[DietDude]

this is almost of my 1st week of trying to eat healthy and overall its easier than i expected
(too bad that isnt translating into lost pounds)
anyway im still trying to get used to it and i want to develop good habits
but my biggest problem is
i find it quite difficult to eat up to my suggested calorie limit even though ive been carrying some fruts/veggies with me for a snack every few hours
any recommendations?
my other problem is cost being a poor student needing to eat fruits and vegetables in bulk isnt ideal for the wallet and recommendations that can help me out there aswell?

thanks

[eclipse]

If you have a local farmer's market (not a grocery store calling itself a farmer's market, but an actual meet up of local farmers selling their produce), you can usually get quality, frequently organic, local, in season produce for really good prices. Other than that, even at the grocery store, buy what's in season and on sale, and eat everything you buy (I have a real problem with my eyes being bigger than my stomach when I buy fresh foods!).

[HotWings]

I second what eclipse wrote. Sometimes you can also buy the frozen veggies that steam right in the bag (like Steamfresh) for a really good price on sale - you could stock up on those for the freezer to cut down on waste from buying fresh all the time. You could maybe just buy fresh fruits/veggies to take care of your snacks during the day and use the freezer veggies for meals? You may not be able to save a whole lot that way, but if you hit a good sale you might at least save a little.

As far as hitting your calories, add more lean protein or even a couple ounces of cheese. Those stay with you awhile and add more calories than veggies/fruit. I would also suggest using a good shredded wheat cereal for breakfast, or other healthy cereal. That may also add some cals to your day for you, plus extra fiber to keep things moving. Fiber also helps to keep you feeling full.

Welcome to 3FC - lots of good info and good people here!

[CHUNKEY_MUNKEY]

i know what its like to be in school and on a really stiff budget ... i dont know how i managed to gain weight in school because i barely had money to eat back then lolz

to begin with but here are some tips to stretch your dollar a little longer and to help up your calories a little bit .... the more you weigh the more your body burns, at your weight i dont think it would be wise to start on like 1200 calories you should def be aiming higher or else by the time you get down to like 200 youll need to cut your calories to like practically nothing eating 1600 calories on a bulk diet of fruits and veggies is damn near impossible ... how much fruit and vegetable will you eat ???

here are some ideas i think will help keep you in budget up your calories and still be on plan

Ramen Noodle low mein ( yes i know these are not great for you but they ARE versitle cheap and easily accesable they should get points for that at least lol ) - Prepare noodles as directed ( using 1/2 the seasoning for noodles ll also prepare noodles dry not soupy ) then add fresh or frozen veggies to the noodles set aside in a seperate wok stir fry 4 oz chicken season with remaining seasoning and then combine for a cheap low mein .. the protien is good for you . the veggies are good for you and the noodles provide a carb as an energy source a source of calories and the whole meal is pretty affordable


with things like yogart i add in 1/2 cup of cereal .. and fresh fruit if i have it ( banana seems to go with just about anything for me lol i love them ! )it makes it denser in calories for the days that i have extras that i need to use its way satisfying and its soooo tastey nothing bad in here !

nuts are kinda pricey but if you can get them in here and there it would be good for you another cheaper way to get in some of the healthy fats which would also up your calorie intake i know this sounds weird but its been my go to lunch for about 2 weeks now ... i actually really like it maybe you will too sliced olives from the can thinly sliced tomato homemade guacamole ( this is my new sandwhich condiment in place of mayonaise ... ) turkey bacon and swiss i make it on one slice of 9 grain bread . its SO good and when the turkey bacon and canned olives are on sale i stock up so its relatively inexspensive

i have some other ideas on how you can healthfully up your calories but DH is yelling about needing clean socks ill be back !!! its hard being in school and trying to lose weight BUT it can be done you deserve it DO IT please dont let being a little tight on cash hinder your desire to want to lose weight your health is worth it .

[DietDude]

Originally Posted by eclipse

If you have a local farmer's market (not a grocery store calling itself a farmer's market, but an actual meet up of local farmers selling their produce)

we do apparently it one of the larger ones in the area
but it stats May til November on Saturday from 8am to 12:30pm
so when the time comes i plan on doing that till then i need to make due

[sweetcakes736]

Dietdude-don't forget to join our exercise thread!! We are working towards beating last year's record, we've already set new highs for January and February!! It works if you work it. Glad to see you here.

I take it you don't have access to your college's cafeteria? Am I right?

[DietDude]

Originally Posted by sweetcakes736

Dietdude-don't forget to join our exercise thread!! We are working towards beating last year's record, we've already set new highs for January and February!! It works if you work it. Glad to see you here.

