Trying to lose weight on a tight budget!
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We're on a budget, and have found making out the menu on Sunday for the rest of the week really helps. We don't waste as much food as we used to when we'd wing it for every meal. We also eat out a LOT less. It not only keeps the costs down, but it helps me stay on track as far as eating healthier because I'm not desperate as to what we're going to do for dinner that night.0
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if you have a Wegman's near you they have $1 frozen packs of veggies. the broccoli is okay (has lot of the stems), but the green beans are great!
buy in bulk, freeze stuff, watch for sales.
No Wegmans, I am in NS, Canada.0 -
But....recently I noticed I have put on at least 20lbs since the spring of 2013. My fav Guess skinny jeans (size 30!) which he bought me now no longer fit
I can't even get them up past my knees. I cried for almost an hour. It's crazy how we never notice the weight piling up until it's too late but notice every little bit that leaves!
My finances also got seriously messed up and I am now living paycheck to paycheck. I can't afford most of the healthy stuff I want and should be eating, I can't afford a gym membership or any equipment. I DESPISE the cold so I don't get outside much in the winter. I sooooo want to fit back into those Guess skinny jeans....can anyone offer some pointers to someone on a serious budget?? Oh....and I have very little willpower or motivation. LOL I will be the first to admit, I am lazy...it's how I grew up. I didn't grow up in an active home, my mother is overweight.
Any advice will be appreciated....but please be gentle! LOL
Whenever someone ends a post with "please be gentle", I think they must already know the answers to their own questions. With that said, I will try to oblige ...
Starting your quote with the key word ... "But ..." This is what I hear from your post:
I want, but...
I can't, but ...
I don't, but....
Weight gain and weigh loss are mathematical equations. Eat more calories than our body needs = weight gain. Eat less calories than our body needs = weight loss. No fancy foods, gym equipment, personal trainers, etc. needed - Just hard work and commitment. At this point in your life, your background story and your mother's status are not relevant. Your current mindset is.
We gain weight because we chose to eat more calories than we use. We fail to lose weight because we don't do what we need to do to create a calorie deficit. As I read the rest of your post, I think you have already identified your biggest road blocks and it is not your tight budget. There are many people here in this community (myself included), that would be happy to help you but you have to be ready to put in the hard work as there are no quick fixes or shortcuts. Being healthy is a lifestyle choice. Excuses undermine success. When you are done crying over your skinny jeans and ready to come back with a CAN DO attitude, you can start by making a list of what you DO have access to, including whole fresh foods/ingredients (time to get rid of the packaged stuff) and start researching things like "You are Your Own Gym" and fitness resources on You-Tube, inexpensive exercise DVD's, etc. Your best success will come from doing your own research and then asking people how to fill in the holes or how to make adjustments to what you are already putting together on your own.
Wow...Well first of all, I am just starting out on this journey and was trying to be honest by giving a little history of how I ended up on this site. Your comment "when you are done crying over your skinny jeans" is why I never wanted to do this before. That doesn't help me in any way. That "tough love" sort of thing doesn't work for everyone. I came here looking for ADVICE, not to be talked down to by anyone. Please realize that your techiques and opinions will not be valid for everyone.0 -
. ThisI started my fitness journey when I was a student and totally broke! I got DVDs out of library and started doing Leslie Sansone's walking videos. That eventually got me to the point where I was walking outside. Then that walking turned into running. And now I run marathons!
Foodwise, canned beans, tomatoes, and lentils are healthy, filling, and very cheap. I cook big batches of soups with lots of beans and freeze it in individual servings. And, as everyone else said, frozen veggies--lots of 'em!
Good luck!
I walk for exercise. And make soups and all sorts of dishes I invent out of things lurking in he cupboard ,write down how I made it and if its yummy I can make again and will have the calories and such all ready worked out :-)0 -
I hear you! I was on a $25/week food budget and I still managed to lose weight. I bought ONLY the fruit and veggies that were on sale. I have a YouTube channel and did a Big Girl on a Budget series where I show you what I bought for my $25. Feel free to add me. I'm in Canada too (Ontario though).0
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First, I just want to say SO SORRY that your ex-husband was such a grade A douche bag! Wow. You definetly handled it "better" than I would. I'd be writing this from the jail library if I found out my guy was cheating w/ my friend. So, kudos on being STRONG enough to not break down. Sure, you were depressed, but that's natural. You didn't let it GET you.
