Broke and trying to eat healthy.. Help!
sweigartn09
Posts: 8 Member
Hello, all! I am living with my parents right now, I am saving all my money so that I can pay for my college tuition which is $3000 and I only make $1400/month at my job and I have a car payment and gas to pay for... My parents don't support the idea of eating healthy, so there is nothing but bad food in my house. I am struggling so bad! I have a season pass to an amusement park and I only fit on one ride... I want to be able to ride everything. Is there any hope for this kind of lifestyle?
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Well if you're just looking to lose weight simply eat less of what they have around the house (logging helps!) if you want healthier foods around I suggest investing in frozen veggies, plain popcorn (I get 100kcal microwave bags) and some cheap protein. Meat is always on sale!
It can be done on the cheap!0 -
Beans, rice, potatoes and bananas are really cheap.0
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Also, have you talked to your parents about your goals? I always feel so sad when someone says their parents don't support their healthy lifestyle. I am a parent, and I would LOVE it if my kids came to me and wanted to eat better. So I never really understand why a parent wouldn't be supportive?0
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What foods are bad and good? What's your food budget? Do you have allergies or other nutritional restrictions?
Peanut butter sandwiches are good and cheap. Oatmeal and milk. Almonds. Bananas. Beans and rice. Greek yogurt and canned pineapple. Carrots. Onions. Olive oil. These are all basically dirt cheap, especially if you buy the store brand or compare prices at a couple different stores.
Edit to add, but you need to weigh things with a scale and log the calories. My suggestion is to invest in a $10 digital scale and just start by weighing the things your parents already have, but supplement it maybe with some fresh fruit and vegetables.0 -
It's best not to give food good and bad values. All food is fuel. Some food is more nutrient dense. If you have an Aldi in your area, they have great cheap produce. Vegetables are your friend for keeping you full -- and they all play well together.
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Plain oatmeal, rice, potatoes and beans. Always cheap.
Many grocery stores have marked down prices on fruit/vegetables/meat that should be eaten the same day. Use the grocery store flyers/ads and focus on whatever is on sale.
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+1 to vivmom. Aldi is the schiznit. I shop there exclusively and save a ridiculous amount of money. Most of their produce is Dole or local growers. Dairy products are awesome and way cheaper than the chain stores; for example, 8oz of cream cheese is a BUCK. And their product lines are getting better. Not sure where else you can get a legit jar of Peanut Butter for ~$2.0
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heyspearsy wrote: »Plain oatmeal, rice, potatoes and beans. Always cheap.
Many grocery stores have marked down prices on fruit/vegetables/meat that should be eaten the same day. Use the grocery store flyers/ads and focus on whatever is on sale.
These are good options, but be careful not to fall into the trap of eating too much cheap starch. This is one of the worst culprits behind poverty-related obesity.
I work in grocery retail. Here's what's cheap and nutritious in most markets:
- fruit
- vegetables
- lean meat
- dried legumes
- economy-size brick cheese
- eggs
Yes, get the reduced produce. It's fine if used within 24 hours. Some places reduce meat as well. Avoid frozen dinners, cereals, fruit juice and processed or boxed meats. Not because they're "bad" but because they are way overpriced for the volume of food purchased. Shop the perimeter of the store; that's where the good stuff is.
Invest in a collection of basic herbs and spices. Buy the bulk bags, never the little glass jars. You can empty the bags into jam jars or margarine tubs for storage. An upfront investment will last months.
Buy one decent cookbook and learn to use it. You will save tremendous amounts of money by learning to cook a few basic meals instead of eating "bachelor chow." Also ladies love a guy who can cook.
Oh, do you have a smart phone? Get Flipp or some other price-matching app. Price-matching will save you a few bucks per trip.0 -
First off, the only requirement for weight loss is a caloric deficit. You could eat what you always did, but less. There are no bad foods.
