How do you do it? Tips Appreciated!!
 

So I'll lay it all out for you guys. I won't lie, I'm extremely lazy and without motivation I feel like it's worthless. I push off starting my weight loss journey as much as possible.

I now weigh in around 245 pounds or so, it varies daily. Anyway, I try to come up with weight loss plans and programs for myself, but they never work when I actually set in to use them. I can't afford any organic foods or other items people have told me to get, and nor can I afford a gym membership since I lost my job in August. I'm 19 and I still live at home, but my parents are not very supportive of me. Either is my boyfriend. My family, friends and boyfriend always tell me they're afraid for my weight and my health, but they never help me.

I would really appreciate any tips that would help with my weight loss journey with my financial issues.

Do you have any exercise equipment at home? Or do you live in an area where it's safe to walk outside?

I know that when I started it was easy for me to lose weight just by doing 60-90 minutes walking and eating healthy (no calorie counting, which I still don't do).

Start little, you don't need a drastic change in calories or exercise at this point, make the most of the initial momentum (when you start you lose faster).

Also, as I mentioned elsewhere, when I lived with my parents I used the Leslie Sansone Walk away the pounds DVDs. Those are great, especially for starting out.

ETA: Also even if you're not using it for weight loss, exercise is great for feeling good, it releases endorphins so you feel happy after you work out. I think I now exercise more to have that effect than for weight loss. I hate missing my workouts!

The number one thing is attitude. Instead of thinking why you can't do things, think in terms of "what is important? How can I get the important part within my limitations?" and have faith that there IS an answer to that problem if you are determined.

For example, when people are saying "eat organic food", instead of saying "I can't afford that", ask "What is it about organic food?". For that example, I think what people mean is that unprocessed food (not always organic) tends to be much, much more filling for the same or less calories as processed food. So then the question is "How can I incorporate more unprocessed food into my life?"--and unprocessed food doesn't have to be expensive at all: boneless skinless chicken breasts are $1.78/lb here, cottage cheese is cheap, frozen veggies are cheap and just as healthy as fresh, many fresh veggies are cheap, brown rice and dry beans are all but free, cottage cheese is cheap . . .there are lots of options.

When people say "join a gym", don't say "I can't afford that", say "What does a gym offer?" and the answer is "the opportunity to get some exercise". So how else can you get some exercise?

The other part of attitude is that you have to get pretty obsessive. At least for a while, this is what your life needs to be about. It's changing the kind of person you are, and that takes attention. I mean, if you were having a baby, you'd think about it, make plans, daydream about it all the time, right? If you were moving out and getting your own place, you'd think about it, make plans, daydream about it all the time, right? This is that kind of change. When you are thinking about your day and what you need to do, you need to think about your eating and exercise and make sure you have everything you need. Anytime anything happens in your life: you are going out on a date, you have to work late, there's an ice storm coming, whatever, your first thought needs to be about how you are going to shift your eating/exercise plans to accommodate it.

As far as specific plans go, I started at a lot heavier than you, and what worked for me was 1) fairly high calorie (1500-1800ish most of the time), 2) high protein, 3) high fiber, 4) steadily increasing exercise. I used Fitday and tracked my calories as perfectly as possible. But these sorts of details can be sorted out after you'd made the fundamental attitude shift. They are such big topics they need their own threads.

You do not need organic food or health products, you can do just fine by controlling your portion. As far as exercise you can start by walking 30 min a day at a brisk pace.

A lot of exercises like squats, sit up, push up, require no equipment and you can find vidéos on YouTube to guide you.

Unfortunatly not everyone is supportive so be it you cannot change that but it is up to you in the end to do what is good for you, they have nothing to do with your weight loss since you are the one that will have to cut the calories and start exercising. Beside once you start seeing the results it will motivate you to continue. Good luck

I don't have a gym membership. I get the majority of my exercise with Wii Fit and EA Active on the Wii. I also use some workout DVDs and I walk outside when everything isn't covered in snow.

As far as diet, I am not on a specific plan, I just limit my calories and try to eat fruits, vegetables, and healthy foods every day.

Not to sound nuts, but sometimes it feels good to take control just for control's sake. It sounds like you have a lot of overbearing factors - parents, boyfriend, lack of $, living at home, etc. But there ARE things that you can control. The little things add up.

