Yea i always make excuses but I feel the excuses are viable. Although I could talk to my roommates about the whole labeled-food-doesn't-get-tossed thing. But I DO have issues with them throwing away stuff I make that I plan to eat later. As for the Wii, I don't have any get up and move games to really return to. I do have to dig into my savings for walking shoes... and that's what I'm doing is walking, it's a lot cheaper than a game my doctor has told me not to play.I have talked to my mother, who owns a xbox, about how much I wish I had 200$ to get a kinect and dance game for that xbox. But I just don't have the money. You say if i really want to work on losing weight I'll find a way... I live on disability. I have tried the whole getting a job thing... for a year and a half through vocational rehabilitation and even THEY couldn't find me a job. So I have tried finding a way to get more money. I am working on fitting 3 meals into the calorie allotment I've set out for myself. Yesterday was a little less planned and today DID go better. *Munches on steamed broccoli while she types this whole thing* I figured out what my problem is. It's not that I am not ready. I AM READY. I just started UNPREPARED. I just woke up one day and said hey, I'm gonna do this. Then the next day figured I'd do dieting to. No plans really at all. Just making it up as I go along really. *Whines cause the bowl's empty and the broccoli was soooo gooood* But I know what I need to do and really I shouldn't have started off the way I did. Maybe I should have just not made excuses and just said what everyone wants to hear... But i am not that way. I say things the WAY THEY ARE. They come out looking like excuses, but it's just how things are with me. I'm sorry for this whole big thing and the two posts I deleted being all emo-ish. I came here for support and not so much advice since I seem to not be very good at taking what is given.

And I'm really, really glad that you came back. The truth is, circumstances like yours DO make weight loss more difficult. Budget issues, lack of access to healthy foods - these are real barriers, and I hope you don't feel that anyone was discounting them. Instead, people were trying to give you ideas on how to jump right over those barriers and STILL get where you're going, you know? It's less "get over it and stop making excuses" and more "hey, I have faced and/or understand this problem - here is a way to overcome it, because you're worth it".

So, if you need advice, ask for it, and if you need support, ask for it...and try to remember that everyone is just trying to help you jump over those barriers so that you can get where you want to go.

There are two sides to the equation when it comes to food and satiety. One side is the number of calories you require to maintain your current weight. This is static and will be in operation regardless of what you eat. Of course, you will need to eat below that number to lose weight, but I'd try to not eat more than 500 calories below that number at the beginning to ease the way. Even 500 calories below your maintenance number will help you lose a pound a week.

The other side of this is stomach capacity and blood sugar numbers. These you can do things about (whereas you can't immediately change your caloric needs). Your stomach capacity can be shrunk by slowly reducing portion sizes and your blood sugar can be more stable by eating more often. If you have no choice but to eat things like toast and ramen, eat them, but break up the timing and eat smaller amounts each time. You won't feel full at first when you eat, but you also won't be empty. Essentially, take the calories from what you can eat and spread them out by splitting meals. That way you have something left at the end of the day for the night-time munchies.

Through time, your stomach capacity will go down and you will feel more satisfied with these smaller meals. Look at your schedule and your calories and try to eat your mini-meals no more than 2 hours apart. If you're hungry, you can know that more food isn't that far away.

I didn't have the same limits as you, but this way of splitting meals helped me a lot at the beginning. I'd eat 200 calories for breakfast then a piece of fruit 2 hours later then a lunch with 350 calories about 90 minutes later followed by a 200 calorie snack two hours after that and another snack about 90-minutes after that followed by a small dinner. AT first it was hard because I wanted to eat more at the meal, and now, I do something similar and feel like I'm eating all the time and getting full. My stomach capacity has shrunk a lot so the small meal is now enough.

This may or may not work for you, but it is something which your food options are less of an issue with as it focuses on spreading the calories out more than spending them on specific foods. Good luck!

Yea i totally felt like everyone was discounting them and that's why i got all defensive. I don't see how to split up everything into smaller portions. I mean, I know SOME things can be. But Ramen is small as it is but it packs a ton of calories. i had what I consider less than what a cat would eat for breakfast and that was 250 calories. half a cup of cereal and half a cup of milk = 311. Sorry, not 250. That was just the cereal. I WAS going to snack on some trail mix. Didn't know that a cup of trail mix is 700 calories and that's all I bought myself to eat for the next week. *cries* Broccoli, 5 cans of soup and trail mix. Everything'[s just gonna have to be wacked out. eat a tiny breakfast, BIG lunch/dinner and tiny whatever else. I really wish I had a doctor to talk to about what i really should be doing instead of just jumping into this. My last doctor couldn't tell me anything because "insurance doesn't pay for that" and I dunno if I can talk to my new doctor about it. I was looking around at everything people are doing and wondering "Do I just jump right on in and cut out about half of what I normally eat?"

mistycrow. i do feel for you..and i understand your money problems, as i don't have a job,

maybe we could give you some suggestions if you tell us what your weekly budget for food is? or if that is none of my business sorry!
maybe this week you shouldn't stress out, since you don't have the proper food, and just work on planning what you are going to do next week when you can get some groceries again.

ramen is an awful food, so much sodium, and a lot of those packs are two servings depending on the brand, but where else can you get a 25 cent meal, followed next by burritos and pot pies, we also lived on baked potatos for weeks, too bad they are soo starchy, would still be a better option than ramen

i know the walmart here has lean gourmet, and they are a dollar a meal, the lasagna one is pretty good,

i am just starting out on my journey, but i will be more than happy to help you in anyway i can because i know how overwhelming, stressful, hopeless everything is when you are broke

*gets sleep out of her eyes* Wow, I'm up at noon... first time in weeks.