Secondly, if you want inexpensive deals to accompany whatever it is thats being cooked, try a farmers market.0 -
Lots of good advice already. I know the sodium is a bit high if you use the entire season packet but you can hack ramen noodles for a really cheap an reasonably healthy meal. Add leftover chicken or beef, frozen mixed veggies stir-fried fresh veggies, serve them cold on a salad with mandarin orange slices. At the Winco near our house they are 17 cents per pack. Lots of ideas here...
http://www.seriouseats.com/2011/03/ramen-hacks-30-easy-ways-to-upgrade-your-instant-noodles-japanese-what-to-do-with-ramen.html
Good luck and have fun 0 -
Liftng4Lis wrote: »First off, the only requirement for weight loss is a caloric deficit. You could eat what you always did, but less. There are no bad foods.
Secondly, if you want inexpensive deals to accompany whatever it is thats being cooked, try a farmers market.
Farmers' Market in Thomas, WV = absolutely cheap & fantastic.
Farmers' Market in Old Town, Alexandria, VA = the most ridiculously expensive market ever.
Depends on location!
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heyspearsy wrote: »Plain oatmeal, rice, potatoes and beans. Always cheap.
Many grocery stores have marked down prices on fruit/vegetables/meat that should be eaten the same day. Use the grocery store flyers/ads and focus on whatever is on sale.
These are good options, but be careful not to fall into the trap of eating too much cheap starch. This is one of the worst culprits behind poverty-related obesity.
Not to derail the OP's thread, but lots of people in the world eat cheap starches and are some of the healthiest people on Earth.
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To me when people say "bad food" they are the foods that do not fit into their goals. If they want to call it "bad" why would anyone have a problem with that I wonder?
My fiancé does the majority of the cooking at my house. He knows I don't want my food fried, oily or saucy. When he wants it that way he will have it but will put my portion aside to grill or bake for me. Maybe you can ask your parents to do the same and you can prepare it in a way that fits into your goals. I agree with the above posters about adding in lots of veggies too.
I am sorry you don't have a supportive environment at home.
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I notice, from your profile, that your honeymoon is one of your goals/aims. I wonder, if you framed the conversation about healthy eating related to your wedding and honeymoon, that they would be more receptive to helping to cater for your healthy eating plan? Perhaps also by getting your fiance to back you up would help them understand how important this is to you.
If all else fails, sure you have car repayments, but would walking/cycling more etc help cut down on gas bills and also increase your activity levels? There's no real substitute for a good diet, but short term, managing your CICO around the food that is available may be your option, and supplement that food with however much you can afford to buy of fruit, vegetables etc. As others have said, Aldi is the answer to most food budget's prayers!
Finally, how important is that amusement park season pass to you? Could you sell it or get a refund? That's then extra money to do whatever you wish with. If not, does the park have a sporting section - perhaps use those areas to increase your activity levels through something you've already paid for.0 -
Thank you everyone for the replies. My parents aren't supportive because they tell me that they are already old and they don't have any desire to lose weight, they like food and love to eat.
That aside... I have a 40 minute drive to work and a 40 minute drive home, so walking isn't really an option.
As far as the pass goes, my husband works for the company so I get in free, but it is useless.. However the park does have a very large hilly terrain which I was going to use to my advantage and reward myself at the end of every lap, ride the ride I can fit on, or even go to the water park and swim laps in the wave pool.
I love the idea of asking my parents to cook my food separate!
My husband is incredibly supportive and wants me to be healthy so that I can live longer with him, but he is 6'2 and 160lbs... He can eat anything he wants,so for him a small bag of candy means nothing but for me it can make or break my entire day. This is so difficult to do alone.0 -
How does a calorie deficit work?0
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Swimming in the wave pool is a great idea - sounds fun (and quite hard work) too!. Good to hear your husband is supportive - is there any way part of his income can be used to buy both of your food, to be cooked separately from your parents' food? Being married and living with parents, this is perhaps one way of separating out your married life from life with your parents. Clearly, they are set in their ways so, if you don't think it'll insult them too much, perhaps try and have different meal times. Perhaps try and start cooking you and your husband's food in advance (on your days off), and freezing double portions.sweigartn09 wrote: »Thank you everyone for the replies. My parents aren't supportive because they tell me that they are already old and they don't have any desire to lose weight, they like food and love to eat.
