hi my name is Zoey and I am a 29 year old female and I have struggled with my weight for all my life. I weigh just over 300 pounds and I have done the whole dieting dance for many years. I struggle not because I don't know how to eat healthy and I do know how to exercise its just that I have alot of physical pain due to rheumatoid arthritis and even the smallest amount of exercise is very painful, I try going for a walk but after just a few minutes my hips and knees and back are so sore that there has been times when I have tried to go for a walk and end up having to stop and sit down somewhere for a while just so I can make it home. I just can't see me losing weight if I can't do the simplest exercises. I try to eat healthy but money is tight and its just cheaper to live off of pasta and canned food. I do buy fruit when its on sale and I buy the cheaper veggies but I get bored eating the same stuff over and over so I end up back to buying cheap food because I have more of a variety if I do that. I don't like to microwave food because I read it loses more nutrition that way then cooking on a stove and I try to drink lots of water but I still end up heavier every time I weigh in. The doctor wants me to lose 150 pounds by eating pretty much just fresh veggies and some fruit and not much else. I am saving up to see a nutritionist but the last one I saw like 6 years ago basically told me things I already knew and it kind of felt like a waste of money. I feel like people who can afford to eat all organic and fresh don't really understand that its hard to diet on a budget. I did weight watchers for a while but I only lost like 15 pounds in over a year and I have gained that plus more back and I have tried lots of diets, eating right for your blood type, atkins, cabbage soup diet, egg and grapefruit diet, weight watchers and many others, those are just the ones I have tried in the past 5 or 6 years oh I also did the raw food diet for a while too, that one I actually had the best results but couldn't afford to continue doing it. I just want to be under 200 pounds because I haven't been under 200 probably since I was 13 years old and it would be very nice to finally feel good and be healthy and not be tired all the time and not feel like a big lump. I am ready to lose the weight I just need a little help figuring out how to do it on a tight budget of about $100 a month for food. If anyone has ideas please let me know. I am already trying to figure out how to either make more money or spend less money. I am selling alot of my stuff and I am already living with family so my rent is low, so other then car insurance which I have to have because I wouldn't be able to get to my appointments that are out of town without a car and gas and medications that takes up all my money. I am looking for work but I haven't found anything yet that I can do with the arthritis as well as other health problems I have. Well I hope someone here has some suggestions on how to lose weight on a budget and maybe someone knows some kind of exercise that I can do that won't be so painful. Any help would be great. thanks
When you are losing weight, you should exercise and diet together.If you exercise without dieting, you will get bigger appetite, which will lead to increase of weight, or muscle grow underneath the fat layer, and make you bulkier. If you diet withoutexercising, you will become flabby and will have excess skin.
For diet, go wheat free. No pasta, pizza, bread and so on.And no food after 7 p.m. People achieve marvellous results with it. Depending on your initial weight, you can drop upwards from 20 pounds a month. If
you don't eat wheat then you don't eat all those sticky, fatty goey cakes, you don't eat junk food, and you don't eat biscuits. But your diet is still balanced. It costs nothing, and you do not have to
calculate points or to buy special meals or plans.
For exercising,start with walking, and then switch to running/jogging. Running is the most efficient and calorie-burn exercise ever. If you are overweight a
lot, walk first or you may have health complications (heart attack,disjointed bones and so on).
Weight lifting is a good means to target your problem areas for men and women. It's not necessarily to become a bodybuilder or even join a gym - a couple of dumbbells will help you to target your problem areas (stomach, butt, legs, arms, chest).
I am sorry to hear about your struggles, weight loss is never easy. But for food there are many ways to eat healthy on a budget, i know cause i do it. Start with coupons, check online or the newspaper, there are plenty of websites that offer coupons and the grocery stores normally send out weekly papers with deals and additional coupons. That is a great place to start. Surprisingly buying fresh veggies to make a salad is a lot cheaper than buying a ready made salad. Same with other foods. You can look up recipes online for different healthy meals. Also look for bulk buys. When i see chicken breasts on sale I will buy and then separate into 2-4 piece packs and freeze them so i will have chicken for a while.
I agree with Ana on the exercise, try walking a little bit, and also get hand weights that you can have at home and use over and over. Also have you ever thought about seeing an acupuncturist or alternative medicine for your arthritis? Just a suggestion, not sure how your doctor is helping. Acupuncture can be pricey, but just a thought if you don't want to go back to your nutritionist.
Keep your head up, and stay positive, things will definitely turn around. And we are all here to support you!
Wishing you all the best in your journey! Keep us posted.
I suffer from chronic back pain due to buldging discs.I have six disc messed up all together.I was having a really hard time losing weight.The physical pain was overwhelming.I weighed close to 200lbs.I tried diets and what exercise I could possibly do.The 1st of june realizing I needed a little help turned to a weightloss clinic.They stressed exercise,water,vitamin B 12,a lipo shot once a month,addipex diet pills.I have not even had to exercise awhole lot or cut alot of foods I enjoy.I have lost down to 145lbs since june.I feel so much better.I know it's scary to turn to clinics for weightloss and take meds with side effects.It has been a big help.My blood pressure is now down.I can even handle more exercise now because I have lost the weight.I just wanted to share this and tell you to stay positive.If I can do this anyone can.
