I only eat one meal a day.

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jenmarie72011
jenmarie72011 Posts: 25 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm having a hard time eating healthy, I can only afford to eat once a day, and when It comes time to eat it's usually unhealthy, I don't buy the food, so I have no control over what there is to eat. Any advice, like cheap healthy meals to make.
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  • RuNaRoUnDaFiEld
    RuNaRoUnDaFiEld Posts: 5,864 Member
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    Who has the food buying control?
  • jenmarie72011
    jenmarie72011 Posts: 25 Member
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    My parents.
  • jenmarie72011
    jenmarie72011 Posts: 25 Member
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    I just recently found a job, so maybe I can start to buy some of my own food, and I just want healthy food ideas that won't be too expensive.
  • RuNaRoUnDaFiEld
    RuNaRoUnDaFiEld Posts: 5,864 Member
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    Veg is so cheap if you stay away from supermarkets. Buy at local green grocers and it costs very little.

    It might be better to tell your parents that you want to eat more fresh foods though, do you pay them board/bill money?
  • isulo_kura
    isulo_kura Posts: 818 Member
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    jenmarie72011 wrote: »
    I'm having a hard time eating healthy, I can only afford to eat once a day, and when It comes time to eat it's usually unhealthy, I don't buy the food, so I have no control over what there is to eat. Any advice, like cheap healthy meals to make.

    What do you class as unhealthy?
  • Laurend224
    Laurend224 Posts: 1,748 Member
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    Cheap staples

    Dried beans
    Lentils
    Potatoes
    Rice

    Asst. Fruits and veg in season
    Eggs ( I think, haven't bought in years)
    Bulk chicken thighs
    Ground beef
    Oatmeal
    Grits
    Ect, ect ect.......
  • Zedeff
    Zedeff Posts: 651 Member
    edited July 2015
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    Do some more reading, as you have fundamentally misunderstood the problem. Caloric volume, not caloric sources, are your problem. If doesn't matter what food you're eating, it matters how much of it you eat.

    If anything, dieting should be cheaper than not dieting.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    There's nothing wrong with eating one meal a day if you're meeting your calorie and macro goals. But if you're looking to eat healthier, can you discuss your desires with your parents and tag along with them when they go to the store?
  • Kellyymcd
    Kellyymcd Posts: 19 Member
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    Zedeff wrote: »
    Do some more reading, as you have fundamentally misunderstood the problem. Caloric volume, not caloric sources, are your problem. If doesn't matter what food you're eating, it matters how much of it you eat.

    If anything, dieting should be cheaper than not dieting.

    The above is true but when you are eating calorie laden foods you can't eat very much volume which leaves you hungry which will make it very difficult to have a deficit.
  • velveteen7845
    velveteen7845 Posts: 70 Member
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    Zedeff wrote: »
    Do some more reading, as you have fundamentally misunderstood the problem. Caloric volume, not caloric sources, are your problem. If doesn't matter what food you're eating, it matters how much of it you eat.

    If anything, dieting should be cheaper than not dieting.

    I disagree. I used to eat a lot of junk, mostly BECAUSE it was cheap for the amount of calories offered. I have been eating better for 1 year today and I have lost more than 100 pounds. I am thrilled with my results but I can tell you that I definitely have to spend more to eat healthier foods, especially since I can't eat the high number of carbs that I used to (I got Type 2 Diabetes).

    Laurend224 gave some excellent advice on lower cost healthy food, however, especially if you can have a fairly high amount of carbs.

  • Zedeff
    Zedeff Posts: 651 Member
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    @velveteen7845 You may disagree, but you will be wrong. I'm sorry, that's just the way it is.

    You lost weight eating healthy foods; the fact that you lost weight confirms that ate less calories than you used to. You could have lost the same weight eating the same junk food, just less of it. While this is a strategy that works, it is a) not as healthy as what you did and b) harder to do, because junk food is less satiating. Still, it's possible.

    You did a great job and I am not trying to take that away from you, but it is entirely possible to lose weight on a "bad" diet.
  • Psychgrrl
    Psychgrrl Posts: 3,177 Member
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    Maybe the middle ground between "you can lose weight eating anything" and "you lose more weight if you eating healthy/little junk" is that people may be more prone to overeating the junk and therefore have a harder time achieving a calorie deficit.
  • Zedeff
    Zedeff Posts: 651 Member
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    Psychgrrl wrote: »
    Maybe the middle ground between "you can lose weight eating anything" and "you lose more weight if you eating healthy/little junk" is that people may be more prone to overeating the junk and therefore have a harder time achieving a calorie deficit.