That aside... I have a 40 minute drive to work and a 40 minute drive home, so walking isn't really an option.
As far as the pass goes, my husband works for the company so I get in free, but it is useless.. However the park does have a very large hilly terrain which I was going to use to my advantage and reward myself at the end of every lap, ride the ride I can fit on, or even go to the water park and swim laps in the wave pool.
I love the idea of asking my parents to cook my food separate!
My husband is incredibly supportive and wants me to be healthy so that I can live longer with him, but he is 6'2 and 160lbs... He can eat anything he wants,so for him a small bag of candy means nothing but for me it can make or break my entire day. This is so difficult to do alone.
BTW, a friend of mine lives about the same commuting time from her workplace (in the UK). She drives to the outskirts of the city where she works, leaves the car in a 'park and ride' place, and gets on her bike for the last 3-4 miles to work. 15-20 minutes each way, and she's got a decent amount of exercise as well. Plus, given the congestion in the city, it's barely any longer on the bike than it would be in the car! Is that an option for you? I know we all love the convenience of the car, but it's just about getting creative with the time we have.0 -
sweigartn09 wrote: »Thank you everyone for the replies. My parents aren't supportive because they tell me that they are already old and they don't have any desire to lose weight, they like food and love to eat.
That aside... I have a 40 minute drive to work and a 40 minute drive home, so walking isn't really an option.
As far as the pass goes, my husband works for the company so I get in free, but it is useless.. However the park does have a very large hilly terrain which I was going to use to my advantage and reward myself at the end of every lap, ride the ride I can fit on, or even go to the water park and swim laps in the wave pool.
I love the idea of asking my parents to cook my food separate!
My husband is incredibly supportive and wants me to be healthy so that I can live longer with him, but he is 6'2 and 160lbs... He can eat anything he wants,so for him a small bag of candy means nothing but for me it can make or break my entire day. This is so difficult to do alone.
(1) You're not alone, you clearly have people surrounding you that love you. Consider yourself lucky.
(2) Your husband cannot eat anything he wants and stay slim. If he ate at a surplus of calories, he'd gain, too, since he's human.
(3) Don't ask your parents to cook you a special meal. They're not your servants, and you're an adult. You *could* politely ask that your portion of a communal meal have different/no sauces or something.sweigartn09 wrote: »How does a calorie deficit work?
(4) Have you read this?: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1175494-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
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I didn't realize you are 24 years old and married. Your parents should not be cooking your food. If you want healthier food why don't you (or your husband) cook at least half the time? You are an adult and between your income and your husbands you should be able to buy some healthier food. You are a bit too old to blame poor eating on your parents.
I LOVE the idea of having an amusement park to use as your workout!0 -
I mainly eat protein and frozen vegetables and it's pretty cheap. For instance, last night for dinner I had 5 grilled chicken tenderloins (10 pack= $4.90) and a half a bag of frozen vegetables (whole bag= $1.44). That's $3.17 for a very filling dinner. Good luck!0
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It keeps eating at me, so I'm gonna reply again, and I mean this in the most supportive way, I truly do. That being said, based only on the few messages in this post:
Your weight is not your parents fault, it's not your husband's fault. You're choosing to put particular amounts of food in your mouth to the point where you can't fit into amusement rides. You're choosing to live 40 miles from work for a $350/week (net? gross?) job. You chose to buy a car. You're choosing to not take out student loans (you took out a loan for your car? why not take out a loan for something that is NOT a depreciating asset?). You are making choice after choice that have landed you in a bit of a Catch-22 of you're own making.
