Why do we have to pay for everything!?!

emmaleigh47

You do not need a plan ... you just need to make yourself a priority.
You mentioned your son needs to gain weight, so he can take more servings or eat a snack.
The one year old, well teaching children to eat healthy is not a bad thing.
Also healthy cooking is not a bad thing for anyone... so make choices to use low fat ingredients and whole unprocessed foods.

Regarding the workouts... I LOVE the advice you have gotten.
Another thing you can do though... get two pairs of good running socks and one pair of good running shoes. Spend 20 dollars with a Jeff Galloway timer... and there you go, hours of workouts!!

annie_p

You do not need a plan ... you just need to make yourself a priority.
You mentioned your son needs to gain weight, so he can take more servings or eat a snack.
The one year old, well teaching children to eat healthy is not a bad thing.
Also healthy cooking is not a bad thing for anyone... so make choices to use low fat ingredients and whole unprocessed foods.

Regarding the workouts... I LOVE the advice you have gotten.
Another thing you can do though... get two pairs of good running socks and one pair of good running shoes. Spend 20 dollars with a Jeff Galloway timer... and there you go, hours of workouts!!

Ugh...I am SOOOO not a runner...YET. I'm working on it, but as of right now, couldn't happen! Not to mention we've gotten probably over a foot of snow in the last few days!

KeriA

There is some really good advice here and I love it especially not buying into diet gimmics. However I share a frustration with annie. I joined a health club and I love their classes and facilities but they do not help you at all with the weight machines. I do not mind paying for help like having them help me get started but they won't do that they want you to pay too much every week or month for ever taken out of a credit card or your account. So I spent some on some books and researching on the internet to come up with a appropriate circuit with mixed results. I have weight trained once but have forgotten alot. I am making progress in exercise in other free ways and I will get the strenth training nut cracked eventually but one does get tired of all those people out for a buck and that is why MFP is so refreshing. I do not mind paying for help and expert advice I just don't like exploitation. Unfortunately we really need to watch out for it especially in weight loss.

emmaleigh47

[
Ugh...I am SOOOO not a runner...YET. I'm working on it, but as of right now, couldn't happen! Not to mention we've gotten probably over a foot of snow in the last few days!

If you want to be a runner, you can be a runner. Trust me!
And snow... well I live in Wisconsin, so it doesnt get much snowier and colder than that.
Running in the road is helpful in the winter months -- or on a dreadmill if you have to.
And the cold isnt as cold as you think it is when you get going... I have yet to be COLD during a run, and in fact I am usually overheated!

juliana1977

Ok, if you need a plan make one!!!
I kind do that every weekend. After my kids go to bed friday night I get online and search recipes for dinner (it is the only meal we eat together at home) and ideas for lunch and snack. I them make my shopping list (I try to go to the grocery every saturday) and my schedule for the following week. It is nothing fancy, I do it in my agenda. But it works. Do I keep up to it? Not every week, sometimes things happen and the plans change.
You can start by planning your workout schedule for the following week. For example I know my kids have swimming lessons every tuesday and thursday and those are the days I go to the gymm. I know I have to fit at least 2 more days of work out in the week and I try to schedule them. Then try to plan lunch and so on...
About the meals: KEEP IT SIMPLE!! I will tell you something my kids do not eat everything I cook. So on these days that they don't want to eat dinner they have to choose between peanutbutter sandwich or cheese and ham sandwich and white milk. I do add a fruit and a vegetable and we are good to go. Our delli meat is lean and so is the cheese and we only eat whole wheat bread.
One more thing, I know how you feel with little one at home and worried about his weight. Make sure you have good quality food at home and feed him more often, maybe every 2 hours with something good.
I paid some of these stuff before, and look at me, I am here still trying to loose weigth!

soze

Why pay anyone. Don't misunderstand me I like WW and maybe I would like some others. If you use MFP you will pick up tips from many other people going down the same road. Further if you watch closely to what you eat you will realize what you should be eating and what eh doesn't work so well.

To me it is just as simple as what your Mother told you, eat what you want but not in large portions.

floridabootcamp

you guys/gals should look for a quality boot camp program in your area....true, you will have to pay but the rates for boot camps are very cost effective since they are done in a group setting....this will give you some direction and structure....just make sure that you go with one that gives you a meal plan along with follow up and support

YourFriendBecky

I've heard that a lot of people combine using MFP and www.sparkpeople.com (also free). Sparkpeople apparently has menu plans and workout videos. I don't really want either of those things (like to do my own thing) so MFP is perfect for me.

