eating enough calories but staying under
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Stop going to Sonic, McDonald's, Taco Bell, and Subway.
You stated you "don't want to eat clean" but this is about a lifestyle change. I read your posts and understand that some of your struggles are genuine (few grocery options, many mouths to feed) but you can eat a relatively healthy diet even if WM is your only market.
There is a ton of great advice in this thread. No more excuses.
Hmmm, I missed the "don't want to eat clean," but the reality is if you're (OP) on a budget and have a large family to feed, eating a lot of fast food is not helping your wallet (or your health) any. Finding budget friendly recipes that can be made in large batches to feed all of you and even provide at least one meal of leftovers(whether fresh or frozen) is really going to be the best thing you can do.
Sixth post in the thread . . . OP said "i dont want to "eat clean" honestly."
Kind of a silly thing to say if you're trying to lower sodium and feed a family of six on a budget; you kind of have to switch over to more home-cooked meals, or sodium will continue to be high and money for groceries will continue to be an issue. OP, I hope you consider some of the advice in this thread. Good luck.0 -
I think what it boils down to ( and I mean this in the kindest way) is that if you REALLY want to lose fat and gain health then you WILL FIND A WAY to learn to cook, use your computer or phone to research healthy food, why & how you should eat it and why & how you should exercise. You will also learn that food is fuel and the priority is health, not eating what tastes good or is easy. Finally, not only seek & heed advice but be accountable and stop making excuses. Instead of going to that place in your head that whines why something is hard or you can't/won't/don't want to, start to find a way because there is always away IF YOU WANT IT BAD ENOUGH. It's not magic, it's HARD work, lots of it and you will not find success unless you are willing to put that kind of effort in.
Healthy food does taste just as good as junk food, if not better. (At least, it does when I make it.)0 -
They don't seem to for her is the point. I agree wholeheartedly, but I didn't think so much in the beginning.0
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I don't mean to sound harsh, but for every bit of advice someone has given you seem to have come back with an excuse as to why you can't do it. If you really do want to lose weight you need to listen to people's advice, there are a lot of people on here who have list huge amounts of weight and they are trying to help you.
I'm in the UK so have no idea what Walmart sells but I'm sure it sells healthy food as well as unhealthy. If your boyfriend and kids won't eat the healthier food then you need to eat differently to them, you could make big portions of stuff you like and freeze it then just microwave it while you are cooking for them. I know it's not easy when money is tight but personally I'd get rid of the gym membership and exercise at home using DVD's of go out walking/running and put the $30 towards better food.
I have to agree with you, The OP needs to shelve the excuses and make changes rather than defending herself after each bit of advice; afterall, the OP did ask for the advice.
Message to the OP: If it's working for you right now.. then leave things be, but sooner or later it will catch up to you. Make small changes weekly and your budget will survive! When you cook healthy foods for you and the family ensure they are "portions" per member not a "free for all"... I know we used to cook a ton of food rather than a "portion" per person and that kills a budget and doesn't promote a healthy meal in the end. Processed foods are NOT cheaper in the long run when you think of the "health costs" that can associate from eating them (obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes etc.) AND: Kids need to learn how to eat healthy too, so teaching them portion control and providing them with healthier choices will help them in the long run too. If cooking is the issue search the internet for "healthy budget friendly meals" will give you great recipes and keep the budget in check!
Sidenote: Walmart (USA) and ASDA (UK) are the same company
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Stop going to Sonic, McDonald's, Taco Bell, and Subway.
You stated you "don't want to eat clean" but this is about a lifestyle change. I read your posts and understand that some of your struggles are genuine (few grocery options, many mouths to feed) but you can eat a relatively healthy diet even if WM is your only market.
There is a ton of great advice in this thread. No more excuses.
Hmmm, I missed the "don't want to eat clean," but the reality is if you're (OP) on a budget and have a large family to feed, eating a lot of fast food is not helping your wallet (or your health) any. Finding budget friendly recipes that can be made in large batches to feed all of you and even provide at least one meal of leftovers(whether fresh or frozen) is really going to be the best thing you can do.
Sixth post in the thread . . . OP said "i dont want to "eat clean" honestly."
