After losing 27kg without eliminating the foods she loves, one woman has shared the straightforward grocery-shopping routine that allows her to feed herself and her boyfriend while keeping costs under control.
Brittany McCrystal, 30, from New Zealand, is recognised for documenting the practical lifestyle changes that helped her move from a size 16 to a size eight.
The fitness coach now spends about $620 a month—or $155 each week—on groceries for two people. That total includes roughly $160 on meat bought in quantities large enough to last the entire month.
Her money-saving grocery hack is simple: she buys meat in bulk from a nearby butcher, separates it into meal-sized portions and freezes it until required.
Her latest shop featured middle bacon, salmon, eye fillet, sirloin, lean beef mince and chicken.
Keeping a supply of meat in the freezer allows Brittany to prepare protein-rich meals without making repeated trips to the supermarket.
‘One of the biggest grocery-saving hacks for us has been buying all our meat in bulk once a month,’ Brittany said in an online post.
‘If you want to spend less without changing the foods you eat, I really can’t recommend this approach enough.’
After losing 27kg without giving up her favourite foods, Brittany McCrystal shared the grocery habit that helps her feed herself and her boyfriend on a budget
Brittany McCrystal says buying meat in bulk from a local butcher, portioning it and freezing it helps keep her grocery costs down
Her method comes as shoppers across Australia continue searching for ways to lower their grocery bills without having to abandon the meals they enjoy.
Purchasing larger quantities can provide better value than buying small amounts throughout the week, especially when shoppers find butcher specials or bulk-pack discounts.
However, Brittany believes one of the biggest benefits is avoiding unnecessary visits to the supermarket.
Many shoppers will recognise the familiar experience of walking in for a single item and leaving with a basket of impulse purchases.
‘Whenever I go to the supermarket for just one ingredient, I somehow end up spending $60—and still forget the item I originally needed,’ she said.
Planning meals in advance and keeping her freezer supplied means Brittany can use the ingredients already at home instead of making another costly trip to the shops.
The routine also reflects the same practical mindset behind her weight-loss journey: making small, realistic changes that are easy to maintain long term.
How she lost 27kg without giving up carbs
Brittany McCrystal has spoken about transforming her body from a size 16 to a size 6 in just nine months
While potatoes are often treated as a food to avoid during weight loss, Brittany has previously explained how she lost 27kg without cutting carbohydrates from her diet.
Before changing her habits, the former travel agent spent much of her working life behind a desk, led a largely sedentary routine, ate takeaway food daily and regularly drank alcohol.
The then 23-year-old found a realistic way to slim down to a size six to eight after overhauling her lifestyle.
Remarkably, she was able to enjoy her favourite foods – including bread, pasta and even kebabs – while shedding the weight.
She credits the 80/20 rule for her transformation, where she eats 80 per cent whole, nutrient-dense foods and leaves 20 per cent room for indulgences, within reason.
‘People are always shocked when I tell them I ate carbs the entire time I was losing weight,’ Brittany said in an Instagram post.
‘I didn’t gain weight because of potatoes. I ate sourdough. I ate fruit. I ate rice. I ate pasta. I even had honey and maple syrup.
‘The reason I lost weight wasn’t because I cut carbs. It was because I got into a calorie deficit and stayed there consistently.
She credits the 80/20 rule for her svelte physique, where she eats 80 per cent whole, nutrient-dense foods and leaves 20 per cent room for indulgences, within reason
‘Most people aren’t overeating because of rice or pasta. They’re overeating because of all the little extras that don’t seem like much at the time.’
The fitness coach pointed out that many people mistakenly blame potatoes when the numbers on the scale refuse to move.
‘I think that’s why so many women get frustrated,’ she said.
‘They’re cutting out bread, saying no to pasta, skipping carbs at dinner… but they’re still not seeing results. Because they’re focusing on the wrong thing. Carbs were never the problem for me.’
Brittany said successful weight loss comes down to building balanced meals, eating enough protein and paying attention to overall calorie intake.
‘My lifestyle was really bad’
Before her weight loss, Brittany said she couldn’t walk down the street without being out of breath and was constantly ‘sick and tired’ of looking at herself in the mirror.
‘It was the hardest time of my life and I struggled every day,’ Brittany previously told Our News Outlet.
Her homecooked meals are constantly changing because she doesn’t enjoy eating the same foods, but she always makes sure they are delicious and never boring
She tried everything to lose weight, including fad diets, shakes, pills and juice cleanses, but those only made her relationship with food worse.
Working in an office didn’t help her lifestyle either.
‘My lifestyle was really bad,’ she said.
‘I worked a desk job, I wasn’t getting much movement and I relied heavily on takeaway meals… I ate out every day and I also drank a lot, which did not help.’
She started looking for ways to lose weight but would find herself falling into the ‘fad diet trap’.
‘It ruined my relationship with food,’ she said.
‘While I was attempting the keto diet, it made me think that carbs and sugar were the enemy and made me afraid of eating all the foods that I loved.’
Brittany watched as her weight began dropping off, leaving her at her lightest weight of 54kg, but she was still ‘miserable’.
‘I learned that your smallest self won’t necessarily be your happiest or healthiest self. For so long, I strived for the lowest number on the scale,’ she said.
‘I had never disliked my body more. It caused me to ruin my past relationship, lose my period and my hair started falling out. It was because I was solely focused on the outcome rather than the journey and the life that I was gaining.
‘The real stinger was that after I dropped that low, I gained about 10kg of it back within the first two months.’
Small changes that made the biggest difference
During her 2018 weight loss journey, Brittany realised there were no ‘quick fixes’ or ‘magic pills’.
Losing weight and keeping it off came down to making lasting lifestyle changes, including preparing more meals at home.
‘I’ve learnt that you can eat all the foods you love and still see results, you just need to be smarter with your choices and make small adjustments. I let myself eat the foods I want, along with the foods I know my body needs,’ she said.
As an avid cook and ‘foodie’, Brittany started getting ‘creative’ in the kitchen.
Brittany said she stopped listening to the ‘toxic diet culture’ and just focused on what was actually working for her and what made her ‘feel good’
‘I started making small swaps to my favourite ingredients,’ she said.
‘Then it clicked that I could make these small adjustments to my meals – make them lower in calories and higher in protein – so I could make them work for me and my weight loss goals.’
She began walking 10,000 steps a day and tweaking her diet.
‘I didn’t step foot into a gym until I had lost about 10kg of the weight,’ she said.
‘It all came down to moving more and being in a calorie deficit. I made changes like swapping full sugar Coke to sugar-free low-calorie options.’
She started incorporating ‘volume’ foods into her diet to help her feel full while staying on track with her goals.
‘Volume foods are foods that are lower in calories but higher in volume so you can actually eat more on your weight loss journey,’ she said.
‘You’d be shocked to see how much more food you can eat and not feel hungry – but still see the results you want.’
Brittany said she stopped listening to the ‘toxic diet culture’ and focused on what was actually working for her and what made her ‘feel good’.
‘I ended up losing 20kg in nine months. I then maintained that for a while, I started building muscle and then lost the rest afterwards,’ she said.
Her latest meal-prepping habit reflects the same practical approach to food, with a stocked freezer helping her plan meals, manage portions and keep grocery spending under control.
For those struggling to lose weight, Brittany said: ‘Please don’t give up on your goals, you are worthy no matter what size you are.
‘As long as you are happy at the end of the day that’s all that matters, but I promise that if you never give up on your health journey, it’s impossible to fail.
‘Yes, it takes time but it’s so worth it.’
