Welcome to Gaia! ::

im 5'11 and i weigh 135

I'm living proof that you can eat whatever you want, just count calories.

im in college as well so ill tell you what i usually buy and how i save money


bananas - they're soooo cheap, filling, nutritious and they're actually really high in natural sugar so they provide energy

nuts and seeds - because they're so expensive, ill buy almonds, BUT on days I'm treating myself … i buy a huge bag of dried fruit and mixed nuts. i know I'm weird for not pigging out on burritos or whatever kids eat now a days.

sweet potatoes - i love carbs and these bad boys are a staple in my lifestyle. i legit eat them everyday. you can add the smart balance butter or olive oil, basil or dill and some seasonings like cajun and boom… its the best s**t ever.

and don't be afraid to play around with herbs because they're so cheap. basil, dill, parsley etc really add a lot of flavor.
i personally only like basil and dill but everyones diff. try adding chopped dill to white potatoes. the aroma is heavenly ughhhhhhh emotion_drool

frozen fruit- the nutrients are the same and they last longer. i treat fruit as a dessert, but like i said, everyones diff. i know people who live off fruit. i personally like to keep a low glycemic diet, therefore illl prevent insulin spikes. I'm not diabetic, but its for preventing hunger pangs. when your blood sugar is steady, you won't be hungry within the next 2-3 hours.
and always check for foods that are on sale at ur grocery.

yogurt- i get fage or chobani only bcos it has almost 20g of protein. protein keeps you full

extra virgin olive oil- this isn't cheap, but it will last you quite a awhile considering u only need a tbsp

peanut butter or almond butter - a bit pricey like $4-5 or it can even range between 10-16 if you get organic lol don't bother with organic though

eggs- you get your bang for ur buck

chicken- you can seriously do so much with chicken

pasta - filling, energizing and cheap

canned tomato paste and sauce - yes yes yes <3 i love it and i hope u do too. they're like a dollar a can and i use it for simmering in chicken, veggies and everything else.. it makes food taste soooo good, just trust me. buy it and google some recipes.

seasonings- adobo and cajun… trust me on this, you will thank me. it makes even Brussels sprouts taste amazing

frozen veggies- idk if u like veggies, but i do and they're cheap. if u don't, just remember its all psychological. its allllll in ur head. they really taste awesome

canned tuna in WATER- its a dollar a pop and you can add the fage yogurt which is thicker and can be used as a replacement for mayo. you can actually use the fage yogurt for anything. i even use it as a thicker in soups and no you don't get that weird yogurt taste lol. they use it for everything in greece smile check it out.

avocado- they range in price but last week they were a dollar a pop as well. i buy 10 lol my bf thinks its excessive, but it isn't when you eat like 2-3 a day wink they're filling and just amazing. obviously were human and we crave fatty foods and the avocado just does the trick and prevents me from attacking my room mates pastries.

oats- cheap but boring, right? add in the peanut butter and banana and youll be raving about it the next day

bread - i get rye bcos its low glycemic. but I'm sure you can find cheap bread for like a 2 bucks.. my loaf is like 2-3 smile

any other questions just msg me

you can do whatever you like with them. i personally like comfort foods. they just keep me satisfied and happy.and lets be honest, salads can fill you up depending on what you put in, but i know for a fact it won't 'satisfy' me. but then again it might satisfy someone else.

which in result is why i love making mashed sweet potatoes smile but you can definitely do other things like sweet potato fries or gratin. try getting creative and just let your mind wonder. you can cut them up in circles or long strips to resemble french fries.

