Losing Weight/Living Healthy on a Budget
You know how you are going along thinking that everything is going great and then one day you step on the scale and you've gained 8 pounds in the last 5 months? Yeah...that just happened to me. Ugh! I know why it has happened...I don't find the time to work out EVER and I have been eating a lot of snacks and little bites of this or that all day long. It adds up! So, I'm officially back on track and I'm going to try to take off this extra weight and get back to my "happy" weight. (I'm not deluding myself and aiming for the perfect body and 6 pack abs...I just want to fit into my clothes comfortably and feel better in a swimsuit this summer!) Even if I wasn't trying to lose weight, it was time for me to focus more on my own nutrition rather than feeding just my kids healthy foods. (I would cut up fruit and veggies for them and skip it myself...why!?)
The problem is, it's really hard to lