new here.

[LdyFaile]

I've been hanging around the trip planning boards but thought I'd pop over here...

I was a really good girl a couple years ago. I joined WW. I lost 80 lbs. Everything was going so well I thought I didn't need to keep up with WW anymore. So I stopped. And the pounds slowly returned...well 60 of them anyway.

I thought going to meetings might be enough to kick me into high gear. So I started going to meetings (instead of online like I'd done before). But that proved to be too costly for me so I stopped.

Then came my brother's wedding. I was a bridesmaid so I needed to be able to look better in the dress (strapless even!). I started back on WW Online and lost 30 lbs. I'd also been working at a manual labor type job (unloading frieght trailers with pallet jacks, moving stuff between 100 and 1000 pounds for 3-6 hours a night three nights a week) so that helped a bit too.

Then..well then I ran into some financial issues where I really didn't have money to spend on healthy food. I've been yo-yo'ing these 10 lbs for about 6 months or so. It's not even like I'm doing all the right things, I know I'm not. So instead of having lost 30 lbs I've technically only lost 20.

Things finally got back on top and I started eating healthy again, and got released to go back to Curves (I can't do weight training because of health issues, so I'm not doing the freight job anymore either). And I got hit with a slew of medical bills, things insurance didn't cover. So I'm back to being strapped for cash again.

It's so frustrating that it costs so much to eat healthy!!!!!!!

I've cut back on everything I can, including WW Online. I have enough meal ideas stored up on my computer that I can make menus from that for a time, at least til I loose another 16 lbs and drop point ranges. I've arranged my meals so that I eat a lot of the same thing (it's cheaper that way) but I try to alternate at least what I have for dinner each week. I went to SavingDinner.com and am using their crockpot ideas. Since it's only me, I make up one dinner and divide it into 6 containers. That takes care of my dinners for the week since one night a week I go to a potluck.

I go to Curves 3 times a week. I make sure I drink 1 bottle of water when I'm there. I bought a bunch of those 16 oz water bottles at Target's One-Spot so that's what I mean when I say 1 bottle of water. I take another full with me to work and try to refill it while I'm there. And then one more water bottle at home. Doesn't always work that way but I try.

Anyway...I'm just trying to get back to where I was when I first lost 80 lbs. It'll help my health situation too. And I know I can do it cuz I did it before. I'm not aiming drastic or anything, it's actually the higher end of the 'healthy' range for my height.

I'm just feeling very discouraged at the moment. I don't want to resort to pb&j sanwiches and mac&cheese. So I'm doing the best I can to avoid it.

Anyway so Hi. I'm here.

 

[ohMom]

Amber!! i'm so thrilled that you posted here and joined us! there are lots of frugal WISHers here i'm sure....i'd like to think i'm one I do WW online so maybe we can brainstorm and find some inexpensive healthy choices! i hear ya on the cost of healthy foods, it's so ironic. where do you shop? do you have Aldi or Trader Joe?
that is where i find the best prices (especially Aldi for dairy and produce)

you are on track with a goal of drinking 4 off your 16 oz bottles each day -- but that is just 64 oz which is the minimum i think so it's very important to drink 4 of them each and every day!

btw -- white bread and macaroni! ick ick ick! c'mon --- that doesn't really sound good does it? I like Healthy Harvest whole wheat pasta and can often get it on sale at kroger's for $1 a box, with some red pasta sauce is a quick and cheap meal. better yet if you can add some lowfat protein, but there's where the cost comes in. why is ground turkey breast so expensive?!?

hang in there -- WW works and it has worked for you in the past. We are here to look up anything that you can't access now that you are an 'unofficial' member and don't be afraid to ask. ok? you know how to count your points, maybe it's just a matter of deciding it's time! you are worth it!

 

[Tiger Lily 03]

Welcome!

Glad that you have found us. You will see that the folks here are a great means of support.

You should be proud of yourself that you know you are working to be that healthier you. It seems like you have the idea of what you need to get yourself in the right direction.

Join in any of the challenges here that might suit your fancy or start one of your own.

You can do this. You know it! One day at a time.

 

[LdyFaile]

I suppose I should say that I wasn't going to resort to pb&j and mac&cheese just that I know that was my downfall the last time I had to cut short my food budget....

Right now for breakfast I'm using up stuff I already have on hand. I make pancakes with 1/2 cup pancake mix, a tiny bit of butter, just enough lite syrup to cover the pancakes (I've tried measuring it out before and whatever the serving size, it's more than I like to have on my pancakes), and 1/2 cup of unsweetened applesauce.

For lunch/snacks its usually the same thing. A sandwich made with bread that's 1 pt per slice (or 1 pt per two slices depending on whats on sale), low fat turkey, low fat cheese, and sprouts. A salad made with spring greens, a little bit of feta, raisins, sunflower seeds, and 2 tablespoons of Bernsteins (sp?) fat free cheese and garlic italian dressing. One piece of fruit. A small baggie of carrots. 4 hershey kisses. And either yogurt with a little bit of granola or fat free/sugar free pudding.

For dinner I have whatever I made up in the crock pot over the weekend.

I'm not tracking points per se right now.

Anyway..

Oh and I do have Trader Joes, I don't know about that other store. I try to do my main shopping (when I get paid) at WinCo but I don't go there often because it's too far away to justify every week. It's more my place to stock up on whatever non-perishables I can. TJs is sort of annoying to get to. The closest one is always packed and getting to the parking lot is an adventure in itself.

I have to know ahead of time what I'm planning on making for whatever meals and I don't mind eating the same thing over and over again. Well ok, for a couple months at least. Next week I think I'll try something different for lunches but we'll see. That's actually one of the things I loved about the meal ideas on WW Online, they were designed for one person.

Thanks for the Welcome!!

 

[lmhall2000]

Welcome Amber!

I think you've got a great plan going there! Your post reminded me of my college days...my food budget was under $100 a month!!!! Here's what I had...oatmeal for breakfast...no sugar (unless I had some left over from the rare McDonald's run...or ones my roommates had picked up at the cafeteria) and no butter...I just found where all the good water fountains were and stuck to those for beverages. I would eat an apple or banana for lunch and then dinner was the $1.99 veggie plate (3 veggies and a roll) at the school cafeteria....I lost 90 pounds in 9 months! And kept it off for 10 years!
We really don't need that much food.

It can be done....you can buy a bag of potatoes and have a quick baked potato...get a salad fixins and just add tuna/chicken from the can or pack to it....my salads for one would last a whole week in the crisper. You can do this and be THRILLEd with the loss you'll see...just try and get more fresh veggies/fruits in there to help with natural sugars instead of table sugars.

Welcome sweetie and glad to have your LOSING attitude here!
Tara

 

[LdyFaile]

Fruits, Veggies, and Water. Those three are the most important things I learned from doing WW in the past. If I didn't get enough in, it didn't make a difference.

I like the baked potatoe idea. Hmm Perhaps I'll do something like that next week to break away a little from sandwiches.

My current official 'budgeted' amount is $200/month for food (grocery or eating out but grocery comes first). But when other bills crowd in that's what gets deducted from.

I like oatmeal too! I actually have some just...well all I have left is McCann's which you almost have to cook/soak overnight otherwise it just takes too long to make in the morning.