MOUGHI's CalorieKing blog
Wednesday, Mar 11 2009 - keeping on budget
View MOUGHI's food & exercise for this day
It's hard to stay on a calorie budget and a money budget too but I am doing it. My hubby has given me so much money to feed ourselves every two weeks and that is it. No going over on this food budget. Now for a gourmet foodie, this has been a trial to learn to buy cheaper foods and make cheaper healthier food dishes that are still healthier and that will keep me with in my budget. It actually helps that we have cut down on our calorie. It also helps that my husband after years of buying his lunch now sees the light and will take left overs to work. This makes my task of staying on budget easier, yet more difficult in that I must make sure we do have left overs for his lunch the next day. Since there are just the two of us now at home that isn't that difficult though since most recipes make four servings. Keeping it simple is the challenge. The more complicated the recipe, the greater the cost of the recipe and usually the higher the calories count of the recipe I noticed too. So, for cost, caloric value, and time, I am trying to keep things more simple for the next few months. If a meal makes a whole lot of left overs I will make frozen dinners out of them for future dinners the next week so we won't get tired of eating the same thing day after day. These frozen dinners come in handy on days when I don't feel like cooking or don't have time to cook. It also assures me if I'm running out of food before payday that there will be a fall back reserve if needed. I think I am getting the hang of shopping under this new budget. For meat I go to one grocery store and produce I will hit the other. I look in the adds to see who has the best sales for the items I need that week. So far I haven't had to cut and healthy items that I eat or need to eat out. We already don't eat certain things in my household like chips and other junk food so there wasn't that to cut out. We both have cut way back on our soda intake. I know I should and possible will cut out drinking soda all together if need be. Many people think this is the best thing anyway. I got my diet Hansons caffeine free drinks down to 2 a day. These don't have any sodium in them or artificial ingredients so they aren't as bad as other diet sodas, but they are still carbonated.
I got out and walked the dog before the weather changed. We are suppose to have a cold front come in tonight. This is typical Texas weather late in winter. 70-80 degrees one week and 50 degrees the next. Anyway, I used to consider walking the dog good exercise. Now I think of it as a stroll and not a real exercise walk because I can now walk faster than dog and the dog needs to stop so much more. This used to be fine with me when I was starting out, but not now. I like to break a sweat now and keep moving. Now I take the dog for that 1.5 mile trek and consider it peanuts. I still have to consider the wear and tear of it on my joints though in the long haul, but it doesn't feel like exercise anymore. Funny, now the only exercise that feels like exercise is when I go to the gym and really work out. I guess I have come a long ways in attitude and body from where I was a year ago.
Now, if I can get my attitude adjusted like that on eating less I will have it made. I am slowly working on that attitude as this week I have been cutting back on my food. Night time eating is where I am having the trouble succeeding. I am doing fine until my hubby starts eating his snacks. Then I fall apart. I need more will power to be able to sit and watch that man eat and not eat myself. I must realize that just because he is eating doesn't mean I am or can eat. Monkey see doesn't mean monkey can do. He knows he sets me off like this so he sneaks into the kitchen to grab his snacks bless his soul, but I still hear that frig open up !!!!!!!! Truth is, he doesn't need those snacks either and I have threatened not to buy any more cool whip if he keeps it up. ( cool whip is my hubby's thing. He will eat a whole tub if I would let him )
That's all of my ramblings today. Have a good week.
I got out and walked the dog before the weather changed. We are suppose to have a cold front come in tonight. This is typical Texas weather late in winter. 70-80 degrees one week and 50 degrees the next. Anyway, I used to consider walking the dog good exercise. Now I think of it as a stroll and not a real exercise walk because I can now walk faster than dog and the dog needs to stop so much more. This used to be fine with me when I was starting out, but not now. I like to break a sweat now and keep moving. Now I take the dog for that 1.5 mile trek and consider it peanuts. I still have to consider the wear and tear of it on my joints though in the long haul, but it doesn't feel like exercise anymore. Funny, now the only exercise that feels like exercise is when I go to the gym and really work out. I guess I have come a long ways in attitude and body from where I was a year ago.
