Broke = Fat

Famzav8

Don't give up! As disheartening as it seems sometimes..... just keep on doing the best you can. I would check out a produce stand if you have one in your town. We have some produce stands here that do $1 bags and fill them full of their short dated produce. I just stopped in this evening and picked up three artichokes, 2 1/2 pounds of tomatos, and 6 onions for $3. I will usually base my meals off of what produce I am able to get at a steal. I cut coupons, and look at the weekly ads. Whatever produce is the cheapest that week, or on special I will use that to figure out my meals for the week. You sound like you have alot on your plate right now...... take some time out for yourself.

kayemme

also, you can grow many things from seed in containers ... doesn't get cheaper than that! if you know any gardeners, i'm sure they'd even give you some seed to get you started!

yogajan

I am new here, but not a novice when it comes to trying all types of weight loss plans.

The one that has been most effective for me may work for you, since you are in grad school.

Make a plan like you are doing a research project. Only this time you are the subject of the research and although you won't get university credit for it, the end result will be a personal best to you.

It has been a long time since I was in graduate school, but I do remember the projects, which was a very good education for my future jobs and life. So I developed my own research project on fitness and health, which includes getting to a weight of around 135. Like any research project, I defined my goals, set up my systems, did my research and am recording my results. I use MacJournal to set up my eating and exercise plan, this site to record my daily food and exercise and am constantly reading medical journals to see what is happening in the field.

If you use this approach, take one full day to plan how you are going to do it. Because of your budgetary issues, you need to do more planning on purchasing food and selecting what is best for you. For me, planning is the key, because if I don't I get hungry and have been known to make cookies in the middle of the night. I also made a plan for special events, eating out and other events that could interfere with my goal.

So far so good for me. I have lost 20 pounds since working on my plan, with a few ups and downs. I don't worry about the times my weight doesn't move, because I have also planned for that. This process is not very easy, but it works, which is all I care about. I do look forward to the day that my weight is not such a prominent issue in my life.

chevy88grl

Don't give up!

I have a VERY tight food budget for 4 people and I manage to make it work. First thing, sit down with the sale ads for the week and figure out what is on sale. You can often find chicken or pork buy one, get one free. After you've gone through the ads, then take what is on sale and make a menu with it. Your family would benefit from eating better. This is the chance to change ALL of your eating habits - not just yours. You can find healthier, cheaper meals. You just have to be creative.

A few things we do that are inexpensive and easy:

Turkey tacos - made just like regular tacos, but with turkey. If you look you can find ground turkey on sale OR buy the stuff close to the sell by date and put it in the freezer when you get home.

Turkey sloppy joes with wheat buns.

We sometimes make egg whites (we buy regular eggs because they're cheaper and separate them) and add cheese, sausage or ham to it. Like an omelet, but better for you. Have some whole wheat toast with it.

Making sure you get enough protein and eat less processed stuff will make weight loss easier AND you'll feel better.

If you need anymore ideas - feel free to message me.

(As for the scale -- don't worry about it. I wish I didn't have one most of the time! Take pics or buy a cheap measuring tape at Wal Mart).

GypsyWagon

Ditch the canned veggies, and go frozen. Much better for you and you can portion out what you need for a meal more easily. Just rinse them and steam them in the microwave with the water that's clinging to them. Also, check your area to see if there's a fruit/veg co-op. We have Bountiful Baskets out here and for $15 conventional/$25 organic you get a large assortment of half fruit/half veg. They're the size that would feed a family of four. You could maybe even split one with another starving student if the guys in your house won't eat them. I like to make soup and eat it for several days...might be a good option for you. It will fill you up with fewer calories. Hang in there.

AprilHead

I know what it's like to be broke. If you message me your address, I'll send you a scale, if you'd like.

ResilientWoman

There is a huge correlation between poverty and obesity.

Having said that, I've made the shift and figured out how to feed the whole family on a small fixed income. I am disabled and my only source of income is an insufficient amount of SSI. We have networked with churches, gleaning organizations, friends who grow more veggies than they can eat. I've requested that people not buy 'things' for my daughter or I for birthdays but food such as an organic farm/ranch share. I have shared my story with the farmers at local farmers markets and had them donate food.

Volunteering in urban non-profits to end hunger has also helped.

It all comes down to what you value. If you want to win, you'll find a way. If you need more specifics, friend me.

AprilHead

There is a huge correlation between poverty and obesity.

Having said that, I've made the shift and figured out how to feed the whole family on a small fixed income. I am disabled and my only source of income is an insufficient amount of SSI. We have networked with churches, gleaning organizations, friends who grow more veggies than they can eat. I've requested that people not buy 'things' for my daughter or I for birthdays but food such as an organic farm/ranch share. I have shared my story with the farmers at local farmers markets and had them donate food.

Volunteering in urban non-profits to end hunger has also helped.

It all comes down to what you value. If you want to win, you'll find a way. If you need more specifics, friend me.

