The High Price of Cheap Food

I read an article titled "Getting Real About the High Price of Cheap Food" today which I recommend you take a look at if you're interested at all in your food. Unfortunately, the article doesn't go beyond the content of The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan, except for an example of sustainable ranching and maybe some updated statistics. It's still worthwhile as an introduction to the subject, though.

Dispute: "No one goes to farmers' markets for bargains" (p. 4). Ummm... I do. Maybe the author means that per average calorie farmers' market food is more expensive than grocery store food? Because I find that farmers' market produce is less expensive and higher quality than grocery store, but maybe that's specific to my choices.

I liked this paragraph (p. 2):

So what's wrong with cheap food and cheap meat — especially in a world in which more than 1 billion people go hungry? A lot. For one thing, not all food is equally inexpensive; fruits and vegetables don't receive the same price supports as grains. A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that a dollar could buy 1,200 calories of potato chips or 875 calories of soda but just 250 calories of vegetables or 170 calories of fresh fruit. With the backing of the government, farmers are producing more calories — some 500 more per person per day since the 1970s — but too many are unhealthy calories. Given that, it's no surprise we're so fat; it simply costs too much to be thin.

Pretty shocking! Kyle is definitely on the high calorie/$ side of things and I am on the low - I've noticed that $50 of groceries for me is three or four bags and for him it fills his whole trunk.

Time to Step Up the Steps

I weighed in yesterday morning at 147 lbs. Turns out eating ice cream several times a week is not good for dieting, especially when once I start it feels so hard to stop! At least my backslide wasn't huge. I still have hope for being 141 lbs by the end of August, but it will take renewed commitment to the calorie limits as well as some exercise!

Speaking of which, I read today's Time article on how exercising may actually be counterproductive for weight loss. The argument seems to be that when you vigorously exercise you get hungrier, and the additional calories you consume will probably meet or exceed the calories you burn off working out (there are studies to corroborate this, or at least some version of it). I appreciate what the article is arguing, but I'm not going to follow its advice. Some days when I work out I feel hungrier than if I hadn't, but I'm conscious of those impulses and I am careful to eat anywhere near what I just burned off. I read a different article some time ago that said that people can lose weight either by cutting calorie intake or by working out, but I think that was assuming fixed calorie consumption (like if you're normally eating 2000 cals per day, one group eats only 1500 cals and one still eats 2000 cals but burns 500 cals by working out).

Also, so far this month I've gone out twice, spending a total of $23.61. One-third of my eating-out budget gone in less than one-third of the month - better be careful.

Candace Cameron on Weight Loss/Maintanance

Candance Cameron, who played "DJ" on Full House, had a column on a Christian Women's online newspaper that I was browsing through today. Turns out she talks a bit about her weight loss from when she was a young adult and maintaining it in her adulthood. She was featured in an US Weekly magazine several months ago - check out the cover and her columns on weight loss here. It's pretty solid, standard advice but it's nice to see a real-life example! Also, she's the same height as I am - and her starting point is my current end point goal. :)