How to Diet on a Budget: Lose Weight and Save Money

Okay, so you're on your way to a pants size you never dreamed you'd wear, and you're kind of freaking out, because not only can you not afford those pricey new jeans, every diet you've been on has managed to cost you quite a bit of money. Clubs like Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig, with monthly dues, and expensive specialty low-cal and diet products at the supermarket add up to an expense you simply can't allow yourself right now. What to do? Try my tips for dieting on a budget.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Will power
• A Supportive friend or family member helps
• kitchen and kitchen tools

1. Eat less. This is the most basic, and money saving diet tip. Eat less, thus buy less food, and save money. Buying less food to begin with can also help those with will-power problems to eat less. If it isn't there in your house when you're hungry, you're less likely to eat it.

2. Eat less meat and cheese. I'm not telling you to give these up completely, just eat less of them, you'll be surprised at how many calories, how much fat, and how much money you can save. When you do eat meat, go for lean cuts. A good general rule of thumb is to eat portions the size of your palm or smaller of protein. If you want to make a long term investment, and you know you will use it, you can buy a scale, and weigh meat, to make sure your guess-timating is accurate. If you can't be bothered to weigh yourself, you won't weigh your food, so don't waste the money on a food scale.

3. Eat out less. Eating out nowadays is difficult and stressful for dieters. Most meals cooked in restaurants are high in salt, fat and calories and portion sizes are enormous. Even salads tend to be very high-calorie items. Besides, eating out isn't only expensive in calories, it's expensive in actual hard cold cash. Learn to cook, and eat at home, it's cheaper, and you know what you're eating. If and when you must eat out, have at least half of what they bring out for you to eat boxed up to take home, or if possible, order a half-portion. If what you order comes with sauce, order the sauce on the side. Stick to thin, broth based soups and avoid creamier, thicker soups. To save some cash, split something with a friend. Even better, if you have a friend who is also trying to save some dollars and cents/ lose extra poundage, make a deal, only one meal out a month, or every two weeks, and only if you split it.

4. Don't buy pre-prepared, pre-packaged foods. This is a fabulous, and by fabulous, I mean awful way to add extra salt, fat, dreaded trans-fat and calories to your diet. If you must buy pre-made items, read the ingredients, you might think twice. At any rate, as much as possible, make things from scratch, at home, with your own two hands or the two hands of a roommate or partner, if you are so lucky as to have one. When you cook things for yourself, it's easy to monitor how much oil, butter, cheese, salt, whatever you put into a dish.

5. Don't try to follow a diet that requires you to buy specific and expensive diet products, like breakfast bars or shakes. Most dieters aren't satisfied with these meal supplements and pay a fortune to end up breakfasting or lunching twice. Focus on eating lots of fresh vegetables and fruits and less processed carbohydrates and fats.

6. Buy fresh fruits and vegetables that are in season to save on your grocery bill. If an item isn't in season and you just have to have it, buy it frozen, not canned, as frozen fruits and vegetables contain more nutrients, but are still generally cheaper than fresh varieties that are out of season. As much as possible, buy small quantities of fresh items, so you are motivated to eat and use these healthy options before they spoil.

7. An easy and inexpensive breakfast for dieters is old-fashioned steel-cut oatmeal, it's cheap, it has lots of fiber and it's filling. If you like it sweet, add in bananas, raisins, or whatever fresh fruit you have around the house. Another cheap breakfast option is plain yogurt and fruit with generic all-bran. For breakfast think fiber, fruit and a little protein. Of course there's always the traditional incredible edible egg, that you can combine with whole grain toast or cereal for a low-cost and healthy day starter.

8. An easy and inexpensive diet tip is to replace one meal a day with a large green salad with canned tuna, chicken breast, or low-fat cheese on it. Mix up your options. When at all possible, make your own salad dressing, with vinegar and olive oil, spices, and salt to taste. This will reduce your calorie and salt intake.

9. Cheap and easy dessert options are fresh fruit, plain and light flavored yogurts (buy the store brand to save money), and frozen grapes for those hot summer months. Frozen grapes are like little balls of sorbet, and are a great way to cool off and satisfy cravings for sugar. Another good diet dessert, in small quantities is dark chocolate. No more than 10 grams, and as dark as you can stand it (70% or more is best) it has lots of vitamins and nutrients and can keep you from going on a diet and budget induced rampage.

10. For snacks, try raw vegetables with hummus, or raw fruit with raw nuts, or natural nut butters. Limit yourself to no more than a tablespoon or handful of any of these and you'll keep down cost, and fat.

11. Drink lots of water between meals. As long as you live somewhere where the water is safe (and doesn't taste terrible) you can drink tap water, and it's cheap. Don't drink soft drinks, even the diet ones, because now, to all dieter' s dismay they are linking artificial sweeteners to weight problems. Besides, soft drinks and drink mixes are an unnecessary expense, and are usually full of salt. Salt can make you puff up and gain 4 lbs of water weight, and no one wants that, do they? Buy a few lemons, or limes (whichever are on special) and if you don't like plain water, squirt a little into your water. Drink your water cold, and you'll burn more calories, as your body heats the water to body temperature.

12. Fiber! Eat lots of fiber, it will help you to feel better (no one likes to be blocked) and lose weight. Fresh fruit and vegetables are great sources of fiber, as are whole grain breads, cereals, pasta, and rice. Another great, and relatively inexpensive option is Metamucil, or the generic store brand of Metamucil where you shop. A few tablespoons a day will keep the oncologist away (supposedly not enough fiber and bowel movements are a factor in colon cancer).

13. Another great and cheap homemade meal option on a diet is soup. Make your own vegetable, chicken or beef soup and take it to work to heat up. Canned soups are full of preservatives and salt that can make you bloat, and it's much cheaper to make your own anyway. Some evening you will be home saving money instead of going out, chop up some vegetables and make a watched pot boil.

14. Cut down on your alcohol intake, both at home, and out and about. Alcohol is high in calories, and very costly besides. If you have to drink, think traditionally. Wines, Gin and water, vodka with a twist of lemon, etc. If you like a glass of wine with dinner, no problem, just be sure to limit it to one glass. To save money on alcohol buy it on special and by the case but only if you have lots of self-control and won't go overboard and drown your dieting sorrows in bargain liquor.

15. To avoid shopping and eating binges, occasionally allow yourself to spend money on, and eat something that is not within the limits you have drawn for yourself for your diet. But again, OCCASIONALLY. This can't happen everyday, or you won't be losing weight or saving any pennies.

Tips & Warnings

• Take any lapses in stride. Being on a diet and a budget all at the same time is very stressful sometimes¡
• Weight loss happens at a different rate for everyone. Don't put too much pressure on yourself. If you aren't constantly making exceptions to the rules you have set for yourself, you will lose weight eventually.
• If you go crazy one day and eat and buy too much, try to compensate in the next few days by limiting what you acquire and consume.
• I am not a doctor. I am only a professional dieter, i.e., the average woman. You should always consult a doctor before going on a diet, or so I'm told.