If food was money: Budget vs. Plan

You go on a diet. Money goes on a budget.

Budget is an ugly word. Remove a lower curve and a suspiciously French T and y'got 'Pudge'. There has been a lot of life changes the past three months that I've referred to obliquely, most of which are outside the scope of this blog. However, one of them is strangely simpatico with the rhythm and reasoning of what I write here.

I do not refer to the weekly emissions of blotivating and poorly researched "Google-thinkin'" essays about food, but the food diary I keep that follows below it. (I know, you don't read it, I don't blame you.) The purpose of writing it and putting it up to public consumption/ridicule is that it keeps me honest. It's easy to snarf down an extra thousand calories of chips here, an extra 800 calories of cookies there without thinking twice and forgetting it the next day. However, when you know whatever goes in your mouth has to be written down before its forgotten, then you think twice. And when you sit down at the end of the week to figure out your average calorie consumption, you reflect on what is good or bad about your habits, both food-wise and whatever triggered it.

The most boring plan ever.

"Budget" is harsh. It delimits what you can spend.  It's a negative, it implies going without. A budget is a diet, and we all know all diets either fail or become....an eating plan for life, forever more. "Plan"is kinder. It says what you plan to do, and allows for a certain flexibility. I've realized that while I've started with a calorie budget to force me to lose weight, it has been evolving to more of an eating plan where I use hard-earned wisdom in determining what (and how much) I consume. I guess that's why despite my regularly busting my calorie budget the last few months through the harsh winter, my weight has hovered stably.

Since the new year, I resolved to start treating my finances as an adult. Despite never really having any money issues up to this point, I do have young kids whose expenses are my expenses. Just as their existence has been inspiring me to get a grip on my health and fitness, it has also inspired me to take measures to make sure I can always provide for them, and provide well. Haughtily, I thought, I don't want to budget...hmmm, but can I plan?

Me, a few months ago.

There is a lot of apps out there to help people lose weight. I've experimented with "My Fitness Pal" and a few others, and found them all frustrating. Most foods aren't in there, or aren't particularly accurate. Calorie counting is such mushy science -- no one really agrees on the energy content of most foods, and I've just had to muddle through. Vibing the official calories crossed with reducing portion sizes, recalibrating macronutrients and food groups to trustworthy nutritional thinking and paying attention to how my body responds; all these factors just don't have an app yet that can handle them.

Magical Canadian Eyebrow Man & alternative nutrition guru: NOT a source of trustworthy nutritional thinking.

While a restaurant pizza's calorie value might be shrouded in mystery, how much your going to pay after tax and tip is not. Just as I've used this blog to manually record every thing I eat and it's caloric values, I've been using the software/app combo "You Need a Budget" to manually record every penny in and out, to get a clear picture of what my financial life is like. The clarity and good feelings I get from finally getting a handle on my eating has now bled over to my bills, statements and stubs (and soon several new accounts, insurance policies and maybe even a property). I don't quite have a budget so much as a clearer plan for spending, saving and goals. I feel very lucky to have figured this out without having an emergency prompt me, and it's the concept of a "calorie budget vs. eating plan" that brought me there.

I've lost 45 pounds so far over 2 years. It's taken some focused planning, educating, investing, moderation and trying new things. Before I tried, they idea of even bothering to try to lose weight seemed too big and overwhelming to even try. I was wrong. Will growing 45 pounds worth of savings and assets to appreciate now and pass along to my children be that much different?

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WEEKLY AVERAGE: 2602

Monday was a day on an airplane. Didn't record it as I was enjoying vacation-brain, but I did pull back on the eating, simply from a sense of responsibility and guilt.

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TUESDAY COUNT: 2155

SLEPT: 8pm-4am, 8 hrs
Jetlag coming back is easy to get over. Slept 8 hardcore hours of sleep, despite the usual wiggly toddler sleeping by my side.

