Not sure where to start

Welcome!!! You are in the right place to start on your new healthy path.

Haha I'm with you on the ramen noodle plan. Those babies made up my meals last week.

Don't let anyone think you need a gym membership to do this. There are tons of videos online that are good workouts. You might not be able to swim until it's the season though. Do you live near a college or a high school with a pool? I've found that sneaking into those can be surprisingly easy

How much a week do you have to spend on groceries? I spend $40 a week. I don't live near any discount 'big box' stores, and coupons here are minimal. It's all regular grocery stores. $10 a week on produce. $4 on milk. $4 on bread. The rest carefully on meat, cheese, eggs, fish. Then oatmeal and pastas, a few canned goods. Some frozen vegetables or fruit. And once a week a couple of dollars on a junk food treat. I use very few condiments. They're expensive for the food value they provide. I do not buy drinks except for milk. I buy almost Nothing convenience sized, processed, pre-made, pre-cut, pre-washed, pre anything. No baby carrots, pound for pound they're a budget killer. The same with cheese strings, the price of those compared to block cheese is horrendous. I only buy what fresh food I'll use within a couple of days. I never have to throw anything out. This won't work for teen-aged boys, or people who work hard physically. It takes a bit of learning but in the long run it's worth it. It amazes a lot of people who find out out what they can actually get for that much money.

How much a week do you have to spend on groceries? I spend $40 a week. I don't live near any discount 'big box' stores, and coupons here are minimal. It's all regular grocery stores. $10 a week on produce. $4 on milk. $4 on bread. The rest carefully on meat, cheese, eggs, fish. Then oatmeal and pastas, a few canned goods. And once a week a couple of dollars on a junk food treat. I use very few condiments. They're expensive for the food value they provide. I do not buy drinks except for milk. I buy almost Nothing convenience sized, processed, pre-made, pre-cut, pre-washed, pre anything. No baby carrots, pound for pound they're a budget killer. The same with cheese strings, the price of those compared to block cheese is horrendous. I only buy what fresh food I'll use within a couple of days. I never have to throw anything out. This won't work for teen-aged boys, or people who work hard physically. It takes a bit of learning but in the long run it's worth it. It amazes a lot of people who find out out what they can actually get for that much money.

This.
A good description of how I spend my grocery money. My budget is also $40/week

You can buy some videos at Wal-Mart for about $10. The videos are not the newest, but new to you! There are walking tapes that my birth mother LOVES. If you really are interested in the YMCA, find out if they have a scholarship program that would help with the cost.

I'm a college student so I know where you're coming from and how lost you're feeling. Feel free to friend me! If you're not ready for running or want an exercise that's not too hard on your joints or for beginners, try walking for 30 minutes to an hour every day. If you find yourself getting bored with just waling, walk 15 minutes to a park, then go up and down the bleacher steps for 15 minutes, then walk home. Try watching YouTube videos for strength training and just doing what you can until you see improvement. I know healthy food can be really expensive, but if you look carefully enough, you can find some cheap things that keep well in the fridge or cabinets.
My favorite recipe is this: Buy a large can of pumpkin puree ($2) a jar of curry powder ($2) a box of spinach ($3) and a bag of brown rice ($2) Heat te pumpkin in a pan with 1/2 cup of skim milk and 1-2 Tbs of curry powder. Bring it to a boil and add the spinach just to wilt the leaves. Steam 1/4 cup of brown rice and serve the pumpkin curry over the rice. 2 cups of uncooked rice, a large can of pumpkin and a bunch of spinach should provide you with dinner or lunch for a whole week, and you'll have plenty of rice and curry powder leftover.
Sweet potatoes, dried beans, canned tuna, brown rice, canned tomatoes, and frozen vegetables are all about $2 and under, and a single package can get you through multiple meals.
Combine these less expensive ingredients with an exercise program that's totally free and you should be seeing results in no time!

i need help so if u have any tips come find me cause i dont no what im doing on this site




:flowerforyou:

Find out your ideal calorie needs per day using an online calculator.
Fruits and vegetables are relativity cheap and very healthy
Running and walking outside is always free
Give it time remember this is a marathon not a sprint

Welcome aboard! Feel free to friend me.

1. Start slowly. Get into the habit of logging your foods and exercises. My logging has become second nature now. Start your exercise routine off slowly as well, especially if you've been sedentary for years. Go to a high school track and start with a simple 1 mile brisk walk. Build from there. You can find yoga bands on Amazon pretty cheap and they can help you with basic resistance training for your arms and legs, etc. I know money is tight (for everyone) but look into a gym like Planet Fitness. It's like $10/month. Of course you don't NEED a gym, but it's harder to not exercise when you've already driven there. If you want a virtual personal trainer check out http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/jamie-eason-livefit-trainer.html
Jamie Eason is awesome and her FREE 12 week trainer can be done by anyone at any age or fitness level. I suggest a virtual trainer because it's a structured transformation program. All you have to do is just do it. I'm personally on Week 4 of the Kris Gethin 12 Week Trainer, it's been awesome. But again, build your exercise up slowly so you don't get hurt or discouraged. I walked around my loop for a month before joining a gym and starting a training program.

2. Get your nutrition under control. You can Google a lot of info about nutrition. However, yes raman noodles are really bad for you LOL. Do you eat the whole brick? If so, then you've eaten TWO servings... check the label. Not to mention the sodium is insane. Google "eating clean". Eating clean can stretch your food budget longer too. Another plus is you can become a pretty good cook by learning new ways of cooking the clean foods. :-)

3. Drink a lot of water. It cleanses your system and keeps you from feeling hungry. How do you know when you're hydrated enough? Simple. If your pee is clear, you are good to go (no pun intended). If you are thirsty? You are dehydrated.

4. Surround yourself with people who will support you on this journey. Remember this HAS to be for you and you can't let anyone tear down your goals. MFP is a great place for support.

5. Commit to your journey. No excuses. This is a lifestyle change. You have to allow yourself to start thinking differently about your body. But remember it takes time. Don't psych yourself out with huge goals. Take the overall goal and break it down into 5 pound increments or mini-goals. You can do this. Others have. But in the end it's all about how badly you want it.