As for avocado, heres a mini list of what you can do:
Substitute it in your baking - rather than using butter, use a very ripe avocado
Avocado chocolate pudding/mousse - you can find the recipe online but its mostly ripe avocado with cacao powder and agave or maple syrup (any sweetener of your choice. preferably not regular white sugar)
Avocado egg - this is more time consuming, but cut the avocado going the long way around(hope that makes sense), remove pit, crack open an egg inside the hallowed avocado (hallowed because you removed the pit) and bake it.
Avocado toast - there are no rules, you can use whatever you like with it: turkey, cheese, tomatoes, eggs, chicken, or leave it plain and add some seasonings. i like it with a tomato on top and some sea salt
Avocado dressing - i love putting avocado in my nutria bullet with some garlic, tahini, ginger, basil etc and pouring it over my salad, make dips for veggies, or a pesto for my pasta.
Avocado and mango - you can make wraps with avocado mango and some baked/grilled chicken. its really good
Guacamole
and I'm sure there are other ways to incorporate avocado

oh definitely. i still suffer with binge eating, but i decided that i will discipline myself the entire week and treat myself ONE DAY and that entire day, i eat however much and whatever i want. don't weight yourself for the next 4 days, bc depending on what you ate, you will retain lots of water weight. i do this because its a reward system and considering i don't like junk food, i just massively pig out on healthy things. ill drizzle more extra virgin olive oil on my avocado sandwich or drizzle more on everything smile i have an obsession with olive oil, but i restrict myself to 1-2 tbsp until that 'pig out' day comes along. lately I've been dedicating that day to sushi. ill order massive amount of rolls, kani, sashimi and just totally indulge. the next day, i don't feel deprived, and I'm ready to just go back to my disciplined portion sizes


of course i get hunger pangs. everyone used to tell me "drink water, ignore them, fight it" lol if you're seriously hungry, look at how many calories you've consumed for the day and see wether you can fit in a snack. i like to leave 200 calories for bed time bcos i have a very hard time falling asleep and staying asleep if I'm hungry. like right now I'm eating broccoli and green beans. i know it doesn't sound appetizing, but i guess I've been eating it for so long, i really enjoy it with some spicy spices, salt and a little smart balance butter. but you can have yogurt, or absolutely anything your stomach desires. just make sure its high in fiber/protein so it keeps you full


sorry if its long and detailed lol and the fact i took all day to reply. i kept stepping away and coming back to finish this post xp

Hey there! You've gotten a lot of great advice to work on, but I'll add in a few bits smile

My college staples were rice and beans, and eggs. Both rice and beans are SUUUPER cheap and surprisingly low calorie for how much you get to eat. The important thing is to portion it out! Id throw rice and beans in a rice cooker (best dorm appliance) with some peppers and onions (optional) and a TON of seasoning and bam, theres lunch for a week.

Eggs are the cheapest and easiest protein out there, imo. I eat them all day long! You can hardboil them and eat them like that OR mash them with avocado OR slice them onto a sandwich. If I scramble them I add in whatever veggies I have on hand to stretch it farther. I haven't found a veggie yet that doesn't go with eggs.

Another good cheap meal is soups! I don't always go by a soup recipe- I just throw in whatever I have on hand. I don't even make it with broth sometimes- I just add in a good bit of spice. My soup base is usually chopped onions and carrots (maybe peppers or celery) and sautee those until a tiny bit soft- then add water or broth. From here I can either add: lentils, a splash of vinegar, more veggies, and tomato sauce OR potatoes, celery, chicken broth OR beans, corn, tomato sauce, mexican-type seasoning. Just stay away from a lot of noodles and creams, and you can make a huge pot of soup for healthy and cheap.

For snacks, I always keep a bag of carrots around. You can buy "baby" carrots or save an extra dime and cut up the big ones yourself. And I let myself binge on them. Because really, the MOST I can probably shove inside me is about 200cal, and that's pushing it. They are just high-fiber and high-water, so you're filling yourself with the good stuff. Sweet potatoes are also really good here- I microwave mine for 5-6 minutes and then add a ton of garlic and herbs. A whole sweet potato is only around 100cal and 75 cents (at my store), and they fill me up quick.

If you are loving potatoes, I suggest peeling them and roasting the skins. They get unbelievably good if you toss the skins in olive oil and seasoning, and throw them in the oven at 450 til they get crispy. They taste like chips without all the added crap.

As a side note, when I am counting calories I start craving green tea. I know people say its great for you, and I dont really think its a miracle drink, but I found that it can curb cravings temporarily.

Sorry for the rant! Hope this gives you even more ideas!