Weight loss Advice?
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DannyTheGay
Posts: 6 Member
Okay, so I need some advice on weight loss. I am 18, 5,0, and 206 pounds at the moment. I live in a very poor household. Our dinners usually consist of McDonald's, Wendy's, or pizza. Whenever we do cook, it's usually spaghetti, chili, or tacos. At the moment I am unable to get a job because we can't afford to get me an ID right now and you have to have one in order to work (at least where I live).
I have no say in what we buy at the store and what we eat for dinner. The only thing I have been true love, is how much of it I eat. I also don't own any workout equipment and can't afford a gym. I'm kinda stuck and unsure of what to do. Also lately the only thing I've been eating is dinner, and not eating for the rest of the day.
I just really need some advice on workouts and diet ideas that are doable in my current financial situation. I really wanna lose weight. Every few weeks or so my feet start hurting really bad to the point where I can't walk for a few days, and I feel like some of that comes from the fact that I weigh so much. I also really want to be a mom one day and I don't want to have the same experience that my mom had where she couldn't go outside and play with us.
I just really need some advice and maybe even motivation. Thank you.
I have no say in what we buy at the store and what we eat for dinner. The only thing I have been true love, is how much of it I eat. I also don't own any workout equipment and can't afford a gym. I'm kinda stuck and unsure of what to do. Also lately the only thing I've been eating is dinner, and not eating for the rest of the day.
I just really need some advice on workouts and diet ideas that are doable in my current financial situation. I really wanna lose weight. Every few weeks or so my feet start hurting really bad to the point where I can't walk for a few days, and I feel like some of that comes from the fact that I weigh so much. I also really want to be a mom one day and I don't want to have the same experience that my mom had where she couldn't go outside and play with us.
I just really need some advice and maybe even motivation. Thank you.
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Replies
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Despite what the diet industry tries to tell people you don't need to eat special foods to lose weight - you just have to eat less food. That will save you money not cost you money.
Although you aren't choosing what food is on your table you do have the ability to choose how much of it you eat.
All the fast foods you mention also have higher and lower calorie options - choose the lower ones.
Offer to help out with the shopping and your ability to influence what is bought will grow.
Walking is free and as you lose weight will become easier.17 -
I agree with everything above, also, when the decision is made to go buy the fast food dinner would it be possible for you to ask for however much your normal menu choice would cost and instead walk (exercise right there) yourself to a grocery store and select something less calorific, like fresh vegetables and rice, for example. You may even have rice in the house if your family eats home cooked chilli etc occasionally.
You do have choices, albeit limited at the moment, it just sometimes takes a bit of work to break out of a mindset and find different ways of doing things.
Are you at a school or library posting this on a public computer network, by the way? I’m just wondering that if you can afford a phone or PC and internet subscriptions if an I.D. Is totally out of the question to allow you to get out into the world and start working towards changing your future? How much does an I.D. cost, I realise I have no idea, but it seems unlikely it’s an enormous amount of money. Seems pretty fundamental to me that at 18 you shouldn’t be held back by unwise priorities5 -
I would start out by walking. Are you going to school? If so, I would think you should have access to equipment there? Log what you are eating on the app/site (as previous poster mentioned, how are you accessing this site?) to stay under your calories. Are you choosing what you eat from the fast food/pizza places? Or is it chosen for you? These places will have healthier/better choices like salads, grilled chicken sandwiches, etc.0
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eat less, move more.2
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CICO, trust the MFP calculation and record everything you eat / drink. Start walking a bit if you can and stop worrying: Body fat weight has increased slowly long term, so it will take about the same time - and a little bit longer to lose it again. Cheer up, you are getting healthier!0
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Agree with previous listers about getting an ID and walking. Also, I live in the UK so not sure what the exact offerings from McDonald's are, but for example here you could choose a grilled wrap, diets drinks or a juice and there is no harm in checking whether you can swap the fries to a fruit bag (medium Fries in the UK, which I understand is a smaller portion than in the US, is a whopping 340kcals is).
We have been/are in a financially tight position too, due to lots of issues, one of which was us being a bit silly with takeaways and fast food (nothing more expensive than McDonald's, KFC and pizza though). We have had to follow a strict budget to get our finances back in check and if we have a McDonald's it completely buggers our budget as we find it more expensive than cooking. It was difficult, but we've started shopping fresh from cheaper supermarkets and cooking at home, and it works out a lot cheaper. Nothing too fancy, fresh, cheap vegetables (broccoli, carrots and peas are our go to veggies), potatoes, rice or pasta, tuna, fish fingers and nuggets for the freezer when we can't be bothered to spend too much time cooking, eggs and the most expensive usually is the meat/fish (but still cheaper than fast food). So if you are financially struggling, fast food really doesn't help at all.