Now, I'm broke, and when I say broke, I mean... B-R-O-K-E! Lolz. You can do at home exercises, using youtube... check out Fitness Blender on YT... the videos are really good. And, I know you said you don't like the cold, but you are going to need to step outside your comfort zone. Run, go to the park, just get out there and be mobile!
For food, how much do you spend a week? $50? Try the farmer's market. I spend about $20 on weekly fruits/veggies from a farmer's market. If I were to buy them at Stop & Shop (grocery store), it would be about $40-50. Get coupons, sign up on vendor sites, and they'll send you coupons every once in a while.
Whatever you decide, I wish you luck!
Thanks!! I will def check out a Farmer's market, I'm sure there is one near me! My bf and I usually have $130 every two weeks to spend....and that's for meals and lunch stuff for work. It's def tough! Thanks again for your tips!
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104 recipes for budget meals. Feed 4 people for $10
http://www.cookinglight.com/food/everyday-menus/healthy-budget-recipes-00400000056656/page106.html0 -
My whole life I have felt....and been called....overweight. Although now I look back at photos and realize I was quite slim! The only time I ever lost significant weight is when my now-ex husband ended our 18 year relationship in 2012 by telling me he was sneaking around with my now-ex best friend and was leaving me for her!
I went into a depression and didn't eat a stitch of food for over three weeks, until my Mother made me go to the doctor. I lost about 16lbs. I could notice it in my face, thighs and my belly.
I started to feel better in a few weeks after medication and a lot of friendship therapy. I actually started to enjoy my new found size! For the first time in many, many years, I fit into a size 30 jean!! I was always a 36 or more!
A few months later, I met an amazing man, we are still together and going strong. But....recently I noticed I have put on at least 20lbs since the spring of 2013. My fav Guess skinny jeans (size 30!) which he bought me now no longer fit I can't even get them up past my knees. I cried for almost an hour. It's crazy how we never notice the weight piling up until it's too late but notice every little bit that leaves!
My finances also got seriously messed up and I am now living paycheck to paycheck. I can't afford most of the healthy stuff I want and should be eating, I can't afford a gym membership or any equipment. I DESPISE the cold so I don't get outside much in the winter. I sooooo want to fit back into those Guess skinny jeans....can anyone offer some pointers to someone on a serious budget?? Oh....and I have very little willpower or motivation. LOL I will be the first to admit, I am lazy...it's how I grew up. I didn't grow up in an active home, my mother is overweight.
Any advice will be appreciated....but please be gentle! LOL
Also....I thought I would add that I am in Canada....and unfortunately our foods etc seem to be more expensive than in the US. There is a farmer's market near me but their prices can be high. I am also a picky eater, lol, I don't like a lot of veggies (peppers, onions, zuccinni, mushrooms, celery, cauliflower) so that makes cooking a little tricky and sometimes bland. LOL
Our (mine and my bf) budget is $65 a week right now. We always buy eggs and a few kinds of proteins (chicken, pork) for meals when it's on sale along with some frozen dinners for lunches. I could use some ideas for afternoon snacks and easy breakfasts though!
I do like to walk....mostly in the summer. When it is -18 degrees celcius out like today, I realllly would rather not go for a walk!
I never thought to check youtube for workout and meal ideas, thanks to all for that advice!0 -
Hello! First off, good job on making a decision to be a healthier you
Second, there are lots of online options for working out. My favorite options are the Neila Rey visual workouts. And they require zero equipment! (besides a good sports bra :P)
http://neilarey.com/100-no-equipment-workouts.html
About eating healthy, The best advice I can give as someone who is slowly crawling out of the cave that is living paycheck to paycheck is to look for sales. We buy all of our meat at Winn-Dixie because they have wonderful Buy one get one free sales on their meats and we stock up on whatever is on sale so that when it isn't on sale we can still have a rounded diet. Dairy is usually pretty expensive, but delicious things like pesto and homemade pizza dough are very cheap to make. My favorite trick ever is to make a bunch of things homemade that can be frozen, that way when you don't have a lot of time to cook it isn't so hard to eat healthy. Also, many fresh veggies can be frozen, corn defrosts really well.
Anyway, I hope this helps If you want to talk about anything or get some healthy, cheap recipes feel free to friend and message me! 0 -
I am also a picky eater, lol, I don't like a lot of veggies (peppers, onions, zuccinni, mushrooms, celery, cauliflower) so that makes cooking a little tricky and sometimes bland.
