the working poor diet

Making It Work

2010-02-23T19:20:00.002-07:00

We are on the home stretch..... spending my last bit of money in the grocery store with a predetermined meal in mind I picked up ground beef, a small can of beans and peanut butter..... I made chili and it turned out great :-) (I didn't add the pb) seem like lots of flavor, I still have quite a bit of basics left, dried beans, rice, barley, flour, bok choy, corn (things I thought I'd run out of). I'm set for the week :-) I don't foresee a need to pick up anything else for the week which is good as my $80 is spent. I am baking my last loaves of bread and can't wait to try it out once it is cooled.

Last week and this week my energy levels have been quite low. I've felt, just exhausted. It has been tiring just thinking about food and cost so often and avoiding temptation. I have lost 3lbs which isn't a significant amount but I don't know if I can directly contribute it to the diet either. I walk to and from work which is about 5.5 km a day. I live downtown and did all my shopping downtown too. As some of you know groceries tend to be more expensive and there isn't much opportunity to buy in bulk which can be costly when on a budget. Sales and coupons are a must.

Why are there no coupons for necessities? Is it because there is subsidies from the government in most of the industries the products are from? Is $2.50 - 3.50 each a reasonable amount for bread, eggs and milk? And what about soy? it comes from a bean, the process (thanks to avid readers and bloggers) I've found out is to boil, de-shell (which is more or less done in the boiling process), strain and add a little sweetener...... does it really have to cost twice the amount of milk?

Today's intake:

snack1: 1 serving barley, 1 serving corn
snack2: 2 servings chili (2 meats and alternatives, 1 veggie)
snack3: 2 serving pasta, 1 serving veg
snack4: 3 servings veg
snack5: 2 bread
snack6: TBD

4 cups of tea, 2 cups of soy, 6 cups of water

My last $20 is spent

2010-02-22T13:16:00.006-07:00

On the weekend, I spent my last few dollars. Twenty dollars didn’t get me much, just some oranges, bananas, pears, chicken, bread and milk. Once again it was a longer shopping trip than it needed to be. It took about 90 minutes to make choices between what I really wanted, what I could afford and what is good for me. I wanted to buy tomatoes, lettuce, carrots, cheese, olives, strawberries, blackberries, nuts, yoghurt and procioutto, but my budget wasn’t having any of that.

When I was at the checkout, my cell phone rang and a friend asked me what I was doing. I replied, “Spending my last $20 for the month.” I could feel everyone standing in the lineup staring at me. And as I had calculated in my head, my bill came to $19.32.

I walked out of the store with my four plastic bags disappointed because I didn’t buy anything that excited me. You know that feeling when you leave the shop and you can’t wait to get home to rip into that bag of chips, that smoothie drink, that block of cheese? I didn’t have that feeling. No impulsive purchases for me.

Don’t get me wrong, I am grateful to be eating chicken for the first time all month and those oranges are going to be a welcoming burst of citrus in my mouth, but I have nothing to add spice to my mundane meals. Not even a tip of an asparagus tip to have with my chicken. Some corn would have been nice. Oh, how I love frozen peas too.

Adding some variety to my meals is my main challenge this week. Last year, I did a lot more experimenting with my meal planning. This year, I feel like I’ve been defeated by the rice, potatoes and a busy work schedule. So as I type this I'm scouring the internet for two-ingredient recipes. This evening, I'll probably do some variation on this Slow Cooked Stuffed Cabbage dish. I'll let you know if it turns out and if it doesn't, i'll still have to eat it. Can't throw out food at this stage.

Exercise and Energy Levels

2010-02-18T10:01:00.002-07:00

When I did this challenge last year, I did not exercise. I actually stopped working out altogether for the month of February. This year, I have aimed to maintain my exercise routine (doing p90x, ukrainian dancing and playing volleyball)

Up until this past weekend, I was dong alright. My energy levels were fairly high and I was able to maintain my workouts. I also was able to maintain the intensity of each workout, without feeling sore afterwards. This week things took a different turn.