Having said that, I know its hard for you to make these choices as you are still at home and you have to abide what the rest of the household wants to do, which is why getting this ID is even more of a priority. Once you have a job and earn your own money, you will have a lot more freedom over your choices, so I would definitely be getting on that. How much does an ID cost?
In the meantime, like PPs have said, walk more and make better choices with food. Log everything (should be easier with fast food as you should be able to find the nutritional info quite easily). Make small changes that are within your power and plan to get that ID sorted so you can get a job. Good luck! 😊3 -
Agree with previous listers about getting an ID and walking. Also, I live in the UK so not sure what the exact offerings from McDonald's are, but for example here you could choose a grilled wrap, diets drinks or a juice and there is no harm in checking whether you can swap the fries to a fruit bag (medium Fries in the UK, which I understand is a smaller portion than in the US, is a whopping 340kcals is).
We have been/are in a financially tight position too, due to lots of issues, one of which was us being a bit silly with takeaways and fast food (nothing more expensive than McDonald's, KFC and pizza though). We have had to follow a strict budget to get our finances back in check and if we have a McDonald's it completely buggers our budget as we find it more expensive than cooking. It was difficult, but we've started shopping fresh from cheaper supermarkets and cooking at home, and it works out a lot cheaper. Nothing too fancy, fresh, cheap vegetables (broccoli, carrots and peas are our go to veggies), potatoes, rice or pasta, tuna, fish fingers and nuggets for the freezer when we can't be bothered to spend too much time cooking, eggs and the most expensive usually is the meat/fish (but still cheaper than fast food). So if you are financially struggling, fast food really doesn't help at all.
Having said that, I know its hard for you to make these choices as you are still at home and you have to abide what the rest of the household wants to do, which is why getting this ID is even more of a priority. Once you have a job and earn your own money, you will have a lot more freedom over your choices, so I would definitely be getting on that. How much does an ID cost?
In the meantime, like PPs have said, walk more and make better choices with food. Log everything (should be easier with fast food as you should be able to find the nutritional info quite easily). Make small changes that are within your power and plan to get that ID sorted so you can get a job. Good luck! 😊
yup - all of this! eating out every/most meals is definitely more expensive than eating at home. there are threads on here about how to grocery shop on the cheap - if your family is truly "very poor" as you say you should look into that to help them out! not eating out all the time will save a ton!5 -
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I'm super new to the workout world, but maybe you could try integrate movement into your daily life? Like, when walking to your destination, carry something heavy? Take the stairs? Do short little bursts of sprints of maybe 5 seconds or something? From my limited exposure to fitness, I've seen that most workouts don't need a gym. You can turn anything into a fitness challenge, like maybe when going across a zebra crossing hop on the white stripes and avoid the road tarmac, or suddenly pretend parts of the floor are lava and hop across your path. If you like what you do, you'll want to continue- that's all there is to it.
Sorry for the long post. It's as much a rant to myself as it is offering my insight to you OP.0 -
Calorie counting with MyFitnessPal, plain and simple and planner for meal prepping.
Started walking and cutting unhealthy carbs by around 50% (I do love my carbs, though!), down to 185ish from 193 over 2-3 months. Walking times keep dropping, so I plan on keeping it up.
I do wish that unhealthy food was better for me . . . I really like sweets. If I was God for a day, chocolate cake would cure cancer and reverse heart disease.0 -
Calorie counting with MyFitnessPal, plain and simple and planner for meal prepping.
Started walking and cutting unhealthy carbs by around 50% (I do love my carbs, though!), down to 185ish from 193 over 2-3 months. Walking times keep dropping, so I plan on keeping it up.
I do wish that unhealthy food was better for me . . . I really like sweets. If I was God for a day, chocolate cake would cure cancer and reverse heart disease.
Depending on how you look at it, if eating a bit of chocolate cake as part of a balanced diet helped you to lose weight by making a calorie deficit more sustainable then it could be considered a preventative measure
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Start small. Eat one less piece of pizza than you normally would. Leave some fries in the package. Switch from soda to iced tea or water. That alone will save you hundreds of calories and get you started. You can continue making small changes as you go, and work up to cooking your own meals and eating “healthy” food.
Start walking. You don’t have to go far in the beginning. Walk a few blocks and come back. Increase slowly.
If you are truly in a position where money is too tight for an ID, see if you can get some “under the table” work. Ask your neighbors if they have any odd jobs that you could do for a small bit of money. Just make sure it is something you can physically handle (mow a lawn, shovel snow off a driveway, walk a dog, etc). On your walks (see above), keep an eye out for change on the ground and start saving it up. You might be surprised how much you can find.
