There is no $$ in weight loss

cryspetstalerson

I am in that boat right now. I keep dropping weight but can't afford new clothes lol.

11Jayme11

I actually find that im personally spending alot less. This transition has been a house wide one(2 kids also eating better) and like said before... you can buy a family packof chicken breasts for 10 bucks and a bag of veggies for another 3 bucks.. thats dinner.. plus lunch the next day for Hubby and myself.. and thats alot better than spending $25 at McDonalds... Plus.. im not buying as much "junk" im buying fruits and veggies and meats, and fillers.. and thats pretty much it... and its still a very happy household without all the crap! :bigsmile:

Myrtlemama4

I just say, that ya the crap food is cheap, but they will pay later for that..with their health. Invest in good food, coupon, shop the sales, and it will get easier..:)

cryspetstalerson

I think I've found another reason people don't eat healthy and change their lifestyle...replacing clothes...

I've got to go get some in between clothes today. I'm wearing a size 14 pants and skirts now, but I cannot keep wearing my 3X sweaters and shirts anymore...I had the size 14 and a couple of size 12 jeans from years ago, but every thing is getting loose on the bottom and the tops well, UGH...

It is so hard to take out the suits and putting them aside...It's such a challenge not to say--I'll wear this one more time...

Then that should also make the argument for not getting fat in the first place. You had to go out and buy bigger clothes at one point, right?

I guess that all depends on How or why you got fat.. I have medical issues which majorly contributed.

lisapr123

I'm not sure if you cook, but if you do you can save a fortune. My weight loss journey was an accident at first... I decided to leave a high paying job to work part time for about 1/4 of what I used to make. This meant I needed to spend less. First thing to go was eating out and buying processed foods. Next thing to go--about 10 lbs.

Buy a roaster chicken for a few bucks and you've got soup for a week.
Dried beans are crazy cheap and super filling, and way healthier than most canned ones.
In season fruit....yeah a bag of clementines may be $4 but they last a week. A bag of chips is $2 but gone in two sittings.
You can make and freeze healthy burritos and other entrees for way less than pre-packaged ones.

Get creative. Your wallet and your waist may thank you for it.

XXXMinnieXXX

I spend less. I buy everything in season then think of a healthy recipe to make with it all. Often soups, big batches is cheap or a chilli with tonnes of fresh veg. I go to aldi they have different veg cheap every week and always take advantage. Can usually make a good stir fry too. I don't buy take away or treats anymore which cost me a lot... Cooking in bulk for the week and having lots of recipes under your belt and being prepared to cook from scratch is key x

cryspetstalerson

Maybe a sample shopping list would help those of us who try to eat healthy and over spend????

sarahmaryfearnley

I am a comulsive planner and I LOVE excel I shop ~1/wk and spend on average $100/wk on everything (food, toiletries, cleaners, petfood, etc.). I look at the weekly fliers online and plan our meals while I make my list before shopping. Planning and making a list REALLY helps.

Edited: I hate photobucket! It's being a b$tch and I can't even post the links. I do have a few lists posted in a blog here on MFP called The Weekly Grocer. I meant to do it ever week but I got lazy over the holidays.

Heidi1987

I agree. I noticed recently that food that is 'low fat' is actually more expensive than 'normal food'. i was buying some coconut milk and it was £1.50 a can or low fat coconut milk was £1.84!
For me and my boyfriend to have healthy food for a week, not including lunches we will spend £55. its crazy!

ansonrinesmith

I've found that eating healthier has cost me more, but now I also eat LESS so that has helped.
One thing I've found is buying whole foods.
For salads I was buying bagged and shredded lettuce, but now buy the whole head of lettuce and shred it myself. Save money doing things like this.

tistal

That is why I coupon. I always save on Almond Milk and Kashi products, especially cereal. A couple of weeks ago I got 10 boxes of Kashi Go Lean for 1.24 a box! Silk always has coupons. There are even coupons for frozen veggies, yogurt all the time, Silk, eggs, bagged salad, Progresso light soups, I could go on and on. There are always ways to save.

PlunderBunneh

Maybe a sample shopping list would help those of us who try to eat healthy and over spend????

I'll do you one better, I'll give you my dinner list for twelve meals. I shop the sales and go from there, and this entire list cost me $180 bucks and was enough for my family of four, lunches, and three nights where friends stopped by to have dinner with us.