TheMaidOfAstolat

3 things:
1-you don't need a plan....just advice and this site is full of it. Look at all of SHBoss's threads...wonderful stuff.
2-eating healthy isn't costly. Not at all. I'm a vegetarian and eat very cleanly. For my daughter and myself I can feed us for less than $50 a week. It may take a bit of time but make things from scratch...it'll save a bunch of money. Use a co-op if possible, plant a garden if you can, there are lots of options. Eating healthfully is easy and cheap...but you have to make it that way.
3-do your research...if you still want a plan find a free one...there have got to be some out there. Just look around.

katmarsc

I also received Cooking Light as a gift, this magazine along with Shape and Health were the tools I needed to keep me inspired, motivated. Each month when I received the next issue, it kept me focused. With Cooking Light, I learned how to cook healthy and not feel deprived. It teaches you how to portion control, the food will work for your whole family.

What worked best in my house, I made a menu plan for the whole week, if not for the month. It is easy to download a blank menu plan online or just a blank piece of paper. I listed everything breakfast, lunch and dinner. i posted that on the refrig or on my kitchen door. No one needed to ask what was for dinner..

From that I made my weekly shopping list. I knew my schedule what days i could spend more time in the kitchen what nights could be a healthy salad with chicken. That helped me the best, when I cooked I put a piece of gum in my mouth, as I also found myself tast testing the food. Coming home to a hectic house or from a hectic day, if I knew what was the menu for the night I didn't have open all the cupboards or refrig and not have a plan. If I didn't already have a plan, i found that those are the days I would go to something fast and unhealthy, box of mac and cheese, etc...
I made my lunches for work the night before, a salad or when i was packing up leftovers, I just made my lunch from it -ready to go. Another thing that worked, made meals on Sunday when husband was out working or watching football, I made my veggie soup that I would take for lunch each week, I would cook a bunch of chicken breast in my George Foreman so I had those ready for my salads.. Simple things that matter over time.

Once the lights were off in the kitchen, the kitchen was closed.

annie_p

[
Ugh...I am SOOOO not a runner...YET. I'm working on it, but as of right now, couldn't happen! Not to mention we've gotten probably over a foot of snow in the last few days!

If you want to be a runner, you can be a runner. Trust me!
And snow... well I live in Wisconsin, so it doesnt get much snowier and colder than that.
Running in the road is helpful in the winter months -- or on a dreadmill if you have to.
And the cold isnt as cold as you think it is when you get going... I have yet to be COLD during a run, and in fact I am usually overheated!

I'm in Minnesota..It does get colder and snowier than that! lol I also live in the middle of nowhere, where our roads don't get plowed until 3:30pm, and by that time I'm at work. I know it sounds like a lot of excuses, and it possibly is. But by this spring I'll get my butt out there in the wee-morning hours and run.

funkyspunky871

I don't want to send you away from MFP, but have you tried sparkpeople.com? I've mentioned this to several people; maybe it sounds like I'm a rep or spammer or something. Lol. Anyways, it's a calorie counter like MFP, but it also gives daily meal plans, so there's more structure. I guess you'd still be responsible for food costs and everything, but since when have you NOT been? At least the meal plans are free and the exercise schedule too.

velvetechos

Well, we have to pay for it, because those plans are mostly individualized and people hock that stuff to make a living

But, there is a lot of free info out there, and I think the effort it takes to make all of that free information work for you is so worthwhile! You gain a lot of knowledge and can easily make it a LIFESTYLE as opposed to a diet. It's so much better in the long run!

annie_p

I don't want to send you away from MFP, but have you tried sparkpeople.com? I've mentioned this to several people; maybe it sounds like I'm a rep or spammer or something. Lol. Anyways, it's a calorie counter like MFP, but it also gives daily meal plans, so there's more structure. I guess you'd still be responsible for food costs and everything, but since when have you NOT been? At least the meal plans are free and the exercise schedule too.

I did try Sparkpeople a while ago, but never really got into it. I love MFP, just to have something on the side would be nice. I'm taking a lot of advice I've gotten on this post and running with it, so hopefully I can lose some more of this weight!

california_peach

Thanks everyone! I know I don't NEED a plan/program, and I've been doing pretty good. It just get's difficult with a 1 year old and a husband! My son NEEDS to gain weight, I NEED to lose weight, and my husband is pretty good where he's at. Three completely different needs in one house...OY! It would be nice to have my own seperate meals that are easy to prepare so I don't end up making two totally different meals up to three times a day!

I have a husband and two small children (a 5 1/2 yr old and an almost 3 yr old) and I totally know what you are dealing with. Your one year old should be able to eat whatever you are eating provided it is prepared properly (chopped to the right size, etc). Of course at 1 yr they can drink whole milk and that should help him gain weight. For your husband just give him larger helpings then what you give yourself. Basically you do not want to get into the habit of being a short order cook. I did that with my oldest and it is still a nightmare, he is so picky. While my youngest got what the rest of us ate and he is a really good eater. Seriously we have to keep the salad away from him or he will eat the entire bowl.

At the end of the day you family is going to benefit from having a healthier and happier mommy.

