So, My journey so far have been anything but easy. I've cried more than I ever thought I would and I've felt like giving up sooo many times. Then I found this site. I'm in some serious need of support, and I really wonder am I the only one who has felt or went through this. I work my but off, excercising and eating healthy only to feel horrible in the in end win I step on a scale. I see other friends out eating and I can't eat it and it makes me feel even more desperate. I'm determined to get rid of this weight, and all the foods I crave is what got me here in the first place! I was diagnosed with Acid Reflux disease and was advised to give up greasy, fatty foods, and to lose weight.. I could not breath one night and that was the stopping point for this unhealthy lifestyle. I'm a sophmore in college so it makes it even more difficult to eat healthy bc things are so expensive and it so little things to choose from! I feel hopeless, and I feel like I'll never reach my goal weight or size... I just want to be healthier. Help.

Some things I have learned. I can't eat like all of the people around me or I will be overweight.

This does not mean I need to deprive myself, I just need to me more mindful of my choices.

A healthy food/nutrition plan, (not a diet), need not be pricey.

Tuna, if you shop carefully is inexpensive and a great food choice. Skinless chicken breasts, I get them at Wal-Mart. About $10 for the big pack. The thing is, these breasts are almost twice a normal portion size. I've weighed them. So I cut them in half lengthwise and get twice the portions!

Raw carrots, skip the already peeled mini ones, buy the regular whole ones and peel them yourself. Celery, buy the pack with the leaves on, if you have a bit of freezer space, save the leaves for seasoning soups and other dishes.

Zuchinni is your friend. And it's usually inexpensive. I grate it like hashbrowns and add it to many meat dishes. For instance, taco's. Half 97% burger, half grated zuke. Bulks it up, and saves calories.

Sweet potatoes! A 7 ounce one is low cal, filling and good for you. You can microwave them! I love to micro one, let it cool, peel, slice like fries and add a bit of Tony Chachery and spritz with some PAM, and warm up. Yummy! Or, mash it up like a baked potato and add a bit of sugar free maple syrup, also economical at Wally World. A sweet treat!

Turkey bacon, 3 slices, roma tomatoes, (cheaper) some lettuce, skip the bread and make it a salad.

My local Wal-mart also has pre cooked turkey sausage patties, $4.98 for a huge bag. Low cal, you can do so many things with these! Breakfast! 1/4 cup egg beaters or one egg and a patty, one slice of Sara Lee 45 cal a slice bread! Add one piece of fruit or a veg. Or some diced onion, salsa, cut the patty into little pieces, egg or egg beaters, and you have an scramble!

Dry edible beans, cheap! Easy to cook in a crock pot. You should be able to pick up a crock pot, at a $1 store for $10, or shop local thrift stores, I bought my last one for $2! Dry edible beans do take awhile to cook, but are high in protein and very filling and versatile.

Oatmeal is another inexpensive option! Low cal, whole grain, good for you.


A George Foreman grill, also cheap to buy at a thrift store. Grill the chix breasts, veggies. I love length wise slices of yellow squash or zuke, spritz with PAM and add a bit of season salt!

Boiled eggs are a great high protein snack, again, economical. Slice, dice, smoosh it up, add a little relish, mustard and smidge of olive oil mayo, eat on a couple of saltines, also economical.

A few spices and herbs are key. Oregano will make anything taste like Italian. Cumin for the Mexican flair. Garlic cloves, keep well in the fridge, or get a small jar of crushed garlic, a little goes a long ways. If you like some heat, horseradish, a little goes a LOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG ways.

Another handy kitchen gadget, a food dehydrator. Most likely you could find at a thrift store or garage sale. When things like apples or bananas are on sale, get them and dehydrate them for snacks.

Popcorn! You can buy the old fashioned bag and pop it in skillet with no oil, or buy some plain ole brown lunch bags, some masking tape and make your own microwave popcorn. This one does take some time to figure out, but it does work!

It does take some time, research, diligence and some time dedicated to shopping and prep, but it's all possible!

Thank you soooooooo much!!!! I'm going grocery shopping this week and everything you named sounds DEELISH!! I definitely won't give up, and thank you again for your insight!!! I appreciate It bunches.

Hang in there! It can be so frustrating at times when you know how you want to feel and look, but it's taking forever to get there. I like having green and red peppers along with onions chopped finely and kept in containers in the fridge. I can easily mix up some eggs into an omelet with these ingredients. It's good any time of the day or night. Good luck!

Oh no, don't cry! When I feel dismayed, I tell myself "nothing has been done that cannot be undone"- no weight has been gained that cannot be lost. Don't worry about what other people eat and what you can't eat- remember you can eat what they do, but you have a goal to achieve and they might not, you choose not to do what they do because your goal, health, life is more important. It looks like you have lost 23lb already- thats over 10kg, which is not nothing, that's really something!

Now, for practical stuff! Meal planning is a great idea, if you dont already do it, then do this! I get a lot of my recipes from www.skinnytaste.com, the recipes are good, there's an under $10 section, and it uses lots of real ingredients and quality stuff. And it's really delicious so you dont feel deprived and might even find some healthier versions of things that you prefer!

Don't give up!

Hugs

Firstly dmarie92 most of us have had that break down moment regarding our weight so dont beat yourself up. The fact that you are here and have made a decision to change your life is a step in the right direction.

I totally agree with shcirerf, some of us cant eat like our friends without gaining weight. Its about accepting and understanding this and then making the right healthy choices. Think of it as a lifestyle change and not a diet. Plan and prepare your meals the day before so you wont have any excuses not eating healthy. Its going to take alot of work, preparation, determination and commitment but it's all possible. Good luck to you on this journey..

Thank allll of you guys for all of the support! The support is amazing on here. Thank you guys again!

I got this for myself to help remind me to keep pushing. YOU CAN DO THIS!



When you binge or eat poorly, forget it and move on. Do something about it if it happens. If I eat too many carbs I go weight train the next day. I push myself that much harder. Living a healthy lifestyle is a lot cheaper than you might imagine. Water is a huge part of my lifestyle change. It's a lot cheaper than purchasing cokes, teas, or the like. I do drink unsweet tea and if I'm really wanting something sugary to drink, I'll mix water with crystal light (tastes just like koolaid!). Lean meats aren't that expensive to purchase either - in fact you save more money in the long run eating healthy than going through the drive through or snagging up bad food.

Also, a grocery tip! When I go food shopping I always check out the turkey version rather than the heavy beef/ham/sausage. If my protein is higher than my carbs it's a great thing to have! Another really good habit to pick up is a journal. Moleskine has an awesome wellness journal. I picked mine up at my local Barnes and Noble.

http://www.amazon.com/Moleskine-Pass.../dp/8862933185

I write down my feelings, too. It's amazing how many times I try to eat emotionally.

You will reach your goals , keep your head up high . The key is to keep healthy snacks with you at all times if you love snacking and make sure they're healthy snacks , keep almonds nearby theyre the best for weightloss because the body actually works harder to digest them , burning more calories plus keeping you full longer not to mention they have good protein . Another good one is making sure you have lots of high fibre foods to keep you full longer to avoid binging and snacking on unhealthy foods