Simply put, this is going to have to change. Not saying that you need to run out and start scarfing zucchini to be healthy, but it's more to say that you are going to have to get out of your comfort zone. If trying to eat healthier results in you only eating a handful of things, it is going to get old before you even start. I started eating yogurt last week. It's gross. It took me a little bit to find a way to make it not just palatable but taste great. I had artichoke hearts. I have never even seen an artichoke nor do I know what it looks like, but I ate its heart over a bed of brown rice and loved it. My safety zone is to run to a bag of tuna or just eat spinach until I run out. Move past it. There is a a lot of food out there, and a million people who have come up with 10 million ways to cook it. It's fine if you take baby steps. I am trying to introduce one new food a week. So far so good; it doesn't always work. Brussel sprouts confuse me as I can't get them to taste good for me. I still have another bag to use so the fight isn't over yet. Keep at it.0 -
I think you can definitely work with a $65 a week budget. I spend about that for a family of 3. I shop the sales and clip coupons. We hit the farmers market and produce stands for fresh fruits and veggies. I was also an extremely picky eater and have learned to leave my comfort zone with foods. I have found a ton of foods that I now love, but had never liked before. Sometimes it's just in how you make it. Personally, I would make more at dinner time and save the leftovers for lunches. It would actually cut your budget since some of the frozen dinners can get pricey. I plan my meals so that I make double or triple what we will eat and freeze the rest for an easy meal later.
As for snacks, I snack on a lot of fruits and yogurt. I buy granola to bulk up the yogurt some and make it more filling. If you have a blender, you could do smoothies and those can be made with frozen fruit too. I've also found healthier recipes for some of my favorite desserts and made them up, then portion them out and freeze them. It helps with willpower. Right now I have a couple quickbreads and Toffee Blondies sitting in the freezer. I pull them out in the morning so they are thawed at night for a snack. Nuts are a good option for snacks, but I think they can be a little pricey.
The easiest breakfasts I have found have been oatmeal. Google "Crockpot Oatmeal" and "Overnight refrigerator oatmeal". They are really tasty and can be altered to your likes. I make a big pot of the Crockpot Oatmeal, eat a portion for breakfast, and pack the rest up in a container to store in the fridge. Then I can just heat the rest each morning.
Everyone else has given great advice for finding workouts on Youtube. If you have an iPod or iPhone, the Sworkit app has some good workouts that fit into whatever timeframe you have.
Hope this helps and good luck! You can lose weight on a tight budget.0 -
Where do people find these farmer's markets where things are cheaper than the grocery store?! We went to one this weekend to compare, and everything we checked was more expensive yet than the organics at our local store.
I know, right!?
In my area it's all $8.99 blueberries and fancy vintage bottles of $15 honey...just no
I buy most of my produce at Aldi.0 -
I exercise at home as i dont have the money for gym memberships, im on a tight budget too so try to shop at lower priced supermarkets or at local greengrocers (you can normally haggle if buying a few items). i coupon too to try and keep costs down. i try to plan my meals ahead and make extra so i can freeze it, also if i am cooking a joint of meat i dont waste any leftovers i will keep them to make up another meal.0
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You have been given excellent suggestions already!
My best advice is to *TUNE OUT* the following...
fad diets
all organic foods
lululemon and other spendy workout attire
gym memberships
running shoes made to fit your body and running style
HRM/fitbit
expensive workout videos
Maybe later if you decide to use/buy those things and it's important to you, awesome...but if you're on a budget please don't think this stuff holds the magical keys to dramatic weight loss. And definitely do NOT let those extra expenses be the excuse to keep you heavier than you want to be.0 -
Yep, going outside of your food comfort zone can be scary. BUT, you will find all sorts of delicious things that you thought were gross! sometimes you just have to find the right way to cook them! I typically don't like cauliflower, but cauliflower breadsticks are WONDERFUL. Zucchini can be sliced thin and baked into chips! Smoothies are great too. Some yogurt, fruit, ice, and sometimes milk can make a delicious breakfast! Onions can be cooked into almost anything and barely have a taste. Oh and mushrooms! Mushrooms can be made in to lots of wonderful things! Have you tried different kinds? My SO won't eat button mushrooms, but will eat himself sick on portobellas. Portobellas can be stuffed and made into tiny low carb pizza bites, and the large caps are a wonderful vessel to stuff crab cakes into. One of my personal favorites is snap peas stir fried in sauce. I eat them with my fingers cause i'm messy like that
I got a little carried away there, but my point is that you should definitely step out of your comfort zone with food, there are so many wonderful options out there that limiting yourself is really cheating yourself out of all kinds of deliciousness!
