Is anyone able to make frugality = weight loss?

**missmanny** · 08-06-2008, 07:44 PM

I'm wondering if anyone else has found that becomming more frugal has negatively impacted on their weight.

I'll start off by saying that I am by no means obese or even more then slightly overweight but I had put on a little bit and none of my clothes were fitting. Before I became a frugally minded person I worked very hard and lost 22 pounds.

Since watching what I am spending - you guessed it I have put it all back on. Truely I didn't expect that this would be the case, surely if you aren't eating out and are walking more and driving less then the oposite should be true.

I think that I know the main culprit, a lot of pasta and bread and rice (I make the bread from scratch and pasta and rice are sooo cheap and filling) but I'm stuck for ideas of other cheap and nutricous foods that might help my figure a little bit more.

Is there any one who has become more frugal AND managed to loose weight? I'm really insterested to hear any stories, I think I need inspiration more then anything else...

**ladykemma2** · 08-06-2008, 08:03 PM

i have gained weight:
1. not going anywhere, very little life outside of this house can't afford to go anywhere.
2. sitting in front of this computer (all me...)
3. boredom eating

i eagerly await responses also...

**missmanny** · 08-06-2008, 08:07 PM

Thanks for posting Ladykemma, glad to hear that it isn't just me.

**suebeehoney** · 08-06-2008, 09:22 PM

I've thought for a long time that the cheap, starchy, overprocessed foods that are so CHEAP are one of the main causes of the obesity epidemic in our country.

Let me stop and say that I AM overweight, and am working on it. And I do realize that there is more than just cheap fattening food at work here - there are people with metabolic disorders that cause weight gain, but there are also many (myself included) who simply need to eat better (healthier, and smaller portions), get up and move around more, and make more of an effort to just be healthier.

But why does it have to be SO DARN EXPENSIVE to eat properly?? Fresh fruit & veggies, lean meats, whole grain products - all much more expensive to keep in the house, yet the government harps on us about being overweight and needing to eat better....but I don't see them doing much about the ever increasing prices.

**Missourimom** · 08-06-2008, 09:31 PM

Originally Posted by ladykemma2

i have gained weight:
1. not going anywhere, very little life outside of this house can't afford to go anywhere.
2. sitting in front of this computer (all me...)
3. boredom eating

I have the same problems as you listed and I'm up to 156 pounds. I really need to make myself start exercising, not eating after 6:00 and cutting out the cream (this is the hardest part for me.) I've also noticed everyone in my family has an expanding waist line as well.

**missmanny** · 08-06-2008, 09:33 PM

Suebeehoney, this is exactly what I mean, I have cut out all overly processed foods, our pasta bread and rice is all whole grain(brown) I cook everything from scratch now so no more pasta souces etc that are full of sugar and salt (and preservatives. I no longer buy lunch at work - I only bring my lunch in and it is generally healthy and includes fruit every day.

We have also lowered the ammount of meat that we eat by probably half.

I tuely feel healthier but the weight has crept back on, I have access to plenty of free excercise in walking but I spend so much time at work and cooking from scratch etc that it is hard to find time to excercise.

Oh well, it will just take more dedication on my part.

From now on I am getting off the train one stop early and walking a bit extra to work and we are eating soup for dinner once a week, eating 2 meat free meals every week.

And on the week end DSO and I will be taking our bikes out for a ride on Sunday afternoons.

I'm not prepared to pay to go to WW etc anymore (half of the reason that I lost the 22 in the first place) but I do have cook books and all of their information.

I admit that I am just a bit lazy - I do know what to do, I think that I was just shocked because I really thought that frugallity would actually help me loose weight instead of the other way around.

**pollypurebred39** · 08-06-2008, 09:48 PM

Yeah, the pounds are piling on. I was taught from grade school that a lean body starts with protein and vegetables, then starches. When I eat that way I have little trouble shedding weight. The moment my husband got laid off and I started stretching our meals with carbs I was done for. Looking forward to my husband getting back to work so I can put some lean protein on the table.

**The Muse** · 08-06-2008, 09:59 PM

I lost 10 lbs. without trying when I went vegetarian. I made the switch for ethical and health reasons, but a vegetarian diet is much cheaper than a meat-based diet. Losing weight and saving money are just added bonuses!

**heartofmine** · 08-06-2008, 10:27 PM

My family are now all doing weight watchers and it is costing me more at the grocery store. It just costs a lot more for the leaner meats even though we have cut the consumption of meat to less than half. It costs more for fresh fruits and vegetables. Low fat and low sugar items cost more. I have to do this though because with my health so bad and my weight getting way out of control I need to do this to save my own life. I'm also seeing a big change in my children's eating habits. So far all I have done is changed my eating and the way I cook and I've lost over 16 pounds in less than 4 weeks. I can't exercise right now because of an injury but as soon as I'm back on my feet I will be. My son has lost 15 pounds and my daughter 10 pounds. Both of them are working out at a gym too. I love being frugal but I can save in other ways other than just food.

