I CANT AVOID FAST FOOD

DarkAngel525

I have to agree with several people on here. I am linking weight loss to money saving and it is really a no brainer. Even if you start out with pre made healthier meals, it is much cheaper than eating out. When I compliled my total receipts for my meals before and compared them to my grocery bill (Publix or BiLo Grocery stores) I without a doubt was coming out richer! In fact, I was even able to add an internet package to my home cable bundle because of those savings!

Just do a little research and I promise it will be worth it!

joseph9

I think the OP mostly needs suggestions of stuff she can do.

1) Good for you for asking the question.

2) Whatever your situation, you can definitely eat MORE healthy food than you are eating now. A 5 pound bag of apples is cheap, and if you eat 2 apples a day, you have just had a MAJOR improvement in overall health. Steamer bags of frozen veggies can be cheap, and are super healthy. Spices are pricey, but go a long way towards making those veggies edible. (Start with lemon pepper!)

3) Over time, you can learn to make inexpensive large meals on the weekends and parcel it out. Try making one new thing each week.

4) Read the NerdFitness article I posted - it's awesome and right on topic.

Good luck - you can do it!

Gigi_licious

The only answer you're going to get on this site is to FIGURE IT OUT. If you want to stay your current weight, then my all means, keep eating fast food.

But if you want to make progress and have success, you're going to have to get over it and make some time for your health.

The only thing standing in your way is your own excuses. Eating healthy is much less expensive than eating out, believe me, I'm living it. So stop feeling sorry for yourself and go buy some healthy on-the-go foods. This site is for TRACKING. Are you TRACKING your fast food calories? That alone should be enough to make you disgusted enough to go buy real food.

You can choose to eat fast food (which is a CHOICE, not something that's forced on you like you seem to think) or you can choose to get healthy. But you can't get healthy while eating fast food.

Um.....you CAN lose weight while eating fast food as long as you're eating at a deficit. Not everyone has the time or means that it takes to prepare whole, unprocessed foods. If fast food is her only option, then it's definitely doable, as long as she is eating at a deficit.

OP, if you eat fast food you DO NOT have to get the salad. Sometimes a cheeseburger is lower in calories than a salad. Go online and look up the nutrition facts to your favorite fast food places, then make a list of your favorite foods with the calorie amounts so you can reference it when you need to make a quick decision.

slimmerme2012

Its called will power...you can avoid it! Plus, fast food is way more expensive than buying food at the store!

Sidesteal

sometimes i have time to, but I cant find cheap recipes.

I would recommend buying in bulk. When you can make time in your schedule to cook, make large, large quantities at once. Get all of your cooking done in one evening and prepare meals for 3-4 days. Don't go too much further out than this due to keeping the food preserved adequately.

capriciousmoon

If you don't have time to cook, then why don't you have something that doesn't need to be cooked? A sandwich or salad should be easy and fast.

gracefullyjenn

Life isnt always about quick fast and convenient. You can purchase stuff at the grocery store or even eat healthier food choices at the college. Do you get a meal card? You are gonna have to want it bad enough to buy healthy foods. There is stuff you can buy that is convenient such as yogurts, salads, fruits, nuts, vegetables, lean proteins. Instead of purchasing fast food, use the money all at once to grocery shop. If you add up what you spend on fast food Im sure it is about the same

Teliooo

Fat food is expensive! You can make a meal for two on what a fast food meal costs. There are all sorts of ways of eating healthy for cheap but people are not willing to shop around as they just want convinience food.

mello

Low sugar spaghetti sauce- $1.68
Box of Barilla whole wheat spaghetti noodles- $2.12
Large package of fresh sliced mushrooms- $1.88

This will make four meals at a total of $1.42 per meal. You don't have to cook the whole jar or box at a time. I would make half, that way you can eat it for two meals, then the next week make the other half.