Something that I have to remind myself is that it costs no money or time to NOT do some things. It's free to not eat junk food - just eat something else instead, or nothing at all. It takes no time to just NOT drink a sugar-soda.

So try those things first - decide on some things that you will refuse to put in your body, no matter how much flack you might get for it. Take that control over yourself - if only because it's yours, and no one else's, to take.

You will see changes - and I think the motivation to make more proactive changes will come!

Good luck - and let us know how it's going!

When you say your family is worried for your health but they don't help you, what do you mean?

Calorie counting is free, but it takes motivation. Only YOU can come up with motivation, which is also free btw. Going outside, jogging, bodyweight exercises, are all free too.

Until you find that motivation from within, it doesn't matter if you have your own personal trainer, personal chef, and live on the BL ranch with nothing to focus on but weight loss. The 'kick' as to come from within.

I absolutely understand what it is to be lazy. I'm unbelievably lazy myself. Yet I've been able to get with (and stay with) a weight loss plan for three months and change now.

For me, the key was to make it require more effort to eat off-plan than to stay on it. It's precisely because I'm lazy that I've made it easy on myself to stay with it. When shopping, I pretty much skip the center aisles as all the stuff I want is on the outer part of the store (produce, meat, dairy stuff); being able to do this appeals to my lazy nature. I'm also so lazy that when I cook, I cook big amounts so I can store stuff; that way I can skip cooking here and there. As for fast food/prepared foods, I'm so lazy that I can't be bothered to drive there and place an order when I could just eat something in my own kitchen. It's a lot closer than McDonald's.

Laziness also means not a lot of formal exercise. I can rarely stir myself to do it. What I can do is walk to the store, walk around the block a few times while I think of work stuff, and walk with my husband because I like him. I can also ride a stationary bike while reading instead of loafing on the couch while reading; it's marginally more effort, but once I'm on there, inertia keeps me going. And I can lift weights because it's kinda fun to do. Maybe for you, dancing would be fun. Maybe Wii Fit is your style. Maybe you enjoy gardening. There's almost certainly some kind of informal physical activity that could become exercise if you did it longer or put more effort into it. Try new stuff; you might find you like it like I found with my free weights.

In addition to being lazy, I'm also broke. That means we eat a lot of beans, big inexpensive cuts of meat, whole chickens that I or my husband butcher ourselves, and fresh fruits and vegetables. Locally grown produce tends to be cheaper, as does stuff in season; It's a happy accident that these are also great-tasting; mostly we buy them because they're cheap.

My weight loss isn't super fast; a lot of people have lost a lot more than I have. But I'll take my seven pounds or so a month and keep at it, because getting over a quarter of the way to my goal is pretty good for someone as lazy and broke as I am. ;)

Motivation may not be what you need; routine and inertia may be what you need. It's been working beautifully for me.

I'm lazy too. I thought "I'd like to lose weight" for years before I actually did anything about it. Then one day after a weekend of eating almost nothing but meat (disgusting but true) I realized I felt uncomfortable in my own skin. Until you hit that "turning point" where you truly, deeply want to change, you probably won't bother.

I'm still lazy, and I'll always be lazy. Like Nola Celeste said, the way to lose weight while being a lazy person is to make routine out of healthy habits. You don't need to buy "organic" groceries (it's BS anyway) or expensive supplements or anything, and walking or running outside/body weight exercises are free. I have spent $0.00 on anything pertaining to exercise, yet I've gotten super toned legs and built tons of strength that I never had before.

First and foremost, you must WANT to lose and be WILLING to do what it takes. Diet and exercise will do it. PS I do not buy expensive foods, or do I have expensive exercise equipment, or do I belong to a plush gym , no spas or anything like that. I do not pay someone to tell me what to eat or pay someone to tell me to get off my butt and do some exercise and, yes, walking is exercise.

You don't need to spend money at all in order to lose weight. In fact, I've actually been saving money because I've cut down on the Starbucks in the morning and the fast food for lunch habits I had for years. I also cut down on the random candy and junk food I used to eat all throughout the day. Things like that add up over time, even if you don't do anything else. As for exercise, you can walk around the neighbourhood or in place in your room, or up and down the stairs. Or find a used copy of a workout tape, you can use those over and over again and don't have to keep paying for a membership. Again, things like that add up.