    Agreed!
  • Ang108
    Ang108 Posts: 1,711 Member
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    jenmarie72011 wrote: »
    I'm having a hard time eating healthy, I can only afford to eat once a day, and when It comes time to eat it's usually unhealthy, I don't buy the food, so I have no control over what there is to eat. Any advice, like cheap healthy meals to make.

    You already lost 20 pounds presumably on the food your parents buy and I congratulate you !
    Is the picture in your profile recent ? Because looking at it and if it is recent I don't quite understand why you want to lose another 45 pounds......

  • MamaBirdBoss
    MamaBirdBoss Posts: 1,516 Member
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    Zedeff wrote: »
    @velveteen7845 You may disagree, but you will be wrong. I'm sorry, that's just the way it is.

    You lost weight eating healthy foods; the fact that you lost weight confirms that ate less calories than you used to. You could have lost the same weight eating the same junk food, just less of it. While this is a strategy that works, it is a) not as healthy as what you did and b) harder to do, because junk food is less satiating. Still, it's possible.

    You did a great job and I am not trying to take that away from you, but it is entirely possible to lose weight on a "bad" diet.

    YEP.

    Anyway, OP, what do you mean "afford"? Calorically or financially?
  • ncboiler89
    ncboiler89 Posts: 2,408 Member
    edited July 2015
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    Ramen noodles imo and find a boyfriend.
  • Healthexp693
    Healthexp693 Posts: 17 Member
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    malibu927 wrote: »
    There's nothing wrong with eating one meal a day if you're meeting your calorie and macro goals. But if you're looking to eat healthier, can you discuss your desires with your parents and tag along with them when they go to the store?

    There is plenty wrong with eating just one meal a day. There are many factors that determine weight loss/weight gain, including resting metabolism and hormones. Eating one meal/day will put your body into a starvation mode. In response your body will store more fat when it has the chance. Also not getting proper nutrient intake can lead to vitamin deficiencies, which can in turn alter your ability to lose weight. The best way to increase your metabolism and facilitate weight loss is to eat smaller more frequent meals throughout the day. Calories are not all equal, for instance if you eat 100 calories in potatoes chips, you have just consumed 100 calories with no nutritional value. Your body also responds differently to certain foods, some foods like simple sugars will cause a spike in the hormone insulin and thereby cause more fat storage. The same amount of calories consumed in complex carbohydrates will not result in such an insulin spike and therefore would be less fattening. It is very unfortunate that she cannot afford a proper diet. Junk food is cheaper.
  • JoshLibby
    JoshLibby Posts: 214 Member
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    jthompson693 wrote: »
    malibu927 wrote: »
    There's nothing wrong with eating one meal a day if you're meeting your calorie and macro goals. But if you're looking to eat healthier, can you discuss your desires with your parents and tag along with them when they go to the store?

    There is plenty wrong with eating just one meal a day. There are many factors that determine weight loss/weight gain, including resting metabolism and hormones. Eating one meal/day will put your body into a starvation mode. In response your body will store more fat when it has the chance. Also not getting proper nutrient intake can lead to vitamin deficiencies, which can in turn alter your ability to lose weight. The best way to increase your metabolism and facilitate weight loss is to eat smaller more frequent meals throughout the day. Calories are not all equal, for instance if you eat 100 calories in potatoes chips, you have just consumed 100 calories with no nutritional value. Your body also responds differently to certain foods, some foods like simple sugars will cause a spike in the hormone insulin and thereby cause more fat storage. The same amount of calories consumed in complex carbohydrates will not result in such an insulin spike and therefore would be less fattening. It is very unfortunate that she cannot afford a proper diet. Junk food is cheaper.

    THIS!
  • Zedeff
    Zedeff Posts: 651 Member
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    jthompson693 wrote: »
    malibu927 wrote: »
    There's nothing wrong with eating one meal a day if you're meeting your calorie and macro goals. But if you're looking to eat healthier, can you discuss your desires with your parents and tag along with them when they go to the store?

    There is plenty wrong with eating just one meal a day. There are many factors that determine weight loss/weight gain, including resting metabolism and hormones. Eating one meal/day will put your body into a starvation mode.

    Stopped reading here, and everyone else should have too.

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