Dieting on a budget.

I hate to say it, but once again I have let myself go.  It usually happens once my classes start (I'm going for Chemical Environmental Engineering, so you can imagine my work load).  I get busy and broke and just cannot take the time or money out of my busy days to make sure I am eating healthy.  I know, excuses, excuses, but it is way easier for me to stop at Taco Bell on my way home from school, grab a taco and go to bed.  Well, my stomach has definitely seen a major difference this semester.  I dropped down to about 125, then shot back up to what I started at, if not more.  Anyway, my schedule should calm down within the next month or two, but for now, what is the best way of dieting on a budget?  Any cheap and fast ideas?  I don't mean fast as in lose weight asap, I just mean quick food.  Any ideas or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Also, exercise has not been an option as I work full time M-F and have classes right after work each day until about 9, sometimes 10 pm.  But, any suggestions on quick exercises are also appreciated.

Thank you all for your time.

Original Post by crashee:

I hate to say it, but once again I have let myself go. It usually happens once my classes start (I'm going for Chemical Environmental Engineering, so you can imagine my work load). I get busy and broke and just cannot take the time or money out of my busy days to make sure I am eating healthy. I know, excuses, excuses, but it is way easier for me to stop at Taco Bell on my way home from school, grab a taco and go to bed. Well, my stomach has definitely seen a major difference this semester. I dropped down to about 125, then shot back up to what I started at, if not more. Anyway, my schedule should calm down within the next month or two, but for now, what is the best way of dieting on a budget? Any cheap and fast ideas? I don't mean fast as in lose weight asap, I just mean quick food. Any ideas or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Also, exercise has not been an option as I work full time M-F and have classes right after work each day until about 9, sometimes 10 pm. But, any suggestions on quick exercises are also appreciated.

Thank you all for your time.

 

hi-

i also prefer quick meals because after a long day at work the last thing i want to do is cook something that takes forever. I've found that the purdue short cut chicken are convenient, you can toss them on top of lettuce to make a salad, also i like teh steamfresh veggies that takes 5 min in the microwave and they are done!

w regards to exercise, i got the jillian michaels 30 day shred dvd and it only takes 20 min per workout.. all you need are handweights and a mat.

good luck!

you are so busy!

if you are really looking to stay low on both calories and cost, homemade is the way to go. something you might try is making meals for the week on the weekend, i used to do that when i was in college and it worked out really well. you can cook chicken breasts on the weekend, stick them in the fridge and then easily put them in a stir-fry or serve over a salad. you can make a big pot of soup and heat up a cup or two of it during the week. pasta will keep for a couple days, some varieties better than others. potatoes are always delicious (to me, anyway!). the main strategy here is to cook a bunch of food when you're cooking in the first place, so you just have to devote a certain block of time to meal-making. just experiment a bit with what keeps and re-heats well, and you can stay away from those taco bell tacos!

oh, and there are always sandwiches! ;) veggie burgers are pretty inexpensive, as well.

good luck!

How about stopping at your grocery store and picking up a cooked chicken and some flat bread?  Make yourself a wrap.

A lot less calories and fat than Taco Bell.

You could try parking as far away as you can (without making yourself late) to get some extra walking in. And maybe walk around during those 10 minute breaks between classes, if you have them, instead of just sitting in the next classroom.

When I was a college student I lived on homemade bean burritos. You can make a super healthy, nutritious, and delicious filling fast and on the cheap: cook up a chopped onion in some EVOO, add some frozen corn and a drained can of black beans (Goya brand is delicious and cheap), and season with some Mexican-style chili powder (I like McCormicks). All together, about $2 worth of ingredients, and 2-4 servings (depending on how big an eater you are). You can add frozen spinach or canned diced tomatoes to get your veggies in. Wrap it up in a tortilla, add cheese or salsa if you like, and you are set! Much better than Taco Bell

I dont know what other fast food places are around you, but some places actually have some decent options. McDonald's egg mcmuffins are so good and realitively low in calories.... salads are good....wendys chili and baked potatoes are DELICIOUS!

Or maybe try buying in bulk? like from a sams club or something? Get a huge box of lean pockets and freeze them away... etc.

I am a college student right now, and I can say that cooking at home is DEFINITELY cheaper than eating anywhere else.

I currently only spend about $5 a day on food. (Dinning plans are more like close to $10 a meal!!!)

Buy in bulk when you can, and freeze. cook in bulk when you can and also freeze.

Some farmer's market has good great fresh fruit and veggi (the one around me, with one dollar, you can get :

-2 package of blueberries or

-2 ripe mangoes or

-2 avocadoes or

-4 heads of romaine lettece or

-4 big bell peppers or

-4 bunch of scallions or

-6 onions or

-1 or more huge eggplants or

-1 big cabbage or

-4 big oranges or

-7 small oranges or

-2-3 pounds of banana or

-10 lemons or

 etc. you get the idea

get meat on sale in bulk! sometimes whole chicken breast meat is under $2 / pound!

I've got to agree with posters here, cooking at home and freezing is the way to go.  Often I'll buy a cooked rotisserie chicken from the grocery and when I get home I'll separate the meat from the bone and store in the fridge for soups, salads, sandwiches, etc.  That only costs $6 and it's enough meat for the entire week.  I'll make a huge pot of soup, this week with Italian sausage (you don't have to add that) diced tomatoes, beef broth, carrots and celery, and green onions.  I eat a sandwich each day for lunch, and we try to take a piece of fruit with us as well.

Bottom line is, grocery shopping is the way to go.  This week my husband and I managed our groceries under $60, that's only $30 per person for the entire week, plus you'll realize after shopping for a while that you have tons of left overs.  We buy in bulk as well and often have cereal that lasts for over two weeks, pasta we haven't cooked yet, and tons of canned goods.  We've even managed to not finish off a gallon of milk in one week which saved us a little bit.  It all adds up.  One piece of advice though, allow yourself a cheat day where you can eat the things you're used to and love, otherwise this healthy, fast, cheap thing won't work out at all.  Good luck with your busy schedule, I've got a similar one, and trust me, the stress level just plumets when I look in the fridge and see that I've got portioned meals for the entire week just waiting to go get warmed up :), oh one more thing.  Salads are good but often heavier on calories if you use dressing so be ware.  I've been making spinach salad with fresh tomatoes and carrots and some of that chicken I talked about with no dressing and it was really really good.  (and I'm a Ranch type of girl!)