Ok, I get 60$ a week. But this goes towards what the whole household needs and not just me so sometimes only half of it (or less) is actual ME money. I know ramen is bad but that's what we have abundance of right now. i am also a preferred vegetarian so finding pre-made meals that are meatless that include veggies is hard. I'll go look at what they have though next time i go to the store.

I cannot imagine giving up everything in the name of weight loss. It's my belief that if you aren't happy and feel that you are being punished, then it's not going to work.

For me, I had to give up my books, music or DVDs, I think I would die. It should be all about lifestyle changes which can be maintained. It may take a little time but, yes, if you get more active it will help you lose the weight and tone up. It's also about the food choices you make. I understand that you don't have a lot of choice in that department and that financially, you are limited as well. Maybe, look at what is actually being consumed in a day and see where you can make even the smallest change. For example: milk - low fat is easier on the hips than full cream. Diet coke instead of regular. An apple instead of a Mars Bar or Violet Crumble. You may find that the little changes will have a bearing without making you feel like you are in gaol and being punished for some horrible crime. If you like video games just ration their use. Don't sit on the couch 24/7. Maybe use it as a reward or something.

Anyway, good luck with it all. Any improvement is still an improvement.

The way I started cutting back was by tablespoons. Take the regular full portion and put back two bites/tablespoons. The same with caloric liquids - fill the glass 3/4 full instead of the whole way. Once that became "normal", I'd remove a few more bites until that became "normal" and no longer felt like a reduced portion. It took awhile, but it became meaningful. It was a place to start.

Compared to what I used to eat, I now eat incredibly small portions. If my past self could see how little I eat, she'd be shocked that anyone could ever be satisfied with that. But, I am. It just took time and patience to adjust. It took about 10 months for me to get it all settled and be satisfied, but I reached a turning point where my body and mind adjusted and I could stop thinking about food so much.

Again, this does not work for everyone and may not work for you, but with your food option limits, it's going to be difficult to make changes other than to portion sizes and exercise.

Well so far so good with what I'm doing... just diving on into it and making sure i don't go over 1650 calories. Also helped get some veggies in today. I asked what one of my roommate was gonna cook and it was pork chops, rice a roni wild rice and that was it. I asked to add steamed broccoli and she said good idea. Of course i didn't have any pork chop and she knew i wouldn't. Was a good 269 calorie meal and I still have 763 - 913 left (and I've had breakfast lunch and dinner) for the day. I'm thinking of having some toast and jam later. mmm toast and jam... and i got my check from my payee for shoes since the other ones are killing my pinkie toes. Off to get walking shoes tomorrow, if I'm lucky I'll have enough leftover to get some stuff from the grocery store.

I think this is great. :-) This is really how you do it - you start working with what you can and make the best of it. The important thing is to make tiny moves in the direction you want to go rather than worry about getting there perfectly and all at once.

try to get at least a thousand calories in a day, if not you are eventually gonna feel like crap, and your body will store everything instead of burning and your weight loss will stop

fat free refried beans are cheap, 1/2 cup per serving, i bought a big can and still have tons left and i have ate from it 3 times, i put the beans in a whole wheat wrap with a lil salsa and some cheese, i think the beans are 110 calories but i could be mistaken a lil with 6 grams of fiber and it is vegetarian

boca burgers aren't too bad, can be pricey depending on the store

i was a complete vegetarian for about 2 years,
a bag of brown rice is like a dollar
frozen veggies are what 1.50 a bag maybe give or take.

if you had say 20 bucks you could spend on food buy 3 or 4 bags of frozen veggies 5-6 dollars
small bag of brown rice 1 dollar
salsa 2 dollar (adds tons of flavor to your food with only 20 calories per 2 tbsps)

well thats under 10 bucks there, and it does suck to eat the same thing over and over, but that would probably give you 6 to 8 meals

and if you like refried beans big can under 2 dollars
some whole wheat wraps 3 dollars
bag of fruit 3 or 4 dollars
thats another 10 dollars

and if you wanted to spurge for a sweet tooth get some kellogs fiber bars 4 dollars for the big box, 120 calories 9 grams of fiber and they are as good as a candy bar, at least the chocolate chip kind are, they do have some sugar and what-not but great for a craving and great for trying to get in fiber

and a bag of potatos are cheap 10 pounds for maybe 4 bucks, but too much starch isn't good, but it is still better than ramen

i live with my family, very limited income, retirement and disability only, and i will admit it i get food stamps, trying to make them stretch is very hard, so i try to eat cheap, doesn't always happen, and like now, we are out of food stamps and wont get more til the 10th of feb, but we will survive, we always do,

anyways i hope you might be able to use some of these suggestions, i don't know you so i don't know what food you like or dislike etc...besides not wanting to eat meat..but good luck..

Good suggestions. I'll see what i can do tomorrow. Thursday is pay day so not far to wait and HOPEFULLY this will be an ALL ME week. And yes, I know eat more than 1200 calories a day... I had toast and jam since that post, cheese its and um... *goes to look* well i have tea w/milk sitting on my desk cooling off... so yea that should do it for the day since the cheese its was two servings. I don't really want them to go to waste and not much left... like one more serving. Hate to see good cheese-its go to someone else. *growls defensively* mother says she'll take the trail mix though.

Wii Fit and whatever the new system is would still let you have entertainment. They aren't my gig, but a girlfriend who is into gaming loves it.

YAY! My weight is going down!