anorexia is expensive

so i have to eat alot in recovery.. we all do.  and I love to cook and I cook clean and fresh and spend ALOT on groceries.  I think I grocery shop every 3 days or so and average about 500 a week if not more some weeks on food.

If it's not rude, I am wondering if anyone else spends this much or am I acting in my ED buy buying "only the best".

I used to spend this much when I was a binger... this makes little sense to me.

Granted when I went to rehab it was about 10,000 dollars plus the money spent on hospital bills for my heart attack and shrink bills and med. bills and health insurance and all so I guess recovery is cheaper.

You're "two cents?" ... no pun intended.

Dana,

It's the type of food you eat, not the quantity.  Your average person is going to eat more than you do now, but a lot more cheap foods like quick mac, pasta, rice, and so on: thinks you can certainly get a lot of for half the price of the specialty health items and produce.  I’m not saying don’t eat healthy, but that I think the big difference in grocery bills has more to do with the foods you have to eat and the not having barely any of the standard cheap staples.  Cheap but healthy items:
-rice, pasta, quinoa, etc.: you can add all sorts of sauces and topping to make a variety of dishes
-nuts, peanut butter, dried fruit [more bang for a lot less bucks]
-store brand breads, bagels, lunch meat, etc.

And by the way, diet foods and artificial sweeteners are EXTRA expensive!  Save your money for if you ever have to diet!

i dont buy em now... i shop at whole foods and trader joes... think thats why???

I think it's because a large portion of your foods are the "health specialty types."  If you got several hundred calories worth of the cheap stuff like pastas, breads, nuts, cheese, spreads, and ate more calorie-dense foods, then had the produce on the side it would be a LOT cheaper, AND you could eat twice as much if you needed to.

It's unfair that specialty health foods cost more, often unnecessarily. I eat 90% organic foods, so I kind of feel your pain. Although, I live with my family, who spend maybe $200 per week for the 4 of us. My own grocery bill is maybe $50 per week. And Trader Joe's is where we do most of our shopping! In NYC, I spent more at stores like Whole Foods and my favorite, Citarella. <3 But organic grocery shopping need not be gourmet shopping. I've tried Stop 'N Shop's organic line, and it's fairly inexpensive and fairly consistent on quality.

Things like lean cuts of meats, rice, basic produce, and whole grain breads don't need to be expensive.

i still dont understand whats good about organic, i but mostly store brand or whatever, im 25, im not dead, i dont see the diff or the positives?

There's a million benefits to organic food; too long of a list to include here, in fact. It's downside is cost, but for many, it is worth it.

But everyone pretty much concedes to the simple fact that unprocessed foods are far healthier. Universally.

http://www.thehealthierlife.co.uk/natural-hea lth-articles/nutrition/pros-cons-organic-food s-00313.html

I know whats going on here...this still happens to me a bit not as much as before though. Are you buying items that are not so caloricly dense? When you buy items that are low in calories, as in 100 at the most, you end up buying A LOT of things and spending more money than you should. Why? Well because you have to eat a lot of these low calorie foods to reach your target. In the end you consume the food in less than 3 to 4 days, and have the need to go grocery shopping again. An average person has to grocery shop at least only once a week for a few items like milk and bread. If this is your case, try finding foods that are more caloricly dense, but still healthy and that you know wont end up making you go grocery shopping every 3 days. Mainly rice and pasta are caloricly dense and fill u up for a cheaper price. Also healthy fats like the ones found in nuts, peanut butter, olive oil and even avocadoes are great for the calorie density in them. You'll find yourself even feeling more comfortable because you wont get as bloated as when you have to eat large quantities of low cal foods to reach your goal. Think about the more caloricly dense they are the less you have to find endless items of food to reach your target.

I find that having olive oil everday adds a good 140 calories that I barely even notice are there. If I were to chose to have them as food, Id prolly feel more heavy at the end of the day.

I hope this helps.

