Day 14

We’re not doing so well cutting the crap as a family. It’s hard if one person wants to eat more healthy and the rest of the family just isn’t feeling it. For instance, last night Rob made some wonderful beef stew in the crock pot. The house smelled so delicious when I got home from work that I was instantly hungry… and I stayed that way until dinner. The stew was absolutely mouthwatering – even if Rob was not happy with the level of meat tenderness – and I had seconds because I couldn’t help myself. All the ingredients were fresh, so that was good. What is bad about this, you ask? Well nothing at all. It was what we had for dessert. Rob made pudding… chocolate and butterscotch. It was oh so yummy and oh so bad for us, but I couldn’t resist… it was chocolate after all.

I’m not doing very well with chocolate. I simply cannot – and will not – bring myself to cut it from my diet. Chocolate haunts me everywhere, and I’m beginning to feel like an addict. I’ve been all over the house looking for “stashes”, too. I even raided Megan’s candy cauldron (the place where all candies go.). AND then there’s all the tempting candy at the check-out when I’m getting groceries. Somewhere a little voice tells me I need a Kit Kat or a Snickers, and then I’m done for. I’m pitiful and pathetic, really.

Wean Yourself Off Processed Foods in 7 Steps

Wean Yourself Off Processed Foods in 7 Steps

Here's a good article to help me cut the crap!

Cut the Crap Days 6 and 7

I’ve lost more days. I need to write more than this… because I liken this blog to a pressure relief valve. If I don’t write, the pressure builds. What kind of pressure, you ask? ALL kinds of pressure. Writing makes that all easier to deal with.

As a side note, I’m not sure if it’s the eating better or the writing, but I seem to have much more clarity recently. I have a focus I didn’t have before. Don’t know what that means, but I’m embracing it.

So… How did I cut the crap these past few days? Well, my family and I are eating better. For desert the other night we had fresh mangoes. For dinner we had homemade turkey burgers will real cheese. In fact, the bread on which we placed said burger patties was the only thing that wasn’t “fresh”. Store-bought bread usually lasts longer than the bread I make in the bread machine at home… and I rarely bake in the summer.

AND that brings me to my next idea. Should I bake my own bread every few days? I love homemade bread, but I’m not sure how much time I really have for this. The ingredients are simple, and the recipe is easy for basic white bread. This would get rid of the preservatives, most certainly. AND it would taste better… but I estimate I’d have to bake at least twice a week. If not more.

Now I’m off to eat steak and potatoes for lunch. Not too shabby, eh?

Days 3-5

So much for writing every day. Hopefully I can get back on track with that.

We went over budget on groceries this weekend. However, most of that “overflow” was due to extra things we need at the moment: better bathroom storage, chlorine for the pool, laundry detergent & fabric softener. However, I am pleased to say that I only spent $30 @ Sprouts! I got a pretty large variety of fresh fruit, some dry goods (rice & beans), and ingredients to make salads for the week. Overall, I think I did pretty well. If we can stick closer to our budget, then I think we’ll be doing fine.

As an aside, we had pizza and Taco Bell this weekend, too. So much for cutting the crap there. I am doing my best to eat better today, though. AND I’ve decided that I will eat breakfast at work to leave more breakfast goodies for my family to eat. It isn’t the most healthy choice since my employer provides bagels and cream cheese every morning except Tuesday. BUT hopefully it will make the cereal/eggs/poptarts last a little longer if I’m not eating them.

Do I sound pathetic yet? I’m beginning to think I can’t commit to and/ or stick to anything.

Day 2

So while thinking of what I should write today, I thought, “What is the opposite of crap?” That’s profound only in a Beavis and Butthead sort of way, but really, what is the opposite? If crap is something we don’t need in our lives, then could its opposite be everything we DO need in our lives?

What would be your absolute must haves for daily living?

Cut The Crap - Day 1

I was inspired by the movie Julie and Julia to write this blog. I know that’s fairly unoriginal, and I apologize for that. Still, like most people who need to write, I’ll take inspiration anywhere I can get it. This blog will chronicle a journey, and I hope to write something – even if it’s drivel – every day.

My first idea was to chronicle my family’s move from processed, preservative-laden foods (i.e. CRAP) to a simple, healthy diet of fresh fruits, vegetables, and meats. I think I’ll still do that, but given that my husband lost his job last week, I might also chronicle how we’re cutting other extraneous crap from our lives... you know… in order to make ends meet without putting us on the street.

So here’s a little background (and I’ll try to keep it short).

• My husband and I have been married for nearly 15 years. I weighed 125 when we got married. Rob weighed 215. We now weigh 170 and 285, respectively. As you can see, 15 years have really packed on the pounds.
• We have two beautiful children, aged 5 years and 9 months. Our kiddos are healthy and thriving without any weight issues. I chalk that up to high metabolism and an active lifestyle for them… at least for the 5 year old. J
• Rob wants to go back to school, and he was actually hoping to drop to part time before the work-rug was pulled from under his feet.
• Without telling you how much I make, our mortgage = one of my paychecks each month. I only get two.
• We have no credit cards. We have no daily Starbucks habit. We aren’t overpaying for cable/internet/phone (my company reimburses me $50/mo for my internet anyway). I have a Crackberry that I use for work, and even though I’m not currently being reimbursed for that, it really does help my productivity. We already have cheap car insurance, AND we have no car payment (YAY!).

So now we’re at this crossroads. I wanted to get rid of all the “non fresh” food in our cupboards and fridge and then start with “fresh” stuff. But, given the money situation, I’m not sure that’s a wise move. We’ll be eating what’s in the cupboards and the fridge, and replace all of that with fresh, more natural foods as we go. And what about other things? What can I actually cut that will make the one-income calamity more easy to weather?

Do you guys have any ideas? Suggestions?