Living below the line - Day 1
In a less than energetic start to the attempt to live on a £1 a day for five days, I don't get up until nearly nine o' clock. Yesterday I went with a friend to Wonderwool Wales, a festival of all things to do with spinning, dyeing, weaving and knitting. It was a great day out and I came away astonished at how very little I know. I have rediscovered knitting in the last couple of years and think I am reasonably competent but I now see I am just paddling on the shores of a vast ocean of expertise and passion. So I came home with a small amount of wool and a sense that perhaps I should have bought more. This is a better sense to have than that you have bought stuff you could not afford and will not use!
Last night I decided that, before launching into my challenge for the week, I should go down in a blaze of glory so had chocolate brownie and half a bottle of wine.
So here we go. I weigh myself, although weight loss is not what this is about. It is simply one of the many things I want to know. 10 stone 7 lbs, sadly a couple of pounds more than the last time I weighed myself. It must be the chocolate brownie. Ian brings me a cup of hot water in bed instead of the usual tea. Surprisingly it is fine. I love my cup of tea but I do drink it very weak so perhaps that makes the transition less of a shock. Then it is porridge made with water with a dollop of natural yoghurt. It's not very exciting and it does make me wish I could have a good handful of blueberries with it, but it is ok.
Lunch is red lentil soup. This is something I make all the time so I know how to do a good one. It is a bit odd to have to forgo the usual bread and butter with it so I have a big second bowlful to make up. It is also odd not to have a piece of fruit afterwards and my tastebuds are telling me they fancy something sweet. Sadly I have nothing that could be called sweet so I finish with a cup of hot water.
I find that by mid afternoon, while I am not actually hungry I do have an indefinable sense that I could eat something. I am not sure how much of that is missing tea. I do also have a very slight headache. In the end I decide that I will have a mug of soup and straight after having it I fall asleep for half an hour. For the evening meal I decide to have vegetable curry which is basically chopped onion, carrot and lentils with a bit of curry powder. I have it with plain rice and cook enough for there to be a meal for tomorrow too. It is perfectly fine and I finish the meal quite full. I am still missing a cup of tea and a couple of squares of dark chocolate though!
And so through the evening. There is a definite problem with wind, from all those lentils I suppose. Curiously I haven't felt at all bothered by the absence of my glass of wine or cheese and biscuits. So it is so far, so good although I am pretty sure the lack of variety is going to be oppressive.
We shall see.
Last night I decided that, before launching into my challenge for the week, I should go down in a blaze of glory so had chocolate brownie and half a bottle of wine.
So here we go. I weigh myself, although weight loss is not what this is about. It is simply one of the many things I want to know. 10 stone 7 lbs, sadly a couple of pounds more than the last time I weighed myself. It must be the chocolate brownie. Ian brings me a cup of hot water in bed instead of the usual tea. Surprisingly it is fine. I love my cup of tea but I do drink it very weak so perhaps that makes the transition less of a shock. Then it is porridge made with water with a dollop of natural yoghurt. It's not very exciting and it does make me wish I could have a good handful of blueberries with it, but it is ok.
Lunch is red lentil soup. This is something I make all the time so I know how to do a good one. It is a bit odd to have to forgo the usual bread and butter with it so I have a big second bowlful to make up. It is also odd not to have a piece of fruit afterwards and my tastebuds are telling me they fancy something sweet. Sadly I have nothing that could be called sweet so I finish with a cup of hot water.
I find that by mid afternoon, while I am not actually hungry I do have an indefinable sense that I could eat something. I am not sure how much of that is missing tea. I do also have a very slight headache. In the end I decide that I will have a mug of soup and straight after having it I fall asleep for half an hour. For the evening meal I decide to have vegetable curry which is basically chopped onion, carrot and lentils with a bit of curry powder. I have it with plain rice and cook enough for there to be a meal for tomorrow too. It is perfectly fine and I finish the meal quite full. I am still missing a cup of tea and a couple of squares of dark chocolate though!
And so through the evening. There is a definite problem with wind, from all those lentils I suppose. Curiously I haven't felt at all bothered by the absence of my glass of wine or cheese and biscuits. So it is so far, so good although I am pretty sure the lack of variety is going to be oppressive.
We shall see.
Just written a load and it has vanished. Will write again tomorrow. Keep up the good work>
ReplyDeleteCant an apple off one of your trees be ok? You are being very dedicated.
ReplyDeleteI think part of choosing this time of year is that there is not much in the garden. I decided that using either my store cupboard or our garden was a sort of cheating - all is proves is that I have a good store cupboard and am lucky enough to have a big garden! I think foraging is ok so I may walk down to the river for some wild garlic later.
DeleteOne down. Four to go.
ReplyDeleteHow are you finding it? OK I hope!
