Help...please....at the end of my rope... I NEED this.

You say money is an issue for you. I have some tips!

My boyfriend and I live together. We spend $50 a week on groceries for the both of us. We get fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, ect. When I'm at college and am only buying food for myself, I spend around $30.

- Always shop the sales. I pick up the Shoprite (local supermarket chain) circular a week in advance or get it offline. If the thing I want isn't in the circular, it's not going to be in my pantry. The only exceptions I will make are for fruits and veggies because they often have more on sale than they put in the circular.

- Coupons! My mom coupons like a crazy person. She saves more than she spends most of the time. Last week her order should have come to $140 but with coupons and some of the deals in the circular (although she will buy things that aren't in the circular occasionally) she only paid $60.

- Do you have an Aldi near you? They are so cheap. There is one right by my school and I love it. Unfortunately there isn't one near my house up here Their produce isn't always the best but they have great deals on other things.

- Cut out soda/sugary drinks and just drink water. I can't do this one... I've tried but I lack the willpower. But it would save me probably about $10-15 a week and it's better for you.

Feel free to disregard any of this advice but shopping this way has really helped my wallet.

www.bountifulbaskets.org.....Order at noon on Mondays. It's $15, but you get a ton of fresh produce. Check into it.
I'm on a very tight budget as well, but fresh fruit & veggies, plus eating less costs less than all the crap - trust me, I've been there.
Also, if I'm craving a treat, I think about it for a while, then instead of driving, I WALK to the store to get it (just over a mile round trip)...you CAN do this!!

I dont get why everyone thinks its so expensive to eat healthily. You know, for what your hubby spent on that sub you could have gone to a super cheap supermarket and probably bought a loaf of bread, salad stuff and maybe splashed out a little on some tuna/chicken. that would do your lunches for a week. dont buy branded, "weight loss" products if you cant afford it. In my local supermarkets, you can buy their own brand bread for 60p for a loaf. if your american, thats less than a dollar. and this is coming from a student, i probably live on half of what you do. you say you have such a big dream but you cant afford a jump rope? jesus, what did the cavemen do. go to a charity shop, spend two pound on some crappy trainers and go and run. running doesnt cost a penny and is brilliant exercise. it makes you happier and healthier and relieves stress. your line on MFP is "NO more excuses"... no offence, but thats exactly what your doing. not going to sugar coat things for you, it might not always be easy but its always worth it.

My family was always on a very tight budget growing up. Something that I noticed is that my mom spent a lot of time and energy finding ways to make do with what she had. Clipping coupons, bargain hunting, bartering, negotiating prices, that sort of thing.

I didn't want to live like this.

In my life, I have spent the same amount of energy not finding ways to save money, but working to make MORE money. I find that, for me, life is much more enjoyable not having to look at the price at the gas pump or worry about the ratio of dollars to ounces in a box of cereal.

My mom is a great person and I love her, but different strokes for different folks. I also am not raising a family, so it is easier for me to say this.

Not exactly a fitness response, I know, but if you are working to better your life maybe spend a little time in this department as well. Reading non fiction in my personal time has made a major impact on my financial status. Libraries are free.

Good luck to you!

edit: Damn, I'm pretentious.

Restrict portions and do cheap exercise.. walking around the block, etc. It does not have to be expensive. Lots of skinny people came out of the Great Depression... (I certainly don't suggest going to those extremes... just it is possible to lose weight on a minimal budget).. You are going through a tough time right now and stress will be your main culprit. FOCUS on YOU. Focus on doing the things you need to do to get gainfully employed again. As for the Fiance... We all deal with stress different ways.. TRY not to let that come between you.. Just do what you can to get in a better condition. Try to stay on the positive side of life... (It is hard in tough situations). May the best in life be just around the corner for you!

I agree with lots of these. Affording things isn't hard when you make the right choices. Frozen veggies are great and non expensive. Buy a whole chicken when it's on sale, then freeze it into portions to use throughout the week. Just for some examples.

And you can boil the chicken bones to make homemade chicken broth to flavor other recipes.

I don't understand. If your boyfriend can afford a large sub, why can't you afford something healthy to eat?? Healthy food doesn't have to be expensive. You don't have to eat greek yogurt, or high priced fresh fruits and vegetables to lose weight. Clip coupons and buy whats on sale that week. Grow as much of your own foods as you can. Pasta, brown rice, dried beans, canned tuna, frozen fruits and vegetables are usually some of the cheapest foods in the market, and they are all healthy.