Kind of a silly thing to say if you're trying to lower sodium and feed a family of six on a budget; you kind of have to switch over to more home-cooked meals, or sodium will continue to be high and money for groceries will continue to be an issue. OP, I hope you consider some of the advice in this thread. Good luck.
Yep. I cut our food budget in half when I took over and planned meals before grocery shopping, and made lunch for my husband to take with him.0 -
Another thing to consider is that while you say you are staying away from the fatty foods suggested to help you reach your calorie goal, what you are currently eating is actually hugely high in fat, especially the nasties like saturated and trans fats. Eating like this is probably why you have had to have your gall bladder out at such a young age, and if it was me I'd be seriuosly worried about my heart health.
MFP has a really useful report function - you can look back over a week, month, or quarter and select a type of nutrition to look at. You could look at sodium, saturated fat, and trans fats on the one hand, and vitamin intake (there's a list to choose from for all these thing and more). That way you could get an idea of what your diet is really like, in nutritional terms, over time, and it might help you decide what changes to make.
I hope all these responses are helpful - some have been blunt, but none that I've seen is harsh, and I do hope that the advice is useful.0 -
Fat people remain fat because they MAKE EXCUSES .
qft0 -
I totally understand about having a limited budget for food. My husband and I formed our our household at young ages and I know what it's like to be a young mother trying to feed a household with very little money. That said, why are you spending your limited money on fast food?
Sunday 6/17 - you had Mcdonalds for breakfast and then Sonic at lunch
Monday 6/18 - Chinese food for lunch, Sonic for snack
Tuesday 6/19 - Taco bell for lunch, Subway for dinner
Wednesday 6 /20 - Mcdonalds for dinner
Thursday 6/21 - Sonic for lunch
Friday 6/22 - you stayed away from the fast food restaurants. yay!
Saturday 6/23 - Subway for lunch
I don't mean to put you on blast but you honestly cannot claim low funds for healthy eating for you and your family when you have the money for fast food. I know fast food can seem cheap as a one-off, but it does add up quickly. Stop eating out so much and use that money for good food for you and your family. Plan your meals. Shop ahead for the week. You can do it!
i didnt buy most of it.... its day we were out and ended up eating with other people being out most of the day..0 -
I typed "grocery stores sherwood az" into Google and came up with quite a few: Sprouts, Safeway, Smart & Final (warehouse type store) . . . you even have a Trader Joe's. Have you tried any of these places?
we dont have any of those places. im in arkansas not arizona. this town has a walmart... thats it theres a kroger not too far and in other towns a few different places but i dont go to those towns too much.0 -
You need to eat vegetables. It doesn't look like you eat any.
As far as groceries go, look for a farmer's market in your town. They are usually great places to get good deals on produce. I don't know what grocery stores you have in your area, but no matter what, planning your meals ahead of time saves money. Buy only what you need for those meals and you'll be surprised at how much you save. Cooking for yourself also saves money over buying prepackaged food.
I plan my meals and take a detailed list to the grocery store. I spend $120-150 a week on food for a family of 5. I buy as much organic as possible, which is why it's a little more expensive. But, when I shop by myself, I spend $50-75 less than if I shop with my husband.
theres one but its 25 minutes away. and its only open on saturday mornings.0 -
Another thing to consider is that while you say you are staying away from the fatty foods suggested to help you reach your calorie goal, what you are currently eating is actually hugely high in fat, especially the nasties like saturated and trans fats. Eating like this is probably why you have had to have your gall bladder out at such a young age, and if it was me I'd be seriuosly worried about my heart health.
MFP has a really useful report function - you can look back over a week, month, or quarter and select a type of nutrition to look at. You could look at sodium, saturated fat, and trans fats on the one hand, and vitamin intake (there's a list to choose from for all these thing and more). That way you could get an idea of what your diet is really like, in nutritional terms, over time, and it might help you decide what changes to make.
