Hate to cook. Need fast-loss but healthy easy meals

Hi, I am new. I hate to cook: Don't most guys? I'm looking for easy recipes for quick wait loss. Then my plan is to switch expand to a less agressive diet for maintenance. I am not morbidly obese. I need to lose the weight because I was told being overweight speeds up my arthritis. I am a person who finds it easier to fast than to diet, but have found out that the muscle of my spine was the first to go, so don't do that any more. I am 5 foot 7 inches and 235 now (gaining 25 lbs after a neck injury).

I have two plobems: I have ruptured disk in my neck and back which does preclude all execise but limits the type and amount I can do. The other problem is I am naturally muscle bound and my body seems to want to be 205, regardless of whether I eat small or large partions. My metabolism seems to slow down any time I diet and it doesn't seem to work. The only ways I have lost weight in the last 15 years was fasting and ultra low carb diets. I know I am about 165 of lean mass. I have seen some great looking recipes already on this forum and have bookmarked them, but they look to good to be diet food, plus I have tried similar recipes and I don't seem to lose weight. I plan to try lots of them for maintenance if I can lose the initial weight. Thanks all.

hi Ken, as im sure you know from your previous diet experiences, fasts do not work, in fact fasting will slow your metabolism to the point where when you start eating "normally" again your body will hold on to whatever you put in it and keep it there. and personally i dont believe in "diets" i believe that food is a necesity and some of us love everything having to do with food and some dont really care either way. but the style in which you are eating should be a life style, not a short diet to lose weight quickly. there is no right diet out there for everyone, and i suggest you seek advice from a nutritionist to help you plan a meal plan thats right for your body.
as far as dropping weight, there are some things you can do, have you thought of a full body cleanse? that will rid your body of all toxins and waste, many people drop weight when doing this, its normally water weight and its not permanent but i look at it as a fresh start, its good for the system and gives you a chance to start eating on a "clean plate" persay

you can also look into modifying your food choices, eating very little very infrequently is going to have the opposite effect, instead try eating more frequently but smaller meals. remember protein first, carbs last. but carbs are still important just in smaller amounts than most people are used to. get the refined sugar out of your diet, stop eating "white carbs" pasta, white rice, white bread... etc.

if you feel a more restrictive "diet" works better for you, instead of fasting how about trying protein shakes for a few days, have one or two healthy meals and add in a few protein shakes a day to supplement what you're not consuming in solids.

as far as food choices that dont require a lot of cooking you can open up a can of tuna and flake it over a salad, grill up a piece of chicken, etc... i am a busy mom working 2 jobs and going to school, my husband also works and goes to school, so while both of us love to cook sometimes its much easier to throw a pizza in the oven. but we are living a healthier life style now so we have found ways around that. perpackaged single serving chicken or fish, make your own pizza of a wheat flat break, some low sodium no sugar added tomato sauce and any topping you want. you dont have to be a chef to eat healthy

good luck and hope you find a plan that works for you