Losing Weight on a budget
fabpal
Posts: 3 Member
How does a mother with a family start when trying to lose weight on a budget?
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This is one of my favorite topics!
(1) I think some people see the price of fruit and vegetables and think to themselves "boxes of mac-n-cheese are so much cheaper, but so much worse for me!" But the trick for this is to buy in season and also find the things that are usually good bargains (at least in your location)
(2) Planning menus and making things ahead always saves money over convenience foods
(3) You don't have to buy "diet" foods. You can just eat what you eat now, but less of it! Track your calories using the app. If anything, buy a $15 digital food scale at Walmart and keep eating what you're eating right now, if it's things that work in your budget.
If it helps, here's a list of food that I made for myself of food that's always cheap versus its nutritional benefit to me. Your experience may vary. Sorry for the long list.
Seeds
Nuts
Banana
Rice
Lentil
Barley
Dry beans
Split peas
Potato
Turkey, ground frozen
Milk, whole
Butter
Olive oil
Canola oil
Wheat germ
Oats
Tomato paste
Frozen corn
Frozen peas
Onion
Some minimally processed foods:
Whey protein mix
Peanut butter
Semi-sweet morsels
WW flour
Rye flour
WW pretzles
WW crackers
WW pasta
Tortillas
Bread crumbs
Some cheap, but more highly processed foods:
Fig bars
Mac-n-cheese
Toaster tarts
Ramen noodles
Frozen burritos
Canned chili beans
Supplement the above with whatever fresh greens are on sale that week. Romaine lettuce, spinach, kale, etc.0 -
You can still lose weight eating what you have always eaten. Just eat less.
Do you have space and time to garden? Seeds are pretty inexpensive and yield lots of produce.
Think about what "junk food" you may buy and cut back there to add in more fresh fruit and veggies.
Look into some meatless meals. Meat tends to be the most costly thing on my list. Bulk dry beans are sometimes a good substitute.
Do you currently eat out or go through the drive-thru? This can be a good place to cut back and cook at home. Search for some new recipes and experiment with new spices.
Glad to hear you are starting. You can do it!0 -
Great post @WBB55 !
And start walking as many places as possible, that way you will save on petrol or bus fares.
Have a few vegetarian nights, vegetable casseroles are yummy, vegetable soups for lunches. It really doesn't have to cost more
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You just need to create a caloric deficit to lose weight. Consuming smaller quantities of what your family currently eats will stretch your groceries farther and you'll lose weight.
No, you do not need to eat garbage bags full of perishable produce to succeed at weight loss. Frozen veggies are pretty cheap, though, and better quality than their unfrozen brethren anyway, imho.0 -
http://www.thriftylesley.com/recipes-nutrition/
A link to the Thrifty Leslie site for you, great cheap family meals with the nutrition worked out 0 -
There's a really good thread about this--I think it was started yesterday in the Food and Nutrition board. Lots of good advice!0
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There's a free cookbook called "good and cheap" that has some great ideas. You can download it free here leannebrown.com free!
Some great ideas already posted. I occasionally make boxed Macaroni and cheese but I throw in a few cups of frozen veggies. Eggs are great too.
Mostly though it's just really important to keep an eye on portion sizes and eat less calories than your body needs. Good luck 0 -
Your thinking is probably along the lines of "I need to eat healthy to lose weight. Healthy food costs more than processed food. Therefore, eating to lose weight costs more than I am spending now." This is simply not true.
To lose weight, you simply need to eat less calories than your body burns every day. You don't need to eat differently than you are used to eating, you simply need to eat less of the same food. Eating less food = less food cost. Therefore, it's cheaper to eat to lose weight than it is to eat enough to become overweight.
Eating more fresh food and less processed food is certainly a preferable lifestyle but it's not a requirement for weight loss. That said, there are some great posts here already about how to eat more healthfully on a budget. I hope you are able to put some of that information into practice.
