FYI - She said she doesn't buy lowcarb products so that is not the issue here.

Yes steaks are expensive. Here are the cheap staples in my house (I am not working right now so have to be money conscious)

boneless skinless chicken thighs
thin cut pork chops and pork shoulder stakes
pork shoulder roasts to make pull pork
chicken legs and thighs (bone in, skin on) to BBQ
chicken breasts to pound thin and roll in egg and crushed pork rinds
Salmon (I live in the West Coast and it is cheap here)
ground beef (lots)

Zuchinni (sliced thin for mock lasagna)
Cauliflower
Broccoli
Summer squash
Spaghetti squash (for my lowcarb bolognase sauce and alfredo sauce with chicken and broccoli)
Salad stuff
Artichokes (live in artichoke country too)
celery
peppers, all colors

A lot of butchers do 'freezer orders' where you can buy, say, half a cow or pig for a lower price than buying at the supermarket- and they generally wrap it all up nicely and according to your specifications. It may also help to join Costco- buy as much as you can in bulk.

That said, I do sympathize with you- especially with a family to feed all on Atkins. If you don't have a big food budget, you end up having to buy cheaper meats and cheeses (which as stated above are often just as good as the more expensive cuts if you prepare them right).

Good luck!

Cathy

EXCELLENT advice, Angi! Sounds like you're a thrifty shopper and that makes all the difference in the world! Wish we had a dairy around here and I'd use them for my eggs and cream and cheese, a meat market for meat and poultry, and our veggie/fruit stand for produce. Yes, that takes 3 stops but you can really save!

Oh........do you have a dog or cat? Maybe that's what the "Pet" milk is for!

I'm one of the people who feel like my grocery bill has increased. It's interesting that this question got posted because DH and I had just had this discussion at the grocery store! We're currently spending close to $115/wk on groceries, compared to a pre-LC total of $70. With that being said, DH looks great! and is so full on energy that it IS worth it.

Tiffany

You know, I have a freind that lost about a ton of weight really quickly on this doctor-approved (and insurance covered) liquid diet. She put not a morsel of solid food to her lips for 9 months. I was, frankly, rather jealous, even though I warned her that shes not learning to eat healthy. Then I saw her put it all back on -and thensome.

Thats my only worry for you, sure it may work quicker for your metabolism, but will you keep it off? Will this break your habits and set you on the path of healthy eating for long term?

Im actually really pleased with the results Im getting-average of 3.5 pounds a week is almost double what weight watchers says you should lose and expect long term maintenance.

Youve been given a lot of suggestions on this thread on how to incorporate the lo carb WOE into your life, so I wont elaborate.

Just a few things to consider before tossing out lo carb completely! Best of luck!

JC

I can really relate to the cost this WOE entails. We only eat kosher meat which is much more expensive than non-kosher meat. Yikes. I had to take out a mortgage when I went to the butcher the other day!

http://money.cnn.com/2003/07/23/pf/..._loss/index.htm

Go check out this article about the cost of Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers and L.A. Weight Loss

At least we don't have to pay to be a "member" of Atkins!

(Off Topic) I love your signature butterfly. I've been trying to add my signature since I joined and it won't work. I do what it says but still no Sig; just that dreaded "x". If there's a secret to it, I'd love for you to share it with me! Thanks!

Morgan

Thank you, Morgan. I love that animation very much. I don't know of any trick other than do you have the item saved on a website? If it's just saved to your computer I don't think it will work....I just put in the target web address of where the animation is saved and it works. That's all I did. I hope this helps some...I'm definately no expert. Someone has had to walk me through most everything...I never could figure out how to include the quit smoking calculator!

By the way...did you put the link in your profile? Or are you just trying to put it at the bottom of each post? Just a thought.

[QUOTE=freckles]Thank you, Morgan. I love that animation very much. I don't know of any trick other than do you have the item saved on a website?

Yes, I have it saved on my website with Bravenet. I've used my signatures everywhere else but just can't get them to work here. Driving me coo coo!

