Beans and rice. Rice and beans. And water. Lots of water.

That is my diet this week, more or less. I may or may not have cheated some.

I hate it with a spoiled passion. The diet, that is. I'm considering the cheating more of a "loose interpretation".

Our church gathering together to raise money for world hunger and raise awareness, and so we are all participating in a diet of rice, water, and beans for one week (five days).  We are taking the money we would have spent on food for the week and donating it to World Hunger.

Well, I decided I would take my total weekly food "budget" and put it in the offering. I use the term budget loosely, but I try to spend about the same amount at the grocery store. That, of course, doesn't even begin to touch the amount I spend eating out, which is another post entirely.

I also wanted to set an amount ahead of time, because I didn't necessarily shop to get the most value for my dollar and therefore be able to give more. I knew it was going to be hard enough just to stick to the program as much as possible, especially at school, I'd need some convenience-type things. Like 90-seconds-in-the-microwave rice. Which I had for lunch today, with some leftover beans.

So, how's it going? Well, I hate beans with a spoiled passion. And it's been an interesting journey, even if it is only day two. Of five.

I've cheated a little here and there. Every morning I have grits and an egg for breakfast. I have to answer to 40 nine-year-olds all day, and I have to have a decent start. I also have a snack of cheese when I get home. It's not on the strict part of the diet, but that's not the point. The point is to be aware of the fact that people are hungry, and to know what it feels like. Even though I've cheated...

I'm hungry all day.
I wake up starving.
I go to bed hungry.
I don't eat unless I'm very hungry.
When I do eat, I have no desire to eat beans and rice, but I know I need to eat for fuel, and because the hunger is very real. 
I have no energy all day.
I'm exhausted when I get home.
I just want to lay on the couch and waste the night away.

Things are a little different for us non-third worlders, though. They probably aren't bombarded with images of and commercials for different types of foods. They don't drive by a Sonic and crave a cherry slushy.

Of course, they also probably can't plan out what they're going to eat when their little five-day experiment is over either.