I hope all these responses are helpful - some have been blunt, but none that I've seen is harsh, and I do hope that the advice is useful.
actually my gallbladder came out because i had 4 pregnancies. (doctors said that) and that i lost a bunch of weight (another reason. when i was younger i ate much more healthier but my bf is the reason i started to eat worse. i got tired of having to eat seperate from him so i ate what he eats and hes not worried about his weight.0 -
I typed "grocery stores sherwood az" into Google and came up with quite a few: Sprouts, Safeway, Smart & Final (warehouse type store) . . . you even have a Trader Joe's. Have you tried any of these places?
we dont have any of those places. im in arkansas not arizona. this town has a walmart... thats it theres a kroger not too far and in other towns a few different places but i dont go to those towns too much.
Oops, my bad . . . but all your other new responses here are just more excuses.
Best of luck.0 -
im not going to respond to every post. part of my reason for making this thread was to find some advice and i didnt mean to make excuses. i know i did but i wasnt really meaing to do it. anyway i am trying to change my diet and its definitely something thats hard to do when all my bf fights with me about is how i cook (he hates my cooking) so i cook the few things i know he likes and i cant buy too much extra to make seperate meals for me so thats why i eat almost as bad. i just try to make the foods healthier by replacing things. anyway i went to the store like i said before and bought some stuff that isnt too bad for me (fish veggies and fruits) today my diary looked better than it has in a long time i bet. i did eat a few chips earlier but we went to the lake and hadnt had lunch and my bf bought some chips i had a few. literally like 3 or 4 to stave off my hunger til we got home. but im going to continue to TRY and make this work. and the whole "fat people stay fat beacuse of excuses" other **** happens its not always because they are lazy and dont try.. anyway i am done with this thread UNLESS i get good positive advice. i dont care much to see how people are pretty much attacking me. just wanted some advice. im still new here and im still trying to figure it all out and instead of postive advice its "oh ur making excuses" or "fat people stay fat because of excuses" ect. u dont know my exact life so u cant judge me that way.0
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good job, today looks much better! just take it one day at a time!0
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Just an observation but in reading your initial question, your responses, then your replies to the responses you don't seem to really want any suggestions so why do you ask for them? Perhaps you don't mean to be but you come across as defensive and arguementative.
I am not taking the time to write this as an effort to attack you but rather to point out something that might be getting in the way of your long term success. I see a lot of excuses, such as you can't buy healthy food at Walmart, you don't really want to eat clean, you are worried you are not eating enough so you are worried that is giving you headaches. I'd like to offer this poem as it sums up what I want to say:
The Victor
by: C. W. Longenecker
If you think you are beaten, you are.
If you think you dare not, you don't.
If you like to win but think you can't,
It's almost a cinch you won't.
If you think you'll lose, you're lost.
For out in the world we find
Success begins with a fellow's will.
It's all in the state of mind.
If you think you are out classed, you are.
You've got to think high to rise.
You've got to be sure of your-self before
You can ever win the prize.
Life's battles don't always go
To the stronger or faster man.
But sooner or later, the man who wins
Is the man who thinks he can.
Best of luck to you....0 -
i cant eat enough calories most days and stay under sugar/salt max limit. i dont know what to do about it. For the most part i eat healthy foods (i mean like 60 percent of most days foods are healthy then the other 40 percent are a little less) i add dark chocolate to my day to get some more calories but stay low in sodium (not too low in sugar though) i eat greek yogurt to add calories and protein but i have come to find i dont like plain flavor and vanilla is high in sugar too. my max on sugar is usually 39 g (with no exercise) and my sodium 2500 which is normal i know. anyway i have been trying not to overestimate my calories in exercise (at first i was just taking whatever mfp tells me but i dont think im honestly burnign 1079 calories in one hour of zumba so i shorted it to 873 calories) ANYWAY any help will be greatly appreciated. am i going to do myself harm when i dont hit my calories? today i have a headache thats lasted most of the day and i am worried its because of my nutrition or lack thereof.
