into chopping and sautéing in the kitchen.
I always thought it was my lack of kitchen space during our apartment living years that prevented me from transforming into a cooking goddess. When we brought a house, it was hideously stained grout on the counter tiles. By the end of May, when I have a completely remodeled kitchen, my husband will probably smack me with a frying pan if I have any complaints about cooking in the kitchen (and no, it will not be in an enjoyable kinky way).
Similarities between cooking and exercising for weight loss
I see a lot of similarities between my cooking reluctance and sedentary people exercising for the first time. Notice how I NEED to have all the proper kitchen equipment, just like some people NEED to have all the proper exercise equipment. Notice how I NEED to have a couple dozen of cook books, just like some people NEED to read a dozen diet books to find the right diet to start their weight loss. Whatever happened to just doing it?
The funny thing is I used to cook a lot as a teenager. Being the eldest, I spent far more time helping in the kitchen and preparing snacks for my younger sisters than any of my siblings. Just like some sedentary people used to spend more time moving as a child than they do now. It is strange, how we get lost in this Bermuda time warp where the things we used to like to do and is healthy for us, we no longer enjoy as adults.
Is it too late to change from microwave button pusher to su chief?
One thing that never ceases to surprise me is the human capacity to adapt to change. If it is important enough, then we can manage. Is cooking important enough to me? Is exercising for weight loss important enough for you?
Take all the time you need to research and accustom your mindset to the healthy change, but when it comes to execution, just dive in and do it. There is no perfect kitchen gadget or diet. Sometimes you just need to make that decision to start – whether it is cooking, exercising, or eating healthy. You just need to start.
So I am giving myself a deadline. By the time I get back from maternity leave, I want to be comfortable enough in the kitchen to be able to prepare 3-4 meals (this excludes spaghetti) with some semblance of proficiency. Since I am not pregnant yet, this gives me plenty of time to mull over my cookbooks to find the recipes I want to perfect. What about you – are you starting your healthy lifestyle transformation yet?
Until next time and thanks for stopping by Small Steps to Health.
Photo by: visualpanic.
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Loved your post! It’s been really helpful 
