Broke and trying to eat healthy.. Help!

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sweigartn09
sweigartn09 Posts: 8 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello, all! I am living with my parents right now, I am saving all my money so that I can pay for my college tuition which is $3000 and I only make $1400/month at my job and I have a car payment and gas to pay for... My parents don't support the idea of eating healthy, so there is nothing but bad food in my house. I am struggling so bad! I have a season pass to an amusement park and I only fit on one ride... I want to be able to ride everything. Is there any hope for this kind of lifestyle?
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Replies

  • crazyjerseygirl
    crazyjerseygirl Posts: 1,252 Member
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    Well if you're just looking to lose weight simply eat less of what they have around the house (logging helps!) if you want healthier foods around I suggest investing in frozen veggies, plain popcorn (I get 100kcal microwave bags) and some cheap protein. Meat is always on sale!

    It can be done on the cheap!
  • cld111
    cld111 Posts: 300 Member
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    Beans, rice, potatoes and bananas are really cheap.
  • cld111
    cld111 Posts: 300 Member
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    Also, have you talked to your parents about your goals? I always feel so sad when someone says their parents don't support their healthy lifestyle. I am a parent, and I would LOVE it if my kids came to me and wanted to eat better. So I never really understand why a parent wouldn't be supportive?
  • WBB55
    WBB55 Posts: 4,131 Member
    edited July 2015
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    What foods are bad and good? What's your food budget? Do you have allergies or other nutritional restrictions?

    Peanut butter sandwiches are good and cheap. Oatmeal and milk. Almonds. Bananas. Beans and rice. Greek yogurt and canned pineapple. Carrots. Onions. Olive oil. These are all basically dirt cheap, especially if you buy the store brand or compare prices at a couple different stores.

    Edit to add, but you need to weigh things with a scale and log the calories. My suggestion is to invest in a $10 digital scale and just start by weighing the things your parents already have, but supplement it maybe with some fresh fruit and vegetables.
  • vivmom2014
    vivmom2014 Posts: 1,647 Member
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    It's best not to give food good and bad values. All food is fuel. Some food is more nutrient dense. If you have an Aldi in your area, they have great cheap produce. Vegetables are your friend for keeping you full -- and they all play well together. :)
  • heyspearsy
    heyspearsy Posts: 30 Member
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    Plain oatmeal, rice, potatoes and beans. Always cheap.

    Many grocery stores have marked down prices on fruit/vegetables/meat that should be eaten the same day. Use the grocery store flyers/ads and focus on whatever is on sale.

  • tdarwish2
    tdarwish2 Posts: 4 Member
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    +1 to vivmom. Aldi is the schiznit. I shop there exclusively and save a ridiculous amount of money. Most of their produce is Dole or local growers. Dairy products are awesome and way cheaper than the chain stores; for example, 8oz of cream cheese is a BUCK. And their product lines are getting better. Not sure where else you can get a legit jar of Peanut Butter for ~$2.
  • flaminica
    flaminica Posts: 304 Member
    edited July 2015
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    heyspearsy wrote: »
    Plain oatmeal, rice, potatoes and beans. Always cheap.

    Many grocery stores have marked down prices on fruit/vegetables/meat that should be eaten the same day. Use the grocery store flyers/ads and focus on whatever is on sale.

    These are good options, but be careful not to fall into the trap of eating too much cheap starch. This is one of the worst culprits behind poverty-related obesity.

    I work in grocery retail. Here's what's cheap and nutritious in most markets:
    - fruit
    - vegetables
    - lean meat
    - dried legumes
    - economy-size brick cheese
    - eggs

    Yes, get the reduced produce. It's fine if used within 24 hours. Some places reduce meat as well. Avoid frozen dinners, cereals, fruit juice and processed or boxed meats. Not because they're "bad" but because they are way overpriced for the volume of food purchased. Shop the perimeter of the store; that's where the good stuff is.

    Invest in a collection of basic herbs and spices. Buy the bulk bags, never the little glass jars. You can empty the bags into jam jars or margarine tubs for storage. An upfront investment will last months.

