Simply for Life: Menu Number 1

OK, so i got my menu today (which i won't be posting specifics about as I assume its very "classified") and I think its only fair to share my thoughts as they progressed.

First, since my meeting with Bruce on Friday I have been excited about what to expect. I really did not do my homework on this one and should have had a lot more questions in my first session than I asked (a function of winning the prize instead of signing up i think).

So the biggest thing I did not know was how detailed would the menu be? Suggestions of meals? specifics? variety? i really had no idea.

So I didn't get my menu until Saturday afternoon by logging on at a friends house and have learnt one big lesson..DON'T LOOK AT IT AT ALL UNTIL YOU HAVE TIME TO REALLY LOOK AT IT. My first impression was that there were lots of foods on the list I disliked. I realized i should have submitted an appendix with my dislike section as there are lots of foods we probably all dislike that we don't see much so don't think of (for example I have tried tofu, strongly dislike tofu and think it is not a "real food"). I noticed a lack of junk food, greasy meat and breads...so when I saw tofu, tofutti, canned tomatoes..... I thought - great... here I go...Shirley is probably in.......

The menu was also not suggestive, but explicit. It said the exact foods I would be eating for the next 7 days each and every meal (leaving me the choice on which three days to eat breakfast #2 and the other four days are breakfast #1 for example). And as a logical person I unfortunately see numerous ways to interpret some of the statements in it (is it the same 4 meals, or could i pick 2-1-1 from the choices to make my four ---- i went with a picked meal was picked for 4 [or 3] days). Then I went out to think about it at a "last" family dinner which had been planned a while ago for my daughters birthday (I had a chicken wrap which I though was probably not so bad compares to a panzerotti).

Eventually I got to my office, printed the menu and grocery list (don't find the list useful as it includes everything and depends how you interpret the menu) and headed to the grocery store.

This was a nightmare. YOU CAN NOT GO TO THE GROCERY STORE WITH THE MENU AS IT COMES. You need to plan your choices and cut down the suggested item. I will be assigning a menu to grocery list converter to my programming students this term now. On top of this - these are parts of the grocery store I do not go to.

Well we were shopping for more than one hour.... often because I was changing my choices on the fly and I needed everything... but actually, except for an item I could not find (Metamucil fiber wafers) and an item I assume is not there (dry white wine) I was shocked to spend only $76.92 for a weeks full meals. I mean I usually spend $12 a night on a meal since I'm busy and used to easily spend $10 a day at Tim's. Not to mention the normal $100-150 grocery bill. I did also, however, spend $60 on other related items for the kitchen (scale, spice rack) and $40 on gym clothes... but that just breaks me even for the normal week.

So tomorrow I begin...if i can find my soup pot!!!