help me out a little please...well maybe alot

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  • prettigirl01
    prettigirl01 Posts: 548 Member
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    what do you guys think about fruit? I heard some fruits have a lot of sugar so which ones would be best for me? I will add that I have a fruit allergy and a lot of fruits I cant eat without taking an allergy pill 30 mins before. It sucks but I guess id rather do that than eat canned fruit which is packed with sugar
  • ahoy_m8
    ahoy_m8 Posts: 3,052 Member
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    NEOHgirl wrote: »
    Dry beans are cheapest, but take some planning to soak the night before. If that is just too much, then stock up on the canned beans when they go on sale.

    http://www.latimes.com/food/dailydish/la-dd-dont-soak-dried-beans-20140911-story.html
  • bpperez0607
    bpperez0607 Posts: 6 Member
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    lots of great tips here, and i want to just add a +1 for making large batch food and freezing. soups, casseroles, curries, etc. freeze really well, you can portion them out and stick a piece of tape with the calories on them in the freezer then you have them ready to grab and go when you don't have the time or energy to cook. i also eat a lot of leftovers and i'm ok with making something in a big batch and eating the same thing every day for a week because it gives me time to do all the other things i need to do besides cooking.

    I agree with jessiferrb (above) and some of the other posters. A big pot of soup is easy to make, super inexpensive (especially if you use dried beans as the base), and very healthy (as long as the soup is not cream-based). It's great to have food waiting for you when you get home from work especially when you feel hungry and ready to make poor choices. Plus, the smell of homemade food permeating throughout the home is both welcoming and soothing. Good luck on your journey - and I know you can do it!!

  • Alyssa_Is_LosingIt
    Alyssa_Is_LosingIt Posts: 4,696 Member
    edited January 2017
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    prettigirl01 wrote: »
    what do you guys think about fruit? I heard some fruits have a lot of sugar so which ones would be best for me? I will add that I have a fruit allergy and a lot of fruits I cant eat without taking an allergy pill 30 mins before. It sucks but I guess id rather do that than eat canned fruit which is packed with sugar

    I just want to say that I really love this thread and you are awesome for looking at this with such a positive and open outlook. You are going to do great!

    Fruit is fine to eat within your calorie goals if you like it and don't have a medical condition that requires you to limit sugar. Definitely weigh/log all of your fruit, though, since some of them can get up there in calories (I'm looking at you, bananas) and weighing them in grams is the most accurate way to log them.
  • jessiferrrb
    jessiferrrb Posts: 1,758 Member
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    prettigirl01 wrote: »
    what do you guys think about fruit? I heard some fruits have a lot of sugar so which ones would be best for me? I will add that I have a fruit allergy and a lot of fruits I cant eat without taking an allergy pill 30 mins before. It sucks but I guess id rather do that than eat canned fruit which is packed with sugar

    unless you have a specific health reason to monitor sugar intake i wouldn't be too concerned about it, especially fruit. i would weigh it, log it, make sure it fits my goals (calorie wise) for the day.

    the only macro i really track is protein, to make sure i get enough of it.
  • cheryldumais
    cheryldumais Posts: 1,907 Member
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    I eat fruit a couple of times per day. I have been concentrating on Apples and oranges lately because they are cheaper and a good calorie buy. I eat bananas a couple times a week but they are a bit higher in calories so don't use them daily. If I eat canned fruit I use the one canned in juice but it still costs more calories so I don't use it too often. I started out heavier than you at 233 pounds and am also 5'5" tall. It has taken me a year to get to 161 but it can be done. You have a great attitude, that will help you lots along the way. I just started out with small changes and over time my tastes changed. It took several months but now I am eating alot of things I never would have before. It's surprising how you change your habits which is why taking a year to lose 72 pounds was better than losing it quickly. I'm still impatient to lose the last 26 pounds but I'm confident I'll eventually get there.
  • AliceDark
    AliceDark Posts: 3,886 Member
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    When you start out, look for the things that you can change that will make the most impact, and focus on those things first. Cutting out alcohol was probably the best first step you could make, both in terms of how it will impact your calorie intake and in terms of your household budget, so great job starting there.

    What's the next thing you can change that will make the most positive impact? I'd start by taking a look at your diary and trying to identify the foods that you eat most often that are giving you high calorie counts but not filling you up, and coming up with ways to replace them without breaking the bank. Without looking at your diary, I'd guess those might be fast foods or salty snacks like Pringles, but I'm not 100% sure. It's entirely possible to stay within your calorie intake while still eating fast food, but that might mean that you're eating such small portions that you don't fill up. The suggestions for batch cooking, buying dried beans/rice, frozen/canned veg, etc., that everyone is already giving you are exactly right.