Good Luck!0 -
You can still eat healthily on a budget, and I'm in England, where everything is expensive! We don't have to budget too much luckily, so we do spend a fair bit on grocery shopping, but could spend less if we had to.
You could make soups with veggies and lentils, or have jacket potato with salad or veg. Pasta with veg and tinned tomatoes is fine too. Meat is pretty expensive over here, but not sure if it is in Canada. For breakfast I generally eat eggs or porridge, and they're not too expensive.
I can understand not wanting to go out in your weather! Here it's stupidly windy and raining all the time, which puts me off from going for walks. I love taking my kids out on the seafront on their scooters, but it's been quite hard to do that lately. When the weather gets better for you, you can go for long walks. You could also look at exercises on YouTube to do at home. Maybe buy some hand weights, they're not that expensive. Also get a skipping rope?0 -
I am also a picky eater, lol, I don't like a lot of veggies (peppers, onions, zuccinni, mushrooms, celery, cauliflower) so that makes cooking a little tricky and sometimes bland.
Simply put, this is going to have to change. Not saying that you need to run out and start scarfing zucchini to be healthy, but it's more to say that you are going to have to get out of your comfort zone. If trying to eat healthier results in you only eating a handful of things, it is going to get old before you even start. I started eating yogurt last week. It's gross. It took me a little bit to find a way to make it not just palatable but taste great. I had artichoke hearts. I have never even seen an artichoke nor do I know what it looks like, but I ate its heart over a bed of brown rice and loved it. My safety zone is to run to a bag of tuna or just eat spinach until I run out. Move past it. There is a a lot of food out there, and a million people who have come up with 10 million ways to cook it. It's fine if you take baby steps. I am trying to introduce one new food a week. So far so good; it doesn't always work. Brussel sprouts confuse me as I can't get them to taste good for me. I still have another bag to use so the fight isn't over yet. Keep at it.
Have you tried getting vanilla or other plain flavored yogurt and adding fresh fruit to it? I'm not a big yogurt person either but I will scarf it down with some fresh strawberries! Also, I'm just learning about the miracle nom that is spinach, what is your favorite way to eat it?0 -
I am also on a rediculously tight budget and broke as hell. For exercise, because I can't afford the fancy programs and videos from the regular websites, I walk over to my local library. We have an awesome selection of workout DVDs available to rent for free! My library is close enough to walk to so I get in a few extra minutes of exercise that way as well.0
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I'll be the first to agree that I'm not much on "bedside manner" ... I'm just pointing out that your post cites many reasons that will ultimately undermine your success ... your post indicates that you believe you can't lose weight without additional monetary resources but you've already heard from many members who are also on tight budgets (most of us are). You point out that you "despise cold weather" so are basically telling folks you aren't very interested in any suggestions related to outdoor (free) resources. You state you have no will power and you state you are lazy, and you are a picky eater. BUT you want folks to give you advice ... and you want to pick and choose what advice you are willing to hear, so you are not giving well-meaning folks much to work with ...
Your backstory is unfortunate. No question there. But it sounds like you have successfully moved on and are happy, so your backstory is not what led to your present weight gain (I don't think). Reliving that part of your life over and over again takes away from embracing the happy place you are now. My point is, crying over tight jeans never got any of us anywhere. Using that moment as your motivation to really want to make some positive changes will take you to where you want to go.
And I did give several pieces of advice along with some resources to get you started and an invitation to present additional questions once you have made some headway in establishing your foundation. My point is simply that you cannot focus on the negatives and expect to be successful. You will have to go outside of your comfort zone. One of my first pieces of advice was to take stock in what you DO have and the rest will start falling into place.
You take this as tough-love, I take it as responding realistically to what you wrote. No talking down to anyone ... just no fluff. I was just cutting to the bottom line to tell you what you need to do to get off to a strong start. Sorry it was not what you wanted to hear. Hundreds of people join this site on a weekly/monthly basis. I am guessing a large percentage never really commit to doing what it takes to be successful, and those folks stop logging into the site within a few weeks. I truly hope you find success here ... and we'll all be here for you if you stick around. But it starts from within. :flowerforyou:0
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