Milestones

So I decided that to keep track of how we are doing, we should set-up goals and milestones to help us with our food budget as well as our switch to a healthier food lifestyle.

Currently I am 310lbs or 141kg - my healthy weight should be around 120 or 55kg. My husband is 266lbs or 121k - my husband's healthy weight should be around 185 or 84kg. My youngest daughter is 171 or 78kg - her healthy weight should be the same as mine until she out grows me. We are obese according to our Dr. and society.

We eat out way to much because we don't like how long it takes to cook. Even though our pantry is packed with food and same with our fridge and freezer, we look in there and see how long it will take to cook something - instead of preparing ahead - we choose to eat fast food.

Eating out is killing our budget! Think about it - how many times a week do you eat out? We spend around $40 a week on fast food - that is $160 a month that could go to traveling or going even play mini golf. Instead of using our money wisely on fun activities which gets us moving and active and helps us be happy. We have chosen to sit in front of a movie, with our $2 burgers (multiples), fries and soda - where we spend 2 hours a night hanging out with each other, on our butts, getting fatter. And then we complain we never go anywhere because we have no money to do so. Hmmmm.. do you see the problem.

Time to change all of this.

So our goals:

1. To lose weight
2. To cut out fast food
3. To eat healthier
4. To plan menus and prepare food ahead
5. To plan adventures to go on, so we can apply our money there instead of fast food

Our Milestone:

1. Cousin's Wedding December 12th
1. Megan - I need to lose a minimum of 60lbs
2. Karl - Would like to lose 40lbs
3. Ceara - would like to lose 20lbs
4. Start using exercise equipment and pool to exercise
5. Print off exercises from Pinterest and hang in gym
2. 40th Birthday cruise in February (still need to set date)
1. Megan - I would like to lose another 40lbs
2. Karl - would like to lose another 20lbs
3. Ceara - would like to lose another 20lbs
4. Start walking around my neighborhood with our fury babies and back brace
5. Print off new exercises and challenges from Pinterest
3. Summer
1. Plan a mini vacation 
2. Megan - lose another 40lbs
3. Karl - lose another 20lbs
4. Ceara - lose final 10lbs
4. Color Run November 2016
1. If my doctor says I am fit enough because of my spinal injury, we would like to do the Color Run here locally.
2. We would need to train for the 5k
3. I need to be walking 4 miles a day and start jogging.

Remember how I said there would be changes....

Well, tomorrow starts my Juice Fast - not the 30-day challenge, that was not what I was looking for. I need something better. So based off the 'Fat, Sick and Nearly dead' movies, I will be doing my first 30 day juice challenge. With September being a 30 day month, I thought it would be the perfect month to start.

So where do I begin.. 

1. I joined.. Reboot with Joe community!!  http://www.rebootwithjoe.com/
2. I talked to my immediate family about the changes that I want to make and how it will impact them. 
3. We discussed how it will be only me on this fast because of their work and school schedule, it would not be wise for them but they will be eating healthier because they will get some smoothies from my pulp. 
4. I started reading a blog from another member of the reboot and found some helpful tips https://project30makeover.wordpress.com/
5. Time to make my menu now and get my ingredients. I will be hitting up my local grocery store and farmers market.
6. I will need to make my juices 80% vegetables and 20% fruit.
7. My goal is to have 1300 calories a day while juicing. 

Here are some really good articles to read to help you if you want to join me on my juice fast.

http://greennapkinnutrition.com/2011/08/is-there-a-difference-between-sugar-in-fruit-and-sugar-annemarie/

http://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/edible-innovations/sugar.htm

I will be back shortly with my grocery list and what I purchased, how much and where - with photos!

Ways to keep track of our goal

Okay, so to start off.. hubby and I have a fit bits and are working on getting one for our youngest.

I am signing up with a 30-day Juice Challenge - https://juicerecipes.com

This is going to impact our budget because I am not sure if we are all going to do this, but I will have to eat more fruits and veggies then they will, if they don't join me. We have a lot of local farmers and places where we can purchase our fresh fruits and veggies dirt cheap, this will be another factor in our budget as well.

I will be back to let you know what happens later today when everyone is awake!

Day 1 - 8.23.15

Okay, so here is the details of this journey.

In my house there are three humans and three dogs. We also have a roommate and her little one that will be somewhat a part of our food planning.

Since 2009, I have gained 70lbs, now I was already on the heavy side but was working on losing weight - going to the gym, walking 3 miles a day and eating healthy. Since 2009, I was in a car accident and I fell down some stairs and I gained weight. All of these things have caused me to break my spine in 3 locations, I have arthritis in my whole spine, nerve damage and I hurt all day every day. What is worse, is I now have a fear of pain and because of all the meds I have been on over the years, even going to the dentist and having work done, causes me more pain than it should. I can't keep living like this.

