Trying to lose weight on a tight budget!

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

Many people blame lack of finances for their inability to eat properly. I think the real problem is people's reluctance to stop stuffing themselves with tasty substances which are not food and do nothing but destroy the body. The last time I was in my local Safeway, I bought potatoes, carrots and broccoli for a very healthy stew and it cost me less than a large bag of Doritos and a bottle of Pepsi. I am willing to bet my finances are worse than yours and I have no problem with buying healthy food. I don't think is so much a question of willpower as it is outlook. You have always seen the world a certain way but there are other ways of seeing it. Potatoes and carrots sound boring but they are good and cheap. Are you unable to afford what you want to eat or are you unwilling to eat what you can afford because it sounds bland or boring?

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?

My go to now for yogurt is, HEB greek non fat vanilla yogurt with a liberal amount of cinnamon, a drizzle of honey, and a spoonful of dark chocolate chips. I went to the store a couple days ago and bought a bunch of different types to try out, but haven't beat the HEB brand yet.

I eat my spinach raw. Again, at HEB they sell tight wrapped 10oz bags of Texas grown spinach for around $2. I throw some in a bag and munch on it when I need to fill out a meal. I also LOVE putting it a pan with a bit of canola and watching the mountain cook down to nothing. Then I crack a couple eggs on it.

I was hungry before I started typing....now I'm hungrier.

I made a portabella pizza a couple weeks ago.....yum.

two slices of wheat bread, a couple spoons of peanut butter, a sliced up banana, and a bit of honey make a mighty good sandwich....mighty good

my stomach is typing now...time to log off

I live in California so I don't know if food is here is more or less expensive than where you are - but I shop at Albertsons every 2 weeks. I spend $130-$150 every 2 weeks (that's just me & my husband I'm shopping for). I look at Albertsons ad's online when making my shopping list..

For example, this week on my list I have yogurt, shredded cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, milk, bacon, lunch meat, fiber one bars, tortilla chips, tortillas, cracker/salty snack, muffin/brownie mix (for my hubby) whole grain pasta, cereal, bread, soup, bagels, tomato, onion, avocaod, zuchini, fruit, couple frozen pizzas, salsa, soda water, beer (not mine), & apple cider vinegar (I take shots of it everyday, love the stuff)

I have all that budgeted to cost about $130+tax.

I also use an excel spreadsheet for all of this with the items I plan to get & how much I plan to spend. I print out the list when I go shopping & if I go over or under my budget on an item I write it on the back (+2, -1, etc) once I have gotten everything I total up my over/under & if I came in under I'll get myself a treat that wasnt on my list :glasses:

I was in a similar situation after my ex-husband left me and I can understand where you are coming from. I also had the lazy side of me and because of that my weight has gone all over the place over the past couple of years.
I have decided that 2014 was going to be MY year and I would loose the weight in a healthy way once and for all. I researched a lot of stuff in relation to food/diet/budgets and stuff and My BF and I have a budget of about $80.00 per week and we are actually trying to cut that down further
Also I am in no way trying to be rude here, but the lazy thing has to stop. It’s the only way to do it right it to get up and moving. As my mother says “nothing worthwhile is easy, but its rewarding”. I was the same way but I am chosing not to be that way and work for what I want. Because its for me and nobody else
So below are a few tips I use for helping me get motivated and organized.. (I’m not going to lie its tough at times, but stick with it and it will pay off)
- Research cheap meals and when the products go on sale buy them
- Meal plan
- Go meatless once or twice a week. There are some great vegetarian meals out there
- Spend half an hour the night before preparing the meal lunches/dinner for the next day
- Don’t be afriad to make your lunch instead of buying. Its cheaper and healthier. Remember the average lunch is $15.00, times that by a work week and you have spend 75 (average) on lunhes when you use that to shop for the entire week
- Look up reciepes for freezer friendly meals and spend a day on the weekend with the radio on preparing/cooking all those meals. Its also a great date day with the boyfriend as well. Me and my boyfriend do this every so often. Its nice to “hang out” with him again
- Youtube is great for free exercise videos
- Bring your workout clothes with you (if you are exercising outside) to do it right after work/school. Same if you are coming home, put your stuff on right away and get it done. Don’t give yourself a chance to sit down
- Most people have calenders on their iphone, use it to set up and put exercise appointments in. We put other appointments in like doctors and dentist so why not exercise.
- If you don’t feel like exercising tell yourself 10 minutes. I have never just done ten after saying that because I continue, but if you feel like stopping after 10 then at least you have done ten minutes (better than nothing)
- Put YOURSELF first.
- (I am the worst for this) If you find a great tasty cheap meal, eat it all the time until you get sick of it.
- If watching commercials when they come on do squats, situps, whatever then next commerical try to beat that nunber before.
I hope these tips help you a bit in your quest and wish you the best of luck in your journey.

I live in California so I don't know if food is here is more or less expensive than where you are - but I shop at Albertsons every 2 weeks. I spend $130-$150 every 2 weeks (that's just me & my husband I'm shopping for). I look at Albertsons ad's online when making my shopping list..

For example, this week on my list I have yogurt, shredded cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, milk, bacon, lunch meat, fiber one bars, tortilla chips, tortillas, cracker/salty snack, muffin/brownie mix (for my hubby) whole grain pasta, cereal, bread, soup, bagels, tomato, onion, avocaod, zuchini, fruit, couple frozen pizzas, salsa, soda water, beer (not mine), & apple cider vinegar (I take shots of it everyday, love the stuff)

I have all that budgeted to cost about $130+tax.

I also use an excel spreadsheet for all of this with the items I plan to get & how much I plan to spend. I print out the list when I go shopping & if I go over or under my budget on an item I write it on the back (+2, -1, etc) once I have gotten everything I total up my over/under & if I came in under I'll get myself a treat that wasnt on my list :glasses:

Wonderful idea and great job at planning out your trips! I tally my total as we shop and am usually within a couple of dollars when we check out, but I wish I was that organized!

old fashioned oatmeal, cinnamon, some dark chocolate, whipped honey butter (bought from a local farmer, you might be out of luck) and about 30 minutes of your time. Very good....