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When I was in my main losing phase, hubby lost his job and had to take one making 1/2 his salary. Money was very tight. It actually helped me because we couldn't eat out! Frozen veggies are your friends. Also the crock pot. Cheap cuts of meat are great in the crock pot! The only thing that really is more difficult on a budget is eating high protein, but even that can be done with planning.0
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To lose, you'll be eating what you always do, only in a caloric deficit.0
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You don't need to have money to lose weight.0
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Being poor was the best weight loss program I've ever started...
I started walking/biking everywhere since my car broke down and I can't afford to have it fixed.
we don't have the money to go out to eat.
making meals stretch into leftovers and actually looking at serving sizes...it's wonderful!0 -
Do you have an Aldi nearby? Go!!0
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Find a local farmers market. You can get great fresh local produce in bulk for a lot less than the grocery stores. Like literally a bushel of peppers for $10 or 5 pounds of tomatoes for $4. A few weeks ago I spent $3 on enough summer squash to last me (single person) several weeks. I used to buy a lot in the summer and freeze what I was not going to eat fresh. Having a chest freezer was great. I stocked that thing up all summer to offset the cost of food over the winter.
Locally grown and in season is going to be your lowest cost for veg.
Winter squashes are coming in season now so those will be cheap, and you can store those for up to 6 months at room temperature in a cool dry place in your house.
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You just eat less of what you ate before
Its about calorie deficit ( eating less calories than you burn) Not about what you eat.
So moderation and portion control
Weigh all your food on a food scale and log it.0 -
shadowfax_c11 wrote: »Find a local farmers market. You can get great fresh local produce in bulk for a lot less than the grocery stores. Like literally a bushel of peppers for $10 or 5 pounds of tomatoes for $4. A few weeks ago I spent $3 on enough summer squash to last me (single person) several weeks. I used to buy a lot in the summer and freeze what I was not going to eat fresh. Having a chest freezer was great. I stocked that thing up all summer to offset the cost of food over the winter.
Locally grown and in season is going to be your lowest cost for veg.
Winter squashes are coming in season now so those will be cheap, and you can store those for up to 6 months at room temperature in a cool dry place in your house.
I wish I lived near your farmers' market. The one nearest us (just outside of Washington, DC) sells eggs for $6/dozen and bread for $7/loaf. Vegetables are very pricey, too.
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Meal planning. That has been my number one weapon. My family budget is approximately $400 a month, and if I plan instead of wing it, I can usually get out of the grocery store spending around $170 every 2 weeks. Frozen veggies and berries. We go through a lot of those at my house. We drink water - milk is around for the kids breakfast and some cooking. I make everything I can from scratch.0
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When I was in my main losing phase, hubby lost his job and had to take one making 1/2 his salary. Money was very tight. It actually helped me because we couldn't eat out! Frozen veggies are your friends. Also the crock pot. Cheap cuts of meat are great in the crock pot! The only thing that really is more difficult on a budget is eating high protein, but even that can be done with planning.
Dried beans and lentils are extremely cheap and great in the crock pot as well. Allrecipes.com has tons of slow cooker recipes.
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I do a menu plan and a inventory of my pantry and freezer.
That way I don't buy things I don't need.
Since my family has started to eat better we save money on not buying food.
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CICO and last time i checked, walking was free.0
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A good meal plan without much processed stuff usually cuts my bill in half. Just *having* a plan cuts it by at least 25%, even if my plan is full of indulgences and convenience items.I firmly believe both weight loss and money conservation can both be achieved through a thoughtful meal plan and grocery list. 0
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vivmom2014 wrote: »shadowfax_c11 wrote: »Find a local farmers market. You can get great fresh local produce in bulk for a lot less than the grocery stores. Like literally a bushel of peppers for $10 or 5 pounds of tomatoes for $4. A few weeks ago I spent $3 on enough summer squash to last me (single person) several weeks. I used to buy a lot in the summer and freeze what I was not going to eat fresh. Having a chest freezer was great. I stocked that thing up all summer to offset the cost of food over the winter.