**Jessesbride** · 08-06-2008, 11:22 PM

I know this is going to sound nuts, but I have been losing weight since January (am close to my 30 lb jewel~ with BABES = Beautiful Accountable Babes Exercising Sensibly) & I've actually been saving more $$ by eating healthier. I have the book Miserly Meals (by Jonni McCoy) & of course, access to the internet! We also eat fresh fruit & veggies for snacks (I tend to get pretty much whatever is on sale & some bananas each week)!

A friend of mine's grandfather has an organic farm & about every 4-6 weeks we get surplus eggs (we never seem to have to buy them anymore! We go to the farmer's market AND we planted our first garden this year (Next yr we will plant even more)! We only get extras of stuff that we can either freeze or is canned etc... Yes, sometimes I'll get manwhich or other cheap, easy stuff to make but don't use that except maybe 2-4 times a month. We invite family & friends over & vice versa. We've also made it a goal for the entire family to be more active (biking around the lakes around here on the weekends, going to the gym during the week, walking, swimming, & just plain having fun). Make sure to surround yourself with friends that have the same goals you do (to be frugal & LOSE weight!)

I've also noticed a decrease in the dr visits. THAT ALONE saves us over a $100 each month! It may seem that you are spending $$ to eat healthy, but find out where it seems to be adding up... what do you not have to deal with b/c of eating healthy? less dr visits, more energy, etc.

Also with BABES, once you become a part of the leadership, you only pay 1/2 of what you once did. Plus with BABES, you get a jewel every time you hit a 10 lb weight goal (10 lbs lost you win a jewel, 20 lbs lost you win another jewel & so on) & each week there is a winning group in BABES (out of 3-7etc groups) that each member as a WHOLE group has the chance to go pick out jewelry for themselves! & at the end of the session EVERYONE wins prizes, the more weight you've lost, the better the prizes!

Sorry, I get a little excited about this subject

as you can tell!

Kim

**Jessesbride** · 08-06-2008, 11:25 PM

I forgot to add that the gym I go to is called the CUBE & it's a church facility that is free for the community (oklahoma city & surrounding areas). Just clean the equipment when you are finished using it & you're good to go!

Kim

**missmanny** · 08-06-2008, 11:31 PM

Jessesbride, we are also shopping biweekly at the farmers market, it has reduced the costs of our food bill considerably. And the produce is so fantastic!

I realise that my weight gain has not been as a result of being frugal more that I have just been lazy and I expected that frugality would help me.

As it turns out I have to help myself! go figure.

funny thing is that becomming more fruagl and living a more simple lifestyle has impacted so many areas of my life in a positive way ie, getting more motivated at work and finding an incredible promotion, my house is so much cleaner and more organised because I sold so much stuff (or gave it away if I couldn't sell it) and I am so much more organised now that I have to budget and consider what I need before I go shopping.

I just need to work at this one area. I will get there, but I'm glad to hear that it is working for other people - this gives me some inspiration

**missmanny** · 08-06-2008, 11:35 PM

Heartofmine, thanks for this perspective, perhapse I need to consider going back to ww or something similar, for me frugality is mostly about cutting costs in some places in order to spend it in places that are important to me. This certainly would be one of those cases. It's a good way to look at it!

**MomToTwoBoys** · 08-07-2008, 02:09 AM

We started being frugal and cut out alot of our expenses, in terms of potato chips and other snack items. I noticed a change in my weight and I'm also nowheres close to my body weight. I think that also by watching how many servings I was eating and the size of my portions, I started going back to the way I used to be.

We'll see how this goes in early September when I head back to the gym. I don't think it'll make a difference because between going to the gym three days a week and my winter menu, I think I'll break even on the weight thing. I only noticed I was losing weight and fat when I was eating mainly rice and lean proteins. Beef stew, chili, lasanga, etc aren't lean or rice the last time I checked (though I do eat my chili over some rice).

**britbunny** · 08-07-2008, 04:21 AM

DH and I have lost weight the frugal way! With huge amounts of help from our very own "live for life" forum here on FV I lost 42lbs and have maintained it for over 2 years, DH has lost more than that and is still going!

I think stopping eating meat helped alot, but I had already lost a lot of my excess before we packed that in. Reducing the amount of processed and snacky type foods, drinking water rather than juice or pop, finding the inexpensive proteins, watching the portion sizes - weighing rice and pasta and little things like that all helped to save cash and lose weight.

Exercise was frugal too. I do a weights routine using cans of beans, it really helps with toning my arms. And just making small changes everyday really helps - a short walk, housework, parking further away from the shops, taking the stairs rather than the lift, dancing about the house, exercise dvd's from freecycle or the library etc. It really does all add up!

I could rattle on further but should probably stop, lol.