i'm a 23 (soon to be 24 ) year old stay-at-home mom. Since having my son 3 years ago i've put on quite a bit of weight. i was diagnosed with PCOS in March and was told that my only chance of having kids again and to control my symptoms was to lose weight. The dr. flat out told me to go to weight watchers.

My problem is that we're living on one income. i don't have the money for weight watchers. i tried South Beach and did really well on phase one. i quit for 2 reasons: phase 2 was really tough for me and it's much cheaper to eat lots of bad carbs.

Are any of you trying to lose weight on a budget? i tried portion control, but was just hungry all the time. i'm at a loss as to what to try next. Suggestions?

i haven't gone so far as to try diet pills, but i've sure thought about it. i just can't get past all the negative things i've heard about them.

Are any of you in a similar situation?

Christine

Well unfortunately all the fatty over processed 'convenient' foods are cheaper. It sure makes dieting harder since fresh fruit, veggies and lean cuts of meat are so much more expensive. We are a single income family also, and I try to make alot of homemade veggie soups with frozen veggies, use eggs alot, buy lesser known co's of cereal (aldi brands) and buy when key items are on sale, oh and course....clip coupons. When ww meals or lean cuisine are on sale, I stock up and then add a portion of veggies. Do what you can, when you can. Its not impossible but just get creative and resourceful. Good luck!!

I'm a student, so I definitely know what it's like trying to diet on a budget. I buy lots of stuff in bulk (oats, rice, frozen chicken breasts) - it feels expensive but it's cheaper in the long run. I try to get most of my produce from farm stands and local markets - it's WAY cheaper than stuff that's been flow from halfway around the world. I can usually get a week's worth of fruit and veggies for under $10. I eat lots of oatmeal, since it's so cheap and fills me up for quite a while, and do lots of stir-fries. Pasta is cheap, too, and can be healthy if you do a good veggie and tomato sauce on it - make your own sauce rather than buying jars of it. I find the more I make from scratch the more I save, rather than relying on pre-made stuff. Oh, and try to make things that you can stretch into a lunch or something - it's great if you make enough of a dinner so that you have kunch, too - that way you're not throwing out the last little bits. It's not easy, but it can be done - good luck!

I also find the expense of eating healthy a frightful experience. I have been able to supplement healthier eating by cutting out fast food. I found that the money I save on eating out can add great but expensive organic produce into my everyday meals. Also, when you are dieting (changing your life style), you are eating less all around. I also recommend farmers markets as a great inexpensive way of getting great fresh food into your diet. My problem is not so much what I eat as how much I eat. That is a different discussion all together. Great thread!

Kansas Girl!

Check out the WW core board. It's really just clean, whole foods in moderation--not processed junk that's way more expensive that regular food.

Cheap "diet" foods:

*Eggs
*Beans
*Chicken thighs, legs, quarters
*Canned tuna
*Canned salmon
*Tilapia--you can get a huge box of it at Sam's for about $8. Saute, pour stewed tomatoes and zukes on it, and yummy!
*Store brand frozen vegetables
*Whole grain pasta is a little more expensive, but goes a long way.
*You can use cheaper hamburger if you brown it then rinse it twice to remove excess fats. It's still browned hamburger, but the fat is cooked off and rinsed before use.
*Sweet potatoes aren't too expensive when you consider that's a meal.

*Tilapia

Just wondering, since I've seen it mentioned here, what is it?
Is it a grain?

Thanks!
Angie

as a 23yr old single mom of 2, i feel your pain. for me it really isn't how much i eat, it's what i eat. i'm going more low-carb because it makes me physically feel better. and i don't deprive my kids at all, if it's something i shouldn't eat, then they probaby shouldn't either. i don't feel like i've changed my diet a whole lot, i just stopped eating junk. a slim-jim instead of cookies or chips, water or diet instead of mt. dew or sunkist. salad and chicken are my new best friends. it sounds like we're pretty much in the same boat, i'de love to be here for you if you need support.

Tilapia is a fish that is not fishy. It is not meaty like tuna or swordfish but it is very mild and we like it a lot. A lot of middle eastern and mexican recipes use tilapia as well, in case you wanted to shop around for recipes. Omit any butter for EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) or bake it.