During my regular Monday workout I was doing well until I took a small break in the halfway point. I found it hard to push myself through the remainder and once I finished (2 exercises early) I felt extremely sick. I layed on the bathroom floor for 30 minutes and felt so weak. The following day I was extremely sore. Not just normal soreness, but almost pain. This is not something I have ever felt before. But I can contribute it to the diet and the exhaustion that comes with it.

I guess when doing something like this you cannot push you body to the extreme in multiple ways. I am eating a lot less than I normally would, but pushing my body harder at the same time. It is hard to give up the exercise, but I just don't know if I have the energy to do it.

What I have eaten today:

breakfast: 2 servings oatmeal, glass of milk, and 1 whole wheat bun with 1 serving peanut butter

No such thing as a free ride

2010-02-15T13:46:00.003-07:00

Nearly every day someone tries to push free food on us. They seem a bit disappointed, a bit disgusted when we refuse to eat a free pasta, sandwiches, morning donuts and the likes. Low income earners wouldn’t turn down a free meal, they remind us. I don’t argue because that’s not my point.

We are trying to make this a real challenge. We want to experience the physical and mental anguish that those less fortunate face on a daily basis. Sure they may be offered a free meal from time to time, but I’m certain there are longer stretches when they aren’t offered any free meals. We want to experience those frequent, longer periods when our $80 is all you have for the month.

Those same co-workers who persuade us to eat free food also fail to realize that employers who pay their workers minimum wage aren’t likely to provide lunches for their co-workers. There’s a reason why they pay their workers low wages. They can’t afford to pay them more, let alone shell out lunch and donuts. I’ve worked for a small companies and larger companies. Most of my friends work for large corporations. When meetings are scheduled over lunch, lunch is often provided. When your boss wants to show his appreciation for a job well done, lunch is provided. It you’re working for $6 an hour, I highly doubt your boss is going to take you out for lunch to thank you for working overtime that week.

1:50 p.m. It's Family Day today, so I work up rather late and haven't eaten anything yet.
Breakfast: nothing
Lunch: nothing
Dinner: 2 cups of rice and three small beef meatballs.
1 cup of milk, 1 orange

Working, cooking, cooking, working

2010-02-11T20:06:00.003-07:00

As I putter around my kitchen making bread and thinking about what I want to eat, I realize I have to cook...... but I'm hungry now. I do have some premade meals but I prefer to take those to work so I guess that leaves me one choice, I'll cook. 2 more days until I go to the grocery store so my choices are limited I'll make rice and eggs with some vegetables :-) and two cups of soy to tie me over until it is ready.

I have $10.00 to spend for this week ahead, I need veggies, fruit, soy and some meat. That is big streach for $10.00 I hope there are some great deals this week. This must be a very common issue on $80.00 a month. I feel like those commercials were they show someone picking shelter over food. I'm really wondering if I can do it. We will see.

Today's meals

breakfast - 2 servings of wheatabix
snack 1 - 2 servings bread
lunch - 1 serving beans, 1 servings corn and 1 serving bok choy
snack - 1 serving pork
snack - 2 servings soy
supper - 1 serving rice, 2 servings eggs, 1 serving peas
snack - 2 servings bread (once it is done cooking)
6 cups water, 2 cups tea, 1 serving juice

I want candy

2010-02-10T23:16:00.003-07:00

So my last post was about temptation. Well, it hasn't been going away. I still want candy, and chocolate and cakes. I don't really understand it either. The first time we did this diet, I did not crave all the delicious things I was missing. So why am I this time around? I just don't get it.

I went to a networking event for work tonight. I ate before I went, so I wasn't hungry, but there was so much free food and alcohol. I did not eat or drink anything, but I didn't realize how hard business development and networking is without a stiff drink in one's hand. My how the conversations flow more freely when the inhibitions disappear. Not the case when one is standing within a circle of wine glasses, sipping tap water with a garnish of lemon. It really is a different world altogether. (and yes I did suck that lemon dry)

Aside from these delicious encounters, I have noticed something rather useful. Prices change dramatically in every store from week to week. Now, I always knew that prices change frequently, but I lost all excitement for romaine lettuce when I saw that it jumped from 77 cents a head to $1.68 the next week. Way to go supply and demand and all that economic crap. (insert thumbs down here)

It must be extremely difficult for people to gauge how much to spend each week. Or what happens when you are almost out of money for the month, or are waiting to get paid? Its not like the grocery store is going to offer you its best prices. You really do have to be on top of the flyers all the time. Not to mention having to pay a visit to the stores at least once a week. So who from the working poor really has the time to do that?

