The posts below are taken from what I now consider my middle journey, about 1/3 of the way into my weight loss goals.

Day 70

Went out for a wonderful New Year’s Day breakfast with Jerry. Since I racked up so many calories at breakfast I had a small bowl of soup for lunch and my shake for supper. I feel satisfied. Isn’t it amazing I’m starting to feel satisfied with so much less food?

Added up my miles for December. I walked 64.44 miles in that one month! I’m thrilled.                          ~ January 1, 2013

Day 71

Frozen Mango and papaya. At first I used smaller individual bags and froze in 1 cup servings. Now I freeze in 1/2 cup servings so I can mix more flavors without having too much. I also wrap the fruit in plastic wrap and only use one larger Ziploc bag. Always looking to save $$. (The only caveat here is that blueberries tend to freeze better in individual bags because they are so round that they break out of the plastic and roll around.)

This is embarrassing. I said I prayer, and when God answered I was too dense (at first) to see the answer right in front of my eyes.

Here’s what happened. I’ve wished for frozen mango to go in my shakes at lunch but didn’t want to spend the money with everything so tight right now. So I said a little mango prayer, letting the Lord know my desire.

Today I went to the discount food place. I was IN MY CAR driving away when I realized there was a whole flat of an unfamiliar fruit. I went back in, “uh . . . are those mangos?”

Honestly, I’d never bought one whole, only cut up and frozen in a bag!  The discount place was about to close, and there were a whole flat of mangos left that needed quick attention, so they gave them to me.

Tonight I peeled, cubed, and froze 22 cups of mango, wrapped individually. That’s 22 meals when I can add tang to my shake! I also prepared 3 pomegranates and froze some papaya and pears that needed to be used quickly before they were old. It feels super good to have healthy, low calorie food frozen and waiting.

Real Time Update:
Some people say that eating healthy is cheaper than eating poorly. At our house I was already cooking from scratch and mostly avoiding processed food when I began trying to lose weight and eat more healthy foods. To take it up a notch with more fresh fruits and vegetables and plenty of protein has NOT been cheaper. But between prayers and a willingness to work, there has been provision beyond my budget.

What About You?

Do you have any tricks to eat well and not break the bank?

Tagged: freezing fruit, health, healthy eating, mangos, miracles, prayer, provision, weight loss