I recently started MFP and have lost about 6 pounds. I really want to go primal with the exception of my whey shakes and other supplements. It seems difficult, expensive, and time consuming. Any advice?

Dunno - what do you want to be advised on? Primal is about eating whole foods, organically grown, and simply prepared. It's more than 'just a diet'. It pretty much means you have to spend money and take the time to cook it yourself. Manufactured foods are cheaper - because they cut corners, adulterate the nutrients, and add assorted crap to lower the price.

If you want to buy WalMart-quality food at WalMart prices - be satisfied with WalMart-quality health.

I do want healthy food but I was curious on how people fit it into their budget.

Well, we all do the best we can. Once one realizes that the cost of organic food is the REAL cost of food (like everything else, you can make food cheaper by making it of lesser quality), then one re-prioritizes.

Some things are more important to do than others (organic junk food is STILL junk food, so buy the fritos and use the money on organic meat and veg), and if budget is an issue, then read up on primal/paleo websites and get an idea of which items are doable.

The important thing is: do what you can with what you have. It's more important to drop grains than buying organic veg. It's more important to drop sugar than whether you buy free-range eggs or not. The more you can do, the better - but it is still better to take 20 steps out of a hundred than none at all...

Is primal non organic/grass fed better than still eating like a normal american?

So, you're saying I'm not a normal american???? O.o

There are a lot of health reasons besides weight loss that makes a primal/paleo lifestyle preferable to a SAD (standard american diet) way of eating. The problems with eating grains is passed on through animals who eat grains (prmarily excessive omega6, but other issues as well). You sometimes have to weigh your options. I'm my case, I'd rather eat non-organically raised goatsmilk cheese than organic cows cheese. Someone else may make the opposite decision.

I hope I'm being of some help.

PS. I find doing up a meal plan every week VERY helpful budget wise. That way I can see all the food available to me and make meals to make sure I use it all up before it goes bad!

Everyone else is making great points in answering. I feel costwise it's about even. If I'm by myself and on an egg kick it's actually much, much cheaper. With my daughter around it's about the same. I used to hate taking the time to cook but most things I cook don't take more time than getting ready, getting in the car, driving to the fastfood place, waiting for my order and then the drive home after eating. I'm eating more food with fewer calories overall, learning to enjoy "new" foods and flavors.

I've been in crunch mode with my work and while I did pretty good with Thanksgiving I've kind of punted otherwise. That includes some "fast" food. And I'm feeling the negative results. Just restocked my fridge and freezer as I know eating better actually saves me time (and discomfort!) and money overall.

When I can't afford the omega3 free range eggs I would still rather buy regular eggs than bread or pasta from a health standpoint. And same with meat. I can get two meals for my daughter and I from a $6-8 lb of grassfed ground beef, not bad compared to $8+ for 4 In and Out burgers, right? When the budget is tighter we do a few meals of conventional meat and chicken. Chicken is the one place I've had a hard time affording the healthier versions but we do breast meat since the bad stuff concentrates more in the dark meat. I just try to balance it all out. It is important to me to make sure I have coconut oil and pastured butter to cook with and I make those a priority. I add one or the other (or both!) to almost everything I cook ; ).

Our 99cent store often has organic greens. And great portobello and crimini mushrooms. Not sure if they all do that or if it's because we're very close to the suppliers here in SoCal. I shop at a combination of the 99cent store, Trader Joe's, Fresh and Easy, Whole Foods and the regular grocery store. I know where I get the best values (in terms of price and health) for which items and stock up when there are sales.

It takes a little more thinking and planning time but that's offset by less time in the "ladies room", ha and less stomach upset (amongst other issues) that was starting to really take up my time and mental energy!

OP please use the good, better, best logic.

Most food today is crap.

Good food is unprocessed meat, vegetables, anything without a label.

Better is organic and grass fed.

Best is local, organic and grass fed.

Do the best with what you can. Almost everyone can achieve "good"

OP please use the good, better, best logic.

Most food today is crap.

Good food is unprocessed meat, vegetables, anything without a label.

Better is organic and grass fed.

Best is local, organic and grass fed.

Do the best with what you can. Almost everyone can achieve "good"

I was thinking along these lines. Buy the best value (quality to price ratio) you can get in your budget. Not everyone has access to the same quality markets. The more cooking and preparation involved, the more you control the contents. Prepare food in bulk and eat on it at your convenience.

The important thing is: do what you can with what you have. It's more important to drop grains than buying organic veg. It's more important to drop sugar than whether you buy free-range eggs or not. The more you can do, the better - but it is still better to take 20 steps out of a hundred than none at all...

Well said.

Thanks everyone for the help I think I'll start off slow I've read it's ok to buy frozen veggies/fruit and that could help out. In the long run I'd like to get a stand alone freezer and buy half a steer and get on a csa list.

From what I have read frozen veggies and fruits are usually flash frozen on site. So the foods have a chance to ripen before being shipped out. Frozen veggies/fruits will beat fresh grocery store produce (nutrient-wise) hands down.