The same is true for exercise. Exercise is free. Sure, you can spend a lot if you want, but you can burn a lot of calories and keep your muscle firm and shapely by walking, running, body weight exercises (pushups, planks, squats, lunges, etc.), Push something, pull something, pick something up.

Don't make excuses. Get some cheap healthy food. And get up and move!!

You need to look after yourself mentally....then the physical stuff will happen. Surround yourself with positive people, you would be surprised how much better that can make you feel. Walk, walk, walk....and when walking is getting really easy, start running a bit. The endorphins that you get from excercise are going to make you feel energized and help you to feel better, mentally.
As for the food, you need to set up a menu plan that works within your budget. Fresh fruit and vegetables that are locally grown are not expensive. Get some less expensive cuts of meat, watch for specials at your grocery store. Eating healthy does not mean eating expensively, you just need to place a priority on what you are going to bring into your refrigerator and pantry.
Using your own body weight for excercise means not having to worry about equipment or gyms. Check out all the internet ideas for excercise...you would be surprised what you can find.
Take time for you, and believe that you are important. Put yourself first, and you will find that your physical and mental well being will change for the better.
Food doesn't need to me the enemy....love yourself....you deserve it!!

First of all, thank you for asking for our help. That is a HUGE step and is very difficult. It sounds like you have a lot going on and that weight loss is just one of many concerns.

Eating healthy can be expensive. I'm always amazed at how much I spend on fish and vegetables.

Everyone seems to have great suggestions on how to shop for food cheaply but something else you might want to consider is actually looking at your expenses, itemizing them, and then see where your money is going. I did that and I was amazed to see how much I spent on alcohol.

If at all possible, see if you can cut back in one area to make room for more money for food.

Good luck and feel free to ask for more help. I'm always looking for more friends.

I agree with the others - baby steps. Though I say take a different step first - just log what you eat. Don't worry about calories or anything like that right now. Spend a week getting into the habit of logging your food and give yourself a baseline from which to start. That alone will often help you start making changes.

Once you've done that, take a look at what you've got and see where you can make changes. Do you eat Frosted Flakes for breakfast every day? Then switch to Cheerios. Do you always go out to Subway for lunch? Then plan for and pack your own sandwiches.

You say you can't afford to eat healthy? I bet you can. Find local farms, farmer's markets, or farming co-ops and use them to get things like eggs, meat, and in-season produce. They'll be a lot cheaper there than at the grocery store (and better, usually!). Plan to buy nonperishables in bulk at places like Costco, Sam's Club, or Gordon Food Service. Doing this can be a bigger upfront investment, but will save money in the long run.

Don't waste your money on pre-packaged foods. Not only will they not last (they're usually only one meal's worth), but they're loaded with salt, chemicals, and basically empty calories. Go with whole/basic foods and start getting creative. You can make three days' worth of meals for less than what you'd pay for a single takeout pizza (or sub), and the links that people have posted already will help you get there.

Also, don't forget to learn substitutions. For example, if you're out of eggs, but want/need to make something with eggs in it, milk or applesauce can substitute for eggs. Likewise, combining milk and vinegar will give you buttermilk.

In the long term, plant a garden. Not only will it give you something productive to do, but it will help supplement your food bill.

In my experience, there are levels of eating healthy.
Mc Donalds and other fast food is cheapest- the dollar menu... but it is sort of like poison to my body- the worst.
Eating healthier is more expensive than the dollar menu, but it is more like real food.
At the grocery store you can buy box food, processed food etc which is probably more expensive than whole foods, fresh foods etc.
But, at least where I live, the healthiest food is the most expensive: local, organic, non-gmo fresh food... and that is what I choose now.
If you must have the healthiest and you cannot afford it, I recommend dumpster diving.
Oh yes... find out when the grocery puts food out and go get it... be wise- check it out and eat it that day or the next.
Many people will not go dumpster hopping for food... but it is not beyond or beneath me~ and the times- they are a changin'
I work out for free at home: swim in the river, hike on the trails, floor exercises on a floor.
I am a permanently and totally disabled veteran, also diagnosed with Major Depression.
I wish you the best.
:flowerforyou:

