What is Stopping you? "Eat In" part...?

My opinions in these past blog posts about how strongly I feel the importance of eating foods and meals made at home to help one lose weight are in no way meant to come across as the only way.  Eating in was important to me, and as it happened, I believe, I'm convinced, turned out to be one of the key changes I made to a lasting and, now I know, permanent, weightloss.  If part of how you found yourself overweight is through eating out regularly then I simply ask you to take into consideration the benefits this kind of change could make in your life.

One might think that the only obvious benefit to making meals and foods from scratch, with "real" ingredients, is that you aren't consuming "fake" foods, preservatives you don't need, chemicals used to extend shelf life (not your life!), food coloring, etc.  And yes, those certainly are some of the health benefits, and part of good health is being a "healthy body weight".  Some other reasons are that when we "eat out", we tend to eat more because we are served bigger portions.  Many times we wait too long to figure out what we are going to buy for lunch that we try and stave off hunger with sweets....and then we order too much food because we're "starved"!  We eat foods we wouldn't normally eat just because it's offered...how many times have you ordered a dessert, even when you weren't hungry for it just because "oh, I love lemon meringue pie...look, it's on the menu!  Or you are with a friend who isn't concerned about their own health encouraging you to order an appetizer or dessert, or at least share one, or two, with them.

Of course you can still find yourself overweight if the foods you are "eating in" are fast, convenient foods.  You don't have to "go out" for a bag of cookies, a box of cereal, a loaf of french bread, cheese puffs or a quart of ice cream.  Those things you can find in your own kitchen and pantry.  A combination of the kinds of foods you are eating, and your eating habits determine what is making and/or keeping you fat, or fatter than you say you want to be.

Now we can pretty much agree that making your own meals from scratch at home has many positive benefits, and in the past few blog posts I've given you more reasons. I've given you some ideas of how and where to start based on my own experience as a non-cook for most of my adult life (my fat adult life), what's holding you back?  Reason and knowledge have been addressed. What's stopping you from moving in this direction?

Time?  Energy? Willingness/motivation?  I will get to these next....maybe I'll write about the willingness and motivation first.  At this point if you still are questioning whether or not it's worth the time and energy I'll assume you need a little more motivation than what I've provided so far......