HELP!! I need frugal ideas for losing weight!

[Jessesbride]

OK ya'll! this is a new year & a new ME! (or at least I'm trying to get back to a healthier more skinnier me!)... I need help pronto!

Frugal ideas for eating about 300 calories for breakfast, lunch & dinner & carbs need to be mainly during breakfast! snacks need to be about 100 calories & I need these 3 x/day! I need practical ideas that I can use w/my family b/c we ALL need to lose weight & get healthy! PLUS I need to be exercising 30 min- 1 hour approx 6 days/week! I'm starting to feel overwhelmed!!! BUT I WILL BE LOSING ABOUT 100 LBS BY THE TIME ALL SAID & DONE! I need real ideas that will stay for the long haul cuz this is a life plan not a diet! thanks!

Kim

[perSue]

first, congrats on making a healthy lifestyle change for yourself and your family!

i'd recommend walking around your neighbourhood, maybe even adding some jogging later on.
jumping rope is always great, and good for your heart. if your kids don't have one, hit the dollar store... OR use some rope around the house.
if you have a bike, hop on! it's a lotta fun w/your family too.

You can always go to parks too, for walking, swinging, biking, etc.

now, for the foods.

my honest recommendation... use common sense.

think about what little kids choose to eat. brightly coloured foods, veggies, fruits.

focus on having a small amount of protein (think a deck of cards or smaller) - be that a lean meat, tofu, or beans.
then some veggies w/your meals - about a cup or so of veggies.

fruit is a great snack, energizer and is just good for ya.

grains are also your friend... rice, oats, bran, etc. (think stir fry)

don't give up all the things you like, just limit your intake... maybe once or twice a week... so they ARE treats.
also, change serving sizes.

your stomach is the size of both of your hands fisted together... if the food you're looking at looks like too much, it probably is.
so, think "the size of my palm or smaller for desserts/meats/fats"

veggies and fruit (unless you have sugar/insulin related issues) are your friends.

good luck and we're here when you need motivation.

[Marie78]

I'm trying to lose weight too and veggies, fruits and bran/whole grain foods are a good place to start. I traded my white bread for wheat this week, sugar cereal for bran & whole grain cereals, white pasta for wheat pasta. I'm adding more veggies and fruits to my daily diet too. 8-10 glasses of water to help you feel fuller between meals and to cleanse your system. I'm making it a goal this week to exercise for at least 30 minutes every day. Good Luck, I know you can do it. We both can .

[PrairieRose]

Here's my story....we did pretty frugally

[ame="http://www.weightlossmoms.com/forums/showthread.php?t=729"]In response to SheilaQ's question about weightloss at FV - Weight Loss Moms Forum[/ame]

Walking is free (well you need some good shoes). You can buy all kinds of workout videos at thrift stores for next to nothing. Water is uber cheap.

[Momto2Boyz]

I have lost 65 pounds total (15 to go)!

Here are my "normal" meal choices, which I try to keep as frugal as possible:

Breakfasts:
Oatmeal with sugar substitute (have to sweeten it somehow!)
Fiber one Cereal (1/2 c w/ 1/2 c milk)
(those are usually my two options)

Lunch:
Salad with protein (I usually throw in either chicken, sandwich meat, tuna or cottage cheese)
Turkey sandwich on whole wheat with lettuce tomato & mustard (no mayo )
Side of pretzels (1 serving according to package)

Afternoon Snack:
Pretzels
Fruit
Veggie with lite ranch
air popped pop corn
yogurt

Dinner
Dinner is a normal dinner with my family. I just have to be careful with portion control. I occassionally have to go online and remind myself what serving sizes should be!

I stay away from fast food completely. A McDonalds salad is over 400 calories, and relatively high in fat!

Otherwise, just use common sense like perSue said! Try to stay away from processed white flour and sugar.

Start walking! I lost 25 pounds in 10 weeks following the Walk for life program at about.com! You might give it a try! It will send you an e-mail each day with your walking "routine" for that day. It is really easy to stick too!

[Momto2Boyz]

Oh! I forgot to add, that I hate water! So, in order to get my daily 8 - 8 ounce glasses of water each day, I substitute with decaf green tea.

I have a friend who is a nutritionist, I asked her if there was anything as good as water and she said decaf tea, was a great substitute. And she recomended green tea because of the antioxidants!

[shoiji]

Wish you the best with this. I have lost about 30 lbs and need to lose 15 more lbs.

I added more fresh fruit and vegetables. Or frozen. Also a little bit of dried fruit works great instead of candy.

If making oatmeal throw in some raisins and sweeten with honey or maple syrup.

Also switched to whole grains. This really fills you up fast.

Atleast one or two times a week I will have a salad for dinner with beans or eggs for protein.

Beans are low cost and there is so many things you can do with them.

I think the biggest thing is portion control. Also, if you know you have eaten enough calorie wise and are still hungry, try drinking some water or chewing on some gum instead of eating.

[latierra84]

Oh! I forgot to add, that I hate water! So, in order to get my daily 8 - 8 ounce glasses of water each day, I substitute with decaf green tea.

I have a friend who is a nutritionist, I asked her if there was anything as good as water and she said decaf tea, was a great substitute. And she recomended green tea because of the antioxidants!

you've inspired me to check out walk of life and ive just signed up for the daily emails. now if i could just get dh to go with me LOL Congrats on the weight loss! and thanks for posting the menu sample of what you eat on a daily basis. very helpful

[Jessesbride]

Thanks you all are great! While dh was in hosp. I lost 1.8 & didn't start exercising until friday (weigh in's are on Monday) & this week I've exercised every day (xcept today) for at least an hour! & other than on the first day, I haven't gone over! So I'm stoked!!! I'm getting there! I will be working not next week, but the week after almost every day & 1 day I'll be there ALL Day (the day of weigh in...I do BABES at our church which is also where I work... doing childcare) & altho there is a microwave, there is no fridge... any suggestions? I can bring fruit & a can of soup but what else? we do 300/meal & then 3 snacks during the day at 100 each... It will be interesting to see how that weigh in day goes! Esp. b/c I'll be watching Hayden & he doesn't like to not be held etc. so I don't end up drinking as much as I should... go figure... but he does sleep quite a bit!

ALso, I usually try to have a fiber cereal & almost always use only skim milk (milk is just nasty by itself) & oatmeal I am now out of... These days I just have maybe a tablespoon of brown sugar & lots of cinnamon to it (we do steel cut oats... dh got me spoiled with that right after we got married, so!!! I now can't stand regular oatmeal! lol!). PLUS I found a sugar free, 10 calories only frozen fruit bar that sam's carries that I LOVE!!! & at 10 calories no sodium & no sugar! Halalujah!!! & yogurt... 50 calories... & I plan what is for dinner that way if it's more than 300 calories, then I can "plan to spend my calories wisely" throughout the day (ea. snack only 50 cals & free up 50 cals toward dinner...). I'm getting there! The thing that gets me is water... I'm doing good to get 6 & really great to be getting 8... Am doing better tho!

Thanks!!!