I take it you don't have access to your college's cafeteria? Am I right?

soon i plan on joining the exercise thread in my goal of making minor changes im trying to nail down a healthy diet 1st which im making progress on but im far from perfect but hopefully the great people here can help mw with that

as for a cafeteria our school doesnt have a set meal plan like the local university
and for the most part the cafeteria is basically work experience for the culinary arts students
the prices are more inline with fastfood
atleast that what i remember from the unhealthy stuff (burgers and pizzas etc.) the only reason people go there is its quicker than walking a few blocks to mc donalds etc.
also they dont have many healthy choices as its a small demographic apparently, the healthiest thing is probably the sandwich counter where i can select the toppings, but if thats the case i can do that at home for much cheaper than $4.50 per 3 topping sandwich

[DietDude]

just to give an idea before i started to try and eat healthy i tracked one day where i ate normally just to gauge it for myself

i ate aprox. 4,161calories(this was with only drinking water all day)
i started my healthier eating and...
sunday 1,894
monday 891
tuesday 981

i know those are way to low, but ive improved them with more veggies and fruit throughout the day, but still im low and according to a bmr calc i found online
my bmr is 2622
in order to maintain is 3147
to loose 1 pound a week 2647
and ive heard guys should have a minium of 1800
just picking a random day here is aproximately what i ate:

breakfast:
1 cup low fat peach yogurt w/ 1/3 cup of allbran buds mixed in
2 medium sized apples
roughly 523 calories

lunch:
1 cup of white long grain rice
1 baked boneless chicken breast with some garlic spice on top
roughly 284 calories

snacks throughout the day il have a sngle fruit or vegetable per snack

dinner:
Ham, regular (3 slices)
2 cups of baked Sweet Potato
1cup of rice
roughly 720 calories

this perticular day i had 2 apples and 5 carrots sometime in between meals and such
grand total of 1815 calories

[sweetcakes736]

Diet dude-
What about beans? Buying them dried is super cheap, they are an excellent source of protein and will give you the added calorie boost you need.
I know you're just starting so it's a learning process, this is a great place for an education.
When we eat way under the calories our bodies need, it doesn't react how we think it should, it goes into safety mode and really won't let go of the fat.
It needs to constantly be reminded that it will be getting healthy, necessary food...this way it has the freedom to let the fat go. It doesn't think it's the end and it has to go on high storage. Does that make any sense?

Ok also, can you cook a bit? If you can, between myself and the ladies here we can give you simple, cheap easy recipes that have a little more pazzaz then what you're eating now. One of the many reasons we go off plan is because our taste buds are bored to death. Eating well shouldn't translate into eating bland. Also, white rice and brown rice are about the same price, pick the brown...it's a million times better for you.

[DietDude]

Originally Posted by sweetcakes736

Diet dude-
What about beans? Buying them dried is super cheap, they are an excellent source of protein and will give you the added calorie boost you need.
I know you're just starting so it's a learning process, this is a great place for an education.
When we eat way under the calories our bodies need, it doesn't react how we think it should, it goes into safety mode and really won't let go of the fat.
It needs to constantly be reminded that it will be getting healthy, necessary food...this way it has the freedom to let the fat go. It doesn't think it's the end and it has to go on high storage. Does that make any sense?

yes that makes sense
as for beans il be sure to add them to the shopping list and give them a shot

Ok also, can you cook a bit? If you can, between myself and the ladies here we can give you simple, cheap easy recipes that have a little more pazzaz then what you're eating now. One of the many reasons we go off plan is because our taste buds are bored to death. Eating well shouldn't translate into eating bland. Also, white rice and brown rice are about the same price, pick the brown...it's a million times better for you.

i have a kitchen and utensils to do so, but im far from a cook
although im happy to learn if anyone has some knowledge to impart
as for the rice ive heard brown is better, just currently im finishing what i have on hand and plan on getting brown rice after that

[Cuter w Curves]

Truthfully the issue I can see coming up here is that you are balancing a bit off.

Maybe I can help by sharing some ideas. Give you an idea of how to balance things a little differently. I paid dietitians, and nutritionists to get this info correct. It works well for me. I just need to do it faster right now.

Snacks and food quantities can be hard... I found hitting those goals hard too.

Things I learned:

Having a whole apple is 74-80 cal. A medium size orange is about 65 calories. Both are easier to burn then bananas and a heck of a lot cheaper.

1 glass of OJ = approximately 5-6 oranges. Stay off the juice 100%.

Drink water like it is going out of style.

Have a couple servings of fruit in a day but be aware that too many will possibly cause issues as they are really high in sugar.

