I have struggled with controlling my food the last week. I find it very difficult to consistently purchase and prepare healthy foods. I will become motivated for a week or two but it is so easy for me to slip back into my old lazy habits of going out to dinner or ordering a pizza.
I haven't gone to the grocery store in over a week and I have nothing ready to pack for my lunch tomorrow. It makes me feel very overwhelmed to prepare a menu, and then buy the food and then cook it. Yikes! I can tell you all day long what I should do, but consistency is not my friend.
While I was sitting on my bed avoiding watching The Biggest Loser (so I wouldn't feel bad about myself) I got an idea. I utilized this service called Seattle Sutton's Healthy Eating twice in my past with varying degrees of success and I am considering signing up again. There are definite advantages and disadvantages to this service.
Advantages
Fresh Food
It doesn't taste like crap because I overcooked it
Calorie Controlled
No Thinking or Grocery Shopping
Food Delivered to my house twice a week
I wouldn't be able to eat out because I would have already purchased my food.
Disadvantages
Cost
No Choice
I wouldn't be able to eat out
Cost
The cost is really the biggest disadvantage in my mind. It is $129 for a 1200 calorie plan and $149 for a 2000 calorie plan. This cost is per week and doesn't include the delivery. Currently, I should be eating 2000 calories a day, so if I choose that plan I would be spending $600 a month on food without groceries. Just so you know...I am already spending $600 a month on groceries. But this new cost wouldn't include household supplies. I really think that this could be really good for me. I really DO NOT NEED to eat out anymore. This is where I get all of my extra calories.
When I utilized this service in the past I did find myself throwing away some of the food because I did go out to eat a couple times a week. A second option would be to go with a half week delivery service. This would involve me getting just one delivery a week and I would need to prepare the rest of my meals.
I feel so indecisive. On one had I feel like I need to say Fu*k the money and do what is good for me, on the other hand I think if I just practiced a bit more discipline I could do it on my own. This second strategy has NEVER worked for me in the past. I am not sure that I have the discipline to control my food and continually cook and I rarely enjoy cooking.
UGGGG...so what do you think I should do?
7 comments:
Look, one way or another you are going to have to find a way to control what you eat. As you point out, even the food plan doesn't really work for you (because you don't use it for all of your food).
What I think is if you like to go out to eat, and if you are already spending $600 a month on groceries, maybe you should work on controlling what you eat at restaurants. It is entirely possible to go out to eat on a regular basis and still stay within your daily calorie limit so you can get your point for the day. I did it when I was at Wilhelm ... I rarely brought my lunch once I had a few places I could go to get meals that fit in my plan.
I know this might sound a little silly, but maybe one way you can fight the food problem is to make flash cards. When you are at home (not at work), look up nutritional information for places you like to go. Find meals that fit in your plan. Put them on index cards: if you're just watching calories, then all you need on the card is the name of the entree or whatever, the calories, and the price. (You'll probably have to take the flash cards to the restaurant the first time to get all the prices.)
Once you have a set of cards, when it's time to eat, pick a card based on what you want to spend and how many calories you have to use ... but do it before you leave the house. (If you're going out at work, a second set of cards for work would be nice so you can have one at each place.)
Doing something like this would let you go out to eat from time to time and keep a variety of options available, but would also give you a way to decide on something healthy for you without the immediate temptation of the bad parts of the menu. (In fact, if you know for sure what you want, you don't even need the menu when you're there. Keep the temptation away until you are sure you can handle it.)
Of course it may not work for you, and you might feel silly carrying flash cards around ...
You could go grocery shopping with me every week. It just takes s little meal planning and scouring the ads for the best deals of the week.
Lou
Don't do the service!
You can do it. We all have a few bumps in the road. You need to monitor your progress some how. Why are you feeling bad, when you worked out everyday last week?