In 2013, I was blessed to marry my best friend, and in less than 2 years from that date I gained 40lbs - that is part of the 70lbs. My hubby has gained 40lbs and my youngest daughter has also gained 40lbs. According to our doctor we are all obese and all of us need to lose weight - with my youngest needing to lose 50lbs.

So how are we going to do this on 1 income? Well, we are going to do the following:

1. Every Sunday we will do our meal planning for the week. What does this mean? It means, we will go through our recipe books and online. We will then go through our inventory (our pantry) and see what we have, so we can create a shopping list of items we don't have. Then we will go through our coupons and see if we have any that will work. Next, we will go through our local ads and Facebook for our local farmers market to see what is on sale and work everything into our budget.
2. We need to make a menu that will consist of 3 meals and 2 snacks a day for 3 people. All of it around 1600 calories. In a couple of weeks, we will add back in more carbs. 
3. We will be working with a nutritionist and our doctor to make sure we are healthy. 
4. We will also be cutting out some sugars and starches and trading in for something a little healthier. 
5. It may mean, also that we will go shopping more than once a week in order to make sure we have fresh veggies and fruit.
6. All of this has to be done within a budget - which for us is currently $250 for food a month.
7. We also want to include healthy dog snacks within this budget if we could as well from some of the leftovers.

Now I will be pulling recipes I find that are low-carb, fat-free, a set amount of calories, gluten free and so much more. My goal with all of this is to teach us to live within our budget and to change our eating lifestyle into being healthier people. 

Are you ready to join me on this journey? Okay, if so here is what you need to get started.

1. Talk to your spouse/SO/etc. and discuss a budget
2. Buy a 1"Binder and a Three-whole punch
3. Print our a Meal Schedule and a Shopping list (I will have one created for you to print out within a week)
4. Start collecting coupons if you haven't and purchase coupon sleeves that can go into your binder
5. Three-whole punch your Shopping list and put it into your Binder
6. Sit down with your family and create a menu - you can use this site, other recipes you find on Pinterest and more. 
7. Go through your pantry and make an inventory of what you currently have it put that in your Binder as well.
8. Post your Meal Schedule on your Fridge

Sorry,I have been gone too long!!

Well, it has been way too long and I have had enough of this battle of the bulge! Time to learn how to eat healthy and for $8 for my family. When I started this journey, my intent was to help my family at the time because we were on such a tight budget. We still our but our family has shrunk and gotten bigger if that makes sense. My youngest and I moved to Tucson, AZ to be with my best friend whom I married in 2013 and we started a new chapter here. My oldest daughter stayed with my mom in California so she could finish out her High School year with her friends there and not have to start over. She is still living with my mom while attending school for nursing!! So proud of her. My youngest is going to be 14 in the next week or so and has started High School.

Sorry I abandon this site. I haven't truly let it go and just needed to figure out how to get back here. So my though process is still the same. Keeping our budget $8 to feed our family. Since disabled, I have gained a lot of weight and you will be a part of this journey with me and my family as we become healthier on this budget. We will try recipes, try all kinds of fun things to learn and grow. There will be mistakes, there will be victories, but I will do my best to make it so everyone can learn from it.

I will help with couponing tips, shopping tips, and more. So, please come join me as I start this all over again.

Recipe from Dinner 6.27.11

Well, time for another recipe...you might start to see a theme until I learn new recipes to be more creative.

Chicken Maranara

1lb bonesless, skinless chicken breasts (on sale $1.97 a lb)
1-26oz can Hunt's Garlic & Herb spaghetti sauce (on sale $0.89)
1-8ozcan Tomato Sauce (on sale $0.33)
1 package of Linguine pasta noodles (on sale $0.75)
1-15.25oz can of corn (free - given to us)
3 eggs (Food 4 Less = 60 for $6.99 =   $0.12 for each egg)
2 cups Masa ($2.98 on sale for 5lb = 60 cups = $0.05 a cup)
1 tblspn of Seasoning Salt - Carne Asada (free came with roommate)
1 tblspn of pepper (on sale and with coupon  = $1.00 for 4 oz = 60 tblspn servings = $0.02)
2 cups veggie oil (Oil on sale, cheap brand, $3.50 for the larger one = 50 1/4 cups = $0.07) 
1 tblspn garlic powder (with coupon  the Seasoning is $2.99 = 15 tblspns = $0.20)
1 tblsp of Mrs. Dash Garlic/Herb blend (with coupon  the Seasoning is $2.99 = 15 tblspns = $0.20)
Butter (I use country crock but will be switching to cheaper - but on sale and with a coupon = $1.99 for 45oz = 100 meals = $0.02)

Total = $4.98
Servings = 6


My youngest daughter, Sierra, is 9 and she just big time wanted to help me with this. So I set-up my kitchen counter into stations so she could help. In a bowl I mixed the eggs together and in another bowl I mixed the masa, pepper, carne asada seasoning and garlic powder together. Start the water boiling for the noodles.

