Diet help asap

Kindrex30

I'm looking to lose at least 100lbs. I had used this site years ago and lost about 50. Now I've gained about triple that back. And the worst part is I don't even remember what I ate or how I did it.

I just graduated from school on Wednesday and I'm still looking for a job. I have no money for food or a gym or weights or any equipment at home.

Are there inexpensive foods out there that I can make meal plans out of? I have a picky daughter and don't want to make separate meals, but I will if it helps me. I have no clue where to start. I think I would just start counting calories then as soon as I get the hang of that add in exercise?? For food I was just thinking of getting those smart ones, lean cuisine, and such frozen meals. I really don't even know where to begin. I'm so lost and confused.

Anything helps! Please give me some advice! I'm desperate.

zahra59

Not trying to be rude but can you find away to improve the lack of not having money for food especially with a child

Maybe apply great foodstump

For exercise start walking

Kindrex30

I've applied many times. I get denied every single time

gothchiq

myfridgefood.com will show you how to make meals out of what you have on hand.

Go to Youtube and search "body weight exercises." This will be your "weights." There are also lots of cardio and yoga routines. This way you can do everything you need to do in your living room.

gothchiq

I also would like to suggest that you not spend all that extra money on premade frozen meals which are really unsatisfying and unpalatable as well. Look for specials and coupons at your grocery store; find out what days certain things go on special. Like ours does meats on Thursdays. Cooking from scratch can be very simple and is far and away the cheapest *and* most nutritious method. Look for things marked "reduced for quick sale" if you can cook them up that same day. Bananas are cheap and have the potassium you need. A banana, depending on its size and weight, might be 100 to 120 calories. Eggs are cheap and high in protein. Sweet potatoes are a healthy and vitamin rich carb. See if there is a bakery outlet store in your area where you can buy your bread products for pennies on the dollar. Ramen is 400 calories a block. it's not high in nutrition BUT if you add to it lean meats and vegetables you can have a complete and very cheap meal. Frozen veggies are usually pretty cheap especially in the large bargain bags.

For my college and graduate school years I lived on a ridiculously tiny stipend. Couldn't afford to run the air conditioner, but I ate nutritiously because I bargain shopped carefully for foods. Things that are packaged up in boxes or single units like a frozen meal, very processed, and pre-prepared always cost you much more for the weight/volume of the food. Shop the perimeter of the store, mostly, where the fresh meats, dairy, and vegetables are, then after that frozen veg. Tuna is usually cheap, low fat, and high protein. Bread often goes on special when they are clearing out stock and preparing to restock the shelves. Talk to someone who looks friendly working at the grocery store and get them to tell you what their schedule of putting various types of food on special is, along with the sale papers.

Churches in your area might also have programs of food boxes they give out monthly. Check around.

gothchiq

.... and kids usually like bananas and peanut butter, which would be a great nutritious snack for her.

SueSueDio

Check out the 'Good and Cheap' cookbook PDF available at this site, you might find some things you like in there.

http://www.leannebrown.com/

I second the advice about watching for coupons, sales and special deals like produce that's been reduced due to age - these things are still absolutely fine (they're just slightly past their best), and many could be frozen if you can't use it all at once. Buying when cheap and cooking in bulk is probably going to be your best bet for saving money and eating well; you can portion out a big batch of a recipe and freeze it for future meals.

You might be able to find some recipes that are things your daughter would like but that you can add something else to for yourself, to save a bit of cooking time.

Use this site to make sure you're not wasting food that's still good by throwing it away before you need to:

http://stilltasty.com/

Finally, here's a couple of sites with budget recipes that might be helpful:

http://www.budgetbytes.com/ (I looked at a couple of recipes and there doesn't seem to be any nutritional information, so I don't know how many of the recipes would be low-calorie - you'd have to enter them into MFPs recipe builder to check.)

http://poorgirleatswell.blogspot.ca/ (same as above regarding info)

http://www.eatingwell.com/ (You can search for 'budget' or 'cheap' and find lower-cost recipes, and these do have nutritional info included.)

I'm sure there are many other sites out there too, if you search around.

And don't worry about exercise - walking is free and will do just fine. Bodyweight exercises too, as @gothchiq suggested.

Congratulations on your graduation and on deciding to take back control of your weight and health... I wish you luck, both with the job hunt and the weight loss!

gothchiq

omg. I need to take note of those sites also! We are, shall I say, not rolling in money either.