You're completely right with the obesity and poverty thing. Foods that fatten you up with low nutrition like Top Ramen and Rice a Roni are always super cheap. I knew some crafty old Russian women who moved from poverty to the US, and they literally grew everything in their front yard because that was the only way you could buy vegetables without breaking bank. It's only going to get worse I'm afraid. I'm getting grow lights for my apartment, and it's not for weed. Hahaha!

itsmeclorene

I'm broke too and have to go by what my mom buys. You can still count your calories and stay under your goal. Cans of fruit and vegetables are cheap and I even just got 6 fresh kiwis for only a few dollars.

totustuusmaria

I don't think you should give up!!!

I just started this whole weight loss thing (well... at least this way) myself and have been a little struck by the expensiveness of it all. But there are certainly ways to make things work; coupons being your best friend. Take advantage of coupon sites and maybe look online for a local coupon blog. Sometimes there are great little savers in your area blogging their every saving-move that you can cheat off!

Also consider and be open to other supermarkets/groceries then the regular. I prefer to shop at Kroger because of its close proximity and reliability, but compared to Walmart they are very expensive without coupons. So, sometimes when I am in a pinch I drive a bit farther (or take the bus) to Walmart instead. And I save. If you have an Aldi's in your area, then look into shopping there and purchasing the Fit and Active brand instead of Weight Watchers. It is just as good. You can save up to 50% regularly doing that. And although you can't price-match much else at Walmart from Aldis you can price match their produce. In a local add they had cucumbers this week for 25 cents and 8 oz of mushrooms for 69 cents. That was lower then Walmart.

And go to the Farmers Market!!! There can be great deals there sometimes!

Being without a scale/measuring utensil is an obstacle, but not one you can't overcome for a short time creatively.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/healthy-eating/10-ways-to-measure-perfect-portion-sizes/pictures/index.html

Although you don't have a scale, you can take regular things from around your house that are proven to be the same size/right portion of a certain type of food. Such as one cup of pasta or rice will be the size of a tennis ball. 3 oz of fish will roughly be the size of a check book. 3 oz of meat is roughly the size of a deck of cards.

As far as work-out videos and tapes go, you can also search for used that are like brand new because the person selling them most likely never even used them!! And sometimes you might even find weights and possibly kitchen aid stuff on places like craigslist for much lower then store prices.

And gym memberships are not necessities. You can run and have fun outside. There are free zumba classes everywhere! There are five in a 10 miles radius from me! http://www.zumba.com/ ... And some of the best strength training it just basic situps and pushups. You can use bottled waters, soda liters, milk gallons as weights.

And, like someone else said, make your family fit right along with yourself!

I can sympathize with you so much... it is difficult to do basic grocery shopping... especially in this economy with increased fuel prices = increased food prices and I am not a student right now. You are! But don't feel like you have to sacrifice yourself and your health for your education. With a little creativity & research you won't have too! Hang in there!

EDIT: Also, I was just thinking too about the Amish Markets. I don't know where you are at, but we have an amish store around me and I know in the North there are more little markets where they show up and their produce and meat can be really inexpensive and all of their things are natural.

TDGee

Whole chickens are pretty inexpensive, easy to cut up and the skin just yanks right off! Think of it as a way to let out some aggression... Chickens are mouthy little buggers, always clucking and $hitting all over the place. If you ask me, they're ASKING for it!

danie2010dw

DONT Give Give Up!! I Have Found If You Live In A City With A 99 Cent Store Or Dollar Gen They Have A Fruit And Veggie Section I Get A lot Of Things There Plus Its Fresher Since In MY area its from the local growers. Also i freqent my local farmers/flea markets they are also good for your fruits and veggies . For my meats i live on the West coast(Cali) we have like grocery outlets here and i get my ground turkey it only $2 also i urge everyone with families to try your butcher for MEAT Packages. you can get 65 pounds of meat for 30 bucks you also pick the types of packages and what it contains. like chicken and pork and lean beef it really helps and i just section it and freeze it and pull out what i need wen i need it. Oh and like a lot of others said Wal-mart is the best for chicken breast. once you start looking around for you deals and find a good menu for you and your family you will see the healthy cooking isn't as bad as its made to seem.

and for the scale...its really not needed as long as your seeing progress you should be fine. i wouldn't be discouraged since your choosing to change your life at such a crucial time in life let that motivate you to keep going.

good luck

yogajan

In place of a scale, find a piece of "barometer" clothing. Just make sure the fabric is something that doesn't stretch too much. Try it on once a week and when it starts to get loose on you it is a better feeling than seeing numbers on a scale.

ChinniP

Ok don't hate on me ... but your health should be a priority. Graduate school is great and all ... but If you think you're going to have a lot of money right away after forget it. I'm assuming you'll have some debt to pay off. Maybe you should lessen your course load and find another part time job so you can spend more time and money taking care of yourself ... and not just your brain.

