Help Need Sugesstons

I've been "trying" to lose weight for a long time now, and I know I need to get serious about it. I have managed to lose weight in the past but have not been able to keep it off. I know I need to change my diet and my activity level but I have a few problems. Between work and school I really don't have a lot of time to exersise, I know excuses excuses, but by the time I get home and I'm pooped after work and usuly have to go to bed shortly there after. As far as the food goes I'm poor, it's just my small pay check to feed me and my boyfriend and honestly healthier foods cost more :( Any suggestions on what I could do would be great!

If you create obstacles & excuses.... no time, healthy foods are expensive, etc.... then you'll simply prevaricate.   In sales training they call it 'objection handling'... deal with the objections one by one...

1. Healthy food is not expensive.   Ready-made foods with a dubious health-tag and 'diet food is... because it costs money to be lazy! LOL!  Genuinely healthy foods are the cheapest around because they need a little creativity and elbow-grease to turn them into a nourishing meal.   Seasonal fruit & vegetables are dirt-cheap, for example.... not as fancy as imported fruit & vegetables but fresher and arguably more nutritious.  Where I am it's the season for root crops, brassicas, apples and pears... lots to go at.  Simple foods like oats cost buttons compared to fancy 'healthy' breakfast cereals.   And you can do a lot of healthy cooking with humble things like bread, potatoes, pasta, beans, lentils, rice.  TIP... invest in some herbs and spices and see if you can get a cheap slow-cooker on E-Bay

2.  You do have time to exercise.  Don't treat exercise as a separate activity but build it into your day.  Doctors get surprisingly good results by giving people cheap pedometers and 'prescribing' 10,000 steps a day.   Cycle rather than drive.  Walk rather than cycle.  Use stairs instead of lifts or escalators.  Get off the bus a stop early. ...   You only need to find half an hour in your day to get moving.  Get up earlier.  Watch less TV.   Spend less time over lunch.... Half an hour isn't a lot.

I find it best to go for a run right after I wake up after my coffee of course.

I agree with sfredbull, I like mornings personally because it gives me less time to argue with myself about going (the more time I have to think about it, the less chance I will), and makes me feel great the rest of the day.

I think establishing a routine is most important though. If you know you'll go everyday in the afternoon vs twice a week in the mornings, then go with the one you know you'll stick.

As for food, you'll never see anyone who lost weight say they did it by eating from the dollar menu at McDonalds, so I think just bucking up and buying fresh fruit and veggies is the way to go :)

It seems hard to change bad habits now, but only because you've been doing them so long. . .but once you change your life to incorporate exercising and healthy foods, it gets easier by the day. Good luck!

edit: I knew I just read an article about this and emailed it to myself!, here's the link: http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/ch eap-healthy-15-nutritious-foods-about-2-dolla rs

if you google cheap healthy foods you can get a million more lists too!

Ok, if you live in or near a decent sized city, then look in the phone book and see if there is an Indian spice store, or a chineese market.    I live near a community of about 80,000.  There is an Indian spice store that sells all the spices you need for indian cooking.  They are quite reasonable.  But one thing that they also sell is pre-packaged indian "fast food".  It comes already made you just open the pouch and put it in a bowl and warm it in the microwave.  So I have one in the pantry from "Kitchens of India" it is red kidney beans with curry.  I think it cost under 2.00....maybe 1.75?.  It has 120 calories, 30 calories from fat, total fat 3.5 grams, protien 5g.   So it's  healthy and quick to make.  They have at least 20 kinds or so there, most with lots of healthy veggies. 

I used to live near an asian market before.  They have many healthy pre-made foods that you just add water to and heat.  I used to get the shark fin soup because I liked it so much!  It was dehydrated, lasted forever, and all the spices were in it.  I didn't realize it was healthy too.  Then they have several types of noodles that are heat and serve, but read the lables to see which are lowest in fat and have the most nutrition. 

I also like to get those big packs of mixed spring greens at the store.  At king soopers (wich is also kroger)  they have the large packs that they often put on sale I think 2 for 5.00 or 2 for 7.00???  anyway one of those will last 2 of us for a week.  Then I get baby carrots, snap peas, small green onions, small radishes because they don't require  cutting up.  They usually go on sale too, or at least the snap peas do quite often. 

Then don't forget about the can goods isle.  Soup is a good meal and you can get the low sodium variety, and that seems to go on sale alot for some reason.  ;)  The canned fruit is quite reasonable for certain items as well, costing less than a $1 for 2 servings (I eat the whole can!).  Then there is the tuna wich is about one of the best diet foods you can eat.  The canned chicken is really easy to add to recipies and make alot of dishes with.  Both seem to be quite pricy these days.   But sometimes I find them at the 1$ store (one of those stores that everything is a $1).  I also find cashews and other nuts there and those are good added to salads,  In a rice dish, and all sorts of ways.    

Also look for health food stores.  Now there is one that we call "whole checks" because it is really expensive! ;b I think you know the one?? But there is also another in town that has very reasonable prices.  They have bulk nuts and beans, and spices that are really cheap, as they are sold in little bags.  They also have plenty of pre-packaged foods that are very healthy.   You can sometimes get a crock-pot for around $10.00.  Then you can put the beans and spices in it and let it cook all day while you are gone. 

So I hope this gives you some food ideas that will fit better into your busy schedule.  :D

Not just asian or indian markets, but mexican markets also usually have cheap stuff.  I do agree about the kitchens of india meal packs though, they are great over brown rice or spinach.

Cheap health food: black beans, brown rice, SOMETIMES quinoa depending where you get it.  Canned pumpkin (or fresh this time of year!)  OH that reminds me- gourds and squashes (like a 10lb one is only about 2 bucks right now).  Spinach!  ($1 for 10oz, which is enough for a meal.)

Cheapest thing you can make:  Stews and soups.  Next time you have meat with a bone, put the bone into a pot with stew stuff and make a  stew!  It's full of yummy and would probably only cost .50 per serving depending on what you used.

not really healthy, but low-cal and filling (to me) :  banquet frozen meals.  They go on sale for a dollar, (other "better" brands go on sale for 1.5 or 2) and with the addition of some rice or veggies, you have a full meal at about 400 calories.

For a long tine there I didn't finish work untill after dark - meaning going for a walk or a run was tricky to fit in... Also I like my TV... even love my TV... hate to miss a show...

so I invested in a elliptical trainer.. I had to buy it on installment - a rent buy place had it very cheap and it was very much worth it.

I could just hop on it infront of the telly and watch my favorite shows while still working out even when it was dark outside! 

I find that if you can get support from someone who is willing to help (i.e. your boyfriend) then you can always find time throughout the day (if not, then the week) to go out and exercise a little.

Thing is; it doesn't work well if you don't get your boyfriend to support you. If you can get him to eat healthy and exercise, then you can motivate each other to keep at it! It may look like you have no time whatsoever, but you'd be surprised as to what miracles time-management does. ^^

As for healthy foods - I'd advise you to get cheap healthy things (such as vegetables and fruits and healthy carbs!) that are in season!