The Frugal Diet - Tips and Suggestion Requests

Here are some tips I have for saving money while eating healthier and lighter, and while we are on the topic, I would love to hear suggestions from other people!

Diet Drinks:

The hardest thing for me when I am trying to lose weight is avoiding soda. There are diet drinks available, but they tend to have the problem of being icky or expensive.

Diet Coke - Awful aftertaste
Coke Zero- Good, but can be expensive.

I have found, much to my delight that the Publix Brand sodas are pretty good, and at $.68 for a 2-liter, you can't beat the price. I recommend Diet Black Cherry. I honestly can't tell that it is a diet drink and I LOVE the flavor.

Fuze has several 10 Calorie per serving flavors, and has the added benefit of added vitamins. It is rather expensive, though. However, Kroger currently has this on a 10 for 10 sale, so if you read this in time, I suggest going and stocking up. It, obviously, isn't as good as a deal as the Publix soda, but if you like it this is a cheap way to pick it up.

Coffee - If you work in an office, there is a good chance that it is free. If not, it is still very economical to make. I have discovered that it is an excellent appetite suppressant, and if you use Splenda or some other sugar alternative to sweeten and low-cal creamer it can have a only a small impact on your calorie intake and has the added benefit of waking you up a little.

Ok, that's all I have for the moment. I will post more as the come along. I expect to make The Frugal Diet a weekly topic if I can.

Progress so far? -0.8

14.2lbs to go! We're counting down!

I WILL Win, Darn You.

I'm stuck. I have been working to lose 15lbs for 2 months now. I lose some, then regain it. Lose, gain, lose, gain. My only comfort is that I haven't gone over a certain amount. I REFUSE to lose the ground I have made so far.

I blame the holidays. I do well for a few days and then there is another event that encourages gluttony and indulgence. I also blame soda. I had weaned myself off it for the most part, but then I let myself have a little...after that I had a LOT. I had to put a stop to that so my only beverages have been 1% milk, coffee with splenda & powdered creamer, diet soda, 10 Calorie Fuze, and Water. (What can I say? I'm a thirsty girl) The only calories I have to worry about is the milk and creamer.

When I lose this 15lbs I will be on a MISSION to lose 40. Cause if I can get those 15, I can get the 40. I know that sounds crazy, but I will be hitting a HUGE milestone when I lose those 15 that I am NOT mentioning here.

So I want to knock out those 15lbs by March, and the other 40 by Connor's first Birthday. If I make it, I will have lost 100lbs within the span of a year. Connor will have a mommy who actually has a chance to keep up with him when he starts to walk.

The only difficult part will be keeping enough calories and fat in to keep my milk up. If I skip meals my milk dwindles, so I can't take short cuts. I just have to be healthy. I can do healthy. I was doing it when I had to do it for Connor...I just have to remind myself that THIS is for Connor too. He deserves a fit, healthy mom who can keep pace with him as he grows and becomes more active.

I am really looking forward to when the days start to get longer so he and I can take walks in the evening.

I am not the only one with a weight loss goal.

A friend is also working on losing weight, so hopefully we can help keep each other on task.

Wish me luck! ...and if I come to eat at your house, only offer me good stuff.