Yesterday I sat here at my job. I dipped into my lunch box and partook of my healthy fare. I munched through my banana and my green beans. I was enjoying my lunch. I always save my little 'treat' for last. Usually my treat consists of a 100 calorie pack of some variety. However, this past weekend I was grocery shopping and my eye caught the box of rice crispy treats. I looked at the price and realized that they were quite a bit cheaper. For me this is a big deal. I try to keep my grocery store trips budgeted out and as cheap as possible. So an average price of 22 cents for one rice crispy treat versus the average 50 cents of the 100 calorie pack was a nice saving. (I paid just under 9 bucks for a box of 40 rice crispy treats and I pay right around $3 for a box of six 100 calorie packs.....so my figures are based upon those numbers). Significant savings. I had the presence of mind to look at the calorie content while I was in the store. 90 calories. My thought was GREAT....right in line with what I was looking for. (Conversely I had purchased a few weeks ago the Lance Granola cracker bite things..they are delicious...but 190 calories....that's almost double what I want to spend on my little snack....no more of those bad boys for me).
So yesterday I pulled out my new snack. I ripped open the wrapper and sat here proud of myself for having had the presence of mind to check the calorie count and for buying something that was right at my snack calorie allotment. In fact, I had SAVED myself 10 calories. Not a big deal I know....10 calories. Tiny, eensy weensy, itty bitty 10 calories. I mean seriously what could I do with 10 calories. It wasn't like I could have a slice of pizza for 10 calories. It wasn't like I could drink a mixed drink for those 10 calories I saved. But then it hit me like a ton of bricks. 10 calories......365 days a year. That is 3650 calories. That is theoretically one pound a year. By a simple 10 calories a day ...10 calories that I don't miss at all. 10 calories saved simply because my delicious substitution was 10 calories less than my normal food....a no brain, no thought no worry one pound gone for the year. Couple that with another small 10 calorie change and you have two pounds gone. Snowball it and make three more.....and there are 5 pounds....it snowballs!! It really is as simple as that.
And just because I'm a bit of a geek.....one year of 100 calorie packs would cost me $182.50......the rice crispy treats...... $80.30
OK OK OK, so I don't eat a 100 calorie pack (or now a rice crispy treat) every day...they are my lunchbox treat....or an occasional quick sweet snack at home. And I also know that I would most likely get bored if I ate a rice crispy treat each and every day.....but it's the concept here folks not the logistics!!!!!
SMALL CHANGES turn into BIG RESULTS!
