unhealthy and fit

asticoral

I would LOVE AND APPRECIATE suggestions to fix this problem.

Straight talk 30.00 a month for 1000 mins/text and internet or 45.00 for unlimited - runs on verizon towers, virgin mobile and one other operate off sprint or ATT -
Internet: library or wifi at a coffee shop if you don't have a internet capable phone.
Store: frozen veggies are on sale all the time, I spend 25.00 a week for food so it can be done, stop blaming your Dad and put the big girl pants on.
If you know you are eating junk ALL the exercise in the world isn't gonna do much, sorry hun

suckerlove

I had a similar problem being unemployed, receiving only food stamps. I can really sympathize with you. I have to do a lot of specific planning, planning each meal a month in advance, but still it only goes so far. I have found a that farmers market has super cheap fruit and veggies. You should sit down with your dad and talk to him, I know my parents want the best for me and for me to be healthy. A healthy change in food would not only benefit you but him and your whole family. Just my thoughts on the matter. I wish you the best of luck. I know how hard it is out there lately.

DanaJ1983

I recommend getting rid of your $95 phone bill I'm guessing you're a smart phone user? down grade to a phone that lets you call people and text. This could greatly reduce your bill, like in half!!!!!! another option is to keep the smart phone but get rid of the internet. if you have a smart phone you are already paying for the internet on your phone. if you choose to take this advice you just saved yourself at least $70 per month. If you really want to get healthy you're going to have to step it up in the food arena meaning you can't always rely on someone else to provide the healthy options especially if you are over 18. Now seems like a great time to learn a few basic cooking skills or at the very least go to the store and pick up a bag of apples. I find that the more desperate people are for things the more willing they are to sacrifice certain luxuries.
Also a word for the wise you are probably eating a lot of bread not only because it's available but because you aren't getting enough fiber and protein which means you are probably still hungry after you eat? when you begin eating more nutritious foods they will help keep you fuller for longer.

Crochetluvr

ok well after I saw there is also dish tv I was pretty much done. With all of the suggestions comes an excuse. I don't understand people on limited incomes complaining about not being able to eat healthy and yet have dish tv. DONE

I kinda have to agree. My DD was living down south and she had no tv. She used her computer and watched free videos on that. She didn't suffer.

Charmed285

When you cancel your phone, look for a prepaid option. My daughter's phone is a Virgin Mobile phone at a cost of $35 a month for 300 minutes and unlimited text and data. I got prepaid because she's only 13 and it gives me the option to drop it for a month if she decides to slack on schoolwork or something, but it's also a good option for someone like you. They even have Android phones, so you could still use MFP's food diary even when you can't be at a computer.

I'd ask your dad if he would just buy frozen veggies instead of canned. Canned have a LOT of sodium, so just that switch alone would help. If you get them at Walmart, they sell the Walmart brand (Great Value) in pretty large bags at a really good price. If nothing else, a couple of bags for you alone would work fine and would last for quite a while. If you eat more of the veggies and less of the meat (especially the fried meats), you can keep your calories down.

You might also want to check into food co-ops or farmers' markets in your area. Sometimes you can get things that way for a lot cheaper than a grocery store.

Just out of curiosity (and if you don't want to answer, you don't have to), why is your father collecting disability? There are plenty of jobs that deaf people can do, even uneducated deaf people. I worked with the deaf for many years, and there are jobs out there they can do and probably make more money than they would collect on disability.

Virgin Moble doesn't work in my area. I checked it out and my friend has it and it doesn't work where I live. I wished it did because she said she is paying $25. my phone will be off when my uncle and aunt can make other arrangements. i'm considering them too and not just going to drop them like that...plus I would like to find an alternative myself if there is one. I spoken to her already about it.

there is really no place to work here except for fast food chains (and they're aren't many)and grocery stores and if he worked at a part-time min wage job we would be MUCH worst off than we are now. plus theres a communication barrier since no one know's sign language. not only that, but no one seems to be hiring; along with other factors I don't care to mention.

there are no farmers markets in the area.