DeleteElizabeth, thank you for your reply to my last comment. Sorry about the hacking. No harm done over hear at my end, but hope that your end will soon be mended.
ReplyDeleteNow...on to the One Pound challenge. Currently the Pound is rising against the dollar, so I'd have a bit more money for such a daily rationing. I think that I also have headed into the challenge with a bit of chocolate, and also would have gone along the path you've chosen re tea, very light breakfast and reliance on lentils. (After I left my corporate career and dropped my daily coffee intake, I definitely had caffein withdrawal headaches for a few days. I am glad to report that I never resumed taking in all those former cups of coffee.) Even so, just one cup of mild tea a day would definitely give me a headache!
I'll definitely be back to your place over the next collection of days to see how you get on. I guess that you will concurrently be trying to keep up with your usual active physical activity?
xo
Yes I am trying to live normally otherwise. I did my usual yoga glass this morning and will be working in the garden later today. I do know what you mean about coffee!
DeleteBy now you are fast asleep, and therefore not wanting something to eat. Bonus!
ReplyDeleteI think it's the variety I'd miss, although I am a creature of habit and enjoy the same thing, day after day, for breakfast.
I was pretty sure that the email that came from you wasn't legit, so deleted it without opening. I hope you get it all sorted out without too much trouble.
I think it is going to be variety for me too. I am already yearning for some flavours which I can't produce!
DeleteI've just read your last two posts. I'm not sure I could follow your plan, especially since the rest of your family will be eating the usual. The difficult part is missing something you are accustom to eating. Many parts of the world only know the taste of these few food items. Of course, that doesn't change the fact that they are hungry. I commend you for attempting this challenge.
ReplyDeleteIt is helping that Ian is cooking for himself and his father. I am not sure I could cook one thing and eat another!
DeleteI can only wish you luck but I'm sure, determined woman that you are, you won't need this. If you were doing the diet for longer maybe you could make wine within the £1 budget - and I suppose you could trade, couldn't you, a knitted woolly jumper for some cheese and biscuits? Who is paying for the hot water, shouldn't the electricity come out of the £1 - if not you might have to use a camp fire. But this will be a compelling series of blogs.
ReplyDeleteTotally take your point about fuel for cooking but that isn't part of the challenge as set. I think in an odd way doing for longer, or better still with a group of people would help to open up the possibilities. Just me and a five pound note is a bit limiting!
DeleteFantastic - 1 day down, 4 to go :)
ReplyDeleteWay back one of the Sunday papers did a feature on the typical diet in various countries around the world. I remember being shocked at the lack of variety in most of them and these weren't people who were living below the line. For instance hardly any of them had anywhere near the '5 a day' mantra we've had dinned into us. The only country which had more variety than ours was Cuba. I won't say why because it'll be cruel to do so for the next few days!
I certainly can't afford fruit on this sum of money although I am eating tons of veg!
DeleteI felt bad last night after reading about your first day on your "diet" as I had just returned from a Rotary Dinner (Ladies Night) and was feeling rather overfed and watered (white wine). I plan to be more abstemious today although I shan't reach your brave effort.
ReplyDeleteDo you have to cook for the rest of your family or can they manage that for themselves to help you out? I hope so. Good luck for the rest of the week.
Ian is doing the rest of the cooking this week and he is also forgoing his own wine and cheese and biscuits in a gesture of solidarity. That helps a lot!
DeleteEnjoyed reading Day 1. . . inspired a bit . . . smiled at the "wind" . . .
ReplyDeleteI think I might cut back on the lentils a bit today Lynne!
DeleteAs long as the ind comes out and doesn't stay in in a painful way, you'll be fine! Congratulations on getting through the first day, if with a few sighs over the previous day's brownie I'm sure.
ReplyDeleteI am telling myself that every day that I do is worth having, even if I don't get to the end of the week!
DeleteGood luck with your challenge. I imagine the lack of variety, and the fact you may be thinking about food at lot more, is a big part of the challenge. Wonderwool Wales sounds interesting; I'm fascinated by wool, spinning and "wool" crafts so I would love to visit that.
ReplyDeleteWonderwool Wales is definitely worth a visit. If you decide to go next year you could combine it with a slightly longer visit to Wales!
DeleteYou're so brave to try this. Couldn't you "buy" a few teabags from your husband for the coins you had leftover and reuse your teabags? That what my Grandma would do --- for days!
ReplyDeleteWell sadly I don't have many pennies left! I do reuse teabags normally. Perhaps I am turning into your grandma!
DeleteI know I could not do this . . at least, not as dedicated as you are being. How much damage to the budget would a cheap lemon have made? A few drops of juice makes a substantial difference to plain hot water. Dandelion root coffee?
ReplyDeleteArrived here late, so off to catch up now!