As for organic food, you don't need to spend loads of money on that in order to eat a healthy diet. Non-organic produce is healthy too, and a lot cheaper, as are frozen veggies and canned fruits. Buying foods like grains, beans, pastas, etc. from the bulk food section is cheaper as well.

How do I do it? I just follow my plan, which happens to be Weight Watchers. You could follow a free plan like Sparkpeople.com.

And then you just start. And you follow the plan every day. And the day after that. And the next day. On the days you feel great and the days you feel crappy. On the days you have a ton of time and the days you have no time. On the days you are alone, and the days you are at parties. On the days the scale drops and the days the scale mocks your hard work with its lies.

That's the secret. Follow the plan. It's not sexy but it works.

Like they say in AA - it's easy. Just don't drink.

Losing weight is easy. Just follow the plan.

Yup, everyone has said what I might say (but I'll say it anyways! ;)).

I've SAVED money losing weight. I used to eat out a lot, ordered in pizzas, chinese...you name it...now I eat at home and I plan what I eat, and I count my calories. I don't know if that's something you're willing to do, but it's absolutely key for me, and many others on this site. I focus on healthy foods but in the end if it fits in my calories and I want it, I can have it.

Exercise has been completely free too - I do it outside or else even just doing brisk walks around the mall when it is too cold out (it helps also I'm pushing a double stroller). But to be honest I don't exercise a heck of a lot. It's something I'm working on adding in more of....but like you I'm lazy too and it's a bit of a battle. I have an easier time controlling food so that's where my main focus is at the moment....to be honest though as the pounds come off, I WANT to get moving more and more. The feeling is pretty awesome....I took my son to a playground the other day in the snow and it was deserted...I just had urges to run around the little track there again and again....I was amazed at how I didn't get winded. Anyhow a little tangent but if you are able to find the motivation and committment to do it, it is SO WORTH IT! Keep posting here - this place is wonderful!

You can eat right and save money. I buy fruits, veggies, and skip all the packaged junk, and honestly my grocery bill has been cut in half. My protien is cheap too because I buy in bigger quantites and freeze it, after dividing it up in appropriate portions. As for the exersice, My gym is 10 bucka month, but if you cant swing that, go to a garage sale and get some weights, resistance bands, and a jump rope. you can get free exersice videos from youtube that work great. When I was in highschool I worked out everyday before my parents came home by watching MTV and dancing to the music videos. It really did wonders.

I'm another one in the "free" club. I lost a whole lot of weight and the only money I ever spent was $10 on a workout video that I did once and about died. So I gave it to my son who does it fairly regularly. I don't buy organic food, (but I do grow a large "organic" garden). But when I buy fresh produce in the winter, I buy what is on sale at the local grocery store and wash the heck out of it.

The only excercise equipment I own is a push lawn mower, a rake, a hoe, a wheel borrow and a shovel. Oh and a piece of rope that I use as a jump rope when I get the urge. I have never set foot in a fitness gym and I rarely ever buy into processed "diet foods".

You can do this on your own with no help. You've just gotta help yourself. I wish you the best.

PS: I count calories...in a free datebook organizer that my insurance man gives me every year at Christmas.

like everyone has mentioned before, it sounds like there are factors in your life right now that you don't have control over. and that sucks. and most of us have been there. i'm there right now. i've been abandoned by my boyfriend, lost my job, and i have minimal local support here. the only thing i have control over is what i put in my mouth and how much i move my body.

i happen to follow ww online, because i feel like its something that i'm willing to pay for right now. i don't have a gym membership. i live in a building that has a small fitness room, so i use the treadmill. i walk about a mile or so everyday. i bought a jillian michael's dvd for $8 and some handweights a thift store for $5. i buy meat in bulk, fruits and veggies on sale and i shop around and do my research before i buy anything.

you just have to tell yourself that you have control. and once you take that control, you will feel empowered. sometimes, it requires some smaller steps rather than a complete overhaul. my friend decided that she was going to take it one healthy habit a week. one week, she told herself she would stop drinking soda; the week after, she would start working on her portion sizes; the week after, she would incorporate more fruit and veggies, etc.

exercising is also something i really have to push myself to do, as i can be really lazy. i just push myself or call a friend, to talk me into it, and i focus on how good i'll feel after it's done.

also, coming on here provides me with a great sense of support and community. if the outside support is lacking, you can definitely find it here when you need it.

hope this helps.