What I ate today:

Breakie: 2 servings oatmeal, 1 whole wheat bun with 2 tbsp peanut butter
Lunch: soup(chicken and bok choy - 2 servings bok choy) with 2 servings rice
Snack: Grapefruit and kiwi
Dinner: Shepherd's pie (3 veg, 1 meat), 2 servings rice, 2 servings milk

Participation: Get in the action, not

2010-02-09T23:20:00.007-07:00

Growing up in the 80s, Hal Johnson and Joanne McLeod were the epitome of healthy living to me. Sandwiched between my Saturday morning cartoons, I’d watch their short Body Break infomercials, hanging on to every word they preached. Hal in his short shorts and Joanne sporty her big eighties hair reminded the coach-potato generation that a complete exercise program was important for strengthening our cardiovascular system and building strong bones. Throw in a few tips about following a healthy balanced diet, guided by the Canada Food Guide, and your life was complete, healthwise that is. Whether people choose to live that way or not, few would disagree with Hal and Joanne.

I’ve been trying to exercise regularly while on this challenge but I’m finding that I don’t have enough energy to sustain the required one-hour a day. I had no problems ice-skating on the first day, but of course I was living off the fat of the land, burning off all the junk that I dumped into my body days before the diet started. By Feb. 5, a 15-minute game of laser tag left me feeling light-headed and thankful that I had arrived late and had missed the first two games. Today’s ice-skating adventure lasted 15 minutes before I was defeated by exhaustion, hunger pains and zero tolerance for the winter sport that I normally enjoy.

I can’t imagine how difficult it would be to work a strenuous job where you had to be on your feet all day. I’m lucky I’m a desk-jockey who sits at computer all day. How would one concentrate and stay focused?

I’m determined to figure out a way to fit exercise into this challenge so I’ll have to adjust my diet. I’ll probably fuel up on more potatoes, rice and whole-grains. High on my priority list is meat, if I can afford it. Certainly, I will have to make choices. What’s going to go? Fruits? Milk?

Breakfast
1 cup of oatmeal
1 orange
1 cup of milk

Lunch (I cheated. My explanation to come in my next post.)
mashed potatoes
Gravy
broccoli
Meatloaf

Dinner
Baked potato
meatloaf

Updating the dairy restriction......

2010-02-08T19:46:00.002-07:00

The dairy restriction.... after comparing prices (sigh) in multiple locations and finding out that most places soy sell for double the cost of milk, I am disappointed and on $80.00 this month, $5 - 6 for 2L is not feasible.... but with a little hope I went in one more store and I found a great deal 4L for $4.99 although I've never heard of the brand I thought I couldn't pass it up :-) so in my basket it went. When I got home after my newly found great deal I wanted to try it.......... I was disappointed it is not comparable to my normal brand but it goes down good with a straw and is good in tea and 4L is equal to 16 cups. I'm good for 8 days. I also found a great deal on baby bok choy (0.99) so I cooked it and froze it in portion sizes using muffin tins (equal to 14 portions, wohoo), I think I planed better this week :-)

As Jeff stated we are starting the second week of the diet and I to have faced some temptations too..... Friday night I spent part of my evening with some friends, we normally order out and have a few beverages but last week was different, they ordered the norm and I let them know what I was doing and why and they were very supportive and proud. I ate my noodles and drank water while they ate their meal and drank beverages at first it was a little awkward but it passed and we all enjoyed ourselves. I had a great evening and I fell motivated now that I resisted my firsts major temptation....

snack 1: 2 slices of bread, 1 serving of baked beans
snack 2: 2 slices of bread with 1 serving of PB
snack 3: 3 servings bok choy
snack 4: 2 servings of pasta, 1 1/2 serving of ground pork, 1 serving crushed tomato
snack 5: 1 serving corn and peas
snack 6: TBD
drinks: 2 cups of soy, 3 glasses of water, 2 cups of tea, 2 cups of juice

Temptations...