Andrea
Hey girl I only have a second. I have looked into it but the problem is it doesn't fix the underlying problem which is the need for behavior change. It only is a bandaid for the time being. I suggest buying your food and dedicate one hour in your kitchen to preparing all the food for your week. What I do is make a huge pot of veg soup and store half of it in the freezer in smaller containers so I can eat later. Use a crock pot and make a weeks worth of food. So I will put all the stuff in there and then I chop up my veggies for the week. I used to let a lot go bad so now I only buy enough to eat and force myself to eat it. I am not by any means perfect, but if the food is prepared I am more likely to eat it. So as soon as you get home from the grocery, cut up all your veggies and fruit so all you have to do it eat it!
Call me or text me, we need to be using each other when we are about to fail at one of our goals. We can support each other by saying is this going to take you one step closer or farther from the end goal. Ten min from now will I be happy I ate this?....stuff like that.
It is very frustrating I know and this seems like a good fix, but it isn't. You know what you need to do and it is much cheaper and will last longer if you just do what you need to do...which you know what it is. On days you know you are weak...me today b/c I am so tired...we need to use each other. Right now I so want to binge eat b/c I only have 4.5 hours of sleep and I am dying and my workout sucked and I am here till 7pm...so today I will be weak. Knowing that I need to use my resources...you, Catherine, etc.
Does this make sense b/c I am rambling. My vote is no on the seattle b/c it is very expensive and you learn nothing and no behavior changes will occur. It is good sometimes to have something to get you going and motivated and that is the positive b/c I do stuff like that when I am in a rut as well so you may consider it if that is what you need but keep in mind it is a short term plan. If so, I suggest getting the 1200 calorie and supplement with extra veggies.
Have a great day,
Gretchen
Hmmm. I have to say that my dream has always been to hire a chef who will prepare all of my calorie-controlled meals for me. That way I don't have to put any thought into preparing my own meals (when I fail on a regular basis) and I don't have to think about calorie consumption. So I completely understand where you're coming from.
But if you decide to go with this option, something else in your life is going to have to give. Cable? Dining out at all? The Phoenix Theatre? What's it going to be?
On my budget right now, it wouldn't be worth it. I would have to give up WAAAAAAAY too much to be able to afford that. But I, too, love eating out. What I've found is that if I know I can eat out on my cheat days, it makes the days between go that much easier. And then I feel such a sense of accomplishment and reward when I finally get my burger after being so good.
And since I cook no more than you do, I've been forced to find lower calorie alternatives. Veggies definitely help, but I've also learned what I can eat at Subway, what I can eat at Qdoba, what I have to adjust to be able to eat chinese food. I don't do it every day, but picking a couple of alternatives at each restaurant give me an option for when I just can't stomach the thought of soup again today.... zlionfan's suggestion is a good one, but I would keep a list on my computer. That way you still feel like you have options on the days when you just can't bring yourself to pack a lunch.
We've discussed this and as I mentioned I do not believe it is a good idea to keep throwing money at this issue like you are Mrs. Howell. There has to be a psychological change. I do not know how you get from here to there, but I know you can. You just have to figure out what is holding you back. On the bright side, you have the workout portion of the equation down pat.
zlionsfan...I agree that I need to learn to control what I eat, but this has been one of the most difficult things in my life. Even though I chuckled to myself, I do think the idea of flash cards has merit. I will consider this idea. Attack the problem head on...don't beat myself up about eating out but work on making better choices.
I do think that I will utilize Lou and let him boss me about for some time. If he can force me to spend time on meal planning and then shopping planning it would be a big help. I will hold you to that.
Gretchen...I do think I will utilize you. I know you answer most of your texts quickly. So the next time I am thinking of an after work snack of say...a Chocolate Milk Shake and Onion Rings....I will text you and step away from Hardees!
Ems...you are so right...I do NOT want to give anything up.
Moore...I do act like Mrs. Howell. How did that happen? Of course I cannot afford this...I just like to dream big. I should be decreasing my grocery budget and not increasing it!
I do agree with all of you that this would be a bad financial decision and more importantly it doesn't fix the underlying problem of my food choices and disinterest in cooking.
I will decline at this time...but is anyone willing to come and cook for me?
Post a Comment