I also grow a large organic garden, in good ole Nebraska, but the weather gave me a hard time this summer. I did get some, but not enough to last the winter.

Anyway, the only organic food I buy is fresh spinach and a spring salad mix. The spinach keeps way longer and I can't get the spring mix any other way.

You need lean protein, fruits, veggies, low fat calcium and a bit of good fat like olive oil. Cut the soda, chips, refined/processed guck.

As far as exercise, walking is free, if it's too cold, hit the mall or walk the outside aisles in a super Wal-mart or other big store. Push ups are free, jumping jacks are free, jump rope is free. There are tons of yoga workouts on You Tube. There are also great line dancing vids on You Tube.

To earn some money, baby sitting jobs, house cleaning, snow shoveling, dog walking, house sitting, lots of options. At the very least volunteer somewhere. It will give you somewhere you have to be, and give purpose to your day. Animal shelters, nursing homes, schools, after school programs, hospitals all utilize volunteers, and it might even lead to a job!

My family is constantly telling me that they are worried, but they just won't help me out. I ask them if I do stuff around the house if they could help me out by getting me a gym membership or maybe a used treadmill to use but it is always a no. I have tried Calorie counting, but I got obsessive to the point that I was starving myself because it all had way too many calories for me. I had a bout with Anorexia a few years back believe it or not where I had lost about 30 pounds from not eating, but my family noticed I was not eating and I had been forced.

We do have a stationary bike but the problem is that it is packed in a corner and every time I try to move stuff to get it out, I get yelled at because I'm moving stuff that isn't mine. I've tried to convince my parents to let me put it in my room so I can bike and watch TV or something. I'm worried myself and my doctor has even tried to convince my parents that I need to go to a special doctor, but they refuse to let me. I know it sounds like I'm making excuses, but it really seems like every time I try to make it better for myself, I just get yelled at and it makes me depressed which causes me to eat more. ><

The billyhousewife.com website:
http://healthy.hillbillyhousewife.co...ticles/dieting


has tons of great information on dieting cheaply.


We also have a thread here for shoestring meals.

There's a stationary bike sitting there useless in a corner and you can't get to it because other people's stuff is in the way? If the worst you get is yelled at for getting to it/riding it there/moving it into your room, I would just grit my teeth and bear the yelling. It's your long-term health you're talking about here, and if you have to take a little flak for it, it's still well worth it.

Your folks may also be concerned that too much of a concerted effort to lose weight is a symptom of past eating disorders. If that's the case, then their objections to your having the bike in your room are a little easier to understand. Families can find loved ones' addictions or disorders very frightening and may act in ways that seem irrational to you. If you think that might be the case, talk with your doctor and with your family to help them realize that you're wanting to improve your health, not merely get "skinny." You might find them more supportive when they're less fearful of a relapse.

If that's not the issue and it really is just your unwillingness to get scolded, then walking is a perfect option. In fact, it solves two problems: it improves your health and it gets you out of the house so no one can yell. Having a little "me time" during walks is one of the best things about them.

As others have noted, you really do have to find some bedrock level of "I am not going to take this any more" in your psyche. Until you do, there will always be reasons why you believe you don't control your own health choices.

In most states in the US, at 19, with the exception of drinking or military service, you are considered a legal adult.

As an old lady and a mother, start considering college and what you want to do with your life, file for financial aid for the fall semester, and get yourself out of the house and on with your life. It can be done. :carrot:

You do not have to give in, or give up on your family, you can still love them, but you do not have to put up with them holding you back from what you want to be. It can be done.:carrot:

I personally would try to find another job, get out of that over bearing house, then do what you need to do. You're 19 and you don't have to listen to your parents once you move out.

I cannot get financial aid because my technical school doesn't participate with it. :[

you're situation does sound tough, but again, sometimes, you just have to take the heat if you want to make changes. like Nola Celeste said, i could understand why your folks my be concerned about the bike. if it would help, maybe have a sit down with them and let them know what your goals are; this might help them feel more comfortable. get them involved. if this doesn't work, grit your teeth, take the yelling, and trust me, they'll get over it. i'm sure you and your parents have had issues before, and i'm sure this wouldn't be the first time you've disobeyed them. this would be a good excuse to just go ahead and do what you need to do.

also- does you doctor recommend that you go to specialist for further testing? or to a nutritionist?

