Losing Weight on a Budget

[dthogue]

I am doing Weight Watchers to lose weight. Eating healthy sure is not cheap. Please share your low cost meal (recipes) and snack tips for eating well without breaking the bank.

What other tips do you have to stay on budget and stay on track to lose weight.

Also - without spending the money to join a gym - what do you do for exercise that doesn't cost $$$$.

Looking forward to a healthy 2010!!!

Tammy

 

[wtrmlnlabs]

I've also been sort of following weight watchers, my sister is in it and has lost over 40 lbs!!!! I lost about 15 and only have about 10 to go. I don't do EVERYTHING ww does for the day, but I try to watch my points. For exercising, it'll depend on what you like, but I have basically just used my Wii Fit daily. I love it, I love the yoga and it is making a big difference. I never thought I'd like yoga and never thought it gave such a good work out. I have a friend that wants to lose weight but not spend the $$$ on a Wii, so for Christmas I got her a yoga mat and a beginners yoga DVD. All together it was about $30. Not sure if it's something you are interested in or not, but thought I'd suggest it!
Good luck and happy holidays

 

[OceanAnnie]

I'm with you on that! On a budget, want to lose weight. I don't want to buy special food. I want to avoid the foods that are fatty and move more. Rework recipes to be healthier. That's about it basically.

Good luck to us!

 

[ilovediznee]

I'm in the same boat. I need to lose big time but cannot afford a gym. We are giving DD a Wii for Xmas so maybe I can buy some low cost games and Fit stuff to start using that.

For those that have a Wii, what do I need to buy for exercising?

Thanks- Di: at work and surfweb:

 

[greens_in_WA]

wii fit is fun and the wii fit plus ads some more fun things, though I just took a look at my friend's copy of wii active and it will work without the board and looks a little more serious... the plus incorporates more of this, but I think wii active is 1/2 or less the cost (close to 50) if you check after Christmas there may be more buy 2 get 1 free deals which might help with your dd's collection of games too

 

[tarheel618]

I've lost 53 pounds on WW. I don't do special foods. Lean meats, fresh veggies and fresh fruits. I'm struggling right now around the holidays with the sweets but after FRiday that will be done. I walk for exercise.

snacks for me are whole wheat crackers and laughing cow cheese wedge.

Counting points is key for me

 

[OceanAnnie]

I'm going to be walking too. I'm also going to keep a food diary. That has helped me in the past.

 

[DawnM]

I have just ordered an EA Sports game. It may come a few days after Christmas, but I am excited to get it. I have been reading people saying they have lost weight and gotten in shape with it.

My kids are getting a Wii too this year!

As for eating, I am working on buying very minimal processed foods at all! Fresher the better! Homemade soups, stews, a meal of brown rice, lean meat, and a large salad.....that sort of thing.

Dawn

I'm in the same boat. I need to lose big time but cannot afford a gym. We are giving DD a Wii for Xmas so maybe I can buy some low cost games and Fit stuff to start using that.

For those that have a Wii, what do I need to buy for exercising?

Thanks- Di: at work and surfweb:

 

[WDWorBUST]

I'm doing bootcamp - which is expensive, but my company sponsors it for us. With that said you can do everything we do on your own. I have lost 17 pounds and 12 inches or so in 24 weeks - maybe not as fast as I would like but it works. We do jumpimg jacks, lunges, squats, high knees, push ups, sit ups.....think a cross between football training camp and military bootcamp. It's all body weight. You can add weight (we use kettle bells and medicine balls and on a rare occasion dumbells) as you progress, but initially you don't need it.....and even after a while doing it your body weight alone is sufficient to get a good workout. Good luck....I will admit it's the group atmosphere and accountability that have really helped me but DH and I plan to continue on our own if the company doesn't continue it.

 

[wtrmlnlabs]

I'm in the same boat. I need to lose big time but cannot afford a gym. We are giving DD a Wii for Xmas so maybe I can buy some low cost games and Fit stuff to start using that.