    Buy one decent cookbook and learn to use it. You will save tremendous amounts of money by learning to cook a few basic meals instead of eating "bachelor chow." Also ladies love a guy who can cook. ;)

    Oh, do you have a smart phone? Get Flipp or some other price-matching app. Price-matching will save you a few bucks per trip.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    First off, the only requirement for weight loss is a caloric deficit. You could eat what you always did, but less. There are no bad foods.
    Secondly, if you want inexpensive deals to accompany whatever it is thats being cooked, try a farmers market.
  • Soggynode
    Soggynode Posts: 1,179 Member
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    Lots of good advice already. I know the sodium is a bit high if you use the entire season packet but you can hack ramen noodles for a really cheap an reasonably healthy meal. Add leftover chicken or beef, frozen mixed veggies stir-fried fresh veggies, serve them cold on a salad with mandarin orange slices. At the Winco near our house they are 17 cents per pack. Lots of ideas here...

    http://www.seriouseats.com/2011/03/ramen-hacks-30-easy-ways-to-upgrade-your-instant-noodles-japanese-what-to-do-with-ramen.html

    Good luck and have fun :)
  • vivmom2014
    vivmom2014 Posts: 1,647 Member
    edited July 2015
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    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    First off, the only requirement for weight loss is a caloric deficit. You could eat what you always did, but less. There are no bad foods.
    Secondly, if you want inexpensive deals to accompany whatever it is thats being cooked, try a farmers market.

    Farmers' Market in Thomas, WV = absolutely cheap & fantastic.
    Farmers' Market in Old Town, Alexandria, VA = the most ridiculously expensive market ever.
    Depends on location!

  • cld111
    cld111 Posts: 300 Member
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    flaminica wrote: »
    heyspearsy wrote: »
    Plain oatmeal, rice, potatoes and beans. Always cheap.

    Many grocery stores have marked down prices on fruit/vegetables/meat that should be eaten the same day. Use the grocery store flyers/ads and focus on whatever is on sale.

    These are good options, but be careful not to fall into the trap of eating too much cheap starch. This is one of the worst culprits behind poverty-related obesity.

    Not to derail the OP's thread, but lots of people in the world eat cheap starches and are some of the healthiest people on Earth.

  • cindyangotti
    cindyangotti Posts: 294 Member
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    To me when people say "bad food" they are the foods that do not fit into their goals. If they want to call it "bad" why would anyone have a problem with that I wonder?

    My fiancé does the majority of the cooking at my house. He knows I don't want my food fried, oily or saucy. When he wants it that way he will have it but will put my portion aside to grill or bake for me. Maybe you can ask your parents to do the same and you can prepare it in a way that fits into your goals. I agree with the above posters about adding in lots of veggies too.

    I am sorry you don't have a supportive environment at home.
  • dizzieblondeuk
    dizzieblondeuk Posts: 286 Member
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    I notice, from your profile, that your honeymoon is one of your goals/aims. I wonder, if you framed the conversation about healthy eating related to your wedding and honeymoon, that they would be more receptive to helping to cater for your healthy eating plan? Perhaps also by getting your fiance to back you up would help them understand how important this is to you.

    If all else fails, sure you have car repayments, but would walking/cycling more etc help cut down on gas bills and also increase your activity levels? There's no real substitute for a good diet, but short term, managing your CICO around the food that is available may be your option, and supplement that food with however much you can afford to buy of fruit, vegetables etc. As others have said, Aldi is the answer to most food budget's prayers!

