Food / Diet / Money ~ They are all relevant!

This is a repost from a year or so ago, but a good one. Read on :::


My name is Amber. I am 32 years old and work as a Graphic Designer. I am 6'2" (yes!) and currently weigh 220#.
I have pretty much been on a diet my whole life. I was always watching (and emulating) my mother constantly as she would try one diet or another, always making attempts at exercising or eating super healthy only for that phase to last a week. Not to mention the extraordinary large gut which runs on my maternal side of the family, constantly eliciting "are you pregnant" comments and stares .... but that's a topic for a different article.

I continued to be large my entire life, in Jr. High I was 5'11". I wore a size 11 shoe (which they only made in tennis shoes then...no cute Keds or jelly sandals...any of that) I weighed about 150. I had to buy men's clothes. I HATED IT!

Moving on, even through all this, I am always aware of the COST of my food and drink. The calorie COST, the fat COST, the sugar and salt COST, not to mention, that since I have been pretty much broke my whole life, the monetary COST. So my approach to food is this: There is not enough money to waste on stuffing your face with crap. There is no room to nudge on trying to eat a healthy and filling meal when it could be your only meal of the day... (I personally am a late night snacker).

No, I'm not saying these things to try to get sympathy. On the contrary, I am hoping to share my knowledge, that admittedly was obtained through a series of freak situations in my life. Get ready to alter your mind. Alter your thinking of food, for just a minute. A few of the things I tell you will stick in your head forever, like glue, while some may fade away.Either way, I am using one of my favorite books, EAT THIS NOT THAT as my reference in this article.


Here we go:

I never miss an opportunity to learn something new. Especially about my favorite subject, FOOD! Watching cooking shows, reading cookbooks and food books (I read diet books sometimes just to quench my cravings! So it looks like I want to be healthy, but really I am indulging in serious eye candy!)

Its a way to have your own personal love affair with food .... without gaining weight and without breaking the bank. Especially when you only have a cabinet full of Ramen, and Ramen is all that is in sight for your dining future. (When I originally wrote this I was younger and obviously broker!)

P.S. Check out some other things to do with Ramen Noodles :: The College Survival Guide, 50 Ramen Recipes.

My copy of EAT THIS, NOT THAT, is of course, checked out FREE from my local library. I am also signed up for their e-mail blast via  EATTHIS.COM

Now for the RULES :::::

#1 Shred your own CHEESE. Pre-shredded mixtures, even the great Sargento cheese, add sodium and other chemicals to prevent clumping. Buy the block and shred your own.

#2 OUTBACK's appetizer, Aussie Cheese Fries with Ranch & Bacon ~ Hands down the single WORST food in America, and it's only an appetizer!! With approximately 2,500 calories, I will take a steak dinner any day of the week!

#3 Lo Mein noodles are covered in OIL (extra FAT) to prevent them from sticking. Also obviously to make them taste delicious. Have regular un-oiled noodles and rice. Or better yet opt for some steamed broccoli.
#4 Marinara Sauce (not meat sauce and definitely NOT fatty, cheesy, white sauce) is always best for pasta and pizza.


White Sauce (YUM!) <---------- STAY AWAY !!!!


#5 Peaches are the sugariest of all fruits.

#6 Research shows that food puffed with air (Cheeto's, Marshmallows, Cheez Balls, etc) are more filling and a better snack value. (This goes back to the COST of your snack).

#7 3 Musketeers, Milky Way, and Peppermint patty are the best value for candy bars. Airy nougat takes the place of thick chocolate or caramel, so you are eating less sticky chocolate or nuts.

#8 An English Muffin contains less calories than two slices of bread (and in my personal opinion they taste better) so make your breakfast sandwich on an english muffin. The reason for this is obvious. The air in the english muffins equals less calories.

#9 Speaking of MUFFINS, McDonalds Egg McMuffin is the best calorie value breakfast sandwich, in terms of fat and calories. Get this... a regular MUFFIN, like blueberry or raspberry, or worse (and tastier), chocolate .... is like CAKE. It is just as fatty and sugary. You are eating pure CAKE for breakfast! Put it down!

#10 Bacon always beats sausage as the breakfast meat of choice. Simply because there is less meat in a slice of bacon.

#11 Chocolate milk is better to drink pre and post workout than a chocolate protein shake. Really? Wha? Milk contains more natural ingredients, and potassium & electrolytes slowly and effectively get your body going smoothly again. Plus the small amount of sugar in the choco milk is enough to boost your energy for the period of the workout.

#12 Always eat your breakfast within 90 (an hour and a half) minutes of waking. If you wait longer, your body begins to think it will not get a morning meal and starts eating your muscles (eew!)


#13 MY FAVORITE **** Replace ALL (or one a day) of your sodas with water. Just replacing 20 ounces of soda a day with water saves you 200 calories, or 12 pounds a year. Without even trying! The sodium in diet cokes is what keeps you bloated. Everyone will notice the weight you have lost....go ahead, try this for 2 weeks. I double dog dare you.

#14 A Very small .25 ounce of Monterey Jack, Cheddar, Gouda, or Mozzarella cheese will boost pH levels in your mouth to protect from cavities!

#15 Baked potato with the SKIN!!! can decrease blood pressure, because of all the POTASSIUM. Potatoes, even potato chips, are high in potassium which helps ensure proper blood and oxygen flow to your muscles. Bananas are loaded with this too, that's why when you get a cramp, Grandma tells you to eat a banana.

#16 Mixing liquor with DIET SODA can intensify the alcoholic effect (your blood alcohol level) by 50% !!! This is the best tip ever for a broke girl trying to get her buzz on. Bonus points if the drinks are two-for-one during happy hour!

#17 Sunflower seeds are LOADED with Vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant. Also loaded with Vitamin E are items like Swiss Chard, Total Cereal, and Propel Fitness water. Wanna know what the #1 antioxidant in the American Diet is? COFFEE !
Seriously, coffee! Just don't load it with sugar and fatty milks. I use a Keurig and grind my own Starbucks beans. Then I add about a tablespoon of caramel flavoring (which I bought at the Dollar Tree), one generic Splenda, and however much I want of the DIET Coffee Mate creamer.

So is it just me, or do you feel a little Schooled? I hope that you read these tips, bookmark them, print them out, whatever. Just absorb the knowledge, and move forward. Without all that UNNECESSARY fat, calories and a lil extra cash.

******* ADDITION ******* 9/20/2011*****
I was thinking today about something that is of most importance when deciding which foods to spend your hard earned money on.
Always make sure that you read the label! Just because something is "Light" or "Lite" with "65% less fat" think that 65% of 3 grams of fat is only, like, 2 grams. so are you willing to give up flavor just to save 2 grams of fat? Always make sure that you read the nutrition label and the ingredients label. It is usually best to choose the least processed, least chemical ingredient-laden things. If you can't pronounce it, you probably don't want to eat it.
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I'm certainly no expert on diet, food, or money, but I hope some of this information is new to you. Spread it to a friend.
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Proofread and revised 5/16/2015

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