For those that have a Wii, what do I need to buy for exercising?

Thanks- Di: at work and surfweb:

If you are using the Wii fit you need the balance board of course. The EA Active thing comes with the bands or whatever you need. I read some reviews on Amazon though and it didn't seem like it was for me. I'm sure it takes longer with the Wii Fit, but it's easy to do, easy to work into my day and I totally LOVE it.... it's a bit addictive!

I agree with PP's that I basically make our home made foods healthier, oil instead of butter in meals, cut the carbs, cut the chocolate/junk, VERY minimal eating out (and I usually take something along if it's McD's or get salad.) It sounds hard, but I find as long as I'm exercising I don't crave ANY of that, never thought I would be at that point!

 

[amyy]

We moved and there isn't a gym close by. I do a lot of workout DVDs in the basement. To test them out I first rent them from Netflix if possible. I also splurged last year and bought an eliptical and this year I am getting an exercise bike. We are getting a WII this year too. I am wondering if the workout will compare with my eliptical.

I find eating meat, fruit and veggies is cheaper then some of the junk I eat. But of course I am still eating the junk and that is my problem.

 

[peggster]

Like some PPs, I also walk for exercise. Most days I walk outside, although I realize that's not always an option for everyone. On the days I just can't make myself walk outside, I'll exercise indoors with a Leslie Sansone "Walk Away the Pounds" video. At first I felt a little silly marching around my living room, but it really is a good workout. I bought my copy of the video used from Half.com, so it only cost me a few dollars.

I really love walking, because it's easy to start and doesn't cost much money. The only real investment I've made is in a good pair of walking shoes. Aside from that, I just have to get myself out of bed and out the door.

Good luck!

 

[Teresa Pitman]

I've had the most success with eating fresh fruits and vegetables, beans and lentils and that's about it. No white potatoes, no bread or anything else made with flour or sugar. Natural, healthy foods. A green salad once or twice a day.

Teresa

 

[NeverlandClub23]

I do have a membership (and use it ) to a gym but there's a few things I do at home when I don't feel like going to the gym or supplemented with going to the gym. I bought the ever so cheesy 8 minute Abs and 8 minute arms and I feel like it really does keep my abs and arms toned (bought it off of ebay). During the Spring/Summer I take my dog for a 3 mile walk every day after work. Once or twice a week I do 1,000 jumping jacks (you may have a hard time walking the next day or two after doing this the first time ). I do them during the commercials of my favorite shows in 100 increments. I also love the 30 day shred DVD by Jillian Michaels (it may feel like she's killing you at first).

As far as healthy eating I generally take a carton of skim organic milk to work with a box of healthy cereal for lunches or I take homemade soup (I'll make it on Sunday and then put it in containers for the rest of the week). I'm not a huge fan of salads (unless they're at restaurants) or fruit but I will make my own veggie tray with a light dressing to snack on during the day. This week I made a box of Dreamfields pasta (cooked) mixed with grape tomatoes, fresh mozzarella (that was on sale for $1.99), olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and basil. It's so yummy and since I can get two weeks worth of lunches out of the mozzarella/basil/olive oil/vinegar, I just buy another box of pasta and tomatoes and I bought two weeks worth of lunches for a total of about $15 (of course, I never get tired of having the same thing every day though).

For breakfasts/snacks I make my own whole wheat scones. They're super easy to make and you can add anything you want to them: almonds, orange extract, unsweetend coconut, dried fruit, etc. I make them on Sunday as well and individually wrap them so I can just grab and go.

I eat more carbs than most as I work out so much. Other snacks I like that are pretty cheap are: cottage cheese, organic greek yogurt with berries I get in the freezer section, caprese kabobs (grape tomatoes, tiny bit of fresh mozzarella cheese, basil, drizzled with olive oil and stuck on toothpicks), handful of pistachios, etc.