2010-02-07T22:20:00.003-07:00

I have been very diligent with my food servings over the past week. I have made sure that I have been eating according to the Canada food Guide, getting my correct proportions and trying to ensure that I would have enough food to last my for the rest of the month. I attended a birthday party and ate no cake. I skipped the hot dogs and the beer. I went to a work event, and I skipped the canapes and the free alcohol. I survived all of my temptations. That was until tonight. I caved and ate candy. A whole bag.

I live with temptation surrounding me: cakes, sweets, various meats and soforth. Do the working poor have to deal with so many temptations? I would think so. Seeing people eating whatever they want, whenever they want with no repercussions or afterthoughts. And I empathize because I understand what it is like. Well, I can't say I fully understand because I have only done this for one month in the past, and one week now. But, I do understand to a degree.

Now I just feel guilty, because I feel like I have failed, but I think these challenges are just part in parcel with daily life; they will continue to happen, I have to be more aware and just not give in to the temptation. Lesson be learned I say.

Week two now begins.

breakfast: 2 servings oatmeal, 2 whole wheat buns with 2 tbsp peanut butter

lunch: soup (2 serving bok choy and 1 serving chicken) 2 whole wheat buns

dinner: 1 serving shepherds pie (4 vegetables, 1 serving meat) 2 servings barley, 2 cups milk

snack: 1 grapefuit, 1 kiwi

A letter to the chairman of Superstore

2010-02-04T19:12:00.003-07:00

Tracy Hyatt
The Working Poor Diet
www.theworkingpoordiet.blogspot.com

Galen Weston
Executive Chairman
Loblaw Companies Limited
22 St. Clair Avenue East
Toronto, Ontario
M4T 2S7

February 4th, 2010

Dear Mr. Galen Weston:

For the month of February, I have only $80 to spend on food. By choice, I have joined the thousands of Albertans who feed their families on a limited budget. In fact, 21% of Albertans earn less than $12 per hour in this supposedly wealthy province. I am doing my best to make healthy choices and follow the Canada Food Guide, but there are many obstacles.

Last Sunday, I visited the west end Superstore in Edmonton and was delighted to find romaine lettuce for $0.77. However, one hour later when I visited another Superstore in the city on the north side, the romaine lettuce was $1.68. That's a difference of $0.91. I know that may not seem like a lot of money to you, but for me, this month, $0.91 is two more meals. I visually inspected the more expensive lettuce and it looked the same as the lower-priced lettuce. There was no difference in quality.

Mr. Weston, why does food vary in price from Superstore to Superstore in the same city? Why would Superstore price food higher in an area of the city where household incomes are lower?

Sincerely,
Tracy Hyatt

My restricted diet: no dairy

2010-02-03T21:48:00.005-07:00

It is with great pleasure and excitement I am going to give this challenge 100%. The fact that we are raising money and awareness for the Edmonton food bank is great. I never have really followed the Canadian food guide and thanks to reading and Jeff I am learning quite a bit about basically how to portion food. Good Luck Tracy and Jeff.

I think a bit of a challenge will be fulfilling the dairy category as I am allergic to dairy and I honestly don't eat or drink soy/rice/almond beverages, "cheese" yogurt ect... and comparatively soy products are quite a bit more expensive and some brands are just plain gross......... and expensive to experiment with. But I will put my best foot forward and attempt to fulfill my 2 milk and alternative category daily :-) you may ask how does one get their calcium? veggies, beans salmon, almonds, rice, nuts ect...

I will be clipping coupons and getting them online in the very very near future.

