hello all,
i am a 40 year old man who is desperately looking for some help and support when it comes to dieting. i am not proud of what i have become, a worthless fat pig who cant make a healthy meal to save my life. i have tried seeking out a nutritionist here locally to no avail. i even been to 2 doctors offices to get a referral and they just didnt bother to help me, isnt that great? so i have no place to turn to and i found this place. i need severe help is creating healthy meals because all i can figure out is to eat oatmeal and that gets old after a week. please help me, i am screaming out loud, i dont know where to go...

Hi Carbie,

3 Fat Chicks is a good place for us guys to get help - from one another and from all the knowledgeable females who're working an eating plan and an exercise plan on their journey toward a healthy life.

The hardest step is reaching out, which you've just done. Big Kudos for that. Next is trying to distill the advice that will work for you. That's pretty difficult, also, but worth the effort.

Do you have an eating plan yet? Perhaps a notion of which of the zillion diets out there that you might like to follow? Do you cook all your own meals - which can be much easier to control than folks who're addicted to eating out always.

The site is divided in multiple ways; one way is by eating plan (i.e. "Diet"). As you browse around, one diet or group is likely to appeal to you.

The site is also divided by age groups and interest groups; it's a big help to find folks that seem compatible.

I'm glad you've joined us.

What are you eating now?

Do you have an eating plan yet? nope, no idea how to start one

Perhaps a notion of which of the zillion diets out there that you might like to follow? have not looked into a plan but cant afford it anyways

Do you cook all your own meals, yes i cook all the frozen food i buy or tv dinners, etc.

What are you eating now? frozen french fries and chicken patties.

i am lost and need extreme help, am i going to die a fat worthless pig?

Carbie, if you can afford expensive tv dinners you can afford a different diet. Instead of buying the hungry man's get some chicken breast and the green giant frozen steamer veggies. Its how I started to eat veggies and they are delicious! Just take baby steps. Learn to cook one type of meat in the oven and microwave veggies. Then, once your comfortable with that try another. Instead of oatmeal always in the morning make a protein drink with the Dessert protein powder.

http://m.bsnonline.net/details/leandessertprotein.html

they are not expensive tv dinners, i get the cheap ones because i am on a budget with my money. so i am not eating expensive more like a poor man with no money to say at all. i cant drink those protein drinks, i tried one years ago and they were disgusting. so i am suppose to eat chicken and veggies along with oatmeal eveyday?

It is hard to change eating patterns, especially on a budget. But instead of completely changing your whole diet in one shocking swoop, every few days try adding a new meal to your cooking skills. My suggestion of approach is not go on a "diet" but start learning a new skill weekly to help you move into healthy eating. So instead of eating oatmeal, mircowave meal, microwave meal... try oatmeal, chicken & veggies, microwave meal. Etc. Ween yourself off. As you get tired of eating same things, it will motivate you to learn how to cook other meals, like ground turkey with chopped bell pepper and eat them in say a a lettuce cup with some Walden Farms Seasame dressing!

The reason I suggested that specific protein shake is because it is REALLY tasty in vanilla. My husband asks for one every morning and he lives off of rice and oreos. Maybe you have a friend that is willing to go in half with you for the shake just so you can try it.

I just discovered this girl's blog and on this page she has a roasted veggie recipe that looks great! Look through the website, she has loads of healthy food eating ideas
http://undressedskeleton.tumblr.com/post/37606400105

I know you are frustrated but you are a worthy human being who deserves love, especially from yourself, and this won't be an overnight change because the weight didn't show up overnight.

I'm on the Ideal Protein Diet but it is quite pricey, about $500 a month for their 3x a day food, plus the cost of meat and fresh veggies. It does teach you how to eat and takes all the guesswork out of it but there are people who follow the Ideal Protein Plan just with different foods. Look on the forumn there's a whole section of us.

Whatever you decide will be a journey. I'm proud of you for starting it, but dont stop once you see all the roads. Many people lose weight in different styles, that's what this whole website's idea is about. Perhaps you could ask a single question like "what are some healthy breakfast ideas that don't involve oatmeal and are inexpensive?" You will get a hundred ideas. Try not to pick apart everyone's answers, they are just trying to offer support. In the end, only you can decide what's best for you and continue walking the journey. We each had to do the same for ourselves. Best wishes.

thank you for the support i truly appreciate it

End of march 2012, I was in the same point as you are now. One thing to remember - changing is easier than it seems As far as I'm concerned, I chose the whole food diet, and I can recommend it. I wish you all the best, good luck

what is a whole food diet? i am not familar with anything when it comes to diets, i can tbarely afford to eat with the fixed income i have now, how can i afford to eat healthy on that?

As far as a diet, Do not follow one yet.

You need to know where you are at. Write down what you are eating. Write down EVERYTHING that you eat and drink for 3 days. Enter it into a diet analysis program like myplate.gov or fitday.com or one they have here (I assume they have one). Usually these programs will ask for age gender height and weight to figue out calorie needs.

Your goal is to eat at least 400 calories less that you need. Also I assume you are a male, if so, 30% of your calories should be from protein. Protein builds muscle, increased metabolism and helps you feel full. Other than that eat what you want, just do not go over your caloire limit

Steps:
- write down everything you eat and drink for 3 days
- find a diet analysis website to enter your food journal, and get calories needs
- If you are not getting enough protein, eat more lean meat, chicken breast is the cheapest
- Stay under your calorie limit

Good luck. let us know what you find out.

