Need weight loss tips
 

I just turned 21. I am at least 30 - 40 pounds overweight. I frequently feel sick. I have research healthy diets and proper exercise, starting with webmd. I want to lose weight, change my blood chemistry for the better and boost my health so I can live long and healthy.

I currently live with my boyfriend/fiance in his parents house. We just eat whatever is in the house, most of the time is not the healthiest but not the worst food. We also live on a limited budget so we usually end up eating fast food most of the time. Which I know is UNhealthy.

Please, what can I do to eat healthy natural unprocessed organic on a very limited budget?

Seriously, I don't know if you're kidding or not? You're on a budget and you're eating fast food? lol

Also, what is your limited budget? I have nothing to go buy.

I'll list a few cheap, high calorie foods...

Sweet potatos
Lentils
Kidney Beans
Chick Peas
Honey Dates
All Natural Peanut Butter
Eggs
Bananas

Even fast food places have salads/wraps healthier choices. These places like to tempt you with unhealthy things all the time but they often offer healthy choices, which are yours to make.

But like siefer said, there are also inexpensive options for whole, natural foods. Bananas are available for less than a dollar per pound pretty much year round, and they're great for you. Also check out Pick Your Own to find a farm near you where you can pick your own fruit/vegetables. I picked some peaches and nectarines a few weeks ago for $1.50/lb, which is more expensive than what grocers pay for them wholesale, but actually cheaper than what the same grocers will sell them to you for. In $20 you can get 4-6 Carl's Jr. burgers, or 14 lbs of peaches. Which one's healthier?

The thing is so... fast food isn't even cheap. I don't know where people get this idea from >.> I can get a kg of dates for under 4 bucks and it is more filling than a McDonalds meal and it lasts me longer than 3 minutes.

Do you have a spot where you can grow a little garden? That's about the cheapest way I know to eat organic food. Outside of that I realize that it's hard to control what goes in your mouth when you aren't in control of the kitchen. Well, instead of going out to eat, why don't you volunteer to do the shopping and/or the cooking? At least part of the time anyway. Believe me there are specials every week at every grocery store, so whatever healthy foods are on sale this week, and make your menu from there. Buy extra and stock up, so you aren't eating chicken every night of the week.

On top of that you might shop at Farmer's Markets and U-Pick places. Last year I picked strawberries and blueberries for $1/pound, and I put them in the freezer for making smoothies, and made low-sugar jam. I bought 4 bushels of apples at the Farmer's Market for $.50/pound, and made low-sugar apple sauce and apple butter (it's yummy and makes a great gift). I don't know about where you live, but around here there are a couple of discount style grocery stores that always have really good prices on fresh produce, Aldi's, Sav-A-Lot, Sam's Club and Costco. Now mind you they often have "seconds" which are a little bigger/smaller/spottier than the premium stuff you get at the high dollar grocery store, but nutrition doesn't really vary between a beautiful perfect pepper and a lumpy one. Also look at buying things in bulk in order to get a better price. Once a year I buy a 25 pound bag of brown rice from Sam's Club, last time it cost me $11, and it's enough for maybe 50-60 meals.

So you want to move from eating fast food to organic in one step? I suggest you try moving toward eating whole food. Fresh vegetables, and fruit. Chicken, pork, fish, and beef prepared without coatings and without deep frying. Food that you prepare at home. Food that doesn't come out of a cardboard box. Use frozen when things are out of season or it fits your budget better (I usually buy chicken breast frozen because they are more affordable). Cut back on simple carbohydrates, get 30% of your calories from protein, and start exercising along with eating better. Try to maintain a 500-700 calorie deficit. If you can find organic foods that fit your budget buy them, but don't make 'going organic' the excuse that you can't get healthy.