    Finally, how important is that amusement park season pass to you? Could you sell it or get a refund? That's then extra money to do whatever you wish with. If not, does the park have a sporting section - perhaps use those areas to increase your activity levels through something you've already paid for.
  • sweigartn09
    sweigartn09 Posts: 8 Member
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    Thank you everyone for the replies. My parents aren't supportive because they tell me that they are already old and they don't have any desire to lose weight, they like food and love to eat.
    That aside... I have a 40 minute drive to work and a 40 minute drive home, so walking isn't really an option.
    As far as the pass goes, my husband works for the company so I get in free, but it is useless.. However the park does have a very large hilly terrain which I was going to use to my advantage and reward myself at the end of every lap, ride the ride I can fit on, or even go to the water park and swim laps in the wave pool.
    I love the idea of asking my parents to cook my food separate!
    My husband is incredibly supportive and wants me to be healthy so that I can live longer with him, but he is 6'2 and 160lbs... He can eat anything he wants,so for him a small bag of candy means nothing but for me it can make or break my entire day. This is so difficult to do alone.
  • sweigartn09
    sweigartn09 Posts: 8 Member
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    How does a calorie deficit work?
  • dizzieblondeuk
    dizzieblondeuk Posts: 286 Member
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    sweigartn09 wrote: »
    Thank you everyone for the replies. My parents aren't supportive because they tell me that they are already old and they don't have any desire to lose weight, they like food and love to eat.
    That aside... I have a 40 minute drive to work and a 40 minute drive home, so walking isn't really an option.
    As far as the pass goes, my husband works for the company so I get in free, but it is useless.. However the park does have a very large hilly terrain which I was going to use to my advantage and reward myself at the end of every lap, ride the ride I can fit on, or even go to the water park and swim laps in the wave pool.
    I love the idea of asking my parents to cook my food separate!
    My husband is incredibly supportive and wants me to be healthy so that I can live longer with him, but he is 6'2 and 160lbs... He can eat anything he wants,so for him a small bag of candy means nothing but for me it can make or break my entire day. This is so difficult to do alone.
    Swimming in the wave pool is a great idea - sounds fun (and quite hard work) too!. Good to hear your husband is supportive - is there any way part of his income can be used to buy both of your food, to be cooked separately from your parents' food? Being married and living with parents, this is perhaps one way of separating out your married life from life with your parents. Clearly, they are set in their ways so, if you don't think it'll insult them too much, perhaps try and have different meal times. Perhaps try and start cooking you and your husband's food in advance (on your days off), and freezing double portions.

    BTW, a friend of mine lives about the same commuting time from her workplace (in the UK). She drives to the outskirts of the city where she works, leaves the car in a 'park and ride' place, and gets on her bike for the last 3-4 miles to work. 15-20 minutes each way, and she's got a decent amount of exercise as well. Plus, given the congestion in the city, it's barely any longer on the bike than it would be in the car! Is that an option for you? I know we all love the convenience of the car, but it's just about getting creative with the time we have.
  • WBB55
    WBB55 Posts: 4,131 Member
    edited July 2015
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    sweigartn09 wrote: »
    Thank you everyone for the replies. My parents aren't supportive because they tell me that they are already old and they don't have any desire to lose weight, they like food and love to eat.
    That aside... I have a 40 minute drive to work and a 40 minute drive home, so walking isn't really an option.
    As far as the pass goes, my husband works for the company so I get in free, but it is useless.. However the park does have a very large hilly terrain which I was going to use to my advantage and reward myself at the end of every lap, ride the ride I can fit on, or even go to the water park and swim laps in the wave pool.
    I love the idea of asking my parents to cook my food separate!
    My husband is incredibly supportive and wants me to be healthy so that I can live longer with him, but he is 6'2 and 160lbs... He can eat anything he wants,so for him a small bag of candy means nothing but for me it can make or break my entire day. This is so difficult to do alone.

    (1) You're not alone, you clearly have people surrounding you that love you. Consider yourself lucky.
    (2) Your husband cannot eat anything he wants and stay slim. If he ate at a surplus of calories, he'd gain, too, since he's human.
    (3) Don't ask your parents to cook you a special meal. They're not your servants, and you're an adult. You *could* politely ask that your portion of a communal meal have different/no sauces or something.
    sweigartn09 wrote: »
    How does a calorie deficit work?

    (4) Have you read this?: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1175494-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

  • cindyangotti
    cindyangotti Posts: 294 Member
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    I didn't realize you are 24 years old and married. Your parents should not be cooking your food. If you want healthier food why don't you (or your husband) cook at least half the time? You are an adult and between your income and your husbands you should be able to buy some healthier food. You are a bit too old to blame poor eating on your parents.

    I LOVE the idea of having an amusement park to use as your workout!
  • theawill519
    theawill519 Posts: 242 Member
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    I mainly eat protein and frozen vegetables and it's pretty cheap. For instance, last night for dinner I had 5 grilled chicken tenderloins (10 pack= $4.90) and a half a bag of frozen vegetables (whole bag= $1.44). That's $3.17 for a very filling dinner. Good luck!

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