Balance the fruit with something else too...

4-11 crackers are a serving depending on type and range from 60-100 cals (saltines are cheap, and will offset the fruits/veggies a bit), a piece of cheese is a good balance too but a serving is an ounce which is 114 cal for American/Cheddar. You are a guy but I am sure you can go look in a store if are unsure of the size I mean... A serving of cheese is about the size of a tube of lipstick and not a big tube either.

It will balance things for your digestion and give you a serving of various things like grains or protein respectively.

Cooked veggies - 1 serving is a half cup of veggies.
Uncooked Veggies - 1 serving is 1 cup of veggies.

Taking that into consideration may really help you understand it is a lot easier to hit 1800 quantity wise.

Box of crackers - 2-3$ and 1-2 if not name brand.
Bag of apples 12-16 apples in it - 2-3$ usually.
Cheese - more pricey but 1 oz = 28.3 g so the small brick of non-name brand go for 520 g for 5-6$ here so you should be able to manage that if you think of splitting that 5-6$ that many ways.

So...

Apple + crackers = 140-180 cal
Apple + cheese = 190-200 cal
Orange + crackers = 115-150 cal
Orange + cheese = 155-170 cal

Now... Taking into consideration that should happen at least twice a day. It will help. Knowing 5-6 smaller rounds of food with the last one by about 7 pm is ideal for most of us... Might help.

Don't forget to count the cals from butter/margarine, etc. too. Many don't when starting out.



You might want to try to balance your starches better and maybe not so much at one time. Yes you had rice which is a grain (already noted brown is better), and sweet potato which is a vegetable but... You had 3 servings of starches in one sitting. Frozen peas - very cheap - much less starch.

I also question your numbers a little only because of knowing my own numbers:

360 Cal from sweet potato - 1 cup of cooked, mashed, sweet potato - 180 cals
205 cal from cooked long grain rice - 1 cup - 205 cals
??? cal from ham - 3 oz (which is what I often see refereed to as a slice in a restaurant) - 139 cals so x 3 would be 417. If you mean sandwich meat it changes it a lot to 46 cal/slice but that is the pre-sliced sandwich meat. An ounce of ham is about the same size as that cheese mentioned before.

It all comes down to the type of ham slice really.

Next question:

Do you use milk/cream and any sweeteners in things like coffee? Those calories can add up.

An idea for how to mix it up with trying to do the meat, veggies, etc. that is fast, easy and suited to one person:

Cook your brown rice with frozen veggies and throw in some basil, or oregano, or parsley (you can get bulk packets of them relatively inexpensive) and it will change the taste a bit with a slightly wider variety. If you happen to have made chicken/beef/ham the night before dicing up a bit and tossing it with them when nearly cooked is a fast and easy quick fix too.

For breakfast options don't forget how easy it is to do a veggie and egg scramble. ;-) Frozen ones work wonders for it. Most stores carry ones they label spaghetti mixes - onions, celery, carrots, red & green peppers... Just throw them in the pan, get them warmed if you like tender crisp or a touch of golden to them if you like them done more and then add in the eggs and scramble. It takes about 3-6 minutes depending on your preferences. Season with spices as you see fit. Some days I would do Mexicali style and some days Italiano...

I don't know if you are Canadian or American... Or if it would help at all... but I am Canadian and we have a "food guide".

These are the stats for a male age 19-50:

8-10 Vegetables and Fruit
8 grain products
2 milk & alternatives
3 meat and alternatives

Rolling with that lets see if I can give you a couple sample ideas to mix it up a bit (plan ahead - helps to avoid over/under):


Bran Flakes - 1 1/2 cups - 192 cal (2 servings of grains)
Skim Milk - 1 cup - 86 cal (1 serving of milk/dairy/alt)
One medium banana sliced on top of cereal - 105 cal (1 serving of fruit/veg)
total cal = 383
Change up the fruit/cereal keep the milk... it works well.

Alternate cereal based breakfast:

Low fat granola (without raisins) - 1 cup - 372 cal (2 servings of grains)
Low fat yogurt - 1/2 cup - 100 cal (1 serving of milk/dairy/alt)
1/2 cup frozen blueberries - 40 cal (1 serving fruit)
total cal = 511
Change up the fruit/cereal keep the yogurt... it works well. Bags of frozen no name can be bought for about 3-5$ and doing it a half cup at a time it lasts a while. A hint - fat free lemon yogurt with blueberries... strangely amazing.

