The Frugal Dieter

Last night Todd was unexpectedly home.  I had not planned any dinner nor had I had lunch.  What did I do?  Well I ran out to get us subs.  I wasn't worried about calories (although I've been VERY VERY BAD at actually tracking my calories.   I'm vowing here and now to pick back up on that RELIGIOUSLY.  If you use myfitnesspal, please feel free to follow me...I'm mfclingan on there!) as I hadn't eaten lunch (we had a big breakfast and I just wasn't hungry before I left for work at 11:45).   So I found myself in a small town convenience store at 6:30 as hungry as a bear while they dude behind the counter made our subs.

I am not going to lie and say I wasn't tempted with chips, cookies, pretzels, tasty cakes and all the snack foods that were laying around calling out my name.  I'm not even going to pretend that I didn't finger each and every item.  I did.  I picked up item after item with a loving sigh as I thought about how good it would taste.  However, in each case I quickly flipped the item over and read the calorie count and nutritional information.  In each case I put it down.  I settled on a simple bag of chips (individual size) to take home to share with Todd. 

But what really struck me, once again was how our society makes obesity so darn easy.  I also picked up a diet soda.  I was at first debating between a fountain drink or a bottled diet Pepsi.  I quickly settled on the big bottle....not the 2 liter the next size down (the fountain drinks get watered down more quickly...the big bottle would last me through the night...and even give me a little treat the next night...perfect!)   Budget conscious as ever I was looking at price and then happened to notice something.  I took some pictures because even though I was buying soda....this shows how it is soooo easy to overeat and overindulge in our society!





As you can see the bottle size that I ended up buying.  One dollar and sixty nine cents!








And here is a picture of the 2 liter size bottle...same drink.   One dollar and eighty nine cents!






Yes, the larger amount is more expensive....but only by 20 cents.  It is much more cost efficient to buy the larger product.  I picked up a diet soda 2 liter.  I was going to do it.  Hey, it's a better deal!   But then it hit me.  That mentality brought me to this point and I don't want to be there anymore.  Just because I could get double the amount for only twenty cents didn't make it a wise option for me.  You see, even though I was drinking diet soda, having the two liter would mean that I wouldn't even attempt to drink my water the next day as I would be drinking my diet Pepsi from the get go.   Now think about the ramifications calorie wise if I had been drinking regular Pepsi or the Mountain Dew in the pictures?   What about the dinner portion versus the lunch portion at a restaurant?  Price wise, it's so incredibly cost efficient to get the larger size, but that frugal side of myself can be a real deterrent to my weight loss efforts.

Frugality and weight loss do not necessarily go hand in hand!  (and I bought the smaller version of that diet soda!)

I have to set up a training program for myself and STICK TO IT regardless.  I have a 5k in about 20 days.  Uhhhhh I have been running once....maybe twice a week.  That is NOT enough.  Ok, it's enough to get me to stumble through the race... but it's not enough.  I want to do BETTER.  I want to be strong and capable.  So that is my goal for this weekend.  Two things need to happen....

I have been spending the last few days trying to get a few projects off my plate.

1.  I have a ton of pictures that needed matted and bagged and carted up to my mom.....she has a booth at the City Market and has had my pictures for sell. I don't make a lot...but hey, every little bit helps!   I haven't taken any new inventory up in ages.....and she has been selling what's up there so I'm sure it's rather picked over.  I am very close to having everything that I have printed up matted and ready to go.  I have about another hour or work on that.

Stacks of  pictures ready to go



2.  My mom also sells scrubbies for me.  These are the most awesome little scrubbers that I make.  They clean like a charm.  I keep one in the kitchen and use it daily on dishes.  I keep one in the bathroom to scour out my tub and sink.   I've heard of people using them to exfoliate.  I've heard of guys that use them on the bumpers of their cars because they do not scratch!  I'm planning on using them as 'bows' on Christmas gifts this year (Cindy, what color do you want????).     I was informed that they only have 4 up at the market...so I have been working on these little things like mad.   (the picture for some reason turned the colors rather psychedelic but I'm too lazy this Friday morning to retake the pictures).

I started making these gems a few years back when a coworker was lamenting about losing her supplier.  I researched them and now every few months I make her about 10...she supplies her family also and frequently laughs because she says they come to visit and raid her scrubby supply.  Thus I always know when she has company because the next day she's asking for more scrubbies.

Once these two things are off my plate (thereby clearing out the area around my couch that is littered with scrubby materials, finished scrubbies, matting supplies, pictures and stacks of completed projects.....I will be creating my running schedule.  I have some goals that I need to accomplish and they are NOT going to get done by sitting on my butt!