I've been trying to come up with healthy grocery ideas with my 77.00 that would have been toward the internet. I will be eating pretty much the same thing for a while until I can come up with other things:

Oatmeal, turkey burgers with brown/ jasmine or wild rice(uncle bens) and veggies, cereal with almond milk, whole grain waffle spread with peanut or almond butter and topped with slices of strawberries (sandwich like), turkey chili, so called healthy prepacked foods for lunch ( realize it has tons of sodium and other crappy stuff but I couldn't think of anything else). hopefully thats within my budget and I will be eating that for two or more weeks until I can come up with other things. I don't know how to cook so i'm trying.
thoughts?

Charmed285

I've read the whole thread and just want to give you a hug. You are 22 years old, working, going to school, your father is deaf and you are seeking advice on how to better your health. You are AMAZING!
So, for a recap:
Your parents are taking over the internet bill and you are going to drop or lower the phone bill.
You will take that extra money and buy your OWN food.
Here are just a few ideas that are on the cheap, but still healthy.
For the oatmeal, smash up 1/2 a banana into it-more flavor and sweetness
A tad bit of jam or honey is good too. Honey is a bit expensive, but it seemingly lasts FOREVER.
Eggs-hard boil them and make an egg salad or have them for breakfast, lunch, snacks... If you don't know how to hard boil an egg, look it up on google.
Beans-Look up recipes online. Mostly it is you soak them overnight and then slow cook them. You can mix a bunch of different kinds, add a ham hock and make delicious soup.
Meat-Buy the whole chicken, ham, etc when on sale. Buy baggies and freeze portions to use later. Use the ham hock to make bean or split pea soup, the chicken carcass to make chicken stock for soup, chicken and dumplings, etc.
Veggies-buy fresh when possible, frozen when on sale. I live in a very high cost of living area and my stores have 10 bags for $10 deals.

both of my parent's are deaf and your reacap is correct. Thanks! though, what's a ham hock?

Charmed285

White =/= unhealthy.

This

I eat sushi at least once a week. White rice is a staple for me. Unless you have problems getting enough fiber, brown rice is overrated (and it has a GI index higher than many white rice varieties). Sure it would be great to replace some of your white bread with whole grain, but do what you can.

brown rice is bad?

asticoral

I'll help look for phone and service if you are comfortable sharing a zip code (one where your phone works- not where you live for privacy) and alternates for food ideas.

OK_Girl

i can't afford healthy foods or anyting. I eat whatever my dad buy and prepares. with my 95.00 phone bill, $77.00 internet, and 100.00 for transportation and only earing $400.00 check or less a month I have no money. sourthern food is homemade for the most part but he also buys packaged and can foods. he refuses to buy and eat healthier foods and we don't have much anyways. I will eat canned veggies if he makes it and no fruit or salads. he doesn't buy them.

I call BS. You ARE able to eat healthy, you just CHOOSE not to.

anemoneprose

I call BS. You ARE able to eat healthy, you just CHOOSE not to.

Have you even read this thread?

OnionMomma

Have you checked with the local public school district to see if they are hiring deaf interpreters? I know in our area, they pay pretty well. There are a few things you need to do but, it's well worth it.

I think there is a bunch of paperwork and a state board to do to get you going. You can start by substituting and move on from there.

Just an option of employment that would most certainly be better than you have now possibly.

VelociMama

(1) You should be able to drastically cut your phone bill by ditching the family plan with your aunt and uncle and cutting your minutes as much as you possibly can.

(2) Shop around for better internet service. Sometimes different internet providers will run specials for 6-12 months at a time, and you can get your service much cheaper that way.

(3) I picked up a minifridge last week for $20 used on Craigslist. See if you can find one to put in your room and buy $15-$20 worth of food that you want to keep for the week. You can often get things like chicken legs with skin on sale if you shop around and just store what you're not going to use immediately. You can take the skin off yourself and save a lot of money that way. Dark meat chicken is very cheap compared to white meat. Bags of rice, beans, and other things are cheap too. Sometimes you can pickup a cheap used slow cooker as well at yard sales or on craigslist. Just clean it up and use it. Buy canned veggies and fruit. You can usually find canned veggies for <$1 per can, and each can contains 2-3 servings. If you can cut your bills by $100 per month, you can easily feed just yourself with better food on that if you're careful and mindful. I lived on $80 per month for food in college. It wasn't easy, but it can be done.

