1620 calories

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  • Tybear73
    Tybear73 Posts: 20 Member
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    I've overspent today...by $00.15...Lol my daily allowance is $16.50 :wink:

    I know you were joking about your 15 calories, but I'll use your comment to share another point. So many of us (me especially) can be a bit of a perfectionist with all this. In my life I've been "all or nothing", "black or white", "on or off the wagon"...and when I'm off the wagon, well...this piece of cheesecake is "just another drop in the bucket".

    I know I'm not saying something we all don't already know, but it's a good reminder that the thing about overspending today, is that you get a chance to pay it back tomorrow. ~Sometimes~ when you've gone over, it's wise to think of your calories budget as weekly, rather than daily. This way you don't have to feel like you've failed somehow when you overspend on any one particular "bad" day. Just pay yourself back over the next few days by eating a few calories under your goal (as long as your calories goal is not already at the bare minimum).
  • glasshalffull713
    glasshalffull713 Posts: 323 Member
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    Good advice on the weekly budget, rather than daily. That has definitely saved me some heartache and is a much healthier way to look at things.

    I don't think of it as money, but I do often think of the exercise equivalent. "If I have this cookie, I would have to jog for 30 minutes to cancel it out." Is this cookie worth jogging for an hour? Eh. Cookies aren't that good. Now soft serve ice cream cones, that's another story.
  • Tybear73
    Tybear73 Posts: 20 Member
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    Alas, I tend to be more frugal with my calories than with my cash. :tongue:

    It appears that frugality is paying off! Nice work.
  • PurrlyGirl
    PurrlyGirl Posts: 59 Member
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    Haha, I do the same thing! YES. I have my budget, and I 'spend' on everything I eat. It makes it easier in my mind to stay under my calorie limit, because if you only have $16, you can't spend $17. You have to spend less.
  • FitOldMomma
    FitOldMomma Posts: 790 Member
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    Lol, that is brilliant!

    Now I know for sure I was much better at budgeting my real finances than I was at budgeting my diet. I think I was 'spending' $30.00 or more in order to have become as big as I was. :)
  • Tybear73
    Tybear73 Posts: 20 Member
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    Imagine how much peanut butter I could eat with $16

    I just looked it up. At $0.90 per tablespoon, you could eat exactly 17.78 tablespoons for $16.00. Oh, were you talking REAL money? : )
  • Tybear73
    Tybear73 Posts: 20 Member
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    Haha, I do the same thing! YES. I have my budget, and I 'spend' on everything I eat. It makes it easier in my mind to stay under my calorie limit, because if you only have $16, you can't spend $17. You have to spend less.

    To continue the analogy, yes, we're all on a fixed income. We only get so much to spend each day and when it's gone, that's it. We ALL know what happens when we extend ourselves unearned credit in this area, right? Thank goodness that isn't the end of the story.

    The best part is with a little, or a lot, of physical work we have a way to earn more money. I get to chose exactly what I spend my earnings on and when I want to buy something frivolous there's a way I CAN afford it. To me, that feels empowering and motivating. A much different way to feel about food than any diet I've ever followed or been on, that's for sure.
  • Tybear73
    Tybear73 Posts: 20 Member
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    Free and responsible. YES! Two very good feelings. For WAY too many years of feeling shame, guilt, frustration, limits and embarrassment....I am ALL about feeling good along the way.
  • MscGray
    MscGray Posts: 304 Member
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    It never occurred to me to look at it this way.....it does make sense, and I bet it would help keep me more accountable. Cool idea, thanks for sharing
  • nicola8989
    nicola8989 Posts: 381 Member
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    yay I really like this idea thank you for sharing!
  • brightsideofpink
    brightsideofpink Posts: 1,018 Member
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    It will probably be the only time in my life that a shrinking budget is a good thing!
  • shapefitter
    shapefitter Posts: 900 Member
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    Good advice on the weekly budget, rather than daily. That has definitely saved me some heartache and is a much healthier way to look at things.

    I don't think of it as money, but I do often think of the exercise equivalent. "If I have this cookie, I would have to jog for 30 minutes to cancel it out." Is this cookie worth jogging for an hour? Eh. Cookies aren't that good. Now soft serve ice cream cones, that's another story.

    It's not all about losing. The exercise should be part of your daily life, to keep you healthy, in body and mind.
    I love logging my daily activities, and keep myself accountable by joining groups on MFP. I have gone from 30 min a day to over 6 hours. My weekly burns, total to anything from 3500 kcal to 7000 kcal. I'd hate to loose muscle at my age, especially since women have to work so hard to gain any.
  • glasshalffull713
    glasshalffull713 Posts: 323 Member
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    Good advice on the weekly budget, rather than daily. That has definitely saved me some heartache and is a much healthier way to look at things.

    I don't think of it as money, but I do often think of the exercise equivalent. "If I have this cookie, I would have to jog for 30 minutes to cancel it out." Is this cookie worth jogging for an hour? Eh. Cookies aren't that good. Now soft serve ice cream cones, that's another story.

    It's not all about losing. The exercise should be part of your daily life, to keep you healthy, in body and mind.
    I love logging my daily activities, and keep myself accountable by joining groups on MFP. I have gone from 30 min a day to over 6 hours. My weekly burns, total to anything from 3500 kcal to 7000 kcal. I'd hate to loose muscle at my age, especially since women have to work so hard to gain any.

    I totally agree! I actually love to exercise. I usually do about an hour a day x 5 days/wk. It just helps me to put it in perspective because it's so easy to eat 300 cals vs. expending it. That's all. And, since I am trying to lose weight, I would rather my exercise go towards that than just canceling out food. But I agree, exercise should definitely be part of a healthy lifestyle. It helps reduce my stress, keeps me strong and healthy, less aches and pains, and it's fun and entertaining!
  • ingehooper
    ingehooper Posts: 37 Member
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    thats a really cool way to look at it! I might try that. I mean If you have £16 (im in the uk!) you cant spend £18 as you just dont have it!
  • sarieth05
    sarieth05 Posts: 313 Member
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    I love this! Thanks for sharing. I do find myself saying "I can't afford this!" a lot when I'm talking about food and my budget.
  • Tybear73
    Tybear73 Posts: 20 Member
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    I love this! Thanks for sharing. I do find myself saying "I can't afford this!" a lot when I'm talking about food and my budget.

    As all of you know, losing weight is just as much or more of a mental game as it is a physical one. I spent 30 years thinking about losing weight as punitive and restrictive. I can't eat this, that food is bad and I'm SO hungry.... No more!

    With my daily $16.10 I CAN afford that $5.00 (500 calorie) Mocha Frappuccino treat...however, I chose to not spend that much of my day's allowance on just a treat (that I will enjoy for about 10 minutes). I would much rather, I would prefer, I choose to...(all very empowering, positive statements) spend that on a whole nourishing meal.

    Now tomorrow after that hour long step class where I burned, I mean earned, myself an extra $6.00 (600 calories) if I am still hankering for that Frappuccino....I will and can say YES.

    Better to say, "I can but chose not to afford this", than, "I can't".

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