My Food Stamp Challenge Journey

by Yolanda M. Dockery, Executive Assistant to the Executive Director, Family Investment Administration, Maryland Department of Human Resources

Tuesday 3/11/08
Today is day 2 of the challenge. I’m actually suffering with slight stomach cramps now because I have eaten my breakfast yet and I got in very late last night and only had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for dinner. Under normal circumstances if I got home at 10:00 p.m. or so at night I’d just forfeit dinner and replace it with a late night snack. However, since I’m on the challenge and that was not an option I decided to eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich instead. I was afraid to just go to bed without eating because I hadn’t eaten very much all day and I thought that doing so would set me up for failure today. My menu yesterday consisted of: Jello w/fruitcocktail for breakfast, oodles of noodles for lunch with 4 lemon sandwich cookies and P&J sandwich for dinner. Not too bad. Not too good either but I made it. This morning for breakfast I will have my jello & fruit cocktail again. I decided that in the mornings I’d hold out as long as possible before eating breakfast and that way it wouldn’t be too long between breakfast and lunch. I’ve been drinking lots of water. I REALLY missed all my favorite Turkey Hill drinks and Pepsi yesterday. It’s been water, water and more water. That’s okay though. This morning I put a 2-liter bottle of Pepsi in my refrigerator so it will be nice and cold for next week. J. I haven’t eaten breakfast but I’m already looking forward to lunch. I’m having soup. That should be filling. (I HOPE!) I really tried to put things on my menu that would give me at least a temporary filling. I must admit when making my menu I tried to do whatever I could to stretch my food purchases and have a somewhat fulfilling meal at the same time. Oh my husband is officially out of the challenge. He woke me up last night to ask me if the homemade spaghetti that was in the refrigerator was part of the FS Challenge food. Of course, it was not. Oh yeah, I forgot one thing. My Sister in law told me she was going to participate in the challenge with me. She was all excited she told me how fabulous her menu was and everything. I later talked to her on Fri. I believe at which time she told me she had to go away this week to Atlantic City for her job. I casually reminded her that she needed to take her food and not eat in any of those fancy casinos or restaurants. She told me she didn’t know how she would do that. I haven’t heard from her since. I guess she dropped out. I experienced a similar event myself. I realized that my husband and I have to attend a big leadership meeting at church on Sat. morning where food will be prepared for attendees. I guess I’ll have to sit in the hall and read or work on some assignments. There is NO WAY I can sit in the Grand Fellowship Hall while they eat fabulous meals. I guess my only saving “GRACE” will be if I’ve quit the challenge by then. WE SHALL SEE.