POOR GIRLS CAN GET FIT!

nighthawk327

I haven't read through all 4 pages of comments, so forgive me if I repeat anything

I think what we need to take away from this is that if there's something that you really, really want (such as to lose weight), you will find a way to do it. I definitely agree with the OP in that some people think there is no path to fitness other than through a gym/personal trainer or diet plan. Those cost so much money and really aren't necessary. What IS needed is to educate yourself on what is healthy. I had to do a LOT of research on what to eat, how to eat, the best ways to put on muscle/gain stamina again, etc (like I'm sure many MFPers have!). (I too have found lots of free, helpful fitness videos on YouTube!)

Then educate yourself on prices at all of your local stores to find the best options. Sometimes it will take a LOT of dollar-stretching, depending on your finances. We're mostly a 1 income family at the moment (with my work being very sporadic). We sometimes have to do the "healthy" frozen dinner options as they're cheaper and easier to just grab and take to work. We are fortunate to have a Sprouts, Trader Joes, and Costco all nearby as well so we have some options for bulk foods. I can only speak from a big-city experience, though, I don't know how it is in smaller towns. Many times I will hoof it a few miles to the grocery store with a LARGE backpack when I'm getting any bulk items from Sprouts. I get my exercise in, save gas, and get food all at once.

(Note: I did have to save up money for GOOD walking/running shoes - the hand-me-downs I had before weren't cutting it and actually making my knees hurt much more in the end.)

daftthoughts

Some people are so touchy. Sheesh.

I think everyone who has difficulty financially has their own difficulty financially. For example, all of these suggestions for farmers markets ... farmersmarkets would ruin my family if we did our shopping there. Here they are so overpriced the smaller ones never last. $4 a pound for peaches? $14/lb ground beef? You can't be serious. I try to keep our dinners to$10, obviously that isn't going to happen with$14 ground beef. We haven't even bothered the last two summers.

Fortunately, we are a military family and shopping on base is usually much less expensive. We go once a month, stock our storage freezer with meat, some frozen veg, buy our shelf stable and longer shelf life items then supplement with small shops for fresh veg, bread etc. With a family of 5 plus two big dogs and two cats we s spend about $1,000 a month on grocery alone (including dog food, laundry soap etc).

On an income of $3,400 a month with $1,000 in groceries, $1,000 mortgage, $1,000 in bills you can see there isn't a lot for shopping. If my family divides the "extra" $400 5 ways we have less than $100 each discretionary spending, never mind the monthly emergencies, the doctor visits, the dentists, the glasses, the contacts, ignore birthdays, ignore Christmases.

My family makes more than that, but the mentioned expenses and unexpected expenses eat up everything. In July we replaced both our washer and dryer (washer backed up and estimated repair was comparable to replace, dryer had two frightening explosions then died), our garbage disposal went out and cables for our a/c were cut. That ate most of our tax refund.

Just being devil's advocate. My family is poor but find it much more affordable to eat real food. Considering, however, that the suggestions often made on MFP are not helpful to us, I don't pretend to know the food cost v. average income situation in Wyoming or Florida or condemn those who say they can't afford it as just not being frugal enough or shopaholics.

Poor? I don't even make a $1,000 a month from a fixed income and have to pay everything, including rent, mandatory health insurance, student loan, all my other bills and then have maybe 100-150 bucks a month to buy all my groceries with. This includes necessary things like toilet paper, detergents, cat food, cat litter etc. I have to plan clothes and shoe shopping 3-4 months in advance so that I can spend 30 bucks on a new shirt, new pants and new shoes.The only thing I have going for me is low rent and utilities, but other than that I'm turning over every penny I have.

I already had a hard time buying cheap junk food. When I changed my eating habits my fridge has never been emptier. I'm thankful that oatmeal isn't expensive and I have a farmers market down the road every Saturday that allows me to buy fruits and vegetables in bulk for relatively cheap. If I didn't have that, I wouldn't be able to live healthier. I'd be stuck eating the cheap processed meat of frozen burgers, eating cheap fries from my oven every night or having to make due with 1 sandwich and a bowl of rice all day long.

This sort of topic and some of the replies really upset me. I'm managing, but not without the greatest effort. It's far from easy and some days I just want to give up because I don't know how I'm going to make it to the end of the month with the remaining $40 I have left. My freezer only stocks so much. I can only buy so much chicken and fish before I run out.

Not everyone can have 'sponsors' to pay for your food. Not everyone can just magically work more hours and earn more. I'm busting my butt to make a few extra bucks here and there by working for my friend just to be able to feed myself.