SueSueDio

Same - unfortunately a lot of 'budget' recipes I see involve ingredients at least a couple of us aren't fond of (beans are cheap and good for you but my son and I don't like them that much!). There are a lot in that PDF cookbook like that. I've found a few here and there I can use, though!

This is an awesome recipe - easy to make, fairly cheap and makes a lot, and we all like it! Freezes well too.

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10310875/most-efficient-effective-meal-recipe-ryans-texas-brown-rice-beef/p1

We also enjoy the turkey chili recipe from this page - I add a can of Navy beans to it to pad it out, and it makes several portions relatively cheaply!

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/251326/st-louis-slinger

gothchiq

In some things you could probably substitute rice for beans, depending on what else is in there. Assuming beans are not your thing. I like pinto beans and black beans. and, truth is, dried beans that you cook yourself are hella cheap!

Kindrex30

SueSueDio wrote: »

Check out the 'Good and Cheap' cookbook PDF available at this site, you might find some things you like in there.

http://www.leannebrown.com/

I second the advice about watching for coupons, sales and special deals like produce that's been reduced due to age - these things are still absolutely fine (they're just slightly past their best), and many could be frozen if you can't use it all at once. Buying when cheap and cooking in bulk is probably going to be your best bet for saving money and eating well; you can portion out a big batch of a recipe and freeze it for future meals.

You might be able to find some recipes that are things your daughter would like but that you can add something else to for yourself, to save a bit of cooking time.

Use this site to make sure you're not wasting food that's still good by throwing it away before you need to:

http://stilltasty.com/

Finally, here's a couple of sites with budget recipes that might be helpful:

http://www.budgetbytes.com/ (I looked at a couple of recipes and there doesn't seem to be any nutritional information, so I don't know how many of the recipes would be low-calorie - you'd have to enter them into MFPs recipe builder to check.)

http://poorgirleatswell.blogspot.ca/ (same as above regarding info)

http://www.eatingwell.com/ (You can search for 'budget' or 'cheap' and find lower-cost recipes, and these do have nutritional info included.)

I'm sure there are many other sites out there too, if you search around.

And don't worry about exercise - walking is free and will do just fine. Bodyweight exercises too, as @gothchiq suggested.

Congratulations on your graduation and on deciding to take back control of your weight and health... I wish you luck, both with the job hunt and the weight loss!

Thank you so much! That's a great help!

SueSueDio

I tried soaking and cooking dried black beans for a recipe a while ago and made a big mess of it - not sure if I overcooked them or did something else wrong, but it was just a big mass of loose or 'half-off' skins that had to be picked apart before I could use them. And after all that effort, the recipe wasn't very good anyway...

SueSueDio

Kindrex30 wrote: »

Thank you so much! That's a great help!

You're welcome, I hope you find something useful!

Kindrex30

Thanks you guys. I never grew up with my parents cooking anything besides hamburger helper. I don't really know much about healthy eating. I'm determined to step out of my bubble and start learning

gothchiq

Black beans. okay. I'll tell you what I do. First, the quick soak method. Wash the beans then put them in your pot with lots of clean water, like 2 inches over the top of the beans, and 1/4 tsp of baking soda. Bring to a boil, then turn heat off and let them sit for an hour or so.

If you are concerned about.... ah, gaseous issues, then dump off the soaking water and add back fresh water, again, couple inches over the top of the beans. Add a pinch of baking soda, and I also add sauteed onions that cook in and give it good flavor. Simmer while stirring occasionally for an hour, then check texture. Also check from time to time because you'll have to add water so they don't dry out. You may need another half hour and at this point that the beans are heavy and full of water, stir frequently so they don't burn at the bottom. When you bite into a bean it is how you like it, you're done. Take out a cup of beans and mash them, then return to the pot and stir it in for gravy. add salt and pepper, and any other herbs or spices, to taste. Yr done!

Aaron_K123

How long did it take you to lose that 50 pounds? I'd hope at least a year. I'm just curious because people who approach dieting by extreme caloric deficit (ie taking their old diet of 3000 calories a day and trying to reduce it to 1200 calories a day) tend to put that weight back on and then some.