Breakfast snack: 1 serving of rice, 1/2 serving of beans
Lunch: 2 servings of mixed veggies, 1/2 serving chicken
Snack: 2 servings of bread, 2 servings of peanut butter, 2 servings juice
Snack: 1 serving of rice, 1/2 serving of beans, 1 serving of egg, one serving soy
Snack: 1 avocado, 2 servings juice, 1 serving bread
Snack: 3 servings of mixed veggies (corn, peas and carrots) 1 serving of pasta

6 glasses of water and I need a little more balance of the food groups.

Day 3 and doing great.

Although the faces have changed, the hassles are just the same.

2010-02-02T21:26:00.003-07:00

Before Tracy and I had our final chat about venturing into the working poor diet again, I battled the thought in my mind for about a week. Did I really want to put myself through this again? The lack of food. The picture of the thin body I had in my mind. The constant worrying and preparation? It was not an easy decision, but I am glad that I am attempting the Working Poor Diet for a second time. I have a friend from work who joined us this year as well. Good luck Lorianne.

We got up at 6:00 on Sunday morning. I was in bed at 2:30. Not the best idea in the world. I picked up Tracy and we were at Superstore by 7 am. I was so excited that we were there earlier enough to fight off everyone else for the 50% discounted meat. Except to my horror, there was none. There were no pink stickers. No trace of discounted meat. I was so disappointed. We were too early. And so I had to settle for regular priced meat. A sad, but good lesson to learn.

However there was a plethora of 50% vegetables. This brought back a smile to my face. I bought a bag of kiwis, grapefruits, oranges, apples, cauliflower and other fruits and veg all for 50% off. And the produce was in fairly good shape. I think the most exciting find was the 77 cent head of romaine lettuce. They were huge!

We drove to another Superstore to see if there was any meat on sale there, but unfortunately there was nothing. Tracy and I were shocked to see that the heads of romaine were $1.68. What the hell? In a part of the city where we expected to see lower prices, we actually found the majority of prices to be more expensive. Another good lesson: not all stores of the same name have food priced the same. This was not something I encountered much of the first time we did the diet.

This time around, I am aiming to maintain my current weight (as much as possible) because I am finally at a point where I am happy with my body. As such, I am having slightly higher than the recommended 3 servings of meat & alternatives from the Canada Food Guide. I am also maxing out the grains and am going to see what I can do to maintain my weight.

We shall see what happens. Day 2 is now over.

Breakfast: 2 servings oatmeal, 2 whole wheat buns with 1 serving crunchy peanut butter (more calories, protein and fibre than the smooth kind)

Lunch: 2 servings cornmeal, 3 servings sauteed zucchini, 2 servings sauteed mushrooms and 1 roasted chicken thigh, skin on ;)

Snack: 1 grapefruit and 1 kiwi

Dinner: 1.5 cups chili (2 servings veg and 1 .5 servings meat), 2 servings rice, 2 cups milk.

8 glasses of water

No plan in hand

2010-02-01T21:26:00.003-07:00

Yuck, the thought of eating oatmeal every morning for breakfast was enough for me to say no when Jeff asked me if I wanted to do The Working Poor Diet again. But when I thought of the $3,000 we raised for our local food bank last year, I couldn’t say no.

Just like last year, the first day was off to a rough start. I forgot about all the planning that’s involved in trying to make $80 stretch for the entire month. You can’t wing it, which I tried to do this morning. I forgot to wake up early to give myself enough time to make my oatmeal breakfast so I ended up skipping my first meal of the day. You can't just say, "Oh I didn't have time to make my luncn today. I'll buy a sandwich." You simply must go without.

Lunch wasn’t really any better. A slice of whole wheat bread and two apples got me through the workday, but I was starving by about three. For dinner I had one cup of rice and one cup of chili. I think I spend more time thinking about what I’m going to eat than actually eating. As I write this post, my stomach is growling because I forgot to buy something food to snack on. Tomorrow, I'll have to remember to buy a bag of popcorn, but I'm not sure where I'll find the time to get to the grocery store.

I wonder if the planning gets easier when you have to live on a fixed income for a longer period of time than a month. I doubt it. What meals can you make when you open up your fridge and there’s only a head of lettuce, a bag of carrots and a litre of milk?