I added the two cups of oil to the pan and started to heat on low. I cut up the chicken into small pieces and Sierra then took the pieces, dipped then in the egg and then into the breading mix and then put into the pan. While waiting for these to cook a little I add the noodles to the water after washing my hands. This took us about 15 minutes to cook all the pieces of chicken and have the noodles ready.

I then clean out the pan to remove the oil and added the Hunt's Spaghetti sauce and the tomato sauce together with the chicken pieces and I stirred. We then added the Mrs. Dash and continued stirring until it boiled. While Sierra did that I added a tblspn of butter to the noodles so they would not stick.

Turn heat off and serve.

To make it an $8 day - try this.

Breakfast:
Pancakes - 3 each (Krutz Pancake Mix (Food 4 Less = $2.50 for 32 oz = 60 pancakes = $0.05)
Syrup (cheap brand and on sale for 60oz = $2.99 = 60 servings = $0.05)
Fresh squeezed orange juice (free from trees)
Total = $1.50
Servings = 5 people

Lunch: 
Peanut Butter (store brand = $1.99 for 60 oz = 100 tblspn = $0.02)
Jelly (store brand = $1.99 for 43oz = 100 tblspn servings =  $0.02)
Wheat Bread (store brand sale = $0.89 for 24 slices =  $0.04)
Carrots (large carrot store brand bag = $1.99 = 50 pieces = $0.04) 5 pieces each person (these are fat carrots)
Total = $1.60
Servings = 5 people


Total for the Day = $8.08

Now you can do this cheaper depending on what the store sales are in your area and what coupons are available for you and how good you are a couponing. I will have more shortly!

Recipe from Dinner 6.26.11

Yes, I know I am a little late in posting this but thought I should at least share the recipe since it turned out very yummy and for little money.

My step mom taught me a recipe for 'The Poor Man's Meal' for gravy, rice and hamburger. But I wanted to put a twist on it and see if it would taste good and provide a little variety to 'The Poor Man's Meal'.

Poor Man's Dinner

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts (when purchased on sale should be $1.97 a lb)
2 cans Cream of Chicken Soup (when purchased on sale and cheap store brand - $.69 a can)
1 can Cream of Potato Soup (when purchased on sale and cheap store brand - $.69 a can)
1 can Green Beans (when purchased on sale and cheap store brand - $.50 a can)
4 cups of cooked rice (we have a rice cooker so it makes it easy, but rice on sale for $1.98 for 5lbs = 32 cups, so that is like $0.07 per cup - so this would be $0.28)
1 tblsp of Mrs. Dash Original blend (with coupon  the Seasoning is $2.99 = 15 tblspns = $0.20)
1- 1/4 cup of vegetable oil to cook the chicken in (Oil on sale, cheap brand, $3.50 for the larger one = 50 1/4 cups = $0.07) 

Serve in bowl = 6 servings

Total cost = $5.09
Total per Serving =  $0.85

Now if I wanted to make this an $8 day for 5 people, here is what I would couple with this meal - granted I am new to this coupon thing, so I am sure if you are better at coupons you can get everything below a lot cheaper - plus these are Orange County, CA prices.

Eggs (Food 4 Less = 60 for $6.99 =   $0.12 for each egg)
Krutz Pancake Mix (Food 4 Less = $2.50 for 32 oz = 60 pancakes = $0.05)
Tuna fish (on sale $.69 a can)
Best Foods Mayo ($1.50 on sale and with coupon =  for 30oz = 25 servings = 0.06)
Dill Pickles (on sale and with a coupon = $1.25 = 10 pickles =  $0.13 per pickle)
Butter (I use country crock but will be switching to cheaper - but on sale and with a coupon = $1.99 for 45oz = 100 meals = $0.02)
Syrup (cheap brand and on sale for 60oz = $2.99 = 60 servings = $0.05)
Mustard (on sale and with coupon 20oz = $1.00 = 60 servings = $0.02)
Pepper (on sale and with coupon  = $1.00 for 4 oz = 60 tblspn servings = $0.02)
Cheap store brand bread on sale = $1.00 for 24 slices = $0.04
Milk (free with the purchase of 4 cereals)
Jelly (store brand = $1.99 for 43oz = 100 tblspn servings =  $0.02)
Chips (22 individually packaged on sale for $3.99 with coupon = $0.18)
Oranges (free from my backyard)




Breakfast: 8 eggs with 1/2 cup of milk and a tblspn of pepper and 5 slices of bread with butter and jelly = $1.38

Lunch:  tuna fish salad sandwiches with mayo, mustard, 1 pickle cut up, pepper and a bag of chips = $2.22

Snack: Orange or two = free since they are from our yard.

Total for the Day:   $8.69 - so .69 over - but this can be taken away with coupons and better deals then what I got.

What to drink - well we drink a lot of water, tang and my hubby drinks one litter of Diet Mtn. Dew everyday. I am not factoring in these items but I can if you want.