Locally grown and in season is going to be your lowest cost for veg.
Winter squashes are coming in season now so those will be cheap, and you can store those for up to 6 months at room temperature in a cool dry place in your house.
I wish I lived near your farmers' market. The one nearest us (just outside of Washington, DC) sells eggs for $6/dozen and bread for $7/loaf. Vegetables are very pricey, too.
Our farmers markets can be crazy expensive. $12/lb for green peppers expensive. I second aldi and other discount stores (pricerite, save a lot, and ethnic markets)0 -
I also sent you a very informative message on how freezer cooking can save your budget. Use less energy, never waste, and time management. It's the best.0
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Queenmunchy wrote: »vivmom2014 wrote: »shadowfax_c11 wrote: »Find a local farmers market. You can get great fresh local produce in bulk for a lot less than the grocery stores. Like literally a bushel of peppers for $10 or 5 pounds of tomatoes for $4. A few weeks ago I spent $3 on enough summer squash to last me (single person) several weeks. I used to buy a lot in the summer and freeze what I was not going to eat fresh. Having a chest freezer was great. I stocked that thing up all summer to offset the cost of food over the winter.
Locally grown and in season is going to be your lowest cost for veg.
Winter squashes are coming in season now so those will be cheap, and you can store those for up to 6 months at room temperature in a cool dry place in your house.
I wish I lived near your farmers' market. The one nearest us (just outside of Washington, DC) sells eggs for $6/dozen and bread for $7/loaf. Vegetables are very pricey, too.
Our farmers markets can be crazy expensive. $12/lb for green peppers expensive. I second aldi and other discount stores (pricerite, save a lot, and ethnic markets)
Ethnic markets are a great idea, especially for produce.
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I live in farm country. Farmers markets aren't cheap, just fresh. We eat beans and rice.
A turkey sandwich with 2oz of turkey is cheap and only 200 caloies. Add an apple and you've got lunch or dinner. Even at $3 a dozen an egg is 70 cal of good and cheap nutrition.
Apples keep a long time and are in season now. Plain potatoes are frequently on sale for $1 for 10lbs.
Not to mention you'll be eating less and buying less. We have been saving money buying less food and no soda for me.0 -
My favorite budget-friendly foods are chicken thighs (bone in, skin on) and potatoes... Fresh carrots, frozen vegetables, eggs... Shop the sales...
And less of it!!!0 -
TiffanyR71 wrote: »My favorite budget-friendly foods are chicken thighs (bone in, skin on) and potatoes... Fresh carrots, frozen vegetables, eggs... Shop the sales...
And less of it!!!
The topic is losing weight on a budget. You could eat two boneless, skinless chicken breast toequal the amount of calories in one bone in, skin on chicken thigh. Plus, chicken thighs are only cheaper then chicken breast if you buy them in bulk.
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I went to the farmers market this evening and came home with around 35 pounds of veggies for about $30. My fridge is now stocked with enough fresh squash (4 varieties), potatoes (1/2 bushel), peaches and apples to keep me well fed for a couple of weeks. I guess western PA is just a better place for finding fresh veg. I don't go to the markets here in the city I go to one that is about 20 miles from my house but happens to be by the stable I keep my horse at, so I can combine trips that way. I get most of my eggs from a hoof trimming customer who has chickens so don't usually have to buy them.0
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TiffanyR71 wrote: »My favorite budget-friendly foods are chicken thighs (bone in, skin on) and potatoes... Fresh carrots, frozen vegetables, eggs... Shop the sales...
And less of it!!!
The topic is losing weight on a budget. You could eat two boneless, skinless chicken breast toequal the amount of calories in one bone in, skin on chicken thigh. Plus, chicken thighs are only cheaper then chicken breast if you buy them in bulk.
OP is cooking for a family, so keep that in mind. Two chicken breasts will feed 2 people, so that's not going to feed a family.0
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