Hello from an old OH member

I hope for caloric sake and with the meds you're taking, that you've stopped drinking alcohol.

There are high protein foods that are not expensive:

Source: https://darebee.com/nutrition/top-affordable-protein-sources .html

• Canned Tuna [40g protein per can]
• Eggs [6g protein per egg]
• Pork Mince [20g protein per 100g]
• Chicken Breasts [31g protein per 100g]
• Frozen Wild salmon [25g of protein per 100g]
• Peanut butter [23g protein per 100g | 5.3 protein per serving]
• Greek Yoghurt 2% [10g protein per 100g]
• Milk 3% fat [8g protein per cup]
• Canned giant beans [6g protein per 100g, 15g per can]
• Whey Protein [1 scoop of whey is 25g in which around 20g, depending on the brand, is protein] At two scoops a day a 10lbs container will last you around ten weeks.

I'm not sure what the heck "pork mince" is, and there are lots of bean options that are good for protein and there's a reason the phrase "live on rice and beans" is so popular.

You're certainly fighting an uphill battle, I don't want to minimize your struggle. I hope you are able to find support and the medical treatment you need.

For the back pain, have they referred you to a pain specialist? Opioid pain relievers tend to stop working as well over time, and the pain doctors are getting better with other pain control options that are not opiates.

Mince = ground meat. So pork mince is ground pork :)

Why in the heck didn't they just say that?? ;) (I'm a dork at cooking, but trying to get better.)

Crazy Brits - who knows why they do things! :)

Pork mince really sounds awful lol and Giant beans made me smile.

Those are some good options. Thank you.

I have stopped drinking, mostly. It's too expensive, but I did realize early on that it was becoming a problem so I stopped it.

Yes, the opioids don't last long. I've had to toggle a few different ones. I've tried a pain specialist but they couldn't help, they tried a procedure. It failed very painfully. I've been to physical therapy about 4 times. It helps for a short time. i try to do some of the exercises when the pain isn't extreme.

Thank you so much

I actually lived on disability when I was super-super-obese and never varied from my low carb diet. I averaged about 70g of protein a day. At the time my income was 700/month. I even was zero carb for a while.

I just shopped and made 21 meals for like about $20 bucks this week. I still eat cheap, but shop sales for high quality foods so I do not eat crap.

Eggs at Aldi's are anywhere from 40 cents to $1 depending on location. I focused on eggs and cheap meat. Lean pork often goes on sale for 1.99 a pound and I live near Chicago which is expensive; right now chicken drumsticks and thighs are 99 cents a pound at some stores. I'd make a huge batch of soup and eat that for a week. You can add cauliflower instead of noodles.

If you have Medicaid, you can get nutritional supplements covered with prior authorizations. I would call Medicare and ask for a case manager to assist you. I have seen people get protein covered. However, it is quite the process.

You can also get a huge thing of IsoPure for about $40. I get this kind right now, but unflavored. It has 22 servings at 50g each; I use half servings for 25g a pop. Works out to less than a dollar a day for a good chunk of protein.

Buy frozen fish on sale, frozen chicken breasts, etc.

It's actually cheaper to eat high protein than to buy processed food esp. with the smaller amounts we eat.

Wow, that's amazing that you would be able to eat so well on that income. I bring home just a little more than that. I also support my adult daughter. She isn't working at the moment but is trying. If she can get a job, things will be better for the both of us. She needs to lose weight as well.

I would love to hear how you make soup that is low carb. With the winter coming, that would be a nice change and would last for more than one meal

Thank you so much.

Hi Lisa. Welcome back! I'm a newbie around here, but I can see that you're really struggling. I think you've gotten a lot of great advice from everyone who has responded. The one thing that worries me is that you mentioned living on coffee and tequila for a period of time. Have you stopped drinking? Alcohol can really get in the way of your success and it can lower inhibitions so that you might end up eating things you know are not healthy for you.

I would really encourage you to work with a therapist before you consider a sleeve revision. Please look into options in your area. It seems from reading your post like part of you wants to make your life better, but you're just not fully equipped right now to do that alone. I think sometimes it really helps to have someone to help you sort through things so you can begin to make baby steps in a positive direction. Another reason to work to get back on track with your weight is that it will surely reduce your back pain.

Please come back and tell everyone how you're doing. I encourage you to consider starting to post what you're eating on the daily 'What are you eating today?' threads. I think it helps to keep people on track and accountable.

Thank you so much. I do appreciate your words. I rarely ever drink anymore. It's not anywhere close to my small budget, but I also knew it was becoming a problem, so I cut it out completely for about a yr. Now, I only have a small amount very occasionally.

I've tried therapists. One was helping until the clinic closed. There are no others in my area that I can afford.

Lisa, please do your best to get some help. I know that sometimes it feels easier to look for reasons not to get help, but there are usually resources available. Please check out the link below for a provider in your area that offers services on a sliding scale.

https://www.mshs.org