Low Cost Diet Plan

[June1285]

Hi,
I am 23 years old. I am in a college/internship right now. My fiances are really, really tight. This poses a problem, because in order to eat healthy you have to spend a little bit more money. It might not be a problem for other people to just go and spend $40.00 on groceries, but for me that is a big challenge right now. My mom just recently bought me the insulite diet program and i received it in the mail yesterday. This program really excited me and for the first time in years i feel hope. I can't explain how frustrating it is not understanding what's wrong with you and not knowing how to fix it. I want to feel like a woman...a normal woman. I do exercise regularly, and I do the best i can with eating. However, I can feel the effect of my diet most days taking it's toll on my body. I want to do this stystem desperately, but I'm afraid to start this program, because i know that i might not be able to keep up with the diet plan. I want to be healthy. Do you have any suggestions for someone who is on a really low budget? It just seems that everything that is cheap is so bad, especially for someone struggling with PCOS. It's not good to eat the things i can afford, but it's not good to skip eating either. What do i do?

Thank you for taking your time
Jessica

[chandbaby1]

Hi,
I just wanted give you some ideas. I am not a doctor but I have done low carb for a while on a limited budget.

Eggs are the easiest and most affordable and high quality protein there is. stock up on them for breakfast and buy vegetables and cut them in advance and freeze them, then you dont have to pay extra price for cut ones.

Nuts are another on the go food. Buy them in bulk(cheaper) and portion size them when you get it so that you dont over eat them. You can make greek strained yoghurt at home , they are very easy look for some recipe. Other thing i just love is avocado... sometimes i just eat an avocado for dinner with some pesto sauce. also make some sauces at home ... they turn out much cheaper and you can use it on vegetables cheeses etc and make a quick meal.


Meats are expensive so try to see if you can get deals on them and freeze it .
Hope this helps.

[drheather]

Hi,
I am 23 years old. I am in a college/internship right now. My fiances are really, really tight. This poses a problem, because in order to eat healthy you have to spend a little bit more money. It might not be a problem for other people to just go and spend $40.00 on groceries, but for me that is a big challenge right now. My mom just recently bought me the insulite diet program and i received it in the mail yesterday. This program really excited me and for the first time in years i feel hope. I can't explain how frustrating it is not understanding what's wrong with you and not knowing how to fix it. I want to feel like a woman...a normal woman. I do exercise regularly, and I do the best i can with eating. However, I can feel the effect of my diet most days taking it's toll on my body. I want to do this stystem desperately, but I'm afraid to start this program, because i know that i might not be able to keep up with the diet plan. I want to be healthy. Do you have any suggestions for someone who is on a really low budget? It just seems that everything that is cheap is so bad, especially for someone struggling with PCOS. It's not good to eat the things i can afford, but it's not good to skip eating either. What do i do?

Thank you for taking your time
Jessica

Dear Jessica,

Thanks for being honest. I can understand where you are coming from and I can tell you we have many women who are in similar situations.

You are right, processed and refined foods are cheaper and much easier to buy on a tight budget. But keep in mind they do not offer much in the way of nutrition and in that case are not really serving a purpose other than filling you up. Essentially, if you are not getting anything from the food, it can become more costly. I don't want to see you skipping meals as that will not only make losing weight difficult or encourage weight gain in the long run but will negatively impact your metabolism, energy, concentration and as a student/intern that is not acceptable for you (or anyone, really).

There are a few tips to low carb eating on a budget but initially it may require a bit of work.

First, I would start getting the advertisements for the grocery stores in your area as well as smaller local stores. This will allow you to shop for some essentials when they are on sale. Look for stores that you typically might not think would have what you are looking for. Depending on where you live, you may have ethnic grocery stores that have other choices of fruits/veggies that you did not think you would find and often you can find better prices. Also, stocking up on non-perishables when on sale that you regularly use will save you some. (Of course this is as you can afford).

Another tip when it comes to buying fruits and vegetables, is to buy locally and seasonally. Much of the prices will depend on the season and how far it had to travel to reach you. Local farmers/farmer's markets can be a great way to get veggies. You can also see if local farmers offer one weeks worth of veggies or fruits with what they have picked just that week. They may do deliveries/pickups every week or two. It not only helps you it supports local farmers. And it also gives you the opportunity to eat seasonally as we used to. You can supplement with what may be on sale at local stores.

You can also buy some frozen veggies when they are on sale or as Chandbaby1 recommended, you can buy fresh and freeze in individual servings.

When it comes to meats, this is where a lot of money can be spent. In addition to eggs, yogurt, use other non-meat proteins such as beans, legumes and tofu. They tend to be much cheaper and can add a healthy protein. When you do buy meat, you can buy a larger amount and again freeze it in individual serving sizes.

And I will emphasize buying in bulk, especially nuts, seeds, beans and legumes. What is important here is that you have good storage to keep them fresh (especially the nuts). Raw nuts can be refrigerated in glass to keep them fresher. Once roasted, the oils tend to become rancid much quicker.

