My money's worth?

Another side of the "why is it so expensive to be skinny?" story is the "I paid for it… I should get my money's worth and eat it." This is probably just a corollary to the "clean plate club" which was thrust upon us growing up: "Think about the starving children in…" That would be Haiti this year, but could be Africa or India or even the Appalachian Mountains.

Ah, but I live in Tennessee, in the United States of America. The food I leave on my plate isn't going to any of those places. Instead it will either make a visit to my refrigerator from whence it will either be eaten or be tossed in a few days when the mold begins to grow, or it will go down the disposal. The only solution is if that food never gets on my plate in the first place.

Consider my dilemma this week when faced with two days of eating out. Lunch with the ladies was three small prime rib sandwiches (think mini-burgers), a lovely salad and I opted for broccoli instead of fries. It filled me up. Less than five hours later, the cheap dinner entrée (we were being treated by friends) was a pasta dish with shrimp. Yes, I should have asked for a container and brought half of each meal home. That is the lesson I will learn from my stomach's discomfort that day. Food on my plate went in my body!

Actually, watching our diet may mean paying a bit more for quality food, but ultimately, we should actually be helping out our budget by not buying processed and quick foods. The real issue is being prepared. Anything that is "last minute," whether it's a snack on the run or a dinner to take home, is going to be more expensive. Here's a blog that discusses the perceived expense issue: http://www.diet-blog.com/archives/2007/04/06/is_healthy_food_too_expensive.php. I now carry a ¼ cup of roasted (unsalted) almonds in my purse.

My update: success on several levels. I have done a cardio workout four times this week and reduced my food intake. It looks like I may have lost a couple of pounds. Lab work from my doctor visit shows that I am low in vitamin D. That's a twist. We'll see what information we get on that in February. 'Til next time, keep up the good work, girls!