June 8, 2005
Why do people buy food of a generic brand? Today I had to argue with my mother over which type of cookie dough to get–generic or Nestle Tollhouse–when the price difference for the same amount (18 ounces) was a mere 11 cents. We have tried both, and the brand name is significantly better than the generic. The brand name also comes in a greater variety of flavors, which my mother should be receptive to since she’s obsessed with having nuts in her cookies; generic only comes in chocolate chip. Apparently that’s not worth an extra 0.3 cents per ounce.
Even worse than generic cookie dough is generic frozen food. My mother also insists upon buying this “Great Value” frozen lasagna, which costs about 10 cents per ounce, from Wal-Mart, and she makes it at least one time per week. The picture of the “product” looks absolutely hideous, which is a pretty negative indication, since pictures of packaged food always look much better than the actual food really is; the prepared lasagna has no form whatsoever and is drenched in tomato sauce. For 14 cents per ounce, she could get Stouffer’s frozen lasagna, which, from our experience, is significantly better than the “Great Value” lasagna, as it has form, better flavor, and a more reasonable amount of sauce.
Is five or six dollars really too much money to feed a family of three? I don’t think so. But alas, I can’t get a decent meal since generic crap is available for a dollar less.
June 13, 2004
Today, once again, my wrist has been hurting greatly, causing much difficulty in doing simple tasks such as opening doors or picking objects up. The first possibility for what could be causing this that comes to my mind is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, which is caused by repetitive motions such as those made when using a computer. This is of great concern to me, seeing as CTS can sometimes only be treated with surgery. After reading the symptoms, I’m doubting that I have CTS, as the only symptom of CTS I seem to have is wrist pain. I often sleep in a manner that can cause pain similar to that caused by CTS, so I certainly hope that I do not have CTS.
I would certainly like the chance to talk to somebody who has had CTS such that I may find out how he or she solved the problem, and learn how to prevent it.
May 15, 2004
I’m finally down to my goal of 170 pounds. This allows me to fit in size 34 jeans again at last. Unfortunately, I am still out of shape, and must decide if I want to lose more weight or try doing some exercise, which my weight loss plan includes none of. I will probably try the latter for a while, as I’m tired of starving myself.
April 9, 2004
My new low weight as of today is 180 pounds. This places me just ten pounds away from my goal of 170 pounds. I started out at about 215 pounds back in November. If I can keep losing weight at my current rate, I’ll be to my goal by the middle of next month.
One of the best things about my weight loss achievement is that I am not using any pills, patches, or low-carb diets. My success has come through a calorie-counting diet that I formed by reading SoYouWanna’s weight loss guide. This gives me the freedom to eat just about anything I want to eat (which will never include bunless burgers).
