When I was in college living off campus, the famous small packs of noodles sold 10 for $1.00. I loaded up my cart (50 for $5.00!), along with frozen flavored pasta & veggie mixes, bagels and other varieties of noodles and rice with flavor packets.
I look back sadly on my eating habits during those days, now knowing so much more about good nutrition. I might as well have been eating dust. White noodles...with a salty flavor packet...likely infused with some not-so-good artificial ingredients and preservatives. Yep, they filled me up, but did I get many vitamins, minerals and fiber alongside the calories from those meals? Not so much...
Budget eating can be a challenge whether you are a student, post-grad trying to pay off school loans, a working professional hit hard by tough economic times, or if you are just plain frugal.
Is it really possible to eat healthy on a budget?
The simple answer is yes. There are a few tricks of the trade. Not all of them may work for you, but even applying two or three will probably lead to some savings in your pocket!
1. Buy nutrient-dense foods. What does this mean? Choose foods where you get the most vitamins, minerals, calories, protein and carbs per serving. Nuts, eggs, peanut butter, yogurt, milk, fruits and vegetables are all good choices. Nuts can be pricey, so buy in bulk or when on sale.
2. Buy small amounts of foods that spoil quickly. Peanut butter, nuts and dried beans have a long shelf life, so stock up when you find a sale, or buy a large container at a wholesale club. Buy fresh fruits and vegetables in small amounts that you know you will eat in the next 3-5 days. Throwing spoiled produce away is like putting dollar bills down your garbage disposal!
3. Replace meat with beans. One pound of Laura's Lean Beef costs about $5.00 and provides four, four ounce servings. A one pound bag of lentils costs about one dollar and will provide you with many more than four servings!
4. Drink water. Only water. From the tap. If you don't like your local water, use a filter. Juices, alcohol, sweet tea and sodas are simply extra calories that our bodies don't need that take extra dollars that we do need from our bank accounts.
5. Make a pot of soup. Any bean based soup is inexpensive when made with canned beans, but will be even cheaper if you use dried. Chili, tortilla, lentil, vegetable - the varieties are endless! This only requires the forethought to soak the beans overnight, then you are ready to go. If you choose lentils, there's no soaking needed. As an example, I made chili this week. Ingredients included:
2 (15oz) cans beans (store brand organic) = $1.78
48 oz can V-8 juice (store brand) = $2.19
2 (15oz) cans tomatoes with jalapenos (store brand) = $1.98
1 lb ground beef, 92% lean (Laura's Lean Beef) = $5
1 onion = $0.79
1 red bell pepper = $1.79
1 zucchini = $0.82
Spices (already had on hand, but you could just add salt and pepper)
Jiffy cornbread mix = $0.50 (need to add 1 egg and small amount of milk)
Total Cost: ~ $15.00
Number of Cups: 10
At one cup per serving, you have 10 servings @ $1.50 each including cornbread. Even if you ate two cups per serving, the cost is roughly $3.00 per person and will still feed five. With the exception of fast food, I cannot think of one time I've ever eaten at a restaurant for $3.00!
To cut the cost further, choosing dried non-organic beans over canned organic would be cheaper and going with the store brand meat (which I don't necessarily recommmend) would all lower the cost more. Make it vegetarian by leaving out the meat and you save another $5. And if you can't eat chili for an entire week? Freeze it and save for later.
But what if I'm trying to lose weight while eating on a budget?
Cut your usual portion of food by one-third to one-half of what your normally eat or share your meal with a friend, spouse or coworker. The good news? Not only will your waistline start to shrink, but your tab at the grocery AND when dining out will magically shrink too!
Friday, April 20, 2012
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Tired, Sore, and Falling Asleep at 9pm? Welcome to Step It Up!
I started Boot Camp in August of 2009. Up until then, my fitness routine for two years prior consisted of doubles tennis and power walks with my dog. Although I thought I was in decent shape, boot camp was just about to smack me in the face with a wake up call telling me otherwise.
I committed to perfect attendance for one month. I kept a daily food log, skipped the booze, and learned my midnight bedtime was no longer possible. I was exhausted. Wasn't exercise supposed to give me MORE energy?
My bedtime quickly changed. I had trouble keeping my eyes open much past 10pm, sometimes nine. My muscles ached, and I did the homework religiously on our off days, which helped the soreness.
Ryan repeatedly told us at boot camp that we could do anything for 10 seconds. It wasn't easy at all, but he was right. Mind over matter.
