Yesterday I stocked up on 3-ounce, single-serving packages of tuna in water at Big Lots: 50 cents each!  (Sale price through November 1, with expiration dates ranging from 2010 to 2011.) That’s an unheard of price for the convenient 90-calorie pouches. So, I bought some for me, and then bought some more to put in winter handout bags for the homeless.

I’m at about 60 packets right now. I may go back for more. I have a tiny kitchen, with little storage space, so I have to be careful how much I do stock up on food.

My Costco never carries the small tuna packets. Sometimes Amazon.com has the best price at about 85 cents to a dollar, when bought in a quantity. I had been buying them at 85 to 95 cents at Big Lots, but their prices went up this year.

Having recently gained back 5 pounds of the 40 lost, I’m getting back to my focus on healthy eating (in addition to more frequent and energetic workouts). I will not jump up a clothing size. I got rid of most of my larger clothes (14, 12, 10 and 8), so moving up a clothing size is not an option.

My recent weight gain happened after Mom died, and I was on the road, planning and attending the funeral and family gatherings, eating out again and again.  (I lost 3 pounds during the weeks she was dying, but gained back 8 pounds after she died.) Many of my decisions while eating out were “smarter” decisions, but few were the “smartest” ones.

Yes, there was a lot of emotional eating going on, as well. At least I was aware of what I was doing, when I was doing it.

Haven’t gotten back to my routine of quickly cooking up chicken breasts. Until I do that, I’m making sure I have more convenient food available, such as the tuna packets.

I’ll write more about My Dieting Foods, as I restock my shelves with good buys.