Charmed285

Have you checked with the local public school district to see if they are hiring deaf interpreters? I know in our area, they pay pretty well. There are a few things you need to do but, it's well worth it.

I think there is a bunch of paperwork and a state board to do to get you going. You can start by substituting and move on from there.

Just an option of employment that would most certainly be better than you have now possibly.

I need a four year degree and certification to be to be an interpreter. I don't have it.

shulburt1

lots of water and how about friends & family that can help?

Charmed285

I call BS. You ARE able to eat healthy, you just CHOOSE not to.

Have you even read this thread?

I do not choose to and I have read each and every thread and trying to put the suggestions into practice.

kiachu

Do you have 10 dollars to spare?

Bag of frozen green beans $1 x 4 servings
pack of chicken legs $5.00
small bag of brown rice with multiple servings cents
Store brand big giant tub of oatmeal $2.00


I feed a family of 3 on $70 dollars a week and I alone eat 6/7 times a day. If you want to eat healthy you can do it. Your an adult. You can take control of your eating.

waronmyfat

0somuchbetter0

I call BS. You ARE able to eat healthy, you just CHOOSE not to.

Have you even read this thread?

I do not choose to and I have read each and every thread and trying to put the suggestions into practice.

Anemone was talking to the person who called BS, not you!

I think you're doing a wonderful job in difficult circumstances and I want to give you a **hug**

Hang in there....you're in college, you have prospects. In a relatively short while you'll have your degree and you'll be able to get out on your own and support yourself and buy your own food. In the meantime, you should be really proud of yourself for all you've accomplished.

:flowerforyou:

FlaxMilk

Hey OP, another thought I had, was remember that some is better than nothing. Do what you can where you can. If giving up the internet is not feasible for you, don't. Count your calories, set aside a small chunk of money for something healthy, and just be good about counting calories and doing the best you can. Luckily, you are still young; keep your weight under control, do the best you can, learn as you go, and you'll be well set up for when you have more financial independence.

Also, it makes sense to me that you wouldn't necessarily know how to shop healthfully on a very tight budget. It takes more work in general, and it's even harder in a restricted location. Again, it's doable, but tougher. And with the way times change, it's probably something that you'll learn and relearn in a million different ways anyway, as we all will have to.

Here's a random idea: try checking out Harris Poll or other reputable sites. It won't help you every month or all the time, but filling out surveys, which take a few minutes each usually, will earn you gift cards or points toward products. It won't solve all of your financial problems, but when I wanted glassware to replace my plastic tupperware, it felt awesome to get it for free. It really feels that way if you don't get overly expectant of what you are doing. I do the surveys when I have a minute and don't worry about tracking the points obsessively. I just check in when I think about it, and last time I did that, I got a $50 Amazon card, which is how I got my dishware.

You may also want to consider trying to become a Secret Shopper or asking Walmart if they have any positions that need to be filled. Walmart can be a tough job, but if they are a food source for you, you may be able to get more hours plus a slight employee discount. Do some googling on deals and couponing sites online. I belong to one called Savings Star. You earn money back for purchasing one of their deals. Hopefully as it gets more popular, selection will expand--right now it likely won't help you, but it might help your dad earn a bit of money if this is the way he shops already. Restaurant.com sometimes has some crazy deals.

FlaxMilk

Also, I know nothing about this myself, but maybe do some googling on Extreme Couponing?

anemoneprose

I call BS. You ARE able to eat healthy, you just CHOOSE not to.

Have you even read this thread?

I do not choose to and I have read each and every thread and trying to put the suggestions into practice.

No no, I was talking to the person I quoted. I get the strong impression you're doing the best you can.

edit: And as others have said, with regard to *weight loss*, you can get pretty far by just counting calories, and exercising.

Even if the food's not ideal, as long as you measure your portions carefully, you can still hit calorie targets.