Hi Zoey, I understand your frustration with failed diets and mundane eating plan of boring veggies and fruits. I honestly couldn't live on just fruits and veggies, nor do I think that anyone can for the long-term.
The only thing that ever worked for me and a close friend of mine is creating a lifestyle and not a diet. Also, it's about taking baby steps towards a healthy diet plan. The problem with most diets is that they are impossible to maintain for the long-term; therefore the yo-yo effect.
Try to eat 4-5 mini meals each day made up of protein (chicken or fish), vegetables, and/or fruits. When you eat smaller meals more often, then you rev your metabolism and keep it revved up all day. Also, don't completely cut all of the foods you've been eating, just trying smaller portions and phasing them out slowly. Then, replace these not so healthy foods with healthier foods.
Also, get out there and exercise. Anything to get yourself moving. Start off a couple of times a week and then work up to more slowly but surely. Take a walk, breathe in fresh air and walk for a longer period of time each time you get out there.
Of course, I always recommend clearing new eating plans and work-outs with your doctor to make sure that it's right for you.
I know that you will get to your goal weight. Please keep sharing with us.
i don't believe in dieting at all but lifestyle changes. i try not to restrict anything that i eat because i have a binge eating disorder and take out my emotions on food. when i made the connection and realized that being overall healthy is more important than meeting an image that will never be me the happier i was.
with this in mind, moving and exercising is so important but if you don't like it you're not going to do it.
what do you (not you're nutritionist or friends like to do) what makes your body feel good. Is it swimming or stretching or walking or lifting weights or dancing? there are so many options. you can do a situp while watching tv, you can walk in place during commercials, you can do push ups just anything to move more and show your body that you are finished punishing it and want to begin loving it.
on a budget i recommend using canned and frozen items (they generally are on sale even the salt free ones) and they make your body feel amazing.
also there is beans and rice I know it sounds weird but I live off of that. There is also pasta (you can do whole wheat only if you like it) but do some research at the library on getting some nutrition that will help you. most nutritionists will help but unless they have eating disorders they aren't the best place to start.
if you feel you may have a disorder i would recommend starting at free support groups and really identifying if you are helping yourself
sorry to rattle on but hopefully this is helpful
In January I weighed 280 lbs; I am now down to 150lbs so I understand your struggles. I did start out following a specific diet plan and maybe 30 mins of exercise daily. I eventually upped the amount of time spent exercising to a whopping 2 hours a day and cut food out all together. I developed an eating disorder called ed-nos which is anorexia and bulimia combined. The only advice I can offer is to make a lifestyle change; you have to do things gradually and slowly if you want results that will be long lasting. Trust me, you do not want to end up like me or in a similar situation to the one that i am in, its horrible and has ruined my life. Yes i lost 130lbs in a rather short period of time, but i did it in a very unhealthy way that has now taken complete control of my life.
If you can only walk for 5 mins, walk for 5 mins then the next day aim for 6. its about tiny changes not drastic ones.
For quite a while, recognizing I need to eat a lot of food I enjoy, and keeping my hard fought weight loss, BIG FOR ME ARE MY BIG 3: SOUPS, SALADS AND MY SPECIAL LO-CAL PANCAKE. I carefully eat all other foods but these 3 are my core. (p.s. my breakfast has been and continues to be the same every day. I love it and it works for me. Basically 100% bran cereal, fruit, 1% milk and black coffee. The cereal is mixed up in a blender...sprinkle a little cinn.sugar mix on top...started blending it 2 yrs. ago when I tooth implants and have just continued. I use many Progresso and Campbell's Harvest & others, often as a base unless I make my own chicken soup. Throw in any protein that I like...or eat seperately, a little can of salmon or tuna or other protein. P.S. I eat soups & cereal with a small spoon. Also,this is possible to do "on the cheap", since I know you have to. Hugs, Casscat
i ve been through some of what you have with having to lose weight but being on a budget so maybe i can help. I understand that veggies and fruits and super expensive and it really adds up, but what i did was cut fast food out of my diet it saved me tons of money each month plus its healthy...i dont know if you eat fast food but if you do this is a good place to start. also dont diet. diets do not work for long term success try eating smaller portions. a veggie thats really cheap is a head of lettuce instead of the bagged stuff its like 2 bucks cheaper, and apples can sometimes be cheap depending on the brand and season. i like natures own light wheat bread its healthy and you can do several things with bread for variety. make sure you read the sale ads too and stock up on healthier stuff when it goes on sale it saves in the long run. Also try the generic brands of stuff like for example walmart brand whole grain cereal or yogurt it saves you money and it really isnt that bad tasting.
as for exercise have you ever tried aqua jogging or deep water aerobics? It puts no pressure on your joints so it would be less impact then walking outside. The key is to move as much as you can when your in the water try, the best you can, to get your heart rate up. maybe even work up to treading water with a belt or without. i dont know if any of this helps i hope it does take care good luck!