Planning = Weight Loss on a $50 Budget

As I said on Facebook: When people try to lose weight the problem isn’t a lack a motivation rather a lack of planning. Plan and make a menu for a week’s worth of meals, slice and dice your veggies, and pencil in your work out sessions.

This is what I want you to focus on this week if you are doing the Winter Weight Loss Challenge with me.  Your diet plays a BIG role when you are losing weight.  A friend of mine gave me a challenge. She said it’s hard to spend $50.00 on a cart full of healthy grub. Well, I decided to take her up on that challenge. I want people to know you can fill up your cupboards with healthy staples.  You just have to shop smart. First, make a menu.  If you have the time print out the recipes and put them in a binder. This way you can take your menu with you when you go shopping. Don’t you hate when you get home from the  store and realize you forgot one item that was in your recipe? Once you plan your menu go to a coupon site and see if they have coupon match ups for your local grocery store.  Remember ONLY buy what you need. Stick to your list. Check your cabinets to see if you already have certain items so you don’t waste money buying it again.

PLANNING
1. Make a menu by planning a week’s worth of meals.
2. Print your menu and recipes and take them along your grocery shopping trip.
3. Check coupon sites for match ups.
4. Check your cabinets to see if you already have some the items on your list.

For the next 30 days I have signed up for a  special online nutrition and fitness program. Peak Wellness is the name of the program. You have to pay for it.  I was given free access as long as I blog about it. The program started this week but because I was sick I did not use it. I am starting Monday.  I was given a menu to follow for the next two weeks. Each day has 4 meals. For a specific meal I have five options to choose from. For example- for meal 1 I have 5 options to choose from.

Here is my menu for this week:

Monday

MEAL 1  Berry Smoothie   MEAL 2  Chicken Ranch Wrap with Cucumber  MEAL 3 No Bake Protein Bar  MEAL 4 Grilled Chicken with sautéed veggies.

Tuesday

MEAL 1  Chunky Monkey Smoothie   MEAL 2  Greek Salad with chicken  MEAL 3 No Bake Protein Bar  MEAL 4 Taco Salad

Wednesday

MEAL 1  Yogurt Parfait   MEAL 2  Bean Wrap  MEAL 3 No Bake Protein Bar  MEAL 4  Spaghetti Squash

Thursday

MEAL 1  Berry Smoothie   MEAL 2  Greek Salad with chicken   MEAL 3 No Bake Protein Bar  MEAL 4 Grilled Chicken with sautéed veggies.

Friday

MEAL 1  Chunky Monkey Smoothie   MEAL 2  Chicken White Chili  MEAL 3 Banana Muffin and cucumber slices  MEAL 4  Taco Salad

Saturday

MEAL 1  Yogurt Parfait   MEAL 2 Chicken Ranch Wrap with Cucumber   MEAL 3 Banana Muffin and cucumber slices  MEAL 4 Spaghetti Squash

LETS GO SHOPPING!

My budget for the challenge is only $50.00.  Can I buy veggies, fruit and meats instead of chips, crackers and processed foods and still stay within the budget? Though my menu above is for one week,  the items on my grocery list are for two weeks worth of food. First I went to my favorite place, Parkesdale, to get my produce.

Here is what I got:

• 1 bag of green beans
• 3 green pepper
• 4 bananas
• 3 yellow squash
• 2 cucumber
• 6 tomatoes

TOTAL PRICE: $7.00

Next stop was Walmart. Normally I do not buy  my groceries at Walmart except my chicken.  Not wanting to make an extra stop I decided to do my grocery shopping at Walmart. Unfortunately, I went over my budget.  Keep in mind that a few things on my list were not food. Some of those non food items were make up remover, 2 newspapers, Tupperware containers, & plastic sandwich bags. I also caved in and bought a frozen stoufers french bread pizza!  OOps.  I didn’t find any coupons or match ups for this weeks shopping trip except for  45 cents off of cottage cheese.

Take a look at my receipt:

TOTAL PRICE:  59.07

Minus the newspapers, Tupperware and make up remover, and then adding in the amount from Parkesdale brings the total to $56.17. I’m $6.17 over budget.

Walmart didn’t carry everything I needed so I had to make a stop at Publix. I ended up spending $36.00! I didn’t buy that much either. It shows me that Walmart really is cheaper (well that is, if you don’t count the BOGO’S and coupon stacking).

Here’s what I got at Publix

• Spinach
• Lettuce
• Tortillas
• Chobani Plain Yogurt (the larger size)
• Publix brand coconut (darn it couldn’t find unsweetened at Walmart or Publix. Had to settle with the sweetened kind)
• Egg whites
• Organic, cage free eggs
• Spaghetti squash
• toothbrush
• ginger

HOW DID DO?

When I add up all 3 stores, Publix, Walmart and Parkesdale the total amount spent comes to: $92.93.   Cue the loosing music from Price IS Right.

Though I went over my budget there are a few things to look at. First, the stuff I bought is for two weeks worth. Second a few items were non food, which I subtracted from the total above. When you factors in those variables I think I did a swell job. I just wish there were more coupons for nutritional food!

I think that, yes, you can eat healthy. I may have spent a few more dollars than I anticipated but would your rather spend an extra $30 or have a cart full of junk and processed foods?