    What you DON'T want to do is get so focused on the tiny things that you lose the big picture, which is that weight loss happens when you burn more calories throughout the day (including all your movement, exercise and just being alive) than you eat. That's all that has to happen for you to lose weight. The sugar in fruit doesn't matter...if you like fruit, eat fruit (plus, it has fiber which helps keep you full). Buy in-season fruit and look for sales. If you don't like it, you don't have to eat it. If canned vegetables are cheaper than fresh/frozen, eat them. You can always rinse canned veg to get rid of some of the salt if that starts to be a concern, but I wouldn't worry about it just now. At the beginning, focus on calorie intake and you'll start to lose weight; you can always fine-tune things as you go.
  • miacita
    miacita Posts: 3 Member
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    Hey, prettigirl01, instead of trying to binge buy all of the food "healthy" at once. Start off with just a few items. I totally understand that whole budget thing. I have a family of 5 with three teenage boys, so staying on budget is a must. However, about a year ago my husband was diagnosed as gluten intolerant. It was very expensive and my $100 to 125 a week budget went right out the window. I realized that I needed to take things slower. I started off simple, literally, one package of plain jasmine rice instead of rice o roni. (Which was cheaper and lasted longer anyway, 3 boxes of rice o roni, 3 bucks, 3 meals. The bag of plain rice is also three dollars but makes six meals) Then the next week a big 10# bag of potatoes, which again turned out to be cheaper and last longer and in the end healthier than the boxed food. By the end of two months, my food budget was back in line, and I was only shopping the outside of the store. Small changes over the long term, it sucks because that boxed food is so easy and convenient but now looking back on it I wished I had started it sooner. Also, try the bulk food for all of your seasoning. You can buy a teaspoon at a time if you are not sure if you will like them. We have a Winco here, but I am sure other places do the same thing. Your can buy new spices for like 0.25 cent and see if you like them before you commit a larger dollar amount to it.
  • juliegilburd
    juliegilburd Posts: 145 Member
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    Lots of great advice in this thread! Just want to offer some encouragement! I am another 33 year old woman who lives paycheck to paycheck, no kids but also no food stamps so maybe we're about on the same page? :) Hang in there - you CAN make it work to have healthy food around. Buying groceries to make one meal for me and my husband seems to cost about the same as buying food out...however, once you buy enough groceries to make a week's worth of meals (i.e., buying in larger packages, so the cost per pound goes down as the quantity goes up) you start to see and feel the price break. Beans of all sorts are high protein and high fiber and you can usually buy them @ around $1/lb. (in 1 lb packages, or even less in bulk) so they're a great value nutritionally. Since they have both protein and fiber they will help keep you full longer too. Also, don't be too hard on yourself! It's not easy being in the financial situation you describe.
  • missteena88
    missteena88 Posts: 153 Member
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    Eating healthier CAN be more expensive than junk, but it doesn't have to be. I've only skimmed the replies so far so forgive me if I am repeating anything already mentioned. My husband and I are both full-time students who only work part time, minimum wage jobs...so, I understand the financial struggle.

    Here's what I do:
    Find ways to replace "meat" proteins with other proteins. Tofu is very versatile and can mimic chicken quite easily. We can buy 14 ounces of tofu, mix it with beans (more protein) and veggies for a meal. It would be around $4 for both of us to eat a meal.
    Or, peanut butter. Watch how much since it can be calorie dense, but also a good source of protein and may satisfy a sugar craving.

    I cannot stress beans and rice enough. They're versatile so you can do all different kinds of things with them and rice is great for carbs and beans are great for protein. What's best is they will get you full quickly. We used to live in a location where they had a farmers market and we could buy 50 pounds of rice for $20.

    Another good tip: Pre-plan. Make weekly menus, make an exact list of the items you need to buy to create those meals and only buy those items. Another thing that would coincide with this is to check out the sales flyer prior to menu planning. Plan your meals around the sale items for the week. This week green peppers were really cheap so I implemented those as much as I could in our menu to keep our costs down. Stuffed peppers, burrito bowls with peppers, soup, etc.

    I also love hot tea. There are so many flavors with little to no calories and you can use a sugar substitute to keep the calories reasonable. Very filling for the belly!
  • __TMac__
    __TMac__ Posts: 1,665 Member
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    Terrific advice, so I won't add to it. But I will give you a big *hug* and a "You got this!" :)
  • endlessfall16
    endlessfall16 Posts: 932 Member
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    cmazurek85 wrote: »
    Also, try going to a Spanish market or Asian food market. you could get a giant bag of rice and dry beans for next to nothing (per oz)!

    omg..I was gonna suggest the same thing but worried that I might offend some people..:) Mexican or Asian food markets have some great price, especially on the staples.