Even though I am only three week in this low sugar low carb, I have found that my energy level sucks. Today I had a break through, I ate a bigger breakfeast that was technically cheating since it was a whole wheat english muffin and a glass of orange juice (again cheating) but let me say I feel 100 percent better now. Still a light breakfeast but also still cheating. If anyone else is having the energy problem chime in, especially if you have some solutions.

I honestly think eating healthier is less expensive than loading up on processed boxed foods at the grocery store. You can get a HUGE bag of brown rice, frozen chicken breasts, Lentils, Beans... go the farmers market for your fruits and veggies etc and spend next to nothing! Plus, you're eating less lol... It's the "diet" junk food that costs more! Good luck!

Thanks for all your tips. i stopped eating out a long time ago. It's so much cheaper to eat at home (not to mention healthier). i buy chicken breasts and ground beef in bulk. It's the veggies i have a hard time with. Canned is about all we eat. It seems whenever i buy fresh, they go bad before we eat them. When i did south beach, the eggs were probably the cheapest thing (and the thing i ate the most of). i bought 2 dozen for less than a dollar. Can't beat that. i'll probably start eating eggs for breakfast more often. Very filling. Any of you who've tried south beach knows how sick you get of eating eggs every day. Maybe i just won't overdo it this time.

Well, i'm rambling here. Sorry bout that. Thanks for all your advice. i have yet to decide which route i'm going to take. i found a site on the faith based support groups thread for a Bible study course for overeaters. i think the link was http://www.settingcaptivesfree.com/ i'm going to look into that a little more.

Good night everyone.

In Christ,
christine

I am all about saving money on groceries. I am a SAHM on one very tight budget. My tricks that I use:

1) Clip coupons. If you are going to actually use the coupons, I buy 4 copies every week, and then buy 4 of each item when it goes on sale. I also use the coupon trading sites and trade my coupons.
2) "Study" the grcery store flyers. Get a good feel for what a good price is for your staple foods. Switch grocery stores if you find one with better prices. I usually buy foods that are half price WITH a coupon.
3) Lean cuisines and Smart ones go on sale for less than $2 and if you use coupons, and buy lots of them, it is truly a pretty cheap meal.
4) I also use the local veggie stands - supermarkets are overpriced.
5) Maybe start your own veggie garden next year. Saves me a ton, and they dont go bad because you dont pick it until you are ready.
6) Although I would like to buy fish, I just dont - not in the budget. I buy chicken and lean beef only when its half price.

You absolutely can do this! Study the flyers and plan your purchases before you get to the store.

Take care!

Boy, kiddo, I know how the budget thing goes! My dh was career Navy enlisted and I didn't work so we were actually poverty level with two growing kids. The suggestions so far are great, also try buying canned veggies with no salt, fruit in its own juice instead of fresh if you can't afford it and if you have to buy regular canned veggies and fruit, rinse them well. Watch the newspaper for the sales and buy things when they go on sale and stock up as much as you can afford. Pastas and rice aren't the devil like some people want you to believe. If you have to eat pasta dishes a lot to save money, just try smaller portions of pasta dishes and more veggies. Oatmeal is cheap and very good for you. Try a little sugar free syrup instead of Splenda as it is cheaper to buy. Chicken breasts can be bought in bulk cheaply, try ALDIS if you have one anywhere around where you live. Go to the American Heart Association website and they have great lowfat recipes. Buy chicken parts and remove the skin before cooking. Get yourself a cookbook or borrow one from the library and do some old fashioned typing and type up some recipes you think you and your family would like. Use the search engine on your computer to look up lower fat recipes. Even though money is not an issue anymore for us, I still buy a cut of meat and halve it and make two meals out of it. If you need to buy regular ground beef, cook it and drain it through a paper towel into a bowl to remove as much fat as possible. You can substitute all kinds of things like ff cheddar cheese slices for grated cheese (which is cheaper bought in blocks and you shred then already shredded btw) I make mashed potatoes using ff buttermilk or ff sour cream with a little ff milk. I make gravy buying a can of ff beef broth mixed with a bit of cornstarch mixed with water. Look at the recipe at the WW site here. I am sure any of the ladies would be only too happy to help you out since you can't afford the cost of WW. Good luck to you and we all want to see you succeed!

Faye