If that was your approach the first time I have a different approach to suggest, but first I was curious how it was you lost 50 pounds that first time. Was it a crash diet of sorts?

gothchiq

Same procedure for pinto beans.

lynn_glenmont

SueSueDio wrote: »

I tried soaking and cooking dried black beans for a recipe a while ago and made a big mess of it - not sure if I overcooked them or did something else wrong, but it was just a big mass of loose or 'half-off' skins that had to be picked apart before I could use them. And after all that effort, the recipe wasn't very good anyway...

Sounds like you overcooked them. There's nothing wrong with the skins, but if you don't like the texture or the appearance, you could have repurposed the beans for black bean dip instead of taking the time to pick off all the skins. Once mashed or pureed, I wouldn't think you'd be able to tell that the some of the skins had cooked off.

lgregory6540

I follow skinny mom recipes on Pinterest. I bought the cookbook but most of the recipes can be found online. Although they are not specific for budget friendly they contain normal ingredients that can be found easily! Nothing crazy or exotic and the recipes are usually for 4-6 people so you have several meals of them or could freeze. So far every meal I have tried has turned out and my son loves them! Most dinners are about 400 calories and very filling!

leanjogreen18

Walking is cheap and that's all I do right now for exercise.

kommodevaran

First of all - you DO have money for food when you consider frozen meals. Use that money on real food ingredients. Real food ingredients are generally cheap. You will need adequate tools and equipment for cooking, but no gadgets are necessary. You don't have to pay for a gym or buy exercise equipment. Walk and do body weight exercises (you can find a lot on youtube).

It's generally best to eat the same food when you are cooking and eating together, especially when you are a role model for a child, and especially when that child already is picky.

Cooking doesn't have to be difficult or complicated. You don't have to buy everything or do everything a recipe calls for. Use it to get the general idea of what to do and what ingredients to use.

Meal plan. The process would go somewhere along these lines: Decide what you want to eat. (Let your daughter have a say, but you are the one to make the final decision.) Find recipes for those meals. Write down the ingredients you need to make them. Look in your cupboards, freezer and fridge (and make an inventory; optional but recommended) and create a shopping list out of the ingredients you are missing, plus all the other foods you will need for non-cooking meals. Take that to the store and follow it. Then cook and eat. It's important that you eat it up when you are short of money, so plan to use up ingredients and stick to foods you know you like - but you also want (your daughter) to be less picky, so try some new foods from time to time. Base your everyday meals on cheap ingredients, and splurge a little on special occasions.

Do not fall for hypes. Do not pay extra for low fat, low carb, organic, health food, enriched, gluten free, sugar free, or products aimed at children. Buy precut, precooked etc only if it's a real time saver. Don't buy juice, buy fruit. Buy appropriate package sizes - you want to save on buying in bulk, but you don't want the food to get spoiled. Don't buy large amounts of something you'll overeat if it's readily available, or if you'll get bored of it before it's eaten.

You will build experience and confidence as you develop your skills, and you need to learn to look at price tags and compare to get the best value for your money - and what you buy will depend on what you like to eat - but lists of versatile, inexpensive foods tend to include these items: Rice, beans, pasta, oatmeal, eggs, chicken, tuna, canned tomatoes, frozen vegetables and berries, onions, carrots, cabbage, apples, bananas, oranges, peanut butter.

Gena575

Don't make the process harder than it needs to be! Forget about "diet food." I assume you've been buying groceries on your budget now. Make a few swaps. Swap a bag of chips for a bag of apples, a bag of chicken nuggets for a family pack of chicken breasts, a pack of hot dogs for turkey lunch meat. All similar in price but more nutrition and fewer calories for your dollars. If you drink pop, swap it for a case of water or a Brita pitcher. Eggs are cheap and super versatile. Frozen veggies are cheap, low calorie meal bulkers.

LazSommer

Eggs, oatmeal, rice, beans, potatoes, and chicken. All cheap and easy to cook. Chicken and rice + bbq in a bowl, boom dinner. Use some vegetables, soup. learn to cut up a whole chicken, takes two minutes and you can roast and entire fryer chicken for 6 bucks.

Meat goes on sale, go in the middle of the week. Get roasts for half off, cheap thighs and drumsticks, whole chickens for 3 bucks. Eating real food can be really cheap and really good if you put in a bit of effort.

LazSommer

Also,

EACH BAG OF CHIPS AND COOKIES YOU BUY COULD BE A POUND OF BEEF OR 2LBS OF CHICKEN STOP BUYING JUNK FOOD IT'S EXPENSIVE, SODA TOO GET A DAMN FILTER AND DRINK FROM THE TAP.

