It's great to know you, PJ. And as you mentioned earlier on my log, you and I are very similar.
I was also thinking about the expense of this diet. Proteins are certainly more expensive than carbohydrate foods. But I think we acutally may be saving ourselves money if we look at it this way: I don't know about you, but I was eating out ALL OF THE TIME. I was probably spending close to 200 bucks a month eating out (just me w/o my family). Most of the time this was purchasing breakfasts and lunch from places like McDonald's, Chic-Fil-A, Jimmy John's Subs, etc. That is a lot of money. Now I make my food from home and do not eat out AT ALL. I can imagine you probably are doing the same.
Another thing is the quanity of food. With the protein rich foods, we are eating so much less food. At least I am. I am no longer buying snacks, having late night snacks at dinner, stopping by the gas station to by a doughnut, etc. More savings!
One last thing: Energy. I have so much more energy. I get more done around the house. Instead of sitting down being tired, I am moving and doing things. Now this may not directly impact our pocketbooks, but it very well could in the long-run because "time is money". When we get things done, we are more efficient and are able to save money in those ways.
Just some things to think about when you spend extra on the protein-rich foods.
You have a GREAT reason to be succesful on this program. The fact that you have lost your job. What a great motivator for you to get into shape so you can look good at that next interview. People judge fat people. We all know they do. You are considered lazy, no self-control and add to the list. You looking your best and having a glow of energy in your countenance will do wonders at the interview table.
I look forward to working by you and watching each other have much success together. Happy New Year to you and keep up the good work!
Some thoughts on saving money when shopping:
If you have a Costco membership, they often have good deals on large packages of frozen salmon, cod, etc. Yougurt too can be had at a good price there if you watch closely.
Tofu. Do you like tofu? I don't mind tofu at all and often make it with for my lunches. It's the seasonings that make it or break it. Tofu is very inexpensive. The trick for saving on Tofu is to find your nearest Asian food store. I pay less than 2 bucks a container for tofu at our Asian stores where in our regular "American" grocery store, it's 3 dollars or more per container.
Specials: Watch the grocery store ads for specials on meat. On Saturdays, our stores usually have great sales on meat and you can often save 50% of the normal price. Meat prices have gone up substantially lately due to the drought but the specials still are found. You may want to consider buying fryer chicken. Yeah, it's more work and you have to remove the skins, but they are ultra cheap when they are on sale. Chicken parts with the bones are usually a lot cheaper too.
Lower Quality Cuts of Meat: these are typically the tougher meats, such as eye of round. The trick here is to know how to cook them. If you don't have a pressure cooker I highly suggest you get one because you can save yourself a lot of money in the long run. These cheaper, tougher cuts of meat stand no chance in a pressure cooker. Cook them in some water with seasonings for 30 minutes and you get a succulent, pot roast type meat falling apart at the touch of the fork. If you guys happen to have a pressure canner and do canning, you can buy the cheap cuts at Costco in large quantities and can them up. The canning process turns them into a juicy, tender delicacy.
Statistics: Posted by Plojka — Fri Dec 28, 2012 3:46 pm