[NESunshine]

So this was just something I noticed this morning. Before I started my 'quest' I was the queen of takeout....breakfast, lunch and dinner....but the most often meal was breakfast...bagels w/cream cheese, egg and cheese sandwiches, XL coffees with cream and sugar, grilled ham and cheese croissants etc. Basically if it came in a wrapper and could be eaten en route to work on the train that was what I ate. I haven't stopped for anything except the occasional small coffee with skim milk and maybe one bagel (wheat with light cc) in about 3 months. This morning on the train I noticed almost half the train eating out of paper...all women, and not necessarily overweight women...all pretty much average size. It seems I've become more aware of other people 'on the go eating' ...of how many people really do eat take out on the run...something I never noticed when it was a daily thing for me...all I could hear was the wrapper crinkling of bagels, donuts, McDonald's breakfast sandwiches etc. I could literally hear their arteries hardening! I realized...wow...I'm 70 or so pounds overweight still but still at this point after cutting these foods out of my diet I'm probably in better health than these 'thinner' women. It just reassured me that this is not just about weight its about overall health....the weight will come off in time and is really just a perk of a the healthy lifestyle I'm going for....I'm glad I get up 15 minutes earlier so I will have time for a healthy breakfast at home....and wow...my bank account is happier too! Doing out the math I realized I was probably spending at least $200 during the work week alone between breakfast, coffee breaks, lunch, after work drinks etc. Now I spend half that at the grocery store! Anyway noticing all of the wrapper crinkling really frightened me a little this morning so I thought I'd share

[rockinrobin]

Good observation Sunshine. I notice things like that too. It's soo funny. I am eating so healthy now. Meal after meal, day after day, so on and so on. I DO eat healthier then my "skinny" friend, and then I get to thinking "So if I'm eating so much better then them, why aren't I as SKINNY as them" and then boom, I remember it's because - ummm Hellloooo, I didn't start eating this way until AFTER I had gone up to 287 lbs and I've got more then a bit of catching up to do or should I say catching DOWN.

[boaterswife]

I was actually just thinking about this the other day. It used to be the norm for me to run through McD's and grab a bacon/egg/chesse bagel in the morning. If we were running late, some one was hungry, or whatever, zip through a drive up. Oh, dinners going to be late tonight? I better grab a burger. I'd estimate I'm saving about $20-$25 a week, just by making sure there's a healthy snack in the counsol of my car. Last night at dinner DS asked me when the last time was that I pigged out on fast food.....July, 2006. What a realization that was!

[NotTheCheat]

I used to stop at Dunkin Donuts (there is one right on my way to work) almost daily and now I can't remember the last time I was in there. The other thing is that my car is so much cleaner. I almost never eat in it anymore and so I don't have to worry about wrappers, bottles, etc.

[lilybelle]

I used to always hit a drive through for breakfast on my way home from work. I'd also order food during the night with my co-workers. If I was too tired to cook I'd pick up KFC for dinner for the family. I have noticed now that healthy eating really is saving me money. Last week after paying bills I had $300.00 left. I have only spent $15.59 this whole week and it was on canned food for my puppies. Today is payday and I had money leftover. This sure didn't ever happen before. When I buy groceries, I always think how expensive it is, but in the long run, it's way cheaper than eating out and having junk food.

[NESunshine]

ahhh Dunkin Donuts.... I pass about 16 on my way to work...there is literally one on every corner...and another 7 in the other direction on my way to the gym, which is scary cause the gym is only about a mile from my house. I don't even look twice. My major downfall breakfast sandwich was from the cafe right outside my work...bacon egg and cheese on what we called a 'phatty english muffin'....literally the size of my head...I'd top it off with a large full fat latte.....never again.

[Heather]

Take a look at the grocery carts of the people around you when you go shopping. I may spend more on my fruit and veg, but I'm NOT spending it on all the frozen "quick treats" and "quick meals". We used to buy frozen mozzerella sticks, and other such snacks... not to mention the ice cream...

People say eating healthy is more expensive, and it can be, but if I look at the whole picture (including the stuff I don't grab and go anymore) I find it a wash.

[CyberGypsy]

I do something like that, I go to the supermarkert almost everyother day.....
Now i go once a week.... big change for me

[boaterswife]

Cybergypsy, it's just the opposite for me! I find myself in the store all the time now.....Oops, out of yogurt, don't want to wait till grocery day. No more bananas? Can't have that, stop and get some! Someone ate all the lettuce? We need more NOW! I'm always shopping!

[rockinrobin]

I find myself shopping frequently too. I CAN'T be without my fat free yogurt, cauliflower, lettuce, kirbys, etc... And this stuff is expensive, especially those yogurts. But I would much rather be spending it on produce then processed fast-food. Or the frozen treats that were also mentioned. The good thing about me having to keep my fridge well stocked is that I now WALK to my local produce store, which is about 1/2 mile away.

[CLCSC145]

I was just thinking about this too! I was a fast food addict. That was my binge of choice. I would buy huge amounts of it (sometimes two meals or more) and eat it all myself. The other day I was at the grocery store and the bill was on the high side (I bought them out of non-farmed sockeye salmon!) then it dawned on me that I can't remember the last time I went to an ATM. I would go a few times a week to take out 40, 60, 100 dollars and a lot of it would go towards eating out and fast food.

What a wonderful change!

[CyberGypsy]

I go just maybe 2 times a week.....I seem to do better that way.....lol

[NESunshine]

ohhh cc with the ATM! its soooo true! I would stop in the morning....$for coffee, breakfast, parking & smokes......then for lunch $$....then again for after work since we would go out so often for drinks and bar food...just terrible.
Its amazing how $20 here, $40 there adds up so quick! Not to mention the $2.00-$4.00 fees per withdrawal!
Now I think I've used an ATM maybe 5 times in the last 3 months! I only go out after work if I have a show...which isn't that often now that the busy part of our season is over....and I'm consciously trying to quit smoking but already without really drinking the amount I was smoking dropped drastically.

For example... an estimate of the cost for 3-4 of us going out in downtown Boston....starting somewhere with drinks, moving on somewhere to dinner, moving on somewhere for dessert and more drinks we would easily be dropping $500-$600 a night between us....and thats being nice. I'm seriously finding that I"m left with an extra $500-$600 a month in the bank now then before when i wasn't even breaking even.....and half the nights out went on a credit card...now i'm not making any new charges and am actually making a dent in my debt!

its pretty amazing how all kinds of changes spiral off one as simple as switching to healthy food.

[djs06]

NE i hear you! Those drinks add up.. all the food.. UGH. I was big on the xlarge coffees "light and sweet" and when they started accepting debit cards it was even worse.. my checkbook was unbalanced and I'd go every day since i didn't need cash! Bad idea!!

[Jasmine31]

I do find myself looking at other people's carts as well. I look at them and they are overweight, tired, ragged looking. I look in their cart I see sugary cereal, chips, soda, white enriched bread, corn oil, cookies, etc. It is so sad! I take the bus alot and I wind up talking to someone and invariably the conversation always turns to healthy eating and then I get people jumping in the convo wanting advice! haha I share what I can.