Why is insufficient funds so hard ???

Alchemiss86

Every time I'm low on funds i feel hopeless about my weight loss. I know losing weight doesn't cost much but it sure makes it easier to have a little funds if your out and about and forgot to pack lunch or trying to get in that new gym but your spouse lost his job . Ugh it's really hard to focus on myself with no greenery sigh*

Carriehelene

Of all the things in my life that insufficient funds has affected over the course of my life, losing weight has not been one of them. I spend a lot less on groceries when eating healthy foods, and as far as exercise goes, walking and running are free. Do I have and utilize a gym membership these days? Absolutely. But there have been many times in my life that I certainly couldn’t afford it. I just found other ways to accomplish whatever it was I wanted. Best of luck to you 🤗

sollyn23l2

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10941041/why-is-insufficient-funds-so-hard

This is going to sound mean, but I'm telling you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear. Losing weight costs less than maintaining or especially gaining weight. Buy less groceries. Eat less. Go on a walk. All these things will actually cost you LESS than what you are doing right now. But y'all don't want to hear that. Obesity comes from overconsumption. Stop overcomsuming. Less overconsumption means you are spending less money. Y'all want the easy tip or trip to keep overconsuming. That's why you think weight loss is expensive.

PAV8888

The free app works; no need to pay for premium :)

Eating out less is cheaper. Bag of carrots or a couple of apples or a single McDonald's vanilla cone can tide you over for a few hours till you can get back to your regular food! I ate more $1 vanilla cones and $1 no liquid sugar sub milk (so no cream) iced coffees back in 2014/2015 than I had any right to... yet lost a good 40+% of my body weight from obese to normal weight.

Don't think meal time. Think tide me over at minimal caloric and financial damage

Why not get paid to go to the gym?

There are a whole whack of jobs that people can't or won't do because they require strength and stamina.

Anything where the job ad brings up how much you have to lift and walk during your shift would be a good start. Quite a few are part time and after hours gigs.

As a client I've used both moving and landscaping companies that were after hours second jobs for their owners. The ones I have in mind were both started using rentals and disposable consumer tools. Our current lawn care contactor is also working full time as a journeyman electrician.

AnnPT77

I hear what you're saying about financial status and weight loss: Low budget can have practical implications, plus it affects mood.

For that "out and about" issue during weight loss, I made it a point to keep a very shelf-stable snack in my purse, car, or backpack that I could eat if I was getting hungry but the next meal wasn't imminent. (I'm a risk to my own eating plans if I get tooooo peckish, because when I get home I will eat everything.)

It's a little tricky, because the snack needs to be reasonably filling, have some nutrients (to help with the satiety, plus all-day calorie balance), reasonably tasty . . . but not so tempting I'd eat it just because it was there.

One thing that worked for me was single-portion crispy chickpeas or lentils. Homemade is achievable, and cheap. That specific thing may or may not suit you, but it's just an example. I suspect that if the recipe were selected with shelf-stability in mind, some homemade protein bar or cookie recipes might be workable, too.

You mention greens specifically. It may be a bit of a sacrifice on the taste/texture side, but I hope you're keeping in mind that canned or frozen veggies/fruits can be cheaper than fresh, but equally nutritious, and if it's just plain fruit/veg without sugar/syrup/oil, same calorie level. As a bonus, they sometimes go on sale. We may not see our favorites on sale, but maybe some new tastes could develop, with the right seasoning/cooking method.

I sympathize, but also believe that you can be wily enough to work your way through this, and achieve your goals despite the added challenge. I don't know about you, but when I succeed at solving some practical problem that seems challenging at first, I feel really empowered. Good stuff.

Wishing you success in the face of your challenges!

Alatariel75

I'm jumping on board with everything said above and also pointing out - by making weight loss something that you need to spend or have extra to succeed at, you're giving yourself an excuse to not do it. You're making it a "would be nice" and not a "must be done". It doesn't have to be fun, or interesting, it just needs to get done.

Find free things to do for exercise - walking, running, free gym equipment in the park, body-weight exercises, community groups that get together to work out. Keep the food simple - it doesn't have to be boring or bland, but it doesn't need to be Michelin starred, either.

csplatt

I use a free app called FitOn that gives me exercise videos to do at home. There’s a subscription version but I don’t need it. I used to LOVE gyms but as I got older I resented:

1. the drive
2. waiting for the machines i needed constantly

so i walk and workout at home now

age_is_just_a_number

I'm sorry to hear that your spouse lost their job. I know what that feels like and it can really negatively impact your outlook on everything. Consider a mind shift to look at this as an opportunity for self improvement. When one door closes another opens. Perhaps they can take a course or get a certification or find a better job than the one they had. Perhaps this time to rethink and reflect on what is important in your life and set different priorities.

In terms of the cost of weight loss, I'm with the other replies.

Losing weight requires a caloric deficit. Means you eat fewer calories than you burn.

MFP is free. You do need internet access to log. But most places have free wifi these days.

Log what you eat. Save money by buying groceries and cooking and eating at home rather than out. Don't 'forget' to pack a lunch. It is required everyday, do it the night before if mornings are too busy. Packing a lunch costs less.

Exercise is for maintaining and building muscle. I don't go to the gym. I am very fortunate that I have acquired at home gym equipment over several years. But I started with a yoga mat and my body. You don't even need a yoga mat. There are so many no equipment required workouts and exercises available. IMO, walking is the BEST exercise, especially when done outside. I use FitOn, another free app. My current favourite low impact cardio workout is Debbie's 15 minutes Step and Sweat. I use it as a warm up to other workouts or I do it twice as a 30 minute cardio workout.

Don't have weights and want to progress, pick up a water bottle or can of beans or bag of dried chickpeas. Do rows with a jug of laundry detergent. During the height of the COVID pandemic, gyms were closed and people were very creative with workouts and maintaining.

Losing weight is not expensive and will reap so many other benefits.