- Cheap breakfasts: eggs & toast (even if it's white bread), or oatmeal, milk, and an apple or banana. (Apples & bananas are the cheapest fruits)

- Cheap lunches: a sandwich (ham & cheese, or peanut butter & jam) and a piece of fruit.

- Dinner: what your parents make isn't necessarily going to be on a health spa menu, but it won't kill you, and it doesn't have to mean being overweight. I get the feeling it might be hard to get into the kitchen. Just make sure you watch your portions and log them accurately.

- With fried foods, you can take *some* of the oil off by dabbing it with a paper towel or very thick paper napkin. Add a salad, or boiled or steamed greens, if you can. Frozen veg can help here: spinach, green beans, broccoli. Watch the salad dressing, is all you need to do.

- Snacks: I don't know if you can get cold things on campus, if so, half a cup of 1% cottage cheese has like 15 grams of protein. Otherwise, a handful of carrots (tend to be cheap) and say 15 nuts (from a bulk foods place) is good.

- Supplement with a multivitamin for health.

edit: Lol! What I recommended is exactly what you do

Don't get hung up on white/brown bread. You're doing more than fine, and you'll do even better when you get your degree

Charmed285

I call BS. You ARE able to eat healthy, you just CHOOSE not to.

Have you even read this thread?

I do not choose to and I have read each and every thread and trying to put the suggestions into practice.

No no, I was talking to the person I quoted. I get the strong impression you're doing the best you can.

and now I feel like an idiot lol thanks and I applogise.

Charmed285

Hey OP, another thought I had, was remember that some is better than nothing. Do what you can where you can. If giving up the internet is not feasible for you, don't. Count your calories, set aside a small chunk of money for something healthy, and just be good about counting calories and doing the best you can. Luckily, you are still young; keep your weight under control, do the best you can, learn as you go, and you'll be well set up for when you have more financial independence.

Also, it makes sense to me that you wouldn't necessarily know how to shop healthfully on a very tight budget. It takes more work in general, and it's even harder in a restricted location. Again, it's doable, but tougher. And with the way times change, it's probably something that you'll learn and relearn in a million different ways anyway, as we all will have to.

Here's a random idea: try checking out Harris Poll or other reputable sites. It won't help you every month or all the time, but filling out surveys, which take a few minutes each usually, will earn you gift cards or points toward products. It won't solve all of your financial problems, but when I wanted glassware to replace my plastic tupperware, it felt awesome to get it for free. It really feels that way if you don't get overly expectant of what you are doing. I do the surveys when I have a minute and don't worry about tracking the points obsessively. I just check in when I think about it, and last time I did that, I got a $50 Amazon card, which is how I got my dishware.

You may also want to consider trying to become a Secret Shopper or asking Walmart if they have any positions that need to be filled. Walmart can be a tough job, but if they are a food source for you, you may be able to get more hours plus a slight employee discount. Do some googling on deals and couponing sites online. I belong to one called Savings Star. You earn money back for purchasing one of their deals. Hopefully as it gets more popular, selection will expand--right now it likely won't help you, but it might help your dad earn a bit of money if this is the way he shops already. Restaurant.com sometimes has some crazy deals.

Thanks, for all of that and I will certainly check that out. you're right, I don't know how to shop nor do I know how to cook so that makes it even more difficult for me.

anemoneprose

No no, I was talking to the person I quoted. I get the strong impression you're doing the best you can.

and now I feel like an idiot lol thanks and I applogise.

It's ok. You've been attacked a bunch in this thread, and I actually think you've answered some pretty rude questions in a straightforward and graceful way.

I wish you the best

VelociMama

I call BS. You ARE able to eat healthy, you just CHOOSE not to.

Have you even read this thread?

I do not choose to and I have read each and every thread and trying to put the suggestions into practice.

No no, I was talking to the person I quoted. I get the strong impression you're doing the best you can.

and now I feel like an idiot lol thanks and I applogise.

You're not an idiot. It's clear reading your responses that you've done a lot of thinking about this and are looking for some not off-the-cuff thinking to help.