The problem with dieting with obstacles is that it teaches us to be weak. Every time you decide you can't do something, you get to eat. This is classic reinforcement: it encourages you to keep deciding you can't do things, because each time, you get a reward. I was in this trap for years.

It's like someone has dropped you in a maze and told you to find a way out. You can't just wander to one dead-end and stop--or even a dozen dead-ends. Every dead-end, you have to stop, turn around, and keep actively looking for a new solution. The problem with dieting is that every time we hit a dead-end and stop, someone hands us a cupcake. Like good lab rats everywhere, this encourages us to find dead-ends, not to find our way out.

The number one thing you need to do is to totally change your way of eating. The exercise is a red herring. At the beginning, especially, food choices are everything. You say you can't calorie count because then you don't eat anything. But have you tried it with a high calorie limit, like 2000? You could try just keeping a food journal for a while, and try to make healthier choices (and this board is a great place to learn what are healthier choices). You could try a low-carb approach. There are lots and lots of possible ways out of this maze, but there are lots of dead-ends as well. You've got to keep looking.

Again, I'd start with food. Once you have your eating re-shaped (and you'll feel much better when you do), you can start shaping an exercise plan.

How many calorie were you doing before? If you can pick a good range (and like Shmead, I would try a higher range at first) and stick to it, your body will respond. If trying to get the exercise equipment is too stressful, don't worry about it. Focus on walking more. Take the stairs. Or, just focus on the food. The food is the biggest piece of the puzzle, especially at the beginning. Just start trying to make some healthier choices. Have you had any counseling for your anorexia? Are there any resources you could look into at your school?

I went to a counselor and I don't have issues with it anymore unless I count calories. My friend and I tried to do that over the summer and I started to do it again so I just stopped and gave up on calorie counting.

If you can't count calories without issues, look up the diabetic exchange program. Basically you get a list of "servings" of each of the food groups. You eat something like this Daily, (And I'm just going on memory so this probably isn't the correct formula):
3 fruit servings
4 vegetable servings (1/2 cup)
5 bread/starch servings
6 protein servings
3 dairy servings
3 fat servings

So for example if you eat a 1/4 lb. cheeseburger with veggies and mustard it would be something like this:
2 breads (Each side of the bun would be a serving)
4 proteins (meat)
1 dairy
1 vegetable


I know a lot of people who have successfully lost weight doing this...

Anyway, just a thought.

Many people plan their meals around cheap foods or sale papers. Beans are cheap and filling, you can buy bags of frozen chicken or whole chickens on sale. I live at home too and have no job, but my mom is very receptive to me cooking meals that everyone will enjoy and she buys the ingredients. For example, I'm on a low-carb diet so I'll make nachos for everyone and just put my nacho toppings on lettuce instead of chips. My mom doesn't have to cook and I have an on-plan meal...a win-win!

Vegetarian chilis are cheap, easy, filling, and healthy. Many people recommend making chilis and soups with beans for this very reason.

You could lose weight just by cutting portions of not so "healthy" foods. Eat 2 slices of pizza and a salad instead of dipping 4 slices into ranch dressing (I'm not saying you do this, so don't get insulted. I actually used to do this). Eat half of the lasagna you used to and put a salad on the side instead of garlic bread.

One reason your parents and boyfriend might not be supportive is because they don't believe you. This seems harsh but it could be true. When I told my mom I was going to start losing weight, she was skeptical because of all of the times I've said that before, wasted her money on "healthy" foods and then given up and gained it all back. Once she sees you making healthier choices like ordering whole wheat pasta at a restaurant or saying no to cookies, she might be more supportive and try to help you more.

Good luck!

I've finally discovered (after 40 years of dieting) that no one can help me. When they try, it usually backfires, because no matter what they say or do, it's usually the wrong thing.

My husband and I both had great dreams of being support to each other, as we both need to lose weight. As it turns out our needs are very different, and we can't help each other. When we try it backfires.

If we encourage each other to exercise, it feels like nagging.

If we're offered food by the other person, it feels like sabotage.

If we're not offered, or are criticised for a food choice, it feels like the other person is being food-cop.