If you know another person that follows a similar diet or eats this way already, I would encourage you to see if buying some that you both use in a larger quantity so you can get it cheaper.

Lastly, making soups and sauces and salads at home will be much cheaper than buying prepared. If you do this, try to make a double batch and freeze the rest for other meals.

It will take some time make these changes and we want you to succeed. Women with PCOS benefit from a low carb diet and we recommend eating this way even after you have benefited from the supplement part of the program. These recommendations are to benefit you and your long term health.

Jessica, I do hope that this helps you get started. This is a process so don't be too hard on yourself. Many of use are doing our best to make the changes that help us reach our goals. I am here to support you if you need it. Just contact me.

[drheather]

Hi,
I just wanted give you some ideas. I am not a doctor but I have done low carb for a while on a limited budget.

Eggs are the easiest and most affordable and high quality protein there is. stock up on them for breakfast and buy vegetables and cut them in advance and freeze them, then you dont have to pay extra price for cut ones.

Nuts are another on the go food. Buy them in bulk(cheaper) and portion size them when you get it so that you dont over eat them. You can make greek strained yoghurt at home , they are very easy look for some recipe. Other thing i just love is avocado... sometimes i just eat an avocado for dinner with some pesto sauce. also make some sauces at home ... they turn out much cheaper and you can use it on vegetables cheeses etc and make a quick meal.


Meats are expensive so try to see if you can get deals on them and freeze it .
Hope this helps.

Dear Chandbaby1,

I just wanted to say thanks for sharing the tips you use for eating low carb less expensively. I think that they will be really helpful to all those who are trying to save some money while eating for nutrition.

[June1285]

I just want to say thankyou for giving me all the great advise. I think these things will definitely help!

Jessica

[drheather]

I just want to say thankyou for giving me all the great advise. I think these things will definitely help!

Jessica

You are very welcome! Please let us know how they are working for you.

[dixiedarlin79]

I too am on a tight budget and can not afford a hefty grocery bill. My other problem is time. I currently work full time and go to school part time and in August will be a full time nursing student and part time at my job. It's hard being single because when I buy groceries, I feel like I waste more money because things spoil before I can get to it...plus, I 'm not much of a cook and it's hard to cook for just one. Any suggestions on this problem?

[drheather]

I too am on a tight budget and can not afford a hefty grocery bill. My other problem is time. I currently work full time and go to school part time and in August will be a full time nursing student and part time at my job. It's hard being single because when I buy groceries, I feel like I waste more money because things spoil before I can get to it...plus, I 'm not much of a cook and it's hard to cook for just one. Any suggestions on this problem?

Hello again. I understand there can be some limitations but planing is what can be useful. I have copied some of the tips that other women are using that can help. It is also necessary to make dietary changes to reduce the insulin and symptoms of PCOS. There is no pill that will reverse these problems without lifestyle changes.

There are a few tips to low carb eating on a budget but initially it may require a bit of work.

First, I would start getting the advertisements for the grocery stores in your area as well as smaller local stores. This will allow you to shop for some essentials when they are on sale. Look for stores that you typically might not think would have what you are looking for. Depending on where you live, you may have ethnic grocery stores that have other choices of fruits/veggies that you did not think you would find and often you can find better prices. Also, stocking up on non-perishables when on sale that you regularly use will save you some. (Of course this is as you can afford).

Another tip when it comes to buying fruits and vegetables, is to buy locally and seasonally. Much of the prices will depend on the season and how far it had to travel to reach you. Local farmers/farmer's markets can be a great way to get veggies. You can also see if local farmers offer one weeks worth of veggies or fruits with what they have picked just that week. They may do deliveries/pickups every week or two. It not only helps you it supports local farmers. And it also gives you the opportunity to eat seasonally as we used to. You can supplement with what may be on sale at local stores.

You can also buy some frozen veggies when they are on sale or as Chandbaby1 recommended, you can buy fresh and freeze in individual servings.

When it comes to meats, this is where a lot of money can be spent. In addition to eggs, yogurt, use other non-meat proteins such as beans, legumes and tofu. They tend to be much cheaper and can add a healthy protein. When you do buy meat, you can buy a larger amount and again freeze it in individual serving sizes.

And I will emphasize buying in bulk, especially nuts, seeds, beans and legumes. What is important here is that you have good storage to keep them fresh (especially the nuts). Raw nuts can be refrigerated in glass to keep them fresher. Once roasted, the oils tend to become rancid much quicker.

If you know another person that follows a similar diet or eats this way already, I would encourage you to see if buying some that you both use in a larger quantity so you can get it cheaper.

Lastly, making soups and sauces and salads at home will be much cheaper than buying prepared. If you do this, try to make a double batch and freeze the rest for other meals.

Also, since your mother is diabetic, you can also have her incorporate some of these changes with foods and that may help with price as you can buy larger and the cost can be reduced. However, I do not know if this would work, it might be an option.

I hope that this helps.