Warm alternative not cereal based:

2 large eggs - 204 cal (2 meat)
1-1 1/2 cups frozen veggies - 100 cal (depends on the kind) (2 servings of veggies)
2 slices toast (7 grain) - 138 cal (2 grain)
total cal = 442
If you want low fat margarine for the toast... 2 tbs = 70 cal usually so a total of 512 cal and note above about seasoning at will...

--------------------------------
Lunch ideas:

half a can of tuna - 99 cal (1 serving of meat/protein) - please don't do it all the time but every now and again is fine and you can switch this for other meats - 3 oz = a serving!
2 cups iceburg lettuce - 16 cal (2 servings of veggies)
1/2 cup diced tomato - 20 cal (1 serving of veggies)
1/2 cup 1%/low fat unpacked cottage cheese - 81 cal (1 serving of dairy)
2 tbsp low fat Italian dressing - 37 cal
2 whole wheat wraps - 200 cal (2 servings of grains)
total cal = 372
- make them wraps, or eat it as a loaded salad with the wraps on the side dipped into things.


2 slices bread (7 grain) - 138 cal (2 servings of grains)
2 tbs low fat margarine - 70 cal
3 slices deli-sliced ham - 147 cal (1 serving meat)
2 slices of tomato - 26 cal (combine to make 1 serving veggies)
1/3 cup of lettuce - 7 cal (combine to make 1 serving veggies)
mustard - 3 cal
1 serving of vegetable soup - 100 cal (Campbell soup - half a can. make it, and save the other half for the next day or day after - no name ones work too) (1 serving of veggies)
total cal = 491

------------------------

Dinner ideas:

1 cup tomato sauce - 59 cal (big cans and split it up. get plastic containers and freeze it. buy plain and season on your own if cheaper) (1 serving of veggies)
1 cups of frozen veggies - 200 cal (2 servings of veggies)
3 oz ground beef - 231 cal (regular ground beef - lean is only 164 but costs more - 1 lb lean can be gotten at walmart for 2$ - and I should note 1 lb package splits into 4 servings total - buy it, split it, freeze it - 4 meals - 2$!)
1 cup pasta - 220 cal
1 cup lettuce - 8 cal (1 serving of veggies)
1/2 cup diced tomato - 20 cal (1 serving of veggies)
2 tbsp low fat Italian dressing - 37 cal
total cals = 775 (lean cuts it back to 708)
*** choose a lower cal snack if snacking after this point in the day


1/2 chicken breast - 142 cal - bone and skin removed - (1 serving of meat) - split it before cooking or after to make use of the other half for another meal
1 cup cooked brown rice - 216 cal (1 serving of grain)
2 cups frozen veggies - 200 cal (4 servings of veggies)
seasoning - your choice but safely say 50 cal
Total cal = 608



Now if you look at the numbers I have put up they are fairly balanced through a day:

Breakfasts:
383 cal - 2 grain/1 dairy/1 fruit
511 cal - 2 grain/1 dairy/1 fruit
442 cal - 2 protein/2 grain/2 veggies or 512 cal - 2 meat/2 grain/2 veggies - with margaine

Snack:
Apple + crackers = 140-180 cal
Apple + cheese = 190-200 cal
Orange + crackers = 115-150 cal
Orange + cheese = 155-170 cal

Lunch:
372 cal - 2 protein/2 grain/3 veggies/1 dairy
491 cal - 1 protein/2 grain/2 veggies

Snack:
pickle + crackers = 80-120 cal
pickle + cheese = 100-140 cal
pickle + ham + cheese = 149-189 (dill/sweet wrap the ham around it... trust me here. It's tasty! and get a 3 in 1 snack)
(if you can't do pickles try a handful of cherry/grape tomatoes or another veggie)

Dinner:

775 cal - 1 protein/1 grain/5 veggies
608 cal - 1 protein/1 grain/4 veggies


You will note I am advocating to put most of your grains earlier in the day. Not fruit later in the day but rather veggies. Lots of them.


Hopefully this helps a bit.

[Cuter w Curves]

Originally Posted by DietDude

i have a kitchen and utensils to do so, but im far from a cook
although im happy to learn if anyone has some knowledge to impart

I can try though I must admit I have been known to come up with odd things. Funny thing is within a year I see it in a "new" recipe somewhere... (I seriously thought grilled strawberries would go well as a side with steak... It does with ground black pepper, etc. lol - twisted but it tastes good )


Ok rules of thumb:

Dollar stores, bulk stores, walmart, grocery stores all carry seasoning. it can make anything taste good!

