Fat, broke, and maybe sick
LatoyasTime
Posts: 18 Member
Hi I just joined in here. I am a 29 year old woman and 361.6 pounds. I only started my weight loss journey a few days ago but I have a question about my caloric intake. I know I’m not getting enough calories right now and I’m wondering if this will hurt me a lot. My income is pretty unstable and right now I don’t have a lot of money so I don’t have access to a lot of food. For example yesterday I only had about 800 calories. Today is looking to be around 1000. I don’t really feel that hungry I actually feel fine but the thing is the whole reason I decided to start this journey now is bc I’m concerned about my heart. Over the past few weeks I’ve had a few days where I experienced a few seconds of heart palpitations and it scared me. I’ve also had a few other symptoms and upon using Dr. Google found that my symptoms are on par with heart failure. I do not have health insurance or a lot of money so a doctor is pretty much out of the question right now so I’m just trying to start eating better and get my finances together so that when open enrollment starts in November I can afford insurance and a doctor. I guess I’m just afraid that not eating enough could hurt my heart even more than it may already be hurt.
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Replies
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It's hard to meet your nutritional needs and maintain energy if you're not eating enough. 800 calories isn't enough.
If food insecurity is at the root of this problem, is it possible for you to connect with a food bank in your area? There's a lot going on in your situation, but making sure you're able to get enough to eat consistently would help at least somewhat.12 -
In some states, like mine, Massachusetts, if something changed, like losing a job, you can get health insurance without waiting for November.
This woman was eating 1200 - 1500 calories for less than $2 per day: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10685050/live-below-the-line-31-day-challenge/p1
I'm anemic and got heart palpitations the last time I slipped out of Low Normal. The woman above was vegan and presumably eating less iron than I am. I also have to supplement. A lot. However, unless someone knows definitively that they are iron deficient, they shouldn't start supplementing, as excess iron causes problems.
I guess my point is there are other things that can cause heart palpitations than being overweight and sooner is better for getting it checked out.5 -
When you registered with mfp....did you enter you height, age, weight, etc for it to give you a calorie amount for weight loss? It would not go below 1200 calories for optimal health.
You are not eating enough. With funding being at a minimum...you have to be particular about your choices.
Of course weight plays a big part in overworking your heart so I applaude you in trying to get a jump on weight control.
Seeing a doctor is vital and it may not be heart failure. Go for a walk if possible just for a mild bit of exercise. Do your part for your life!2 -
You're probably already doing this, but you can shop a little differently to save some pennies, which all add up. You can buy tinned or frozen vegetables and fish, and tinned fruit in juice, which will save you from potentially spending more on fresh produce, and is just as nutritious as fresh. If you have a cheap rice cooker, use it to make stews, soups, curries, chilli, rice pudding and stewed fruit. You can slow cook for hours on the 'keep warm' setting and it's still cheaper than using a stove. Rice, dried beans, peas and lentils are good staples on a tight budget. They're good sources of carbs, protein and fiber, will bulk up your meals and can help you get more calories. If you have freezer space you can freeze bread, wraps, fresh vegetables you've blanched yourself, and cheap bits of meat to use in your meals.2
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I don't know about health services or food bank systems in your area, but I know that generally, food can be cheap, and food can be expensive, depending on what you look for, where you buy it, and what you do with it. If you know how to cook, and how to shop, and plan your meals, and plan balanced meals, and schedule grocery shopping, and eat up everything, you can eat well for cheap. There are tons of threads on the subject in here, at least one earler today, and several if you do a search, and more tons of websites dedicated to healthy eating for little money.4
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Can you contact a food bank or church? I don't know the affects of eating too little on your heart specifically but I know eating 800-1000 calories a day is not good for you. rice and beans are really inexpensive. (dry beans). Whole chickens are pretty inexpensive. You can cook a chicken in a crock pot, shred the meat for a few different meals, and use the bones for broth. (or is it stock?) to make into a soup. frozen veggies are cheaper than fresh. If you want fresh, buy in season. My city has a farmers market, where a portion of it is people selling all of their "almost bad" produce for dirt cheap. You can buy that and freeze it. If you have an Aldi near you, shop there. You could probably do a search here in the forums, there have been several posts about eating well for cheap. Sorry you are going through this
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A few staple foods I recommend you buy that are incredibly cheap, usually come in bulk and will be nutritious and meet your daily caloric requirements:
-Tub of Old Fashioned Oats
-Large jar of generic peanut butter
-Waffle Mix
-Chicken Broth
-Bag of rice
-Bag of beans
-Box of Pasta
-Butter
-Milk
-Tub of Fat Free Greek Yogurt
-Block of Cheese
-Pasta Sauce
-Frozen Fruit (Blueberries or Strawberries)
-Frozen broccoli
-Bag of Apples
-Bag of carrots
-Bag of onions
-Bag of potatoes
-Ground Beef (A lot of the time, around the end of a sale week, most grocery stores cut their meat prices in 1/2 so you could find a pack of chicken drumsticks for like $2.50)
You can get all of that for around $50-$60 and it would make countless meals/snacks. If you have an Aldi or Lidl near you I highly recommend doing most of your shopping there. Good luck! Just focus on the positives, nourishing your body is the main priority right now.3 -
A few staple foods I recommend you buy that are incredibly cheap, usually come in bulk and will be nutritious and meet your daily caloric requirements:
-Tub of Old Fashioned Oats
-Large jar of generic peanut butter
-Waffle Mix
-Chicken Broth
-Bag of rice
-Bag of beans
-Box of Pasta
-Butter
-Milk
-Tub of Fat Free Greek Yogurt
-Block of Cheese
-Pasta Sauce
-Frozen Fruit (Blueberries or Strawberries)
-Frozen broccoli
-Bag of Apples
-Bag of carrots
-Bag of onions
-Bag of potatoes
-Ground Beef (A lot of the time, around the end of a sale week, most grocery stores cut their meat prices in 1/2 so you could find a pack of chicken drumsticks for like $2.50)
You can get all of that for around $50-$60 and it would make countless meals/snacks. If you have an Aldi or Lidl near you I highly recommend doing most of your shopping there. Good luck! Just focus on the positives, nourishing your body is the main priority right now.
