Feeling Kind of DEPRESSSED.. 4 yrs OUT!!

Its the 4th of July and im 4yrs post out! I feel really depressed.. Cannnot afford to intake as much protein as I should be able to. DONT QUALIFY for food stamps, and I NEED SUMMER CLOTHES! Churches here wont help cuase my SSDI check makes me OVER the limits. YET its all the income my entire family 3 people/1 child too) get.. HOW IS THIS FAIR??

I know ive done gone tring to keep the weight off BUT, its just SO DEPRESSING when YOU cannot afford everything you need and no one will even help a littler bit.

 

OH YEAH, Im in NEW HAMSHIRE but I cant changed my location on my profile. I tried to. Thanks for listening anyways,

Beans are awesome protein.  I tried some soybeans in the pod and popped them out.  Taste kinda like sweet peas!

Beans beans beans!!!  Cheap, plentiful, many varieties, good fiber, and did I mention CHEAP?  Even CHEAPER if you get the dried ones and cook them yourself (don't forget to let them soak overnight in a pot of water, then pour out the water and add fresh to cook - gets rid of the majority of gas).

Clothes - Goodwill, Salvation Army - I still shop there and I'm about 20 pounds from goal - you can find all kinds of stuff for really cheap prices.

You can do it - don't quit now - don't let ANYTHING stop you!  This is a bump on your road/journey - ride over it and keep on goin'!  

I agree, beans are super cheap, low in fat, high in fiber, good source of protein.

I don't wanna ask personal questions about your income on line... but do you get a lot in SSDI?  I"m on SSDI and I also have some income (not a lot) from working and I am only supporting myself and I get $32 a month in food stamps.  Which is not a lot but it's something and again, it's just for me.  It's hard to imagine you get so much from SSDI that it's enough for three people to live on and not qualify for food stamps.

I should add that I've been where you are.  My income recently decreased by approximately $224 a month.  Which is  HUGE amount considering my total income.  But my rent, which is subsidized by HUD because I am disabled will go down $26.  Next month.  But my income is down $224 starting this month.  It's frustrating and doesn't make sense and can be very scary.

Last winter I gained a little weight because I was relying heavily on food pantries for groceries, which gave me a lot of stuff like cereal (lots of kids cereal, no less, like Fruity Pebbles), Poptarts, Rice Krispy treats, etc.  Which is not stuff I usually eat and not what I wanted to eat, but I did eat a lot of it because that's what I had and I needed to eat something.  I gave some of the cookies and crap away, but did eat a lot of Poptarts over the winter.  I would have preferred Greek yogurt, but it's not like the food pantries around here offer a great selection.  You get what you get.

 

WLSFA & Celebrate Vitamins has a new program for help with vitamins: http://www.wlsfa.org/blog/2014/05/16/celebrate-assist-a-wlsf a-program-to-help-people-in-need-of-bariatric-vitamins/

The Obesity Action Coalition and Bariatric Advantage has one too: http://www.bariatricadvantage.com/page/oac

Check to see if your insurance/medicare covers "Medical Foods" (that would cover protein potentially)

Some other ideas: http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/2008/08/wls-o n-cheap.html

I live in tshirts, capris and flip flops but I'm in California. I can imagine NH you'll need warm stuff soon enough. I'd say clearance racks for out of season stuff but if you are actively losing it's hard to guess sizes you will be :( Support group clothing exchanges maybe?

Sending wishes for easier times.

 

~Michelle "Shelly"

As far as clothing goes, have you tried thrift shops? We have one here where clothes are $2 each. I can afford $2. Join freebie facebook groups in your area. Post what you need. People may help you there. Try to brainstorm things you can do to make money. Babysitting? Cleaning houses? Are you a crafty person? Can you make things to sell? Anything around the house you can sell? Your daughter is 13. She does not need you full time. Find something else you can do to help your family.

I tutor on the side and sometimes make crafts to sell. I also sell things around the house we no longer need. I can think of things I can do to help my family when needed. So can you!!

The OP is disabled so is almost certainly limited in the kinds of things she is able to do.  In addition, if she earns much money, it can negatively affect her benefits.  I am in the same position, but I do sell stuff around the house that I no longer need and stuff like that which I don't report (are you supposed to report it as income if you sell an old crock pot for $5?  if so, oops.  I don't).

You can eat high protein on the cheap, but it may not always be what you "want".  You don't have to depend on protein drinks.

• Eggs contain 6-7g per egg
• Ricotta has 28g per cup
• canned chili ($1.70) has as much as 18g per serving, with 2 servings per can
• Canned Roast Beef ($2.40) by Hormel has 13g per serving, with 5 servings per can
• Sauerkraut is a great source of probiotics
• Cottage Cheese has around 7g per serving.

These are just examples of what is out there that doesn't cost much.  Also check local swap meats and flea markets for the vendors that buy things in bulk or on closeouts and sell at deep discounts.  These are not old expired items (although keep your eyes peeled, for some are more scrupulous than others).  We picked up bags of Starbucks coffee for $2.50/bag this week, and Progresso Recipe starters 2 for $1 (I paid around $2 per can at Walmart).  I even scored Nature Valley Protein bars for $1.50 per box.  Check Dollar Tree  for some interesting random items.  I found vacuum sealed hard salami for $1 that sells at Kroger for $3.79. 

Grab some clothes at local thrift stores, and really scope them out for the entire family.  Even when I had good funds coming in (I've been unemployed for a month), I shopped thrift stores in ritzy neighborhoods, happy to scoop up a good bargain of someone else's designer discards.

Have you thought about getting a part time job? You can earn some money while your on SSDI. NH has a vocational rehabilitation agency that will help you find appropriate work:

http://education.nh.gov/career/vocational/