You can do a lot of exercises at home, but even then you need clothes on your back, shoes on your feet and a working internet connection to find information. I'm lucky my neighbors allow me to leech off their internet for a couple of bucks a month as opposed to the $65 I'd have to pay myself (and couldn't afford), otherwise I wouldn't even be able to workout from Youtube videos.

So yes, money IS required to make this work. Junk food is cheaper than fresh produce if you buy the cheap junk from a big supermarket. And every day clothes and shoes have priority over sports outfits.

I gave up buying regular clothes last month as planned to get a workout outfit so I could move more freely and do my workouts better, and now my only pair of pants is starting to fall apart and I won't have money until 2 months from now to get a replacement. That's what poverty is like.

VeggieKidMandy

This is my usual shopping list , partially because i am vegan and partially because I dont have tons of money $$

$.99 for two bushells of kale
2.00 on Squah and Zucchini
1.00 on Mustard Greens and Collard Greens
3.00 on Bags Of Lentils and Kidney Beans
about 5$ on other assorted fruits and vegetables
3.00 for lb of chicken or ground beef ( for my husband )
3.86 on Almond milk
1.00 on Tuna
4.00 on cheese for 1 lb.
3.00 on Rye Bread
and sometimes I spend a little bit extra for Salsa and Avacados and Peanut Butter
there are other things i pick up through out the month, but for the most part those are my staple foods.

Chickychick18

Thankyou!! You are so right and I feel like I need to keep telling people that too.

lithezebra

I wonder if we could start a group on MFP to give away clothes that don't fit us any more.

CandelLife

Question.... when buying healthy for one can be reasonable, how do you manage it when you're shopping for five people every week and the money has to stretch?

Sad truth is pasta is the cheapest food and yet the worst thing for my diet. Fresh fruits and vegetables are the best but cost more than canned. I can get some of the good foods in there, but not for every day of the week and months on end, it adds up too much.

Honest truth is, the best idea is to eat healthy and do what you can to get it there, but it truly is not easy to do when you are strapped for cash and have a family to feed. I do find that shopping at Aldi's and Save-A-Lot helps as well as the "Buy one Get one free" meats at Winn Dixie.

Overall, like I saw someone else say "poor is a matter of perspective"....

wannabeadancer27

what's the definition of "poor" here? because I remember being 13 and my mother only having 20 dollars for groceries for the week. and guess what we bought? rice and potatoes. and guess who became overweight and whose health went to ****?

zornig

I wonder if we could start a group on MFP to give away clothes that don't fit us any more.

I think this is a great idea. I've dropped two pants sizes since I started tracking my food again--and now I have several practically brand new trousers that I was just going to give to the local Goodwill. The only problem with clothing donation through MFP is paying for postage

MzPix

I wonder if we could start a group on MFP to give away clothes that don't fit us any more.

You might also want to check out freecycle.org. It is designed for people to give and receive free used items from one another. It also breaks down into local areas. Sometimes people will be giving away clothing, exercise items, shoes, etc. You can post what you need on there as well.
It's a great resource.

lynn1982

This is my usual shopping list , partially because i am vegan and partially because I dont have tons of money $$

$.99 for two bushells of kale
2.00 on Squah and Zucchini
1.00 on Mustard Greens and Collard Greens
3.00 on Bags Of Lentils and Kidney Beans
about 5$ on other assorted fruits and vegetables
3.00 for lb of chicken or ground beef ( for my husband )
3.86 on Almond milk
1.00 on Tuna
4.00 on cheese for 1 lb.
3.00 on Rye Bread
and sometimes I spend a little bit extra for Salsa and Avacados and Peanut Butter
there are other things i pick up through out the month, but for the most part those are my staple foods.

$.99 for two bushels of kale??!! I'm jealous. Where do you live?? It's $2.99 per bushel, $2.50 if it's on sale/in season where I live... I love kale but it's a luxury item for me these days.

CandelLife

what's the definition of "poor" here? because I remember being 13 and my mother only having 20 dollars for groceries for the week. and guess what we bought? rice and potatoes. and guess who became overweight and whose health went to ****?

Exactly, rice is cheap and can be used in so many meals, just add various veggies and stretch the meat out by cutting it up in small bite size pieces and adding it to the dish. I used to think it was healthy eating, then I saw the calories added up from the rice and was shocked. But when you don't have much money, you do what you have to do in order to feed your family.

SarahBeth0625

So true on the Youtube!! You can do SO many exercises at home with the help of the internet, some dumbbells, and your own body. Pushups: totally free, and a great place to start.