I made $1000 per month in college working 2 jobs (3 over the summers) and a full course load. Half of that went to rent, another $150 or so to household bills (phone, internet, electricity, water, garbage, etc.), and another $50-$75 per month went to gas and car insurance. My food allotment was something around $80 per month, and it was really rough for several years. So I can appreciate the situation you're in right now.

I offered a few suggestions in my post above about canned foods, cheap meats, etc. that were really helpful to me at the time. I usually cooked up a bag of rice on Sunday evening and stored it in the fridge and ate off of it all week. On average, I spent about $1 per meal.

cgthompson84

It's great that you're asking for help...that's what this community is supposed to be about.

cgthompson84

Ground beef; cook then drain and rinse rinse rinse. Takes cheap-o ground beef from 73/27 fat swimming in a pool of grease to 95/5
Buy frozen unprepared chicken breasts in bulk and cook them all at once for lunch and dinner while youre out. (bags here cost $6 for 3 lb)
Buy romaine lettuce and italian salad dressing (a little goes a long way) and top with chicken daily for lunch.($5 for the week)
Switch from instant oatmeal ($5 for maybe 10 packets?) to a big container of plain oatmeal that you cook (same price for much more) and top with banana slices (75 cents a pound?)
light Yogurts for snack (50 cents each for store brand name)
one box of brown rice even instant to make while your family is eating white ($1.50)
drink water! eliminate all other beverages. water is free and really important

you'll get used to limiting sugar if you add fruit

your dad is probably used to preparing these foods and it fits his ebt budget so he may be stubborn. ask him to try it for one week offer to cook healthy meals for him that week and tell him you want him to be healthier too.
prepackaged and microwaveable foods cost WAY MORE you pay for the prep but also for all the preservatives and nitrates and acids and syrups and chemicals! he wont miss it.

Great suggestions, and it sounds more realistic for the OP to implement!

I second the suggestions for oatmeal and dried beans...they go a looooong way (my husband lost his job and pretty much lived off of old fashioned oats for a year before we got married) and will keep you full longer! If you are able to travel to a nearby city even just twice a month, I would stock up on as many seasonal and inexpensive fruits/veggies as you can. You can find free coupons online, thought they will be helpful mainly for non-produce items. Girl, we'll help you find a way to make it work, even if it means starting with small changes. Besides the fried chicken and white bread, I'm not sure what else your dad likes to eat...one thing that I have found helpful is finding ways to make my favorite foods a little bit healthier. For example, instead of the fried chicken, you could season the chicken with bread crumbs and bake it in the oven for a little crunchier texture and way less fat/calories.

Charmed285

I want to be the healthiest I can be now and later in life so I do want to eat healthier and everytime I eat junk I sort of feel guilty and have this nagging feeling that I shouldn't and don't want to be eating whatever it is. goal is to be fit and healthy through out my life. I just wanted to mention that.

I also want to thank everyone for their support and suggestions. It means a lot and I'll follow the advice and do what I can to better myself and make it work.

VelociMama

I want to be the healthiest I can be now and later in life so I do want to eat healthier and everytime I eat junk I sort of feel guilty and have this nagging feeling that I shouldn't and don't want to be eating whatever it is. goal is to be fit and healthy through out my life. I just wanted to mention that.

I also want to thank everyone for their support and suggestions. It means a lot and I'll follow the advice and do what I can to better myself and make it work.

Honestly, I think it's awesome that you're trying to do better. A lot of us on here became overweight or obese during our college years from poor eating habits. It's best to nip that early if you can and be mindful of your health from an early age rather than trying to fix it later. Just do your best.

Slimntrim90

I think you might need to examine your priorities. You are spending close to HALF of your monthly income on electronics. They may SEEM essential, but they aren't! There are cheaper plans that would afford you healthy foods to eat. You can't eat your cell phone or internet. This may sound harsh, but I think that there are WAY too many people today that don't realize what essentials are. They are FOOD, Clean water to drink, clothing and shelter, (and in my opinion, GOD!) Our easy-peasy way of life is changing quickly with the decline in the economy. It is time that we all get real and accept that we cannot afford to ignore the essentials so that we can have the optional things in life. Re-examine!