-xo

oh and my input on organic foods...WAY better than your typical brand food. I didnt think it would make such a difference either, until I Tried it out myself. I felt a difference that was quite noticeable. But it works differently for everyone. Organic foods are not processed and they are not filled with chemicals. Just look at the ingredients in something like a cereal box from a known brand. You'll find crazy ingredients in there that you dont even know what they are. High fructose corn syrup that is soooo damn horrible for you that its even found on All Bran cereals. Chemicals that fill you up with toxins...tho thankfuly we have a good organism that takes care of detoxifying you ever day...its still a hassle on your body think about it.  Organic foods contain only natural ingredients, and no chemicals, which makes them, obviously a million times more healthy. Easier for your body to process as well. Yes they are expensive but, for me my body isnt something I consider that deserves only the cheapest items...I mean its my body, I only get to have it once so I take care of it.

You wont die for having normal foods, but organic will certaintly make you healthier.

HI!

I know what you mean - I have to eat twice the amount a normal person was, and sometimes the only way I can do it, is to cook what I like, and keep it fun and spontaneous - which means shopping every few days, which means expensiveness!  And all this on a student grant, also paying for campus life!  So yeah, it's kind of a kick in the teeth, my worst thoughts when I'm feeling self-pitying are: I'm fat, and what's more I'm broke from getting fat!.....but you gotta do what you gotta do to get healthy.  If the only way you can get in those calories is to buy what you're buying, do it.  You're doing so well so far, don't slip up now!  Is there anyone you could ask for help, like your parents?

x

ok i did a tally of bills this week... my groceries came to 350... thats still alot!!! i dont buy diet products... i go to trader joes once a week whole foods once a week i order and have shop right delivered once a week and i buy fresh produce and fruit every other day because i cook fresh... plus if i eat fish or shellfish i buy that fresh too....

Original Post by danamichael:

ok i did a tally of bills this week... my groceries came to 350... thats still alot!!! i dont buy diet products... i go to trader joes once a week whole foods once a week i order and have shop right delivered once a week and i buy fresh produce and fruit every other day because i cook fresh... plus if i eat fish or shellfish i buy that fresh too....

What in the WORLD are you buying that racks up 350 dollars?!
I mean, I know you have to eat more & all, but 350 bucks a week for one person is literally BLOWING my mind haha.
I dunno, maybe that's just because I'm a poor college student who doesn't buy anything that's not on sale & never spends more than like 20 bucks every time she shops.

Three hundred and fifty dollars!? Good lord, Dana! It is good you buy your produce fresh but try buying the veg and fruit that is in season, it will be a lot cheaper! You could also buy long-store/cupboard goods in bulk from wholetraders like Costco as it tends to be a lot cheaper to do so in the long run. The fish, however, may be adding to your bills; indulge in fresh fish and seafood once in a while but frozen and tinned are perfectly acceptable in many cases. Organic is good but at a list that totals at three hundred-fifty dollars you should focus on the foods that are frequently tampered with and sprayed in crops when not organic, rather than grabbing anything with an "Organic" label.

http://www.eattheseasons.co.uk/ - What is in season
http://www.fishonline.org/advice/eat/ - Sustainable fish and seafood list
http://www.healthcastle.com/organic_foods.sht ml - "What should you buy organic?" Article from healthcastle.com

well i live in a city so the prices are higher... but fresh seafood is typically 50 a week fresh produce is 50 a week 100 at shopright bc its a 10 surcharge for delivery and they are the only store that has the seltzer waters i like and i buy that in bulk plus some other stuff to cook with usually 90 total... about 25 on fruit a week because i live by omish market and its fresh there. then about 125 split between trader joes and whole foods on cereal, bread, and frozen food, soy, and dairy...

some weeks its less... thanks for the ideas.... ill work on it..

Seltzer water? Do you really need seltzer water? :s Do you have to get delivery? You can pick your food up and save yourself a ten dollar charge. I posted a lot of advice in the "Weight Gainers: What did you eat..." thread, though.

Goodness, that's a lot of money to be spending on groceries!  Unless you're buying lobster tail & filet mignon everyday, then I don't see where your money is going in the long run.  Have you checked out local grocery stores in your area besides Trader Joe's?  I guarantee you will be able to buy similar items and your total bill will probably be half the cost.  It's tough times for everyone in terms of the economy, so a little shopping around will be easier on your wallet!  Just my two cents