    If you don't mind making many trips, you can also load up on soon to expire pastries, breads,etc from Kroger and value markets.

    Sometimes I find it amazing that it takes very little food and expense for a person to carry on her day, healthy and all. All my excessive weight and the high associated costs of it really comes from the bad habits of very overindulgence and going out to expensive restaurants or buying unnecessary, expensive craps (alcohol, M&Ms, special occasional cakes, etc.)
  • megsi886
    megsi886 Posts: 27 Member
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    If you haven't already, check if you qualify for help from local food banks. If you do it's free stuff and will free up a bit of your budget. If you need recipe ideas, I also like Good and Cheap, a free cookbook targeted at tight budgets:

    https://www.leannebrown.com/cookbooks/

    I think starting with a modest calorie goal and seeing what you can eat that will fit in it is a good plan. I ended up really changing the foods I eat instead of eating less of the same foods - it might just be psychological, but half a sandwich wasn't cutting it while switching to a good salad was. I eat most salads without dressing and if you have enough moisture or fat in there you really don't miss it.

    It's also true what they say about drinking lots of water. I think I mistake thirst for hunger a lot, keeping a bottle with me and drinking regularly helps prevent that and keeps my stomach full. I also feel virtuous every time I pee, which works out to a lot of good feelings. (If work doesn't let you go regularly, do this outside work hours, obviously. It still helps even when I'm not doing it steadily all day.)
  • NEOHgirl
    NEOHgirl Posts: 237 Member
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    Oops - forgot this earlier; it's the best way to test your eggs post-printed expiration date to see if they are still safe to eat; I use it regularly.

    http://food-hacks.wonderhowto.com/how-to/tell-if-your-expired-eggs-are-still-good-eat-0154309/

  • prettigirl01
    prettigirl01 Posts: 548 Member
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    Alyssa_Is_LosingIt wrote: »
    prettigirl01 wrote: »
    what do you guys think about fruit? I heard some fruits have a lot of sugar so which ones would be best for me? I will add that I have a fruit allergy and a lot of fruits I cant eat without taking an allergy pill 30 mins before. It sucks but I guess id rather do that than eat canned fruit which is packed with sugar

    I just want to say that I really love this thread and you are awesome for looking at this with such a positive and open outlook. You are going to do great!

    Fruit is fine to eat within your calorie goals if you like it and don't have a medical condition that requires you to limit sugar. Definitely weigh/log all of your fruit, though, since some of them can get up there in calories (I'm looking at you, bananas) and weighing them in grams is the most accurate way to log them.

    thank you. I hope my post will help someone else as well and im looking at things in a positive way because to be honest ive been a very negative person all my life. I always think of the worse in situations but its time to change that. im tired of being that way and if I want any results I have to be positive

  • BHFF
    BHFF Posts: 421 Member
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    You will see them as long as you work for them! And your family will be inspired by your dedication and change
  • prettigirl01
    prettigirl01 Posts: 548 Member
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    TmacMMM wrote: »
    Terrific advice, so I won't add to it. But I will give you a big *hug* and a "You got this!" :)

    awww thank you
  • nikkit321
    nikkit321 Posts: 1,485 Member
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    I'd suggest looking for a crockpot at Goodwill - you can throw some ingredients in the crockpot and let it cook all day, and have meals for 2-3 days. Look for the crockpot recipe threads here on MFP, there are some great recipes there. Try not to get overwhelmed and change everything at once, perhaps focus on making one meal healthy at a time. Start with the concept of food prep, then work on improving dinners, then lunch, then breakfast. Before you know it, you'll be in a habit. You can do this!
  • fitoverfortymom
    fitoverfortymom Posts: 3,452 Member
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    I find frozen vegetables very affordable and tasty and I second, third, and fourth the batch cooking and soups and casseroles approach. I think that's good common sense for anyone following a reduced calorie meal plan, even if you are made of money!

    Eggs are also quite affordable and go a long way for the calorie conscious. You can boil them in advance and have a grab-and-go breakfast always ready. I find boneless/skinless chicken thighs more affordable and more tasty than chicken breasts, so that's another way to cut out some expenses.

    Most importantly, though...is you can do this. You can! There are so many helpful people here and once you've taken the first step to know you need to make a change, you can find a way to get where you want to be. :)

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