Now, if I can get my attitude adjusted like that on eating less I will have it made. I am slowly working on that attitude as this week I have been cutting back on my food. Night time eating is where I am having the trouble succeeding. I am doing fine until my hubby starts eating his snacks. Then I fall apart. I need more will power to be able to sit and watch that man eat and not eat myself. I must realize that just because he is eating doesn't mean I am or can eat. Monkey see doesn't mean monkey can do. He knows he sets me off like this so he sneaks into the kitchen to grab his snacks bless his soul, but I still hear that frig open up !!!!!!!! Truth is, he doesn't need those snacks either and I have threatened not to buy any more cool whip if he keeps it up. ( cool whip is my hubby's thing. He will eat a whole tub if I would let him )
That's all of my ramblings today. Have a good week.
12 comments so far.
12.
a decade ago
Hi, Lory. I decided to stop blogging because it isn't helping me. Thanks for all the support. -Sue
by CATWALKER
11.
a decade ago
I usually buy a turkey "roast" at BJs, our warehouse store. They put 2 breasts together and wrap a net around it, that you remove after cooking. They put some kind of marinade on it. Or I get the boneless breast or bone it myself. Usually I put just salt and pepper and olive oil on it. My husband really likes it. It lasts 3 or 4 days in the fridge. I make turkey slices on a salad w/lowfat feta, or sandwiches in a wrap or chop what's left in chunks, add a little lowfat mayo, celery, lemon juice, salt/pepper, and make a turkey salad on lettuce w/crackers.
by CATWALKER
10.
a decade ago
I made a price book for myself, logging what I payed for foods at different stores. It was a great help in eating cheaper, and it is fun. I turned it into a sport to cook healthier ánd cheaper meals.
by MIRIAM
9.
a decade ago
One of my favorite cheap meals is a big pot of soup: lentil, split pea, pasta fagiole, potato soup. Something hearty. We have that for dinner with a salad and a piece of ciabatta or good Italian bread. I have a very small piece. I make it in my pressure cooker or slow cooker. We get 2 dinners and 1 lunch for the both of us. And it's healthy. I also buy a turkey breast and cook it for sandwiches or salads instead of buying turkey or chicken cold cuts. 3.99 a pound instead of 6.99 to 8.99 a pound. And it tastes better.
by CATWALKER
8.
a decade ago
Oops. Not nine pounds! Merely six! You are an amazing inspiration to me! And I will catch up with you in weight loss some day! I promise!
by DRJANRAY
7.
a decade ago
Just wanted to say, "Hi!" Your blog made me grin so many times . . . about the dog and the hubby especially. I am lucky that my hubby started CK about a month ago. Plus, since he is an omnivore and I am a vegetarian, we have never "jived" at eating time . . . and I just accept it. You sure are looking good . . . and only nine pounds from goal. Whopppppeeee!
by DRJANRAY
6.
a decade ago
"Keep calories and spending IN CHECK" was what I meant to type there.
by MARJORIEO
5.
a decade ago
I like the Hansen's Diet Sodas too. Root beer and peach are my favorites. I try to only drink one a day--it's sort of an evening treat for me. I made it through our first month of reduced spending and actually had money left over after paying the bills. It made me feel like the effort was worth it. I hope you can find some joy in keeping calories and spending so that it doesn't feel like such a chore for you.
=D
by MARJORIEO
4.
a decade ago
You sure have come a long way, lady. I have the same trouble with night time snacking and it has been a huge trial not to eat all day long now that I am home!!
by NMA5632
3.
a decade ago
by AMY13
2.
a decade ago
by TDBHALL
1.
a decade ago
Wow
:bigeyes3: that was quite a blog! But what you say applies to ME, too. Ijust wish that I could get to the point where you say it doesn't feel like exercise to walk quickly for 1.5 miles. 
:y: But good for you 
:y:
:thumbu2: winner! 
:thumbu2: Oh yes, I have limited myself to only 150 calories for that snack. 
:rock1:
As for the evening snack. I have that problem too, So here is something I do. I like to eat a specific thing in the evening. I write it down in the morning in the diary and make sure I eat around those calories. I still get to look forward to the snack, and yet my Calorie range won't be affected. THEN, I do 2 things. I either cut up the snack into teeny tiny portions, and only take one piece/bite at the commericals, so it lasts all evening. OR I don't even put it out - and then I have the pleasure of erasing it on the CK diary in the morning - and I have 150 calories less that previous day -
by KELOSE