I would say don't worry about sugar and salt, or about hitting your target calories plus your Zumba, or eating meat or eating clean or eating foods you don't like or learning to cook. You can deal with all that later. Right now, focus on racking up some calorie deficits. You are not headachey from malnutrition. A headache is normal for a while at a new calorie level. You will not harm your metabolism by not hitting your MFP calories dead-on or eating back for Zumba or nursing. Keep it simple. You want to eat less than you expend for now, that's all.0 -
One thing I think about processed foods and eating out is the money I use to buy those foods I could use to buy the ingredients in those foods and have much more to eat (and less salt), try eating nuts they are high in calories. also with packaged dishes (pasta sides ect.) if it has a lot of sodium use half of the seasonings they give you (most likely at least half of the seasoning is sodium).
Aww don't say you suck at grocery shopping. If it's something you haven't had practice doing differently, then it's going to take a little time to do it the best way for you.
I too would say make more fresh meals and less meals that come out of a box. If you live on a strict financial budget I know that may be hard and I empathize.
Make your meals an experience, y'know? Something appealing to the eye, the stomach and your change in lifestyle. Big salads, tuna, grilled chicken, maybe steak strips on occasion, low fat cheese, some nuts, lots of oven roasted vegetables, healthy whole grains if you like them (low cal Chinese "fried" rice, veggie stir fry, etc).
There are websites that offer healthy meals and grocery lists that go with them. Maybe that will help you out a little.
I also stay away from sugar unless it's in a slice of bread.
Good Luck! You can learn. That's why you're here 0 -
im not going to respond to every post. part of my reason for making this thread was to find some advice and i didnt mean to make excuses. i know i did but i wasnt really meaing to do it. anyway i am trying to change my diet and its definitely something thats hard to do when all my bf fights with me about is how i cook (he hates my cooking) so i cook the few things i know he likes and i cant buy too much extra to make seperate meals for me so thats why i eat almost as bad. i just try to make the foods healthier by replacing things. anyway i went to the store like i said before and bought some stuff that isnt too bad for me (fish veggies and fruits) today my diary looked better than it has in a long time i bet. i did eat a few chips earlier but we went to the lake and hadnt had lunch and my bf bought some chips i had a few. literally like 3 or 4 to stave off my hunger til we got home. but im going to continue to TRY and make this work. and the whole "fat people stay fat beacuse of excuses" other **** happens its not always because they are lazy and dont try.. anyway i am done with this thread UNLESS i get good positive advice. i dont care much to see how people are pretty much attacking me. just wanted some advice. im still new here and im still trying to figure it all out and instead of postive advice its "oh ur making excuses" or "fat people stay fat because of excuses" ect. u dont know my exact life so u cant judge me that way.
If you are here, you've already made that first step so CONGRATULATIONS!
A lot of weight loss is the mental battle. I think what people here are trying to say is don't give in to the cannot, is not, may not, voices in your head. Those little "nots" are huge self-sabotage demons. At the end of the day, they add up and the next day becomes harder to face.
You can do this. Being a mother of 4 kids must not be easy and I presume you don't have much time to shut the world out and just be. Moreover, it sounds as though your BF may not be 100% supportive in your journey and....that's okay, even if it is stressful. This is about YOU and where you want to be.
Have faith in yourself. You will learn to put yourself first. You will learn to grocery shop and cook more. You will learn to stay away from any voice that says, "I can't" and you will be fine.
Look around for recipes. See what appeals to you and your family and fill in one or two days' worth of meals in advance (or better yet, the whole week) so you know what to buy.
Your BF doesn't have to be on board from the get go but as you progress and slowly change the eating status quo in your home, the rest of the family will benefit too.
Good Luck!0 -
sounds to me like the OP just doesnt know how to shop for the right foods or even what "right foods" even mean. OP there are many people in your age group who are like that.
anyway, i think for right now you;re just going to have to work on forcing yourself to eat healthier foods (and that doesnt mean packaged foods that are stamped healthy on the box). your taste buds have probably been trained to like certain things, but that can change with habit.
as an example i used to have a HUGE sweet tooth. it took me giving up all sugar and baked goods for a few months before my taste buds changed. now when i try to eat something like a snickers bar or twix i can't barely have 2 bites before i the sugar gets to be too much.
you can do the same thing with clean food. remember this is a lifestyle change and for you this is going to mean correcting 23 years of bad habits 0 -
Never eat less than 1200 calories per day! Less than 1200 is usually not enough to support your basal metabolism and thus will slow your metabolism.0
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