All of these items on the list (except the ground beef) can be bought at the 99 cents store,,worth a look there1 -
I know it's really easy for strangers on the internet to tell you not to panic over your medical symptoms, but heart palpitations can be caused by a number of things, most of which are not life threatening. Googling your symptoms, however, will nearly always show you the worst case scenario. Have you looked up free or low-cost clinics in your area where you can have your symptoms checked before November? According to your profile, you're in a major metropolitan area, so there are likely some clinics near you.2
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Wow thank you so much everyone for all the help. I’m glad I found such a great community for my journey!11
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Apply for food assistance.
Go to food banks.
Let your friends, family, church, etc know your situation. If someone I knew was broke and eating so little I could provide at least 1 meal a day or help them buy some basic groceries. I've been the one needing help before.
If you do have any money to buy food try to get calorie dense foods if you can not get much quantity. http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10142490/a-list-of-calorie-dense-foods/p1
Buy generic or store brands. Canned fruits and vegetables can be pretty cheap as well as other things that have been mentioned.
It is a long time until November to get a potentially serious health problem looked at. Look for a free or low cost clinic. http://www.nafcclinics.org/find-clinic
https://www.needymeds.org/medical-clinics
Call doctors, clinics, hospitals, or the county health department in your area. They might be able to work with you to find services, set up a payment plan or financial aid if you do not have insurance.0 -
If you believe that you are having heart problems - go to the ER. They are obligated to treat you whether you can pay or not. (But most of the time they will work with you on payments). Let's face it, your financial situation and your food situation will not matter if you die from arterial fibrillation. But, do you think it is possibly anxiety? Sometimes anxiety can mimic heart problems. Try some meditation.
As far as food goes - a stew, making a bean soup, a whole raw chicken to be roasted are cheap and can stretch a few meals. Even if you want chicken parts, it is far cheaper to buy a whole chicken and cut it up yourself. Meatloaf can last a few meals. Peanut butter is also good. I don't know if you have Dollar stores where you are, but a lot of people here seem to shop in them. Walmart also has their "great value" line that is pretty inexpensive. Also, I hope you are checking out the store ads for what is on sale each weak. If things are really precarious - apply for public assistance.
Eating too few calories will not hurt your heart, but it is not healthy.
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I feel I need to expand on my advice now. I would be careful with stocking up on foods you don't know how to use, and don't know if you like, and especially on perishables you're not sure you can store and eat up before they, well perish - especially if cash is tight. Plan your meals for a half or a whole week, find recipes/decide what you'll eat for that period, and buy what you need for those meals, with a goal of having as little as possible of perishables left when you go back to the grocery store. Think categories, and look for the cheapest acceptable item in each category. Use your food diary to teach you how to compose balanced meals. Use seasons and sales and your appetite to eat varied.
I also was wondering if you might be underestimating your food intake. Are you weighing and logging everything? Many overweight people think they are, but don't lose weight, because they forget something. One of the most important and effective things you can do for your health, including your heart, when you're overweight, is to lose weight. So you need to eat less. Just not so much less that you overeat later. That's also why you need to eat balanced and varied, and and not overwhelm yourself with new recipes and foods.5 -
Don't try to go too low on calories. When I did it made me sick to the point I had to over eat to get some calories back in my system. It works best when you go for the MFP amount calculated for a sustainable deficit.1
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If you do have anxiety's breath through you mouth as if to kiss for about 6 sec. slowly then blow out the same way it will help you relax. I am doing Psycho therapy for the same thing. You should get checked and hospitals have financial programs and you may Qualify and pay little or nothing.1
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I think you got some great advice here. I suggest you call the United Way help and referral service number 211 or go to 211.org. They can help connect you to a number of community services in your area. Best of luck to you!2
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elsie6hickman wrote: »If you believe that you are having heart problems - go to the ER. They are obligated to treat you whether you can pay or not. (But most of the time they will work with you on payments). Let's face it, your financial situation and your food situation will not matter if you die from arterial fibrillation. But, do you think it is possibly anxiety? Sometimes anxiety can mimic heart problems. Try some meditation.
