unhealthy, on a budget, and in need of a vacation!

rlchobat · March 2013

Hi Everyone,

I am not necessarily new to this site. I joined back in January of 2012 and lost 5 pounds in a month. I was getting ready for my wedding and the fact that I was eating 1200 calories a day and only lost 5 pounds discouraged me so I gave up. I was sick of portioning and counting to only lose 5 pounds.

So here I am again. About to start portioning and counting again and this time I hope to stick with it for more than 5 pounds

. I live in Virginia Beach, Virginia and I work as a pharmacy technician at a Walgreens. I have thought about joining weight watchers but I want to give myfitnesspal another shot before I dish out $40 a month towards WW.

The hardest part about losing weight for me is my very very very tight budget. I try to feed myself and my husband for less than $40 a week. It was pretty easy for a while and then I got sick of eating the same foods every week and thats when things got harder.

My husband and I would love to lose 50 pounds this year (each not together lol). There is this cruise that is departing out of Norfolk Virginia to the bahamas in October and before I spend the money on it I would like to be comfortable in my own body.

So please add me. I need moral support. I need motivation. I also need budget friendly tips and recipes. Thank you so much!

jeenak · March 2013

Hi you!

That sounds so tough--I know how discouraging it can be, but I just want to cheer you on and wish you good luck! And doing it on a tight budget makes it so hard!

Maybe check out (or post to) the recipe forum, and see what people can suggest? I've seen some really great ideas out there!

Good luck!!

justoutaluck · March 2013

feel free to add me. I am on a pretty tight budget as well. We really try to stick to $100 for a family of 5. Its hard but can be done. We even get to eat out once in a while.

joyfulteach · March 2013

Use the tight budget to your advantage... Don't waste money on foods that don't fit into your healthy lifestyle. You might not be able to buy as much but portion control is part of calorie counting. I don't know if you like black beans or not, but you can buy a bag for less than a dollar and cook them yourself to stretch soups, burritos, salads, ect. Good luck!! Also I like to make a big pot of soup and eat on it for a few days. Good way to stretch meat and also low cal.

kevin3344 · March 2013

First let me say 5 lbs in a month is pretty good! That's 60 lbs a year. However, you should probably figure out your TDEE less 20%, which would give you more calories and it won't seem as restrictive. 1,200 is a hard number to hit. My sister-in-law eventually settled on 1,500 and lost 17lbs in 3 months. All she did was eat right and walk. Continue losing 5lbs a month and I would say you're doing pretty good long-term....

As for the budget part, you're going to have to get creative. Again, lot's of people start out fast then give up because it gets boring. Try different recipes, come here for support and give yourself a break once in a while. When I went to Mexico last year I logged into MFP every day but didn't count the calories...couldn't because I didn't know how many tequila drinks we had lol. When I got back though I picked up right where I left off. Running and eating right.

The key is you're in this for the long haul...so you have to be prepared for inevitable ups and downs. Some months you'll lose a lot, others not as much...you have to be resolved to keep going even if you don't see as much progress as you would like. Feel free to add me I've been here 400+ and counting. MFP has a great support system!

BristleCone43 · March 2013

Do you exercise...along with calorie counting? VB has a great boardwalk to walk/jog/run on and you have the ocean breezes to keep you cool.

The exercise allows you to eat more and still reach your goal.

unhealthy, on a budget, and in need of a vacation!

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