**Oh and I just wanted to add that the one thing that keeps me on track is weighing myself every day. I don't freak out if I've gained weight though it just makes it easier to get back on track. I highly recommend doing a food journal at first because many people think they're eating healthy but totally forget about the 'small' brownie they had that someone at work brought in a tray of and can't figure out why they're not losing weight. Portions are also CRITICAL to weight loss. I don't think of any food as a "free" food as all foods have calories and that's all weight loss is, calories in and calories out.

 

[worm761]

I am a huge fan of Sparkpeople.com. They have cheap, healthy recipes, workouts, and articles that teach you how to eat to lose weight. When I started I didn't realize that I wasn't eating enough calories in one day to lose weight. I started exercising and eating more and started to lose weight. I used a combination of sparkpeople, wii fit, and some exercise equipment. I lost 10 pounds in a little over a month. I was doing great then got pregnant. So as soon as I can I will be back to the same thing.
The Wii Fit Plus looks to have all the stuff from Wii Fit on it plus some other stuff. We own it but I just had the baby so I haven't used it yet. I love the aerobic step. That is what I did the most last year. I worked my way up to 4,000 steps in 30 mins. I did it while watching Rachel Ray every morning. If you prefer equipment, watch craigslist. We got our equipment from friends that were looking to get rid of theirs, so ours was cheap. I want an elliptical but not so sure about the price. I want to know that I will use it before I invest that kind of money in one.

Anyway, for healthy meals I suggest you look at the recipes on sparkpeople. There is one for chicken enchiladas that is VERY yummy and cheap to make too. Most of the people on there are budget conscious. The site is free to join.

 

[Pig Pen]

I have "on demand" Comcast cable and there is whole slew of exercise videos available for free, including some of the ones mentioned above. They change the line-up often so you don't get sick of them. I am klutzy and cannot keep up with most of them, but I still get sweaty (and I guess that's what counts).

Starting back on WW Jan 4!

 

[zoemurr]

I've had the most success with eating fresh fruits and vegetables, beans and lentils and that's about it. No white potatoes, no bread or anything else made with flour or sugar. Natural, healthy foods. A green salad once or twice a day.

Teresa

No flour no sugar diet. Lost 23lbs since Sept. Takes a bit to find some replacements and I cheat a little, but I have steadily lost 1lb or so a week. Meals are pretty easy.. lean meat, veggie, fruit. Cashews, corn chips, and popcorn are my main snacks. I get flourless bread (the cinn raisin is yummy) and whole wheat pasta at my regular grocery store. I use the wii fit to track progress.

 

[PatriciaH]

Walking and biking around the neighborhood
Walking around the parks
No soda-unsweet tea or water
Cut out a lot of meat
Yoga and BodyJam at my gym ($35 a month-great deal)

 

[crisi]

Popcorn is a really cheap, low calorie snack. We have an airpopper that gets used several times a week and buy our popcorn bulk at Costco.

For vegetables, I'm fond of the farmers market in th summer, when they are plentiful and cheap. In the winter its tougher here to find cheap veggies.

If you can walk or (eventually) jog outside (we are in Minnesota, it isn't a time of year to do that), start exercising that way. The couch to 5k program is great, and you don't need a skinny runners body to start (or finish). I'm a bigger fan of buying a $10 exercise DVC and seeing if you use it than spending a lot of money on a Wii Fit (I have a Wii fit, it was fun...haven't used it in months). Don't use "I don't have equipment" as an excuse... if you don't even have the DVD, dance, move, walk in place, do squats while you do the dishes.

 

[NeverlandClub23]

Anyway, for healthy meals I suggest you look at the recipes on sparkpeople. There is one for chicken enchiladas that is VERY yummy and cheap to make too. Most of the people on there are budget conscious. The site is free to join.

I second this! I love sparkpeople's recipe area. That's where I got the base recipe to my whole wheat scones. I almost always use them when I'm looking for a dish to take to a party or get together. I've used a lot of recipes off of sparkpeople and almost all have been great!