omg i need u guys! HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[bombaybaby]

Hi you guys,
Last year i was at 365 i got off of Atkins, and now i'm back at 355. I feel horrible. I have teen boys that eat up everything, and i have had money problems lately so i eat what is available. What can i do? I know that there are wonderful people on here. I not only want you guys support, i NEED IT!!!!!!!!!! please help me .

[RachelnLa]

Oh Bombaybaby.. my heart goes out to you. Been there. Now? I made changes in the house and the kids don't complain. Soda? No more. Junk? VERY limited. I know they need their treats. Once they are gobbled up, no more is bought until next week. They don't miss it and it's not good for them anyway. If they are eating healthy stuff they won't get the munchies and eat empty calories. Fruits, veggies, real foods. I ask mine often if they feel deprived and they say NO. They feel great, they look great and they are learning good habits My daughter would rather eat cabbage and bacon than cookies when she comes home from school. Often she eats supper early and snack later. Baby steps... small changes.. get the most bang for your buck You can do it!

[bombaybaby]

Thank -you Rachel, so much for your reply. I really neede help, and support. Thanks for not just viewing and not posting. God bless

[MsLynn]

i know EXACTLY what you're going through... I have 3 boys, and its hard to be able to buy the right foods. I used to make cheap dinners, like beans and fried potatos, but on this diet, that doesn't work. lol. I'm a single mom and i work 2 jobs and go to school. so keeping on track is so hard, and making ends meet so i can afford to stay on. Meats as well as fresh veggies are so expensive, especially this time of year.

please just know you aren't alone.

[plsmachic]

My advice, find a super Walmart If it werent for walmart I wouldnt be able to feed myself let alone my son...

And I've found that buying the big bags of frozen chicken breasts taste just as good as the fresh chicken once they're cooked and they cost 1/5 of the price. You just have to keep your eyes open for great deals and set a weekly budget for yourself, and let your boys know that this is important to you. So much so that the family is going to have to make changes around it.

Atkins can be a very satisfying WOE for anyone in the house, but if they want extras, they're teenagers. Make them get a job. I can see buying SOME things for them but dont break your bank for anything other than necessities. And, doritos are nto necessities, no matter how much they might say they "need" them...

Hang in there. Once you are determined to get back on this thing, nothing will stop you. And your family will understand that.

[RachelnLa]

You are very welcomed! Most importanty, YOU ARE WORTH IT!! Get to clipping the coupons (that's what I do!) and watching those sales ads. When it goes on sale use a coupon with it to get even more savings I put rules down with the chips. We were blazing through them much to quickly for my liking. You can have them.. but only with a sandwich or other food. Just not as a meal itself. Now? They don't even think twice about it. We don't give our kids enough credit. For some reason we think we OWE it to them. Well, we do.. just not as in JUNK foods.

My daughter is in a program at school about teaching kids nutrition and giving them time and a place to exercise by doing different activities. She's not overweight in the least, but wanted more knowledge on the subject - guess she hears her father and I talking so much about it LOL She was picked to be in it! They had to fill out a survey about what they eat at home. She compared hers with some friends and she was shocked with all the junk they eat. Honestly, she eats really healthy. And I'm proud to say - she has lost 7 pounds! She use to roll her eyes when she wanted to quit and I'd encourage her to stay saying that extra exercise enabled her to eat a bit more freely. Ah-ha, she saw some weight come on while she was out of school over christmas break! Then she realized how important exercise was Hopefully she's learning good habits to last a lifetime. I'm very proud of her.

Small changes.. they threw a fit when I said wouldn't be buying cokes.. but we talked about it and they said they would try it. Water is just about all we drink and they don't miss it. They even order water when go out to eat LOL Makes a mamma proud! I credit my hubby for setting the example with drinking water - he should have humps like a camel he drinks so much! So, they do listen and watch.. and you can make a difference for them.

I've rambled on long enough.. I just get riled up when it comes to my babies!

Originally Posted by bombaybaby

Thank -you Rachel, so much for your reply. I really neede help, and support. Thanks for not just viewing and not posting. God bless

[spirittalker]

I too struggle financially. I have found though that buying in bulk does help. Find the sales on chicken breasts and hamburger. Sure it takes a lil extra effort on your part to come home and seperate the food into meals but it saves a lot of money. You have teenage boys so you should be able to reason with them about the junk food. And you know what...no one needs white bread or white rice or candy or ice cream. So it should be easy to get rid of that and spend the money on veggies for snacks.

[MsLynn]

i too buy in bulk, and i also have a slightly overweight 12 year old son who's cardiologist wants him to loose some weight, so i'm hoping if he see's my success then he'll try.

Tax season is coming up so i'm gonna stock my big freezer with meats so hopefully this year won't be so rough.

[Debi2007]

You mentioned that your teenagers "eat up everything." What kinds of things do you currently buy for them? Chips and snacks like that are filled with chemicals that are very addicting and even if they aren't hungry they are going to probably eat them. Definitely try switching to more healthy snacks if you haven't already. Honestly, it isn't that much more money to buy healthy, it just takes a little more prep time.

We also buy the chicken breasts at Walmart and they are great and much cheaper. We throw a couple of them in the crockpot in the morning with a little bit of chicken broth and by evening they are tender and ready to eat.

I would just try making a list of all the things you buy and comparing what you might be able to replace to save money and get healthier. I have noticed in our house - if the junk food isn't there - the whining lasts for a couple minutes and if they are really hungry they find something healthy to eat. My son used to be addicted to fruit snacks and I finally said enough. He was very upset and first, but now he doesn't think anything of getting a piece of fresh fruit.

You can do it!!! Like I read somewhere above... just make small changes to start. Best wishes to you...

[MsLynn]

i've completely cut out buying any kind of drinks. we all drink water...they boys didn't like it at first, but as long i didn't buy anything they didn't have a choice. they get milk and juice at school, at home we drink mostly water. every once in a great while i'll make a picture of tea.