As far as food goes - a stew, making a bean soup, a whole raw chicken to be roasted are cheap and can stretch a few meals. Even if you want chicken parts, it is far cheaper to buy a whole chicken and cut it up yourself. Meatloaf can last a few meals. Peanut butter is also good. I don't know if you have Dollar stores where you are, but a lot of people here seem to shop in them. Walmart also has their "great value" line that is pretty inexpensive. Also, I hope you are checking out the store ads for what is on sale each weak. If things are really precarious - apply for public assistance.
Eating too few calories will not hurt your heart, but it is not healthy.
It could be anxiety because I have been extremely anxious because of my financial situation. I also spend hours laying in bed googling everything I can about heart disease and think about it constantly sometimes to the point that I just want to cry. Something I notice is that when I stop thinking about it and start just doing things I enjoy, my symptoms pretty much disappear. Like for example I’ve been telling people I’ve developed a weird cough. Well the cough didn’t start until I googled that coughing is a symptom of heart disease. I also notice that I stop coughing when I’m not constantly thinking about heart disease. I’m just going to try to enjoy myself and focus on my weight loss journey because I’m really starting to think I’m crazy. I still plan on seeing a doctor though.6 -
Well crazy (anxiety) is a health issue too.
Give yourself daily mini projects to improve your situation.
If you have absolutely nothing, start with a bag of potatoes. Check out their nutritional profile. Jackets on they are pretty good.
I don’t keep waffle mix. I buy a big sack of flour and I have baking powder, salt and sugar always. We have Pancake Sundays, home made muffins, bread and biscuits.3 -
You should look into getting a SNAP card (food stamps). If you do not qualify for that, search on the internet where the nearest place is to pick up commodities. You should be able to find a food bank that supports this program by the USDA. A lot of the staples mentioned are provided for free, and it's very easy to qualify.
I'm unemployed, and my family has had to really tighten up lately. I've started selling clothes that no longer fit on eBay. It's not a lot of money, but it helps. Any clothes I buy for my daughter comes from resell shops, clearance racks, or the local thrift/goodwill store. I bought her t-shirts for 50 cents each.
As far as your heart--apply for Medicaid. Regardless if you qualify, start addressing the issue yourself by staying focused on your physical goals. Keep tracking your food, getting the required calories, and move a little every day--even if it's just walking.2 -
When I was in my early 20s, I was in an unhappy marriage and one night I thought I was having a heart attack - felt short of breath, sweating, heart racing, pain - turned out it was anxiety attack. When I was 40, I had a woman read my palm and she told me there would be "something with my heart" when I was 60. I never forgot it and of course, when I turned 60, I felt like I was having symptoms, but got checked and nothing. You can talk yourself into feeling sick. (as it turned out, I did have something with my heart when I was 60, but it had nothing to do with my heart health)
Don't be afraid to ask for help. Even if you don't qualify for one program, they may help you find another program that you do qualify for.3 -
This is such an important observation, and you're very brave to share it. If you have heart problems, symptoms will be there more or less constantly or on/off even when you're not thinking about them. Reading about horrible stuff can make anybody unhappy and scared. Maybe it's better for you to get up and move? I have noticed this myself, it's very hard, because I just want to curl up and hide, but getting out, getting things done, will at least give a feeling of achievement, even if it doesn't instantly improve my mood.LatoyasTime wrote: »It could be anxiety because I have been extremely anxious because of my financial situation. I also spend hours laying in bed googling everything I can about heart disease and think about it constantly sometimes to the point that I just want to cry. Something I notice is that when I stop thinking about it and start just doing things I enjoy, my symptoms pretty much disappear. Like for example I’ve been telling people I’ve developed a weird cough. Well the cough didn’t start until I googled that coughing is a symptom of heart disease. I also notice that I stop coughing when I’m not constantly thinking about heart disease. I’m just going to try to enjoy myself and focus on my weight loss journey because I’m really starting to think I’m crazy. I still plan on seeing a doctor though.
Do see a doctor on first opportunity. It's important to start proper treatment as soon as possible, and it's good to rule out things as soon as possible too. Just talking to someone you trust, face to face, can help you calm down.1 -
You're freezer needs to become your best friend. Bulk is cheaper, most foods can be frozen. Cooked beans freeze amazingly well, the same for soups, stews, and myraid of other inexpensive dishes. I make pinto beans enchiladas all the time, beans corn tortillas, onion, garlic and red chili (I make my own enchilada sauce as the red chili's are super cheap where I live)...and yes both the sauce and the prepared enchiladas can be frozen.1
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