Student Budget :(

ColorMeSweets

Hello everybody!, I've actually signed up for my fitness pal a long time ago, but like every diet I've ever done... I completely forgot about it. I'm back again simply because those 10 pounds I wanted to lose at the beginning, turned into 40 in a matter of MONTHS. I used to weigh 145 now I'm at 190! Honestly that crushed my self-esteem and just made all my anxieties a boat load worse, dont get me started on my health...I used to be really active too, but when went into uni (3 years ago) I started to gain weight because it was so much cheaper buying unhealthy foods than spending money on organic or generaly healthy foods. God knows I needed the money for books. Now that I've filled you in on my life story, Wish me luck.

runeatrunlive

Good luck! Feel free to add me as a friend if you want a bit of support

Roughgalaxy

I don't know your specific situation but try things like farmers markets, if you have a friend or family member with access to a wholesale (bulk) store try to utilize it to get your hands on a lot of cheap healthy food, and coupon. Do a little research on extreme couponing and see if any of those strategies can help fill your fridge with decent food for little money.

ColorMeSweets

Thank you for being so nice and I will look at that farmer's market idea.

VeryKatie

Good luck! Don't waste money on organic foods. Worry about eating healthily for now, and when you can afford that organic food, switch on over.

Still better than eating junk food, right?

YYC_Guy149

I know exactly what you're talking about with the student budget! Such a struggle to get healthy food that I can actually afford, and can also eat in class/ on the go. I just bought a coupon book for $20, and it has tons of grocery coupons in it, which actually makes shopping bearable, so you could look into something like that! mine had like $200 in grocery coupons in it!
Feel free to add me if you want some student support!

SandyBVTN

Good luck! Don't waste money on organic foods. Worry about eating healthily for now, and when you can afford that organic food, switch on over.

Still better than eating junk food, right?

Absolutely! Focus on calories right now, rather than things like organics. For real, you will get so much more bang for your buck. Sometimes cheaper can mean fast foods and things like that, but it can also mean whole, simple foods. A head of lettuce (rather than an organic package of fancy greens), some chicken thighs and some lentils can go a long way on a budget. Think: standard veggies, beans, pots of chilli, quesadillas.

formerfatboy1

Getting back into shape shouldn't be a problem for you if you use to be active in the past. You know the hard work and dedication plus the discipline it takes to get back on track. You got this!
Avoid the convenience of fast food restaurants and do some simple Meal prepping. Meal prep on a budget can be Done. I do it!

ciarotheray

As said above: big pots of veggie curry, bean chilli, soup.... are a good way to go. Me and my flatmate in uni lived on that stuff, and we were pretty healthy ) We got a lot of the "fancy" stuff like chickpeas, tofu and spices from the indian supermarket... knowing your local shops is always very handy )

another way to ease the budget is to try to eat seasonally, depending on where you live (some places its just not worth it...potatoes every day get old fast!)

climbing_trees

Oatmeal~
Apples, bananas
Rice, beans, various whole grains
Potatoes, white or sweet
Frozen veggies when they are on sale
In season fresh produce
Lots and lots of herbs/spices

Shop at discount stores if possible (Aldi, etc)

Don't eat out at restaurants!

darrensurrey

I don't ever buy organic or from farmer's markets. Cheapest of the cheap for me.

BillRicks1

Feel free to add me for support or advice.

felblossom

Budget shopping can be tricky
I try to plan ahead - nice for both diary logging and grocery shopping. Cooking single servings can cost a little bit more than buying bigger bulks, cook big meals, and make lunch boxes out of the leftovers.
Don't get too hung up on brand names or anything organic; focus on prize and calories! Sometimes organic isn't necessarily more expensive (which is awesome!), but sometimes the prize difference is just too big.
Farmers markets are great but can take a bit of organization, also keep in mind what's in season (veggies & fruits) because sometimes it's cheaper depending on the time of year.
Don't be afraid to cut out meat every now and again to keep the prize tag down.

And lastly, don't see it as a diet! You're simply changing bad eating habits and replacing them with better ones. Are you never going to eat pizza ever again? If you're tempted to say "sure, when the diet is over" then that's the wrong spirit. Make modifications where possible, and keep the rest in moderation. One slice of pizza is fine, an entire pie... well, just do a bit more exercising the next day. But allowing yourself to get that piece of pizza, or a say a burger with a side salad instead of fries or whatever will hopefully make this feel a lot less "diet"-y and more like something that just happen. Cutting something out completely could very easily lead to binging and bringing bad habits back fully blown.

ColorMeSweets

Thank you guys so much for the support and the great ideas! You guys don't know how much it means to me. I do get side tracked by name brands and there's a 99 cent restaurant near by that is so tempting....but I will be strong and will try my best to reach my goal. The bulk cooking sounds like a great idea, also about the coupon book.I have never been a big fan of chili, but you gotta do what you gotta do. Pizza is offered EVERYWHERE on campus it's almost impossible to say no. Then again 1 won't hurt.. it's the 3rd or 4th that hurt. You guys are AWSOME!