I feel your pain. i was 329lb this time last year. (again i might add!) now i'm well see ticker.

Breakfast 35g oats with 200ml of rice milk. before 12 i'll eat 1 banana and 2 apples. Lunch will be canned tuna with rice/pasta, 2pm ish banana and between 3-5 i'll snack on a small apple and about 10 grapes.

Dinner is usually a home made spaghetti bolognaise. I drink just short of a gallon of water a day. Additional snacks if i get hungry are rice cakes with peanut butter or skinless almonds.

I tend now to avoid processed foods as much as possible. Spag bol is simple get a big flat dish that you can put on the stove.

Brown about 1lb of ground lean beef add 1 can of chopped tomoatos, mix,

chop and add. 1 onion 2 peppers (different colours looks better but makes no difference) crush and stir in 1 segment of garlic make up 1/3 pint of stock from cubes (beef preferably) pour in. if you want to add some dried herbs or chilli for a punch.

This is the foundation of your dinner. this amount serves me and the mrs for 2 days so 4 portions. boil 75 -100g of spaghetti in water. when cooked (10-15mins depending on type) strain put in a bowl or high sided dish. spoon in 1/4 of the bol mix. you can freeze and reuse the rest if needed.

Wash back with 1-2 pints of sugar free fruit squash or water. if dessert is needed some fruit is always good.

Here is the big suprise. you can eat cheap on good food. Seriously Baked potatos can be made simply in about 40 mins and are cheap. Buy a 4lb back of potatos. you can make your own fries from them you can boil them mash them roast them fry them bake them. They are good for you and full of starchy carbs for energy

Rice and Pasta by the big bag are relatively cheap. bear in mind that you wont need to buy a bag every week. Meat wise well thats where i seriously cut back due to cost. However fish can be picked up affordably as can some ground beef and chicken as said is great.

Ground beef can be used to make mince and potatoes, your own burgers, spaghetti bolognaise. and hundreds of other things. if you google for recipies you can find so many things. many things exist on certain video sharing sites that will even give you a play by play live view of how to cook things.

Dried beans and fresh eggs are other low-cost foods that work well for a lot of people. Fresh produce can be pretty cheap when it's in season. Using a variety of dried herbs and spices can make things tastier at little added cost per meal, too. http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/shoestring-meals-235/ might be a good place to start looking for cheap meal ideas, and there are a lot of links floating around the site to various blogs and whatnot that specialize in low-budget meal prep.

As Bill said, you've taken a huge step just by reaching out. Take your time, take a look at the different plans people on this site use (under the "Diet Central" heading on the main forum page), ask questions, and make little changes when and where you can. Don't be too hard on yourself for not being much of a cook - a lot of people aren't. Unlike most of them, however, you're doing something about it. Once you've practiced a bit, you'll probably be able to whip up some pretty healthy, tasty, and cheap stuff.

You can do this!

I agree - start with little changes, and get a good idea of what you're eating by writing it down, take pics with your phone, whatever works so that you can visualize what you're taking into your body.

Oatmeal in the morning is great! I like the suggestion of having a snack (an apple, banana, cottage cheese, yogurt) before lunch. Drinking water (I bought a plastic, reusable water bottle for work) is key to fighting off cravings for a bigger, fried lunch. My lunch makes me thirsty, so I'm drinking water or tea all afternoon. I count my calories for coffee with creamer (I stopped using sugar, which was an adjustment).

Dinners are my biggest challenge because it's hard to stick to the portion sizes. However, I bought some $5 tupperware for dinner use only. If I make a big meal on the weekend, I will portion out some leftovers for other meals. If I'm making dinner, I put my portion on a small/medium sized plate, let my husband grab his portion, and then I put any leftovers away before I sit down to eat. By the end of dinner, I'm too full and lazy to get everything out that I just put away. I also eat a piece of fruit (my night grapefruit) after dinner (before 8pm) in case I'm still hungry and a glass of water or how tea isn't doing the trick.

I am not on any specific, name brand diet plan. I only count my calories. It was tough at first, and I started out doing oatmeal for breakfast, bringing snacks for mid-morning and mid-afternoon, and cutting the sugar out of my coffee. Start with changing 1-2 things and stick to them before adding anything else.

Good luck and let us know how you're doing!

Hi, welcome! I am new here as well. I have to admit that I am kinda in your ball-park. My income is super restricted. I am a student (a ripe old one at 31 lol) and my budget reflects that. I also have a kinda unique situation where I don't always have access to a stove so I microwave everything. A lot of the advice above me works well, counting calories is what I am doing and have always done and works the best.

I personally find that making wraps and low-cal sandwiches works the best. Lately I have been eating a lot of vegetarian-ish stuff just because it's cheaper and available. Just make sure you eat beans or something to make up the protein you lose if you decide to look away from meat.

At the moment I am looking at how to craft a sandwich but go beyond the calorie-incentive bread (wraps are my temp-solution). I also eat instant rice a lot. A half-cup is way more than you would think and throw some salsa on it with some jalepenos and corn and it's really good.

Although it's not cheap, but lasts a while if you use only correctly sized portions, I have been using hummus in substitute of mayo and mustard and that's going really well too.

Eating well on a budget sucks but as long as your willing to put in the extra time to cook (even in a microwave) it's not super hard. Lots and lots of vegetables . Good luck to ya bud, hope it all works out and keep us up to date.