A chicken breast diced up with some fresh bell pepper and onion over a serving of brown rice is cheap as well. There are tons of alternatives. Your talking to someone who used the very same excuse and after doing this now for three months...it's waaaaya cheaper to buy healthy food and cook it.

gracefullyjenn

Also I have 5 children to feed so I know from personal experience that you can eat cheap on a budget and still make great choices. Just watch for sales too

tmiqueen

Make ahead meals that can be zapped in the microwave. I used to work three jobs, was a single mom who never missed a game, AND I was in four choirs and I still managed to have time to cook a simple meal. If healthful eating is important to you, you'll MAKE the time...even if it's reheating leftovers from a day when you DID have time. Rachael Ray has made a living out of making meals in 30 minutes.

Healthy food isn't half as expensive as even a value meal at McDonald's and you can have enough leftovers to eat on it for several days. Can you say that about a cheeseburger meal?

You also have the option of picking the more healthy options. At McDonald's buy a fruit parfait and a salad with low-cal dressing along with bottled water, as opposed to a Big Mac meal and soda. Eat a veggie sub from Subway, instead of the meatball sub with extra cheese.

southerngirlspa

I think the OP mostly needs suggestions of stuff she can do.

1) Good for you for asking the question.

2) Whatever your situation, you can definitely eat MORE healthy food than you are eating now. A 5 pound bag of apples is cheap, and if you eat 2 apples a day, you have just had a MAJOR improvement in overall health. Steamer bags of frozen veggies can be cheap, and are super healthy. Spices are pricey, but go a long way towards making those veggies edible. (Start with lemon pepper!)

3) Over time, you can learn to make inexpensive large meals on the weekends and parcel it out. Try making one new thing each week.

4) Read the NerdFitness article I posted - it's awesome and right on topic.

Good luck - you can do it!

Agreed with all of this! Add me as a friend if you would like. I cook all the time and try to make it cheap, easy and in big portions for my family of four then enough to take as leftovers. I've started posting recipes in the recipe forum and I would be happy to share them with you or anyone else who needs suggestions! Good luck!

jbeauchamp1

Remember fast food is just as expensive, if not more so, than buying health foods. You purchase one meal at a time for 5-7 bucks whereas if you watch sales you can buy a pound of healthy lean meat or fish with fresh veggies that will cover multiple meals for the same amount you spend during the week eating out. You really need to make time to cook even if it is one day a week that you prep for the whole week. You can choose all of the healthy choices you want eating out but you will also consume extra additives and sodium that your body does not need. I promise you will feel so much better when you eat fresh foods....it makes alot of difference!

mamafrahm

Healthy food isn't as expensive as eating fast food all the time. If you really want to make your self healthier, you need to quit making excuses like "I can't avoid fast food" because that is a lie.. you are just too lazy to avoid it.

Elizabeth_C34

I go to school far away from home, so I only go there on weekends, anyway, from where I live I'm surrounded by fastfood everywhere and as much as i'd like to cook my own healthy food. healthy food is expensive, and i dont really have time to cook.. any sugguestions?

Repeat after me: Crock Pot

There are some amazing super easy, super cheap, and virtually no-prep time crock pot recipes out there. I have a lot if you would like some. Just message me or look through some of the recipes on MFP or other places.

shelbyfrootcake

Have you tried batch cooking healthy dinners? That way for the time taken to cook one meal you can have a several. Cook it, freee it and you've got quick healthy dinners ready when you want them. It'll work out much cheaper than fast fod every day as well!

Julieta17

Healthy food isn't as expensive as eating fast food all the time. If you really want to make your self healthier, you need to quit making excuses like "I can't avoid fast food" because that is a lie.. you are just too lazy to avoid it.

Is that the way you encourage people on here??? Glad you are not my friend!!!!

How about offering some helpful tips or ideas on how she can eat healthy & not spend too much!

kritik

Take some time on the weekends and do some "batch cooking". Make several batches of grilled chicken, etc., separate it into servings, stick them into ziploc baggies and take them w/you. As far as healthy food being expensive. It's not more expensive than eating fast food several times a day. Buying healthy, lean protein and veggies is much less expensive than buying junkfood.

lockef

Buy a whole rotisserie chicken at a supermarket. Take off all the meat and put it in tupperware. Use the meat to make sandwiches, wraps, or on top of salads.

Pangea250

sometimes i have time to, but I cant find cheap recipes.

Oh come one now. Fast food is WAY more expensive than preparing your own food.