I am lucky because I am the sole provider of income for my family of five, so I qualify for a cheap Y membership. I only pay $13 a month for the family. Definitely look into that.

Being poor does not mean one has to buy processed foods either. We grow some of our own food and buy what's in season throughout the year; we buy frozen vegetables/fruits for stuff that is not in season or harder to find. Not having cable (ever) also helps keep things cheaper and prevents us from sitting on our butts.

szimba

Here's a good read if you are on a budget and trying to eat healthy! ---> http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/100-days-on-a-budget/

lloydrt

poor...let me tell you

Im so poor, I cant even afford roaches...................., now thats poor

legnarevocrednu

Can't afford the internet or cable, so I just walk/run outside. I do pay 10 bucks for a gym membership, but it's a lot cheaper than paying for cable/internet! I only buy food that's on sale. Havent really start couponing yet, but I'm going to because the grocery store doubles them.

fbmandy55

$20 for the week? that's do-able depending on family size. I've done it for our family of 3 and bought frozen veggies, beans, meat and bananas... All cheap.

I just spent $50 at Sams Club and bought 10 large chicken breasts that can be cut in half, a 3lb bag of salad mix, a 40 pack of juice boxes (for school lunch), a 4 pack on California blend veggies that come in steamer bags, 4 huge thick steaks (we each ate one and used the biggest to slice up for salads for lunch)... That will feed us almost two weeks, including the pantry stuff we have.

iTrainHARD

How to do it.

First of stop complaining about how you don't have the money. Because you don't need a lot to get healthy.

Second of all, realize you don't have to spend a dime on exercise. You don't need a trainer, you don't need any crazy diet program..not even a gym membership. If you have a computer and gyms shoes your good to go. If you don't have room inside... I know, you know... to go outside!
Sources:
-YouTube has amazing workout videos. Whether or not you got 5mins or an hour set aside for fitness. There are lots of REAL people that give real motivation to get fit and healthy.
-Pinterest had fun and interesting workouts that will get you moving and you won't get bored. All don't in the comfort of home


"Healthy food is SO EXPENSIVE" - uh no. Stop. If you think Special K and Kashi bars are the definition of health food... They aren't. Those foods need to be eaten in moderation and should not be a staple. And Why don't you skip McBurger Hut and go to Walmart. But stay the heck away from pre-made breakfast and dinners. Find and reach for canned beans, tuna, sardines, tomatoes... Apples, oranges, banana, grapes... Chicken breast, lean ground turkey, lean beef... Frozen mixed vegs.... Fresh onion, garlic, lettuce, salad mixes, celery, carrots, bell peppers... Eggs, low fat milk... Honestly it's about what you stop getting so you can start getting foods that will really bring your body health and in turn you'll see real results.

I find SO MANY clean food recipes and I'm inspired everyday to try a new healthy meal with a new fresh fruit or vegetables. There are so many out there and each have their own way of contributing to your health. Again, you don't need to spend money on healthy recipe books or magazines, there are sooo many online. (YouTube and Pinterest)

Check your priorities. Instead of shopping every weekend for clothes, i spent that time on money on foods to keep me healthy and happy.

And finally, it is not about having the time. It's about making it.

I would love feed back from others on how they manage to stay fit and healthy without spending a crazy amount of money.


*Disclaimer: this is my own personal advice from my own personal experiences. I am not a dietitian, no health expert etc.*

So in your world of "poverty" people have computers AND high-speed internet connection that allows them to watch Youtube videos? Impressive. Also, FYI if you're feeding a family of 4 on 23,000 (which is btw, the definition of the "poverty line" in the US) fresh fruit and vegetables are extremely expensive. Sure, you can "lose weight" if you're poor, but your suggestions clearly reveal how out of touch with what poverty actually is.

Topsking2010

Bump

snazzyjazzy21

Also, can people PLEASE remember that those living in lower income areas have less likely to have easy access to fresh produce and it can also cost more than in a middle/high income area? Just because YOU can get it, doesn't mean everyone else can.

l0l0p

hmm gd idea to replace money spend on clothes to fresh produc e!

Jena_72

We rarely eat out but our fridge is always full of fresh fruits and vegetables. Lately they are from our garden, but even in the winter I can buy all the fresh we want. I use a jogging stroller and run with my son a lot and do workout DVD in our basement while he plays. I always thought it was too expensive to eat healthy, but I had never really tried either.

Having a garden and an excess to a farmers market helps with the expense of fresh produce.

Gardens are not cheap to maintain in many areas, it is cheaper to buy the food than grow your own.