What I Was Eating

Well, I did the disappearing act over the winter.  Shame!  Heres the confessions of my eating habits.

As of the time of this writing, I have not yet eaten breakfast.  I live alone, and I have had trouble establishing normal eating times. I eat when I get hungry, which wouldn't be so bad, if I also didn't eat when I feel stressed, bored, anxiety-stricken, angry, frustrated.  Pretty much any negative emotion sends me searching for something preferably carb laden with cheese.  The foods I eat serve primarily as sedatives, comforts.  Even when I am hungry, I still reach for these foods, because I "like" (or am simply accustomed to) how they taste.

What I ate yesterday: 1 and 1/2 box of Chicken flavored Rice A Roni, 1 box of Velveeta Macaroni and Cheese, a couple of slices  of American cheese, and one Chobani blueberry Greek Yogurt.  Total Calories: Rice a Roni per box, 300 x 3 servings, for a total of 900 calories per box.  Not to mention anything of sodium content and fat content (butter).  Velveeta Mac and Cheese, 360 calories x 3 servings per box.  American cheese per slice, appx. 50 cals per 1/2 oz slice, 3 slices = 150 calories, Chobani yogurt, 140 cals.

So, total calories for yesterday are: appx. 2720.

I should be eating appx. 1,200 calories.

Seems that on average, I will eat around 3,000 calories per day.
And this is why I am 5'2" and 240 lbs!

I am on a fixed budget for food - $200.00.

I often read comments on how can people living in poverty be fat here in the USA?  It is because of cheap processed foods, full of simple carbohydrates!  Poor people live on this stuff.  Ramen noodles, boxed macaroni and cheese, rice a roni, white bread, cheap frozen pizza.  These are Type II causing diabetes foods, because of the simple carbs that slam your pancreas, and they cause hypertension because of the sodium, and heart disease because of the saturated fats.  They also cause fatigue and exacerbate depression because they are bereft of nutrition and critical vitamins. A diet of fresh lean meats, veggies and fruits can be challenging for the very poor not just for financial reasons, but also because of time limits.  So many families today are working long hours and have precious little time at home.  Cooking fresh foods IS more time consuming than whipping up a box of macaroni and cheese, and much easier to ruin the food by improper cooking, thus wasting valuable food/money.

So here are the challenges I face: To learn how to eat a healthy diet rich in fresh fruits and veggies, whole-grains breads and pastas, and lean meats, on $200.00 a month, to learn how to cook these meals for one person, to change my palate to enjoy the taste of vegetables, and quit the addiction of simple carbs (white bread and pasta).

I will eat much garbage going forward.  I have no illusions that because I have returned to blogging, that all will be rosy.  Heck - as I type this, I am thinking about that last box of Velveeta Macaroni and Cheese in my cupboards!  Kraft...  I figure a good 60 pounds of my weight is compliments of Kraft foods.  Corporate food is life-sapping garbage!   I will post my eating habits here, the good, the bad, the ugly.

Yesterday, was ugly.  Very ugly.