1) spaghetti with chunky ragu sauce with ground turkey and oven roasted summer squash
2) sauteed chicken breast with light seasonings (olive oil, oregano, garlic, whatever I feel like that night that's in my cabinet) and a pasta box, oven roasted broccoli with garlic and mushrooms
3) marinated salmon (costco, $9 for a box of 6 fillets) with steamed rice and steamed broccoli
4) buffalo meatloaf, mashed red potatoes, steamed carrots (my one allowance to husband...he adores meatloaf and I caught the ground buffalo on a great sale)
5) chicken applewood sausage sauteed with fresh peppers and onions
6) grilled chicken breast diced over steamed rice and carrots, zucchini, broccoli medley with a soy/sesame sauce
7) whole chicken roasted over quartered red potatoes and carrots with simply drop biscuits (company night)
8) green peppers stuffed with ground turkey, black beans, rice and tomato/pepper mix (this one fed us lunch all weekend, so much leftover)
9) marinated salmon pt 2 with cauliflower patties
10) crockpot casserole - frozen chicken breast, healthy choice mushroom soup, two cans of green beans, stuffing (beware the sodium in this one though)
11) buffalo sausage links with grilled peppers, zucchini and onion
12) steamed rice, black beans and salsa with any leftover veggies cooked and mixed in

The market I shop had a wonderful sale on fresh peppers, carrots, and potatoes this week, so many of my meals worked with those. The $180 also included cow milk, almond milk, coffee, creamer, hummus, bread, and oatmeal, along with some other kitchen staples that I'm sure I'm forgetting. The heaviest meal on here was the meatloaf, but I just had a smaller portion and loaded up the carrots.
I buy my chicken breasts from costco, it costs about $20 for 8 packs with 1.5 - 2 pounds in each pack. I buy almost all of my veggies fresh, I find they taste so much better and there's much more I can do with them. It's really inexpensive to buy the ingredients for salads and have those for lunch, and as long as you are careful about what you put in them it can be really healthy too.

You can do this, you just have to be prepared to invest the time into finding sales and working your meals around that. Don't give up, using cost as an excuse to eat poorly is giving into the dollar menu theory, and we all know that's no good.

Mirth

If your produce is going bad before you use it, you might be buying too much at once. With fresh produce I've found that it works best to make multiple small trips to the store as non-staples are needed for meals. Only stock up on things that have a somewhat long shelf life (baby carrots are a go-to for me.) Also make sure you're storing your food properly. For example, if you pick up a head of lettuce that has been sitting under the misting display, don't put it in a sealed bag that traps the moisture. Take it home, wash it, pat it dry with some paper towels, and then store it. If you have something like a container of grape tomatoes and you notice one or two are going bad, toss just the bad ones before they infect the others that are still good to eat. Little things like this can make a big difference in how long your produce lasts and help stretch your money for all it's worth.

Keep an eye out for farmer's markets, coupons, etc.

You might also want to take a look at frozen veggies. The variety might not be wide but there is something to say for shelf life and convenience. Read the labels. The fewer ingredients, the better. Avoid pre-seasoned veggie mixes or the kinds that come with sauces. If you live in colder climates like I do, farmer markets are seasonal and with that, fresh produce has to travel further and further to reach you in the winter. The costs skyrocket. Frozen helps eat those costs a bit.

Trophyyf

I agree with some of what you are saying. However in my case I shop for a family of 7. Well I can't buy the "crap" for my kids and the good stuff for myself and my hubs. They need to start learning better food choices too. My grocery bill less then 2 weeks ago was $400.00 yesterday I spend another $430.00. I think I need to invest in more coupons!! LOL

Trophyyf

Hi Friends! Eating yummy, healthy meals does not have to be expensive. I think the biggest thing it requires is planning.

I posted this topic a while ago with some great tips from me and other very creative, frugal people. I hope it hepls you.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/391578-eating-well-on-a-budget?hl=eating+well+on+a+budget&page=1#posts-5366010

Thanks!!!

Trophyyf

I just want to thank everyone for their input. Some of you have great ideas and I think as time goes on and this becomes a day to day way of living (lifestyle) that I will find more cost effective ways to have myself and my family eat healthier. I do know I need to use coupons it's just I don't have the patients to look for them and cut them and then I forget them, but I also always had a excuse for being "fat". So no more excuses I will only say I can try that!!!!!