Losingitin2011

Don't give up. Something a friend told me that really stuck with me was that wherever you are now is just a stop along the way. Don't fixate on it. Don't quit school, especially when you're so close to being done. Healthy eating IS expensive, but it is do-able. Check for meat sales at the grocery store and stock up if possible. Sometimes you can get decent cuts of meat for a lot less than normal. Be patient and don't beat yourself up because you're broke right now. If you can't afford the "diet" foods, then just try to get some exercise in. You have already taken a huge step that deserves recognition by acknowledging that the food you can afford isn't healthy. Don't play down that sort of thing!

ChinniP

Also ... I have a really hard time with food. I'm traveling a lot now for work so I can choose for myself a bit more and expense it so it has gotten a whole lot easier. But that is very recent. My husband does all the cooking and makes my plate. Since he seems to like me chubby it was a battle. My mom never let me get up from the table unless I cleaned my plate so I am a bit compulsive about eating what is there. On the weekends it's still hard. Luckily it is a lot of lentils and veggies that he makes (he's Indian) ... but the paratha and rice kill me. I realized it is my choice to eat it or not and he finally is making my portions smaller.

A bunch of years back I lost 60 lbs just fitness walking, taking the stairs and working out to cheap exercise tapes on clearance. And now there are a ton of exercise videos on youtube or elsewhere on the net. I really had not changed my diet that significantly at that time. Unfortunately I gained it all back because I got lazy and stopped all the good things I had been doing.

You can do it ... try indian. Lentil dishes go a long long way and are very filling. You have to take it easy on the rice ... not paratha, but roti is a pretty good choice.

parvati

So, I am rapidly becoming VERY discouraged in my weight-loss effort because I just can't afford even the simplest thing to help in my journey. I can't even buy a scale, so I can't do much to track my progress. I can't buy different foods for myself, so instead I have to settle for eating the same junk the rest of the family eats, but in smaller portions - which generally leaves me hungry and cranky. I'm a graduate student, so by definition i should be living on welfare and eating ramen noodles, and somehow I chose this point in my life to try to lose weight. Am I just dumb? Should I just give up and be fat until I have the money to lose weight? I am so frustrated with my whole situation...

I'm sorry, but these sound like some very good excuses for you to not workout & eat properly....

First of all you do not need a scale to track your progress! There are many ways to gage this, like how your clothes fit, or by feeling & seeing muscle definition. You could take your measurements...for free. You could use a friends scale or a doctor or health unit's scale. Or you can just work out & make better food choices & not worry about a scale.

Secondly, There are many healthy economical food choices! You could also take it upon your self to start educating your family on healthier food choices & go along on the shopping trips to help adise on healthier options for everyone.

Lastly, you do not need money to lose weight!!! They are a million ways that you can workout for free, using your own body weight, for people of all fitness levels.

In my opinion, if you decide to give up & be fat until "you have money" i'm pretty sure once you have the money you'll just come up with a new excuse!! These are some of the common fitness barriors that people have to overcome in order to change their lifestyle. If you want to get healthy & lose weight & be fit then it's a choice you have to make...right now you are making the choice to give up & not take control of your life! Where there`s a will...there`s a way.
Good luck in your journey, i hope you decide to get healthy!

sugarbeans

I thought food that was good for you wasn't affordable, until I tried it. At first it is tough just because you don't know what to make or how much to make and what not, but it does get easier. Not sure where you are but here we have the usual grocery chain stores but we also have cheaper ones as well. Produce might not be as high of a quality but it's not poision either, or sometimes we can find deals on food that will expire in a few days. If you cook it up right away it will last longer which helps, definitely not easy but it's a start.

Like I said before I don't know where you are and i don't know how your medical offices work. I work as a medical receptionist part time and we have a couple patients that will come up and ask if they can use the scale to check how much they weigh, our scale is in a public hallway by the public washroom. Perhaps you can ask your Dr's office if you could do the same?

Another option (this is what I did until I could afford to buy my own scale) I went into a London Drugs, Wal Mart picked a scale and I would try the scale out. I usually go to Wal Mart once or twice a month so that's when I checked my weight, i just picked the same type of scale. Yes it might be off by a little but it still gave me a reference point.

I do hate the fact that the junk food is/seems cheaper than healthier stuff. I mean you can get a mcCrap burger for a 1.39.
Just keep at it, after all you asked for suggestions and some help, hopefully this helps.

kayemme

Whole chickens are pretty inexpensive, easy to cut up and the skin just yanks right off! Think of it as a way to let out some aggression... Chickens are mouthy little buggers, always clucking and $hitting all over the place. If you ask me, they're ASKING for it!

and after everything else you can make stock with the bones

kayemme

I do hate the fact that the junk food is/seems cheaper than healthier stuff. I mean you can get a mcCrap burger for a 1.39.

all the same, you can get twice the burger's weight in seasonal produce or at least equal it out of season.

ChinniP

And if you have to eat what the meal of the house is and can't resist to have your full portions to avoid hunger, than exercise extra to buy back all of those calories. Lots of people lose without changing their eating habits much at all. You can't study properly being hungry but exercise will give you more energy and brain power for it. And yes ... there is always time. We just like to pretend that there isn't.