My name's Shannen and I turned 20 this past October. I've been very distressed about the path my life is taking and I don't want to just stand idly by anymore. I want to live, I don't want to watch my life pass me by. I'm very afraid of his happening. I've been overweight all my life, ever since I hit puberty, so my mother says. I've never been an emotional eater, I just don't eat the right things and exercise enough. My situation is a little different form anyone I have read about, (and believe me, I have read hundreds of stories and watched hundreds of before and after videos for inspiration). When I was 11, my mother had a major stroke that crippled her for some time. To this day she can't feel her left side and walks with a cane. She can't work, so my entire childhood and young adulthood after 11 has been extremely tough and we've really struggled. We have to depend on food stamps for food and have no choice but to buy $1 pasta like mac and cheese to sustain us for the entire month. We've tried everything, a nutritionist, getting more assistance. My younger brother and I worked every chance we got. We don't even get $100 a person (it's the 3 of us) for the entire month. How are we suppose to eat healthy for the entire month? The nutritionist even told us, "it can't be done." We all became very depressed after that. At the end of the month (we get the food stamps in the beginning) we have to resort to food pantries and churches for help and they give us pasta, bread, chips, all the stuff you shouldn't be eating. No one believes it, because how many people do you know have had to struggle this way? Probably not many. I refuse to let our situation bring me down any longer though. I just had gallbladder surgery and have been having some complications, so even though I finished a CNA course in may, I can't work yet. I'm doing everything I can to get my health taken care of so I can finally support myself and my family. While I'm sitting around waiting for the doctors to work their magic, why not try to lose some weight too? I can do small things. It's not like I'm in pain all the time, I just get really bad stomach attacks, like gallbladder attacks several times a day. So I've decided that I'm going to stop obsessing over other people's weight loss success stories, and make one of my own. I believe I was at one point close to 350 pounds. I don't know if I was hallucinating the number on the scale or really saw it. I'm currently 315, so that make me feel like I can do this. I'm going to have small and long term goals. Right now, I want to see that 200 number. 299, I don't really care, as long as it has a 2 in the beginning! My next goal will be to see that 1. I'll probably die that day, because I don't think I've seen that number since middle school. Elementary school even. I want it back. I want my happiness back. I don't want to have to worry about fitting in chairs, on rollercoasters, moving around in bed too much in fear that it'll break, anything. I tried this online forum thing once before and lost interest. But I promise myself that this time, I will be in it for the long haul. I'd love to see 120, but with my body, I don't think that'll ever happen. It's just a dream I suppose. I'm 5'10 and have a pear shaped body as they save. Thunder thighs, lol. I played soccer as a kid, so I have the legs to prove it. If I could at least see the 100's, I don't think I'd care what I was after that, as long as I stayed there. 150 is probably a good, healthy weight for my height though. Thank you if you took the time to read this. This is really just a rant so I can get all of my thoughts and feelings about this out on the table. I'm been wallowing for quite some time now. I've never hated my body, because I figured that God loved me no matter what and that everyone is shaped differently, the whole, all shapes and sizes thing. But I'm not happen with my body anymore. I want to be one of those girls that people find inspiring for losing weight and keeping it off!

i understand having to eat healthy while on a budget!

i'm not working much right now, and my husband is in school full time, so money is definitely tight. we're at the end of last semester's school loans and we don't get another check until the end of february. we've been having to stretch a dollar to get us through these few months (unexpected car repairs are a killer on the wallet!).

i've found that store brand frozen veggies and reduced sodium canned veggies (they're less than a dollar per can) are a great addition to otherwise unhealthy meals. we have had ramen (1/2 season packet) or rice or kraft mac n cheese (light prep) with almost every meal the last week. tonight i used a pack of frozen broccoli mix (less than $2) with a single chicken breast bought on sale (3 big breasts for $4.50) cooked with honey and reduced sodium soy sauce, and served it over the rice. all in all, divided up, the whole meal cost less than 5 dollars and was enough for my husband and i to eat a filling dinner, and for him to have lunch tomorrow.

i almost always look for clearance priced meats, the stuff they have to sell ASAP because the 'use or freeze by' date is approaching. as long as you get it home and in the freezer, you can store it for a while.

the cheap foods aren't always the healthiest, but you can still get a decent meal for a decent price if you look for deals. almost everything i eat comes in a 'great value' container from walmart. heh.

i started at a little over 300 pounds myself, so i can relate to where you're coming from. the best money i've spent during my weight loss adventure was a $25 pedal machine that is like pedaling a bike while you are sitting on the couch or chair or whatever. i love grabbing it up and using it while watching various shows. when i was focused, i lost a little over 50 pounds in about 6 months. if i can do it, anyone can... all you gotta do is focus!

good luck!

Thank you so much for replying! I definitely know how unexpected car repairs can be. I sometimes wish I lived in a city so I could just take a bus where I needed to go, lol. I just had to buy 2 tires, because they were balding and snow was on the ground. Not fun when you have to give up something else, because of an emergency like that. I really appreciate you telling me about the frozen veggies. I'm going to check them out when we go grocery shopping next month. I googled canned veggies a little while ago actually. I know that they're not always so good for you, because they have so much sodium, but they are so cheap! So i will definitely look for a low sodium brand. I know of the great value brand all too well myself. :P I'm a horrible cook, so doing everything myself won't be easy, but I'm going to make it work. I'll just have to sit down and talk to my mother about it. She's a fabulous cook, I always tell her to stop cooking so maybe I could lose some weight, haha. She might be able to teach me a thing or two. She lost over 170lbs after she became very ill. She looks amazing now, still has a way to go, but even though she's still sick, she's much healthier than before. Everyone here is a big inspiration and I plan on sharing all of your advice with my whole family. Thank you again, and good luck with your weight loss journey!

As it turns out, obesity and related chronic diseases disproportionately affect low-income communities. Healthy decisions about food choices can be difficult to make. Few, if any, food retailers offer culturally desirable, affordable fresh fruits and vegetables, making it difficult for families to make healthy food choices.
At age 18, I was living with my grandmother as a caregiver. She was blind over night due to a retinal detachment. I had to cook, clean, and attest to any need she had. This kept me housebound and depressed. Although she has made a full recovery and I am living on my own, I learned a few tricks of the trade about shopping healthy and shopping cheap.
Many farmers markets are committed to improving access to healthful foods for all communities and encourage non-traditional customers to shop at farmers markets. Not only is this more bang for your buck, you're helping out your community.
I learned to plan my meals by produce rather than meat. If you think of 5-6 good dinners and make a few in quantity, you will usually have enough food to get through a week. (In fact, I just left beef alone entirely. It's expensive and I'd rather eat leaner meats anyway.)
And for things you can't get locally, coupons, coupons, coupons!

Shannen, welcome, glad to have you join us. I suggest you look for a Challenge or Support group to join; small check-in groups make it easier to connect, get involved, and be accountable. We have groups centering around specific diets plans, themes, or age groups, so find one that inspires you and just post to join! Be sure to check out the 20-somethings and the Dieting with Obstacles

I will, thank you.