AM SNACK: 4:15am, iced green tea, 0 cal

BREAKFAST: 7am, apple/beet/celery/carrot/cayenne/cucumber/ginger juice, 160 cal

BREAKFAST 2: 8:45am, Fage whole yogurt with honey, vanilla and almonds, 285 cal

LUNCH: 1pm, falafel, chicken mushroom soup, health salad, pickles, 530cal

PM SNACK: 3 pm, momma salad, pistachios from Grazebox, 200 cal

PM SNACK: 4:30pm, poppa salad with bottled ranch dressing, 120 cal

DINNER: 6:30pm, whole wheat spagetti with homemade tomato sauce and grated cheese, broiled asparagus, 560 cal
Ran out of fish, need a Costco run desperately. Carb-heavy protein-light dinner sure, but it's not a new habit, and a nice departure from the regular that kept within budget.

EVENING SNACK: 7pm, cheetos, 300 cal

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WEDNESDAY COUNT: 3045

SLEPT: 9:15pm-4am, 6.75 hrs
Good day, but so hungry in the evening, real physical hunger, not from stress, or lack of sleep, or emotional turmoil. I think a resolution for next month is to measure these snacks properly, that'll probably shrink 'em. Don't think I should eliminate them, as they keep me sane, but they should stand up to scrutiny.

AM SNACK: 4:15am, iced green tea, 0 cal

BREAKFAST: 7am, apple/beet/celery/carrot/cayenne/cucumber/ginger juice, 160 cal

BREAKFAST 2: 10am, Steel cut oatmeal, 300 cal

LUNCH: 1pm, chicken meatballs, steamed string beans, Madras lentils,pickles, 680 cal

PM SNACK: 3 pm, momma salad, with black pepper rice crackers from , 205 cal

PM SNACK: 5pm, poppa salad with  bottled ranch dressing,  120 cal

PM SNACK: 5:30pm, cashews, 330 cal

DINNER: 8:15pm, shirataki stir fry with shrimp, shitaki mushrooms and oyster sauce, 360 cal 

EVENING SNACK: 8:30pm, cheetos, 300 cal

EVENING GORGE: 9pm, peanut butter & chocolate syrup, +/- 600 cal
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THURSDAY COUNT: 2420

SLEPT: 11pm-4am, 5 hrs
Good work out in the morning, felt strong. Nice dinner at a friend's house, worth the calories.

AM SNACK: 4:15am, iced green tea, 0 cal

BREAKFAST: 7am, apple/beet/celery/carrot/cayenne/cucumber/ginger juice, 160 cal

BREAKFAST 2: 10am,  Fage whole yogurt with honey, vanilla and almonds, 285 cal

LUNCH: 1pm, tofu and grilled onions deglazed in wine with sirracha, quinoa, roasted brussels, pickles, 815 cal

PM SNACK: 3 pm, momma salad, with cheesy crackers from , 240 cal

PM SNACK: 5pm, poppa salad with  bottled ranch dressing,  120 cal

DINNER: 7:45pm, shrimp dumplings, pork & chive dumplings, scallion pancake, small slice of homemade poundcake, +/- 800 cal
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FRIDAY COUNT: 2790

SLEPT: 9:30pm-4am, 6.5 hrs
Woke up feeling pleasantly slightly sore from yesterday's lift. In honor of spring, washed all my windows inside and out before the sun came up.

AM SNACK: 4:15am, iced green tea, 0 cal

BREAKFAST: 7am, apple/beet/celery/carrot/cayenne/cucumber/ginger juice, 160 cal

BREAKFAST 2: 9am,  fruit smoothie, 400 cal

LUNCH: 1pm, almond butter & grape jelly on whole wheat, roasted brussels, pickles, 610 cal

PM SNACK: 3 pm, momma salad, with smokey crackers from graze box , 220 cal

DINNER 1: 5:30pm, 1 slice of pizza, a few bites of cake, +/- 400 cal

DINNER 2: 8pm, tasting menu at Le Cirque, no wine, +/- 1000 cal