The El Cheapo Diet Plan
I’ve been trying to trim my budget and somehow have lost about five pounds at the same time. I’ve been trying to figure out how this has happened, why I can’t find pants that fit me properly, and why my budgeting posts seem to always be about food.
Moving on, however, I think my unexpected weight loss is the result of cutting fancy bread out of my diet. I’m one of those people who could eat meal after meal consisting solely of bread and cheese as long as both ingredients had the word ‘˜artisanal’ in front of them and cost more than a dollar per 100 grams. Rushed for time? ‘“ cheese on bread. Upset stomach? ‘“ cheese on bread. Breakfast, lunch or dinner? ‘“ cheese on bread.
Since the recent household cutbacks, I can only say that processed cheese slices are not the same, not even when extra nostalgia is added for the grilled cheese sandwich effect. Actual cheese currently residing in my fridge is of the ‘˜aged cheddar flavour’ variety and is strictly reserved for cooking into casseroles and enchiladas. These days, the closest I’m getting to seven year old cheddar is something we lost at the back of the fridge before the recent power outage.
It’s not like I’ve been starving myself, but I have accidentally trimmed a few pounds without any other effort. Actually, that’s not true. I have also tried to replace the cost of junk food with unshelled sunflower seeds.
Sunflower seeds are salty, which is good, because otherwise I wouldn’t bother eating them. But they are also cheap, and so they now make unkempt piles on my desk and bedside table instead of the usual litter of potato chip bags. The unexpected payoff of this switch has been that they take a long, long time to eat. This has probably also reduced my caloric intake. While I wouldn’t even notice reaching the end of a bag of chips until my hand slapped around the greasy bottom of an empty bag, I couldn’t possibly finish off a bag of sunflower seed without the tip of my tongue getting a blister on it. As it stands, I keep going until it gets a little numb and then call it a day.
Oddly enough, I don’t even mind these tiny restrictions. I took on the changes for the sake of budgeting but will stay for the weight loss.
Anyone else find that budgeting had unexpected caloric benefits?
It happened to me too! When I started getting very conscious about our food budget and successfully reduced it by nearly half, I lost weight. We are definitely eating healthier because making food from scratch (cheapest way) also has the benefit of being better for you. Now I’m trying to eat a bit more actually because I don’t want to have to buy smaller clothes. That would be ironic. BTW, I’d hold out for real cheese. Maybe there is a compromise between “artisinal” and “processed cheese product”.
Regan, I’m with Carol. You can always make your own “artisan” bread, but good cheese is hard to abandon. Imho, nothing beats a sharp Gruyere (the stinkier, the better) on a hearty, multi-grain bread. Add some fresh tomatoes to that and I’d say you have a solid meal.
I’m not a dieter myself, but it occurs to me that trying to save on gas by biking or walking instead of driving would have some health benefits, too.
From one who is forever trying to diet I can understand the bread routine….except I don’t want cheese give me either butter (real…not that fake sh*t) or Olive Oil with dipping spices added.
As for snacking I go for nuts (pistachios, pecans, walnuts, almonds) and try to limit myself to a 3/4 cup serving…finding a 3/4 cup bowl made it easier.
Really have a weakness for pistachios…they are not quite $16 for a 4 lb. bag at Sams. Though by the time you are done using both hands to peel them a 3/4 cup dish is just about right…your fingertips start to get a little sore.
Yes. When I’m broke, I drink less which means fewer calories and better sleep.
I take more walks with friends instead of shopping. That helps the body and the budget (and the spirit and mind). And when I want to save on gas I have to walk about 1/3 of a mile, most of it up a steep hill, to the bus stop. That helps, too.
I don’t mind buying new jeans if I’ve lost weight. Not one bit.