If the other person lost more weight, we'd feel hurt and jealous (and there's no way for us to make sure we lose the same amount of weight each week).

In most cases, there is no possible way for the people living with you to provide just the right amount and kind of support. Just can't happen. Even with the best of intentions it tends to backfires. They'll never be able to do and say what you need, when you need it (especially since you may not always know what you need, when you need it).


I'd strongly recommend a TOPS (taking off pounds sensibly) if you can find one. It's cheaper than most weight loss groups. The national dues are $26 per year (and include a monthly magazine with success stories, tips, recipes...). Then you'll also pay local chapter dues (which are almost always under $5 per month. And there may be fines for weight gain (in one group I attended fines were a quarter no matter how much you gained, and in other groups fines were a dime per pound.

In most groups, you have ways to earn back some or all of the money you put into the group (and sometimes even more). The group I belong to runs so many weight loss contests, that a member could even make a profit. The group has a monthly white elephant auction that is entirely voluntary to participate in (I usually don't unless it's to donate something useless I have laying around the house). The auction money funds all of the many contests.

For example in our group if a person is the best loser for the month, they win $5. If they lose 10 and keep it off, at the end of the year they earn $5 for the 10 lb loss, and $1 for every month they keep it off (so if you lost 10 lbs in January and keep it off all year, you get $16 at the end of the year).

Many groups have ways to earn free monthly dues (in my last group, if you lost any weight in the previous month, even a quarter pound you got free dues for the next month).


I think the people living with you are too close to provide the best support. The best anyone living with you can do is stand out of your way (and some may not be able to even do that much).

Finding support outside your home (in my experience) works alot better.

You can always find reasons and excuses not to do things (and they'll always sound perfectly reasonable), but to actually accomplish anything you have to find ways to get things done.

And this isn't true about only weight loss. I've always said that if I didn't have to have a job I'd be able to finish my novel (the one I've been working on since 1991)

Five years ago I went onto disability, and my new excuse was "if I could sit in a chair for more than an hour, I could finish my novel."

Now that I can sit for more than an hour, I've decided I really need two or three.

If I had devoted 15 minutes every day to writing, I'd have finished several novels by now (I've vowed to finish a novel this year, but if I keep finding and using excuses, I will not).

The weight I've lost this time has been earned by small, easy, even lazy changes. You don't need to make huge changes, but you do have to make consistent ones. If starting big intimidates you, start small (but be ok with small results).

The biggest killer of weight loss is the fact that it's entirely normal to abandon the attempt. It's certainly normal, and almost a mandatory cultural tradition to get bored/frustrated and give up. You've got to choose to "rebel" a little and refuse to follow the normal (unsuccessful) path.

I'm on your side but I can understand your parents concerns about anorexia. I've had several family members that had bouts with the problem. If you know that calorie counting can become excessive don't count calories.

I'm still amazed at myself that I have been suceeding as it has been many years since I have done anything but eat whatever I wanted and continually gain until I was over 250 LBS. When I started this I did so half heartedly. I cut certain items from my life like sweets and salty snacks. After a short time I wanted to do more so I started walking a little everyday. Next was attempts to increase the amount of water I was drinking as the only beverage that ever crossed my lips was diet soda. Then I decided to eat whole foods more often which meant eggs, yogurt, baby carrots, cucumbers, inexpensive frozen vegetables, meats like chicken, hamburger, pork, beef, bananas, apple, berries, almonds. I also started paying attention to portion sizes. I've done a lot of research online regarding different food plans. It's free. I also found wisdom support and encouragement on line as my family isn't the most supportive. But thats OK. Because I am the one on this journey.

What I'm trying to say is pick a couple of bad habits you have and set out to change them and go from there. If your parents see you not going to extremes they will probably be more supportive. I'm guessing there are some things that your folks buy that are OK diet wise. MY adult children like to go grocery shopping with me when they are around so they can encourage me to buy things they want. Your folks would probably be OK with that too.

As some one mentioned UTUBE has free exercise videos. I also did quite a bit of my diet research there. Fom learning how to make smooties, researching various plans, watching weight loss blogs of people who were willing to share their journeys.

I'm not smart about posting links but if you search here regarding the stages of change you will find an excellent post where someone did post a link. It would be good to read through and figure out what stage you are in. Hope you can puzzle through this and make some healthy choices.