Too broke for this.

Bodyrock.tv

Common sense

ETA: don't follow a BeachBody Coach for advice... (I love BB but not a fan of the 200,000 coaches)

Id try following the food pyramid or Bodyforlife.com , minus their shakes. Its basically 6 small meals a day. Good luck!

You're right about all that crap not being stuff you actually need to lose weight. My fiance and I are both grad students, he works full time and I'm an intern we're scraping by. Lots of produce from farmers market (buying only what's in season will save a ton of money) - making our own salads instead of buying prepackaged salads. Dried beans and rice are the best thing that ever existed : cheap and you can make a million different things with them. We eat lots of eggs, sweet potatos etc... We also try to grow as much of our own food as possible; tomatoes, peppers, herbs, blueberries, lettuce. Slowly invest in more spices and learn to cook. People who say 'eating bad is cheaper than eating healthy' are just making excuses.

Hi

I just saw this and will be following. They are going to attempt to do Paleo for around $20 per week.
http://www.koacrossfit.com/15/post/2013/04/the-paleo-experiment.html

You're right about all that crap not being stuff you actually need to lose weight. My fiance and I are both grad students, he works full time and I'm an intern we're scraping by. Lots of produce from farmers market (buying only what's in season will save a ton of money) - making our own salads instead of buying prepackaged salads. Dried beans and rice are the best thing that ever existed : cheap and you can make a million different things with them. We eat lots of eggs, sweet potatos etc... We also try to grow as much of our own food as possible; tomatoes, peppers, herbs, blueberries, lettuce. Slowly invest in more spices and learn to cook. People who say 'eating bad is cheaper than eating healthy' are just making excuses.

I agree with this 100%!

Nerdfitness.com
Niashanks.com

I second this. They have some paid products, but they both have some great free programs. Nerdfitness has videos to show the movements too, it's not just a description (I'm less familiar with niashanks). BTW - if there are DVD's that genuinely interest you, there are a ton of free videos on youtube)

I haven't paid for any gym memberships, fancy dvds, supplements, or anything else like that. This process of getting healthier does NOT have to be expensive.

Plus, you can borrow workout dvds from the library.

And the open road is free - get out there and walk, run, or bike.

Eating healthy DOESN'T have to break the bank! :bigsmile: For me, it comes down to planning my menus for three or four days and buying ONLY what I need for them. You need only 1 chicken breast? Get ONE. Most grocery store have a fresh meat counter that can wrap up ONE breast, steak, or whatever for you. If they are on sale, buy two or three and freeze what you don't need that week. Concentrate your menus on what is on sale - fresh & frozen fruits & veggies (avoid cans if you can due to sodium content), brown rice and other whole grains, you name it - if it's on sale, plan your menu around it. If you have the extra money that week, buy a LITTLE extra (a bag or box) of anything that has a great sale. REMEMBER to plan ahead too for your FRESH fruits & veggies that don't keep well for long as you may have to stop again a little later in the week to get more - let the store take up their space to store them and you will get fresher fruits and veggies for later in your weeks thereby tossing out less. Dried beans and legumes do well to cut back on meat usage - cook up a larger batch on a day off and have them ready for you in the fridge when you want to cook. Measuring and weighing everything as you cook it helps not only in logging but in making sure the food goes as far as it can go you for as long as it can go you.

Hope this helps :bigsmile:

bump

If you have time/space (being a student myself, I know time is more the issue than space) some inexpesive favorite veggie seeds, a little bit of elbow grease to get the ground turned over for them, and a little work about every other day to keep said ground clear of weeds while the veggies take off with some water you bring makes for a nice workout (gardening - lifting heavy things, stretching from bending over to weed, heavy pulling on things - dig that hoe and/or garden fork into the ground and PULL!) a break on the grocery bill (most leafy veggies are ready to start picking on within a couple of weeks once they sprout above ground, just don't pick them all at once.. more stretching to bend over and pick), and a yummy addition to the table as the season progresses.

Check with your school gym, and see if they have any fliers for at-home workouts, or dorm room workouts. I had one for the longest time from ours, and loved using it when I couldn't make the time to actually hit the gym.

USE said school gym to help increase your activity time.

Buy in bulk - it sounds strange, and it costs a little more up front, but if you buy in bulk and break it down yourself to smaller packages it actually costs less. I've been known to feed 4 voracious adult appetites for a week on a single 25 pound brisket. I'd bring it home, cut it into steaks, leave a large section of the thick end for a roast, and the thinner end that was too thin for steaks, I'd grind down into hamburger after trimming most of the fat off. Wasn't so good as BURGER meat, but it worked well when used as an ingredient in other things - like mac and cheese with hamburger.