Ok first i want to say to the man and people who CALL BULL****! Who are you to judge someone else's money situations! Just because you are well off and can afford all the healthier foods don't mean Everyone else can! She is pleading for SUPPORT NOT JUDGING AND NEGATIVITY! SO BACK TO THE POST!!!!
I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT YOU CAN DO IT you can lose the weight and feel good again ! I AM PROOF SUMMER 2011 IM 5'3 189 pounds i was in the same situation you are in now but you made more money than me i didn't have a penny to my name couldn't find a job had no car living with family and suuuuppppeeeerrr depressed! I couldn't afford anything at all so whatever was bought i ate! I had absolutely NO SUPPORT i kept trying to diet but kept losing hope! And feeling worse and gaining more! I had been tiny all my life than ended up depressed and huge all i wanted was a little support and a way to afford the better things to help me lose to win myself back! Now summer 2012 im 5'3 140 !!! Working my way to 130! What i did??!?!?
I said if no one is goin to help and support me ill do it alone! I walked to the park everyday it was pretty far from my house but i still did it i thought of the walk as a WARM UP so by the time i got to the park i would jog and run when i got tiered speed walked NOT STOPPED and i would do this everyday in the evening for 2 hours a day i would walk home and think of that as my cool down! As easy as it sounds it was miserably hard !!!!! There were times i would break down and cry at the park but i kept running i had no one to talk to so i spoke to god! Im not a religious person and dont no if you believe but this is what id say god please help me find the person i usto be please support me when no one else will please give me the strength to get home and wake up to do this everyday! And so on.... i turned down any drinks juices sodas ect.. i went to watter as nasty as it is it was FREE i would put a jug of watter in the fridge to keep it cold for me and i allways had a bottle of it with me i would drink a bottle and go for a walk everytime i got the erge to snack! I ate smaller portions of all foods just becasuse food was my comfort addiction problem! Its all I had to turn to! EAT SMALLER PORTIONS IF YOU CANT AFFORD THE HEALTHY STUFF! i used this site to count my calories and it was hard to not go over but i forced myself to stop! I did this from aug to jan and went down to 160! Not much and slowly but i was going down than i ended up moving getting married found a job joining a gym i go 7 days a week 2 hours a day and am 140 as of today goal 130 im just saying i was at rock bottom and forced myself to be motivated and find a way to get healthy again if i did it YOU CAN TO I WILL BE YOUR SUPPORT I WILL BELIEVE IN YOU BECAUSE I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE FEELING! There is hope for you and you WILL GET TO WHERE YOU WANA BE AGAIN SLOWLY BUT IT WILL HAPPEN JUST BELIEVE IN YOURSELF A LITTLE MORE!
Sorry so long and so much info i just wanted you to understand that i was in the same as you and still did it so you can to and yes you seem to be mentally disscuraged but ONLY you can bring yourself out of that so give yourself another chance !

Sorry for the grammar and spelling i still suck at it lol :-)

It's sad to think of food as the enemy. Food is neither good nor bad. People use food in harmful or helpful ways but food itself is neutral. If you have emotional issues around food (as so many of us do) they need to be addressed. Food is not comfort, entertainment, punishment or reward. It is just fuel. I wish you the best.

All the the advise you are getting a great. I want to add one thing. Don't buy more Fresh Foods than you guys are actually going to eat in a week or 2 time span because in the end it will go bad and you'll just throw it away which will be a waste. I only by what my daughter and I will actually eat that week and let nothing go to waste. Even if the means I'm pulling out left overers every other night for dinner.

Yea, sorry, but I call bull**** on "I can't afford the food to lose weight" excuse. 1500 calories is half the cost of 3000.

I'm sorry that you are in a bad spot right now. Calories in vs calories out is definitely one place where you do have control.

You call bull****???? This person writes a whole damn page and "you call bull****. I agree with the other poster. Start small buy eating smaller portions of what you eat now, and every time you go shopping buy one or two things like fresh produce that you normally wouldn't buy. Little by little you can start to reinvent your diet.

Also with exercising, the outdoors is your best friend. If you feel you can not jog yet, go for walks. You don't NEED weights to work out, Your own body weight will be just finr. Squats, Lunges, leg lifts, pushups. All the originals are the ones I swear by and they are free and they work.

You ARE worth the effort but it will be difficult at time. Sometimes you will want to eat when you are not hungry and you will just have to start telling yourself to stop eating. This will get easier in time. This is something that takes work but the pay off is amazing Good luck to you and you can add me if you want!

I agree with her, don't ridicule someone who just reached out for help. Have you tried frozen vegetables? Very inexpensive and keep longer. Build up your pantry with non perishable foods that are inexpensive like dried beans, lentils, brown rice, etc. You can make small changes to help with the pantry situation. Other than that, portion control is key! You should check online for you state extension program...often times they have a lot of recipes for tight budgets! This is Maine's http://extension.umaine.edu/food-health/