You can do this if you have the determination to make it work for you. It won’t be easy, but nothing worthwhile ever is. The most important thing is that you keep going even when things get tough.0 -
For 'workout ideas': walking and bodyweight exercises like wall pushups, squats/lunges, ab work, etc. Free, easy, can be done anywhere. And you can find something that suits your current fitness level.
Eating less is the key. If there is any way you can incorporate some vegetables in that will help with bulk (so you don't feel like you're eating 'less') and of course there is nutritional value in vegetables!
It can also help if you get involved w/ the cooking. If you're willing to help with the cooking, the McDonalds/Pizza/Wendy's money can buy a bit of thrifty groceries. There are many online resources to give ideas there. Drain & rinse the taco meat - you're going to add water to it to simmer the seasoning anyhow. You won't notice a difference in the taste IMO and draining/rinsing - instead of just draining - removes more of the grease and therefore the calories. Have more lettuce/tomatoes on your taco and a lesser amount of cheese/sourcream/etc.
As for the fast food: most places now have some lighter options and post their nutritional info online. For pizza, look for a thinner crust and limit to a couple of slices.DannyTheGay wrote: »Okay, so I need some advice on weight loss. I am 18, 5,0, and 206 pounds at the moment. I live in a very poor household. Our dinners usually consist of McDonald's, Wendy's, or pizza. Whenever we do cook, it's usually spaghetti, chili, or tacos. At the moment I am unable to get a job because we can't afford to get me an ID right now and you have to have one in order to work (at least where I live).
I have no say in what we buy at the store and what we eat for dinner. The only thing I have been true love, is how much of it I eat. I also don't own any workout equipment and can't afford a gym. I'm kinda stuck and unsure of what to do. Also lately the only thing I've been eating is dinner, and not eating for the rest of the day.
I just really need some advice on workouts and diet ideas that are doable in my current financial situation. I really wanna lose weight. Every few weeks or so my feet start hurting really bad to the point where I can't walk for a few days, and I feel like some of that comes from the fact that I weigh so much. I also really want to be a mom one day and I don't want to have the same experience that my mom had where she couldn't go outside and play with us.
I just really need some advice and maybe even motivation. Thank you.
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Also amen to the drinking more water. We eat for many reasons and not always due to hunger. Boredom and habit come to mind. If you're constantly sipping on water, you'll be less likely to randomly snack.
It is very likely that at least some of your physical issues will improve as you lose weight. Find ways to remind yourself of this, because it is going to be HARD for you to change habits if you are the only one in the family trying to make a change. Family can be really bad about this, especially if others are also overweight. They will rationalize by telling you its ok to be overweight - because that means they don't have to admit they are doing anything 'wrong'.
If you are a student - find out what resources are available to you. Also do your own research and make sure any info you're being fed by your family is legit. Find out the cost to get an ID. More than likely you'll need your social security card, birth certificate, proof of address. Those things may be controlled by your parents. Parents have some mixed up reasons to deny things. They may think they are sheltering you, protecting you by keeping you at home and not allowing you out into the world. They may have very good intentions. But no time like the present to start taking baby steps toward your own independence.
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There are a lot of very real barriers to eating well when in tough financial straits. So let me be a voice in acknowledging this.
It's easy to say "buy in bulk", "just eat less", "avoid fast food", "eat lots of veggies", "walk more" when you might only have a limited amount to spend this week, you might not know IF you will eat dinner tonight, there's no grocery store in walking distance or you have to carry grocery items on the bus, the grocery store does not have a fresh produce section, and you're scared of violence in your neighborhood.
Just want to reassure you some people of MFP get it.1 -
For inside exercise that doesn't hurt your feet:
If you have a DVD player, Internet access, or cable with DVR: There are a lot of good yoga programs out there on Youtube and apps free on Google Play. PBS stations in America often have yoga and other gentle exercise programs--I love Classical Stretch/Essentrics (it also has a focus on working on foot issues!)
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Exercise - walking, biking, jump rope (no rope needed, just imagination), lifting weights,(cans, sacks of flour,whatever your imagination allows) limbo, (broom on backs of chairs), calisthenics, yoga, Pilates, tai chi, etc.
Food - don’t just volunteer to help with shopping, help with cooking.
Oatmeal, easy, quick, cheap.
Soups are easy to make with cheaper cuts of meat and frozen vegetables. Look up easy recipes.
Fruits
Eggs are quick and easy
Tuna salad
Rotisserie chicken and salad kit are as quick and easy as McDonald’s and Wendy’s.and cheap.
Pancakes are easy and fun. Have yours with fruit instead of syrup.
It might also help you to snack on low calorie things during the day so you aren’t so hungry at dinner time. That’s for you to say. Just a thought.
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