If it's just saved to your computer I don't think it will work....I just put in the target web address of where the animation is saved and it works. That's all I did. I hope this helps some...I'm definately no expert.

Well, I can practically take a computer apart and put it back together so that's why this is so frustrating to me. I've never had a problem like this before. It's a conspiracy!!

Someone has had to walk me through most everything...I never could figure out how to include the quit smoking calculator!

Oh, do you belong to Quitnet.com? I did for a long time but (unfortunately) fell off the wagon after 8 months! But going back in the VERY near future!

By the way...did you put the link in your profile? Or are you just trying to put it at the bottom of each post? Just a thought.

Well, actually....both! Can't get it to work either way! I've done everything short of running over to this forum's creator and handing it to them in person! Well, maybe that's a stretch. Guess I'll just keep trying things. Thanks for your post, I appreciate it.

I like your screen name; freckles. I'm a redhead with freckles.

Morgan

[QUOTE=freckles]OMGosh!!! I'm a redhead with freckles too!!! AND I did quit smoking about 5 weeks ago...lasted a whole 3 weeks....I'm only smoking about 2-3 cigs per day, but I'm slowly inching my way up from a couple drags. I will have to quit again as I have health probs that insist upon it!

Sorry to hear about your health problems. I don't really have any, but I want to quit BEFORE I develop them! This coughing is driving me nuts!! Well, I just joined quitnet AGAIN a few minutes ago. I set my quit-date for Dec 31st. I used the patch the last time and it really worked....for 8 months, anyway. I'm having my kitchen remodeled right now and no way can I quit during that stress!

So far the only thing we don't have in common is the taking the computer apart and putting it back together...and the weight...and where we live. My mom lives in Port Orchard, though!

I know Port Orchard well. I'm actually about 25 miles south of Seattle.

Nice to meet you, Morgan. I'm sorry you're having so much trouble with the sig...have you asked for help? I'm sure you have. I would be frustrated too. Anyway...Nice to meet you!

Nice to meet you too! Yes, I've asked for help. I've asked you and one other person. LOL Someone suggested I ask a particular person but I can't remember her name now; Lara, I think, or something like that. Duh!

Good luck with your LC'ing! I've been a bad girl today so have to get a little strict with myself this weekend! Have a great weekend!

Morgan

I, too, found my grocery bill went WAY up - but now that I've been doing this WOE for a month I also have found I've got loads of stuff I never should have bought - mainly different kinds of cheeses and sausages. I think it takes being on this WOE for awhile to re-learn how to shop. AND cook! I don't buy much of the "low-carb" stuff - mainly the Atkins' Breakfast bars and Indulgence bars for DH for his breakfast and lunch during the week, but get them at Wal-Mart. Our grocery bill should now be going way down because I don't buy him the "no-fat" cookies and chips, and the expensive whole-grain breads he loved. His snacks cost a lot because he insisted on "no-fat" and never looked at the calorie or sugar content. The initial $ lay-out is high, but if you started re-stocking your kitchen from scratch (moving across country, etc.) you are looking at lots of $.

I think, as others have said, that initially it was more expensive but as time goes on the cost has dropped dramatically. At first I was stocking up the freezer with a good meat selection which was costly. I was trying all kinds of products, recipies, etc. and buying stuff I'm not rebuying.
The biggest savings for us was when we stopped buying fast foods. We could spend $20 - $30 up to three times a week. No more of that.
I've heard people comment (read complain) about the extrordinarily high price of low carb bread....approx. $7.95Cdn. It is expensive per loaf but now I might eat one every two weeks rather that 2-3 loaves per week. In the final analysis I think It is probably costing me less. The only thing that has the potential to push up the cost for us is when I go nuts buying Endulge Peanut Butter Cups and Caramel Nut Chews which I eat too much so have learned to buy sparingly. I won't be buying many of the low carb bars because, although they are OK as a snack on days where I can't easily get some other LC item they are not so good (after the first few) that I would overdo it. I also expect once I use up my Bake Mixes, etc. that I will learn how to make my own as the ingredients are readily available at the Health Food Stores and that will likely be less expensive.