If you don't have the following you should (don't buy it all at once unless you are in the dollar store and getting it for a buck or less!) and remember when using... less is more. Add a little... If it needs more then add more:

Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Dehydrated Chives
Parsley Flakes
Basil
Rosemary
Chili Powder
Black Pepper
Oregano
Salt - a little goes a long way - VERY LITTLE
Dill - if you like it

The kinda wanna have it are Cayenne, Paprika, Thyme, Cilantro

Pick up a thing of the concentrated lemon juice at some point too.

Weird but good:

Eggs-
Onion powder in egg salad.
Dill on scrambled eggs.
Paprika on eggs.
Leftover veggies scramble into them well!
Basil, Oregano, Parsley, and garlic powder + veggies - Italiano eggs
Chili powder + Veggies - Mexicali eggs ++ if you end up with leftover beans and need the calories/protein throw em in if you want.
Chives - rehydrate for a couple min - give a mild hint of almost green onion to it.

Chicken -
-Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme - not just a line from a song...
-Orange juice (squeezed from one orange), parsley, diced tomato, basil and a pinch of salt, 3/4 cup water - another oddity but works if you split it and marinate/cook chicken in half the mixture and use the other half in your rice and veggies as they cook together.
-Basil, Oregano, Parsley, and garlic powder.
-Lemon, black pepper, parsley - good to lightly rub lemon juice on, and dust with other two lightly - great baked.

Beef -
-Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme - not just a line from a song...
-Tomato paste or sauce, parsley, diced tomato, basil and a pinch of salt, 3/4 cup water - works if you split it and marinate/cook beef in half the mixture and use the other half in your rice and veggies as they cook together.
-Basil, Oregano, Parsley, and garlic powder - rub for meat
-Basil, Oregano, Parsley, onion powder and garlic powder - spagetti sauce seasoning. Cilantro if you ever get it is good here too!

Ham -
-A small amount of ginger ale on a roasting ham... *shrug*
-Peas, Ham and a small amount of Parmesan + becel/butter = a really great tasting thing to add to pasta - load up on a salad with this and do 1 cup of pasta, 1 cup of peas and 3 oz of ham with 1 tbs of becel/butter and 1 tbs of Parmesan and it is a little on the decadent side but overall the calories are not bad.
- Pairs extremely well with broccoli, and rice with a bit of parsley - no need to salt as ham does it for you.

Turkey -
-Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme - not just a line from a song...

Weird veggie tricks to make your food go further and bump your veggies:
- Add grated carrot to browning meat... Cook it together. Great to extend tacos, or spaghetti sauce. It actually ends up not tasting like carrots and can give you as much as half the quantity again.
- If you are ever in the middle of cooking something like soup or something that needs basting and realize you have over salted quickly cut up a potato and toss it in. It will soak it up.
- Make creamy sauces and/or soups which have NO CREAM by blending veggies!!! Process them till smooth... Best freakin tasting thing in the world.

Weird thing about a fruit:
Did you know watermelon tastes better with a pinch of salt?

How to work the Ramen noodles to your advantage:
(Tip above great but I have another)
1 pack of Ramen, the seasoning, 1 egg, a pot with a lot of water, frozen veggies.
Grab a 2-3 cups of frozen veggies and throw them in (carrots, peas and corn were always the faves for this one). Add the flavour pack (works best with vegetable flavour Ramen then next is chicken flavour). Bust the Ramen up before adding to boiling water. Scramble an egg in a bowl... When the noodles are cooked make like you are scrambling the eggs still with the bowl tilted toward the pot and sort of scramble/drizzle it into the pot. Voila! Egg drop soup for 4-6 meals worth on a total budget of 3$.

err... ok... fingers getting sore. hope this gets you started.

[mariamherrera]

I great way to get some calories in if your falling short is by peanut butter or almond butter on some whole wheat toast, a hand full of any kinda of nuts, adding good healthy oils to meat like drizzingly a little olive oil over chicken, adding avacados to sandwiches, wraps, or salads, also adding cheeses. or even drinking a glass or two of milk if you haven't gotten your calories.. these are all things that are higher in cals but good healthy fats that you should have in moderation! Also avoid buying light or fat free version to things that can be healthy like bread for example I used to buy a light bread that was only 40 cals per slice. But I was falling short in my cals as well so I got a good healthy whole wheat regular loaf of bread that is 90 cals per slice. and even thought it has more calories its' still a good healthy choice for breads and it helps fill up my calories better. same with butter I was getting I cant believe it's not butter spray for 0 cals basically. So since i was falling short I found brummel and brown yogurt butter spread and it's only 45 cals. which is better then regular butter which is 100 cals per serving.. So I guess my point is you don't always have to choose the lowest calorie item.. if you have cals to spend get items with more cals in them jsut make sure they are not completely empty cals