As to the money to be spent on a getting healthy, I am spent $9 on this journey. I bought a Jillian Michaels DVD at Target, but otherwise I run/walk outside or do the free exercise things that exerciseTV offers for free via my cable. Here on MFP I set up my own system. My base for calories is set at 1200, but if I exercise I eat 1700 calories. This is my built in motivation to work out daily.

Hope this helps and good luck!

sarina87

check your library. I got all my biggest loser workouts and plans from there and P90X. The price was 0 dollars

mommyskis

Do you have On-Demand on your cable? I do lots of free workouts on their free section. They change all the time, which is a bummer if you find one you like, but it's also good when you get bored. Many people on here have recommended you pre-plan your meals - that's great advice. I also like Taste of Home - Healthy Cooking magazine. Most of our meals come from it and the kids eat it too.

spitfire1962

The food pyramid site is free. Lots of recipes and meal plans. Also you can get great DVD's for under $10.00. I recommend anything with Jillian Michaels or Bob Harper. I also like the other posters comments about exercisetv.com, and netflix. You can get all sorts of free information online. You just have to be willing to put in the effort. I have also noticed that there are lots of people here who have successfully lost lots of weight who are experts on exercise and food plans. Look around at their status's and add people with large weight losses as friends to help keep you motivated and to encourage you.

TracieJ65

I won't pay for something I can do myself! I don't belong to a gym, I already had a treadmill from a New Years Resolution about 6 years ago, and I find whatever ways I can to exercise in my own home. If you have stairs in your home, or apartment, run p and down them. If you have a sturdy stool use it to do steps ups while watching TV. Stand in place and march bringing your knees up parallel to your hips. Make it a game when your one year old s around. My grandson, who is one, was just here this last week and he sat in his high chair and would watch me and if I made funny noises or made it a game he would laugh.

Cook one meal and make it healthy. You already said you should cook it better. Your husband is good so the healthier cooking will be good for him. For your son, as others have said, give him snacks or add things to his meals like cheese or some peanut butter. Believe me, though, cooking healthier and having dinner at home, is not going to be bad for him and what a great lesson. (a lesson I am trying to get own daughter on as she gets herself and m grandson fast food ALL the time)

Some websites I use for recipes are allrecipes.com just always look at the nutritional information. Eatbetteramerica.com, skinnytaste.com, healthycooking.com, and tasteofhome.com has a healthy section on it's site. Devin Alexander is a healthy cook and she has a show on the discovery health channel but you can also look her up on discoveryhealth.com and cookinglight.com.

You don't have to pay for things, you just need to have the commitment to make this happen.

Iampierre

go to the library, they are free all those books that are out there on nutrition and fitness, they have whole sections on it ask the librarian and if they don't have it they can order it from another library you'll just have to wait a little extra time.
Go online first to the many websites that tell you their reviews of the diet books so you can decide which ones you want to spend your time on, and most libraries have a really good selection of videos including workout tapes.

Iampierre

go to the library, they are free all those books that are out there on nutrition and fitness, they have whole sections on it ask the librarian and if they don't have it they can order it from another library you'll just have to wait a little extra time.
Go online first to the many websites that tell you their reviews of the diet books so you can decide which ones you want to spend your time on, and most libraries have a really good selection of videos including workout tapes.

annie_p

Thanks for all the advice you guys! I did make up a meal plan for the week, and that seems to be going real good. I eat healthy at work(since we have the menu's set forth already and my clients are on an 1800 cal a day diet...) I've been working out on my Wii Fit Plus for the last few days and am absolutely in love! I just never gave it the time before, oh...and I've lost a pound! So I think I should be on the right track now!

anovasjo

You can do this on your own.

Become your own food service. Calculate & prepare meals a day in advance (including all snacks). If you can do that you'll lose weight.

My food diary is planned for tomorrow. I work a 12 hour shift and my 1450 calories of food is all prepared and ready to go in the fridge. I'm gonna squeeze in 30 minutes on the treadmill tomorrow midshift to burn some extra calories and thats it.

Cost me ZERO $.

You can do this.

Can I just take a sec to applaud this effort?
People can be in charge of their own lives and this is how it's done, ladies & gents.

SyreetaJayne1

Thanks everyone! I know I don't NEED a plan/program, and I've been doing pretty good. It just get's difficult with a 1 year old and a husband! My son NEEDS to gain weight, I NEED to lose weight, and my husband is pretty good where he's at. Three completely different needs in one house...OY! It would be nice to have my own seperate meals that are easy to prepare so I don't end up making two totally different meals up to three times a day!

Ok stop doing all that cooking. Feed everyone the same stuff. You just eat the proper amount to work it in. Give the kid o snacks with high protein, like peanut butter on apples or crackers. Everyone should be able to eat what you cook just the amounts will differ. Everyone will be happy. And you won't have so many dishes.

totally agree!!!