Yes, bolded and caps locked for a reason.

VintageFeline

A tip I learned when totally broke was to pad out mince/ground meat with lentils, I found yellow ones to "disappear" easiest. It adds cheap protein and carbs and the pickiest of eaters won't notice.

This is a UK based blogger but any unrecognised ingredients can be Googled, they're usually just called something different. Added bonus that we don't use cups for measurements so you have to use a food scale so bonus for accuracy. https://cookingonabootstrap.com/

jgnatca

I see budget bytes is mentioned. Bravo.

OP if you don't know where to start and you don't know how the pounds added up, MFP is a great way to inform yourself. I suggest you do invest in a food scale so you get a full appreciation of how the calories add up. About $30 from Wal Mart.

I agree with others that the money you might spend on ready made meals is better invested in the basics. Frozen veggies, a variety of low fat meat like chicken and ground beef, eggs, rice, potatoes, beans and lentils.

You can eat normal food just watch your portions.

Meal plan around dinner and make enough extra for leftovers for lunch the next day. Stews, pasta sauces, and chillies are easily made in bulk, freeze well, and are far less expensive than ready made. Price out a serving one day and you will be shocked at the difference.

The

https://www.choosemyplate.gov

Can help you figure out what sorts of foods should be on your plate.

I suspect snacks are where the extra poundage is coming from. If you focus on filling up at the main meals, you can save a lot of money and reduce significant calories too. If you miss having something to munch on, plain popcorn is cheap and low calorie. Or carrots.

http://lifehacker.com/5607024/make-microwave-popcorn-using-a-simple-brown-paper-bag

TonyB0588

Kindrex30 wrote: »

Thanks you guys. I never grew up with my parents cooking anything besides hamburger helper. I don't really know much about healthy eating. I'm determined to step out of my bubble and start learning

This is interesting, and it explains why so many food diaries I look at on here seem to have mainly restaurant stuff, and store bought ready-made meals. Most of the food I enter in my diary is made at home from groceries we purchased. I've seen home cooking from my grandparents, to my parents, and now in my own house, so I guess it is a completely different reality.

For exercise you don't need to go to the gym. There are simple things you can do in the house even without any equipment, or you can walk (or run) for 30 minutes each day.

River314

Is there an Aldi near you? They have rock bottom prices on tons of products. The one near me has gallon milk and dozen eggs for less than a dollar each. Check often for meat sales because they don't advertise like other places.

Frozen vegetables have become a lifesaver for me. I don't have to worry about them spoiling, and there are a lot of varieties out there. I tend to roast them in the oven with whatever meat I'm cooking that day. It brings out a different flavor entirely.

I've learned when to shop at my town's Wal-Mart, too. They put deli meat on clearance early in the morning at half price in my store when it's due to expire in a few days. Two weeks in a row I scored on several packs of meat for less than two dollars each.

Check local sales papers and meal plan around what's on sale. If chicken is on sale, roast enough to make two or three dishes out of it, saving more money.

Go meatless once a week. There are plenty of ways to get in protein without meat. Several vegetables (like Brussels sprouts... one of my favorites) have protein. Beans and eggs are also great sources.

There are more ways to save money. Simply follow some of the advice we've offered, and make it a challenge to see if you can save more than last time. It'll work!

Gena575

Kindrex30 wrote: »

Thanks you guys. I never grew up with my parents cooking anything besides hamburger helper. I don't really know much about healthy eating. I'm determined to step out of my bubble and start learning

YouTube! Seriously! Or even the videos on fb like skinny taste. But if you're not comfortable with basic kitchen skills (wtf does Sautee mean anyway? Dice, chop, mince, fillet my fingers...it's all the same! Lol!) YouTube the terms. I'm convinced there is nothing not on YouTube lol. And the bonus is, the excitement of learning new skills/recipes helps me be motivated to cook. And if you get Miss Picky Pants involved, her acceptable food range will expand. Shoot, put her in charge of finding the YouTube videos for recipes.

WendyLaubach

EatThisMuch.com--you can set it to avoid foods you don't like and even to meet a budget. A lot of wonderful food is dirt-cheap, and after all it never costs more to eat smaller servings.

JeromeBarry1

I just toss black beans or pinto beans into crock pot (1 cup, rinsed) and fill the pot with water. Then I cook it on low for 8 hours and I'm satisfied with what comes out.