I see it and frankly I am thrilled!! Today is officially the last day of my family’s month long food stamp challenge. You would think I was dying to go shopping and spend up a storm, but I am not really, except we are almost out of milk and I want desperately to buy organic milk. I am most excited about being able to access my regular pantry for peanut oil, olive oil etc.. and to see my regular weekly shipment of delicious organic fruits and vegetables appear on my doorstep tomorrow morning.
At the beginning of the month I weighed myself and I have gained just short of four pounds during the challenge. This is a very sobering thought because I realize that if I lived this way for a year I may gain 50 pounds!!! Why did this happen? I am not completely sure except that my regular diet which consists mostly of fruits and vegetables, fish and a little dairy was just about free of fruits and vegetables. Curiously I do not feel like I ate 14,000 excess calories this month but surely my slower than normal metabolism (that my doctor likes to refer to as “efficient”) protested the onslaught of all things white and not so wonderful. In another post I call out what we had for dinner each day and most days I had a sandwich for lunch with maybe a banana or apple and some days a little yogurt. Honestly if I have to see another sandwich I am going to cry! Breakfast was usually a coffee that I made at home (4 shots of espresso and half a cup of steamed 1% milk) and a few times I had oatmeal too. I don’t feel like I ate with sheer abandonment, although I know that on the whole my diet was not very healthy. I have felt tired and cranky and I know that I have not fuelled my body well (sorry body) over the last month.
The food I had available was not appealing to me since I had to eat what my children would eat (remember Liam dislikes vegetables) because I could not afford to make two separate meals. I will NEVER complain about making two separate meals again…
Suzi, Cori, and your families,
Wow–I just read all your blogs–a little late to the party–but wow–I so appreciate your efforts, your dedication, your hard work and the willingness of your families to join you on this experience. It certainly vividly brings home to each of us the food issues in our country–way too many to discuss here. I have to admit I felt guilty not doing this with you. I rationalized I did not want to impact my food-loving Italian-American husband and my 89 yr. old mom that lives with us. I think the real truth is I couldn’t bare not to have my daily Starbucks, and all the other good food and eating out that we do all the time.
You guys are amazing. Neva