Sound familiar? Are you feeling sore and tired at the end of week one?
Keep going. You have already crossed the biggest hurdle - starting a lifestyle change. It WILL get better. It WILL get easier.
By the end of month one, I could run one mile without stopping in 10 minutes, compared to 12 minutes on day one. I could do 15 real push ups, compared to zero on day one. I could do more sit ups and tricep dips. I was getting stronger and despite losing zero pounds on the scale, friends were asking if I was losing weight.
I had such amazing results that I wanted to keep going. I set goals for myself each month for my fitness test and achieved them. Over time, I adjusted my bedtime back to 9:30-10pm most nights and slept like a baby on a nightly basis. Five a.m. soon became a part of my routine.
January 2012 is month 18. I've survived a year and a half. I do take a week off from time to time and miss classes due to my schedule and vacations, but for the most part, I can't quit. With a new perspective, I never want to go back to my out of shape self.
The transition to better health and fitness takes time. I can honestly say it took me three months of boot camp until I was less sleep deprived and actually had MORE energy. This is a normal adjustment period. But in the meantime, what can you do to make the change easier?
I committed to perfect attendance for one month. I kept a daily food log, skipped the booze, and learned my midnight bedtime was no longer possible. I was exhausted. Wasn't exercise supposed to give me MORE energy?
My bedtime quickly changed. I had trouble keeping my eyes open much past 10pm, sometimes nine. My muscles ached, and I did the homework religiously on our off days, which helped the soreness.
Ryan repeatedly told us at boot camp that we could do anything for 10 seconds. It wasn't easy at all, but he was right. Mind over matter.
Sound familiar? Are you feeling sore and tired at the end of week one?
Keep going. You have already crossed the biggest hurdle - starting a lifestyle change. It WILL get better. It WILL get easier.
By the end of month one, I could run one mile without stopping in 10 minutes, compared to 12 minutes on day one. I could do 15 real push ups, compared to zero on day one. I could do more sit ups and tricep dips. I was getting stronger and despite losing zero pounds on the scale, friends were asking if I was losing weight.
I had such amazing results that I wanted to keep going. I set goals for myself each month for my fitness test and achieved them. Over time, I adjusted my bedtime back to 9:30-10pm most nights and slept like a baby on a nightly basis. Five a.m. soon became a part of my routine.
January 2012 is month 18. I've survived a year and a half. I do take a week off from time to time and miss classes due to my schedule and vacations, but for the most part, I can't quit. With a new perspective, I never want to go back to my out of shape self.
The transition to better health and fitness takes time. I can honestly say it took me three months of boot camp until I was less sleep deprived and actually had MORE energy. This is a normal adjustment period. But in the meantime, what can you do to make the change easier?
- Adjust your bedtime. Aim for at least 7-8 hours. This means snoozing by 9 or 10pm for a 5am wake-up.
- Stay hydrated. You need to drink roughly half your body weight in ounces of all fluids daily. Keep a bottle of water with you at all times. Dehydration can affect muscle fatigue and soreness.
- Eat smaller more frequent meals throughout the day. Instead of breakfast, lunch and dinner, have 3 smaller meals and work in 3 snacks between meals. Smaller more frequent meals help fuel your energy levels throughout the day
- Eat protein with each meal and snack. Your best sources of protein are lean meats, low-fat cheese and yogurt, skim or 1% milk, nuts, beans and legumes and soy products. Protein helps stabilize blood sugar, will help you feel fuller longer, and is needed for muscle repair post workouts.
- Eat a small snack 30 minutes before camp. If you are new to exercise, this can be tough, as your digestive system is readjusting to the change in your routine just like everything else. If morning doesn't work for you, try a bedtime snack to have fuel on board for workouts. The best choices? Different things work for different people, but generally speaking, one slice of toast or saltines with peanut butter, low-acid juices, sports drinks, yogurt or low-fiber cereals or cereal bars all may work. Experiment to see what works best for you.
- Do the homework. Homework exercises are at Step It Up Fitness under your log in information. If you can't do these, at least go for a 20 minute walk and stretch on your off days to help with muscle soreness.
- Avoid alcohol for the first month or two. Alcohol in excess can lead to dehydration and hinder your performance at camp, as well as interrupt sleep during the night. And if you are trying to lose weight, cocktails provide extra calories without any protein or nutrients.
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