Bulk chicken is also cheaper than just getting one or two thighs/breasts at a time. Usually around here the big 10 pound bags run around $10 or so. Maybe as high as $15.

Buy SEASONAL veggies for the ones you don't grow. It adds variety to your menu, and seasonal always costs less because they aren't shipped as far (not to mention the grower's cost to get them ready for market is less - no green house costs to pay). You might also want to check for a farmer's market. And, before you go crazy there - PRICE SHOP YOUR GROCERY STORES! I emphasize that heavily, because the farmer's market locally uses the grocery store's prices as a BOTTOM price! If you are getting early season veggies, it could save you a bundle. But, once season starts, double check your prices to make sure you are getting the best one. The farmer's market will have locally grown veggies and fruits that are picked ripe the day OF the market, where the stores have to pick green and ripen while being shipped. So, this will be a taste preference once the season is in full swing.

And to go along with buying in bulk - buy the ingredients. Again, it sounds counter productive, but buying the ingredients and making it yourself can often save you a few extra pennies to be used elsewhere. All you loose here is time for studies, but the time you spend in the kitchen can be used for family time. Mom's recently started doing this, and has seen our grocery bill drop about $75 over the course of a month while feeding 3 of us.

Hope this helps!

bump

I've always found eating simple is the easiest and cheapest. chicken/frozen veges/potatoes/rice/frozen fish /canned tuna. apples. carrots. None of which are expensive..
running/walking/swimming/exercise dvds
I see these shows where they put on the table what some junk food addict eats and I just can't figure out how they can afford to eat that much!

I found I only spend slightly more on groceries than I did before, even including the new supplements I now buy (I spend about $30-40 per month on 4 different vitamins I buy, which isn't bad at all). I would guess I spend about $40-50 on groceries per week for just myself (this is in Canadian dollars and prices, in case you're not from Canada). Watching for sales on items in flyers is a great way to save money. I don't buy gym memberships or go to fitness classes, I do all my workouts at home with an old cheap set of handweights, a yoga mat, and the plethora of resources available on the internet. I also borrow all fitness/nutrition books from the library, though they do have videos too that I haven't yet explored. There are most definitely ways to live healthy on the cheap.

BS. Eat real food. Eat healthy food with adequate fat and protein. While good quality, nutrient dense food is more expensive, one will eat LESS in volume.

Before changing my lifestyle, I was spenidng about $1200 to $1500 on groceries per month (I live in the Arctic). Now I spend $800 to $1000. The items cost more, but I eat less. The secret is WHAT I eat (high fat, mod protein, low carb) and I never "fill up" on big amounts of food.

Also, there are many body weight exercises that can be done at home with minimal equipment.

Money is no excuse because you can make better choices with what you have.

Im likely poorer than mostly everyone on here lol. Definitely ain't got the cash to throw down the drain for that beach body bull**** or shakeology...I'l go ahead and let the rich people blow their money on that garb.

Being a relatively very poor person, here are a few tips from me:


Dont shop at places like Giant Eagle unless they have some great sales, otherwise they charge too much.
Find places like Aldi, or somewhere similar to it.
I buy eggs, frozen vegetables and chicken breast in bulk.
Buy water by the gallon. Instead of bottled.
You dont have to pay for workout videos you want ***cough cough***...pirate bay...***cough cough**

Hope these are of some help!

Also...I usually only have $200 or less per month to spend on food in a house of 4 people..

You're right about all that crap not being stuff you actually need to lose weight. My fiance and I are both grad students, he works full time and I'm an intern we're scraping by. Lots of produce from farmers market (buying only what's in season will save a ton of money) - making our own salads instead of buying prepackaged salads. Dried beans and rice are the best thing that ever existed : cheap and you can make a million different things with them. We eat lots of eggs, sweet potatos etc... We also try to grow as much of our own food as possible; tomatoes, peppers, herbs, blueberries, lettuce. Slowly invest in more spices and learn to cook. People who say 'eating bad is cheaper than eating healthy' are just making excuses.

She's right. Do this and walk an hour every day. Then twice a day. Then jog, if you can manage some shoes. If not, the walking will suffice. You will lose weight and firm up.

Oh and if you have a black thumb, farmer's markets and even the basic grocery store will work ok. just stick with what's in season or on sale...

And eat a lot of protein...Remember, if a food has a commercial, it's probably not too good for you.

Good luck.