I feel like you have a tendency of making excuses and blaming others for your own choices. You're still young, you have an entire lifetime ahead of you where you can either (1) continue to blame others and feel helpless to change the things you don't like or (2) recognize that you have control over your own destiny.0 -
Your weight is not your parents fault, it's not your husband's fault. You're choosing to put particular amounts of food in your mouth to the point where you can't fit into amusement rides. You're choosing to live 40 miles from work for a $350/week (net? gross?) job. You chose to buy a car. You're choosing to not take out student loans (you took out a loan for your car? why not take out a loan for something that is NOT a depreciating asset?). You are making choice after choice that have landed you in a bit of a Catch-22 of you're own making.
I think you need to check your privilege. A lot of those those things don't seem like choices to me. Living so far away might be because she can't afford to live closer. If the area is rural with no public transport she would need a car to work rather than choose it for convenience. Then if she has bad credit she might not be able to get a student loan. etc.
Anyway, OP I used to use A girl called Jack when I didn't have much money, her recipes can be a bit starchy (also the pricing is for the UK), but overall I found it useful for cheap and healthy stuff.
Then +1 to the idea of parking a bit further away from where you work and then walk from there!0 -
I think you need to check your privilege.
If she was that poor, she'd get grants for school and food assistance.Then if she has bad credit she might not be able to get a student loan.
Then she couldn't have gotten a loan for the car.
Edit to add: I realize I don't know the whole story. I really do feel a lot of sympathy having been in similar situations. I don't mean to be out of line, it just sounds like our OP points to a lot of external reasons for things that are in her control (like her weight and what food she eats).-1 -
sweigartn09 wrote: »How does a calorie deficit work?
Eat fewer calories than your body typically uses. You'll see it lots of different ways.... Calories in / Calories out........eat less / move more.
If your body uses 2000 calories in a day...and you eat 1,500.....that's a 500 calorie deficit. That 500 x 7 = 3,500 calories (or 1 pound loss a week). The number of calories you will use depends upon your stats (you plug into MFP)....and calories given depends also on your weekly weight loss goal.....higher goal = lower calories. Just pick something sustainable.0 -
I agree with you 100%. When I originally replied I thought she was a minor when she was talking about her parents unhealthy cooking. No, she is a married adult. There is a lot she could do for herself to improve her eating. Her parents are buying all the food and doing all the cooking? Wow. Come on OP. Look at your situation and make some healthy changes on your own, as an adult.
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cindyangotti wrote: »
I agree with you 100%. When I originally replied I thought she was a minor when she was talking about her parents unhealthy cooking. No, she is a married adult. There is a lot she could do for herself to improve her eating. Her parents are buying all the food and doing all the cooking? Wow. Come on OP. Look at your situation and make some healthy changes on your own, as an adult.
I can totally imagine a mother who would feel insulted if her adult daughter who was living with her did not want to eat the food the mother cooked for her.
That said, @sweigartn09, there are surely ways to have a diplomatic conversation with your parents about this.
How about you offer to cook a few nights per week? How many parent-cooked meals are you obligated to eat? Making healthy choices for the rest of your meals will offset this. I eat bigger meals with my fiance and budget calories for this.
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It isn't about good food or bad food. You have access to free food (paid for by parents), just eat less of it and you will fit on that ride.0
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sweigartn09 wrote: »How does a calorie deficit work?
Wooh! If you need to ask that question, you need to start at the very beginning and forget the idea of good or bad food.
Set up your profile on MFP, give honest numbers, and set a reasonable goal. MFP will determine a calorie count that will be adequate for you to meet your goals. Log every single thing you eat accurately and stay within the calorie goal.
Simple answer; a calorie deficit means to eat less than your body burns each day. That is the one and only way to lose weight.0 -
You could do a meal replacement plan. If the is a Kroger near you they have Luna bars on sale for a dollar also you could get a nutritients shake called Boost they are about 1.15 a piece at Kroger also that way you can spend a little more on dinner. If you do that I'm sure you could stay under 50-70 dollars a week. I'm sorry to hear your family is not supporting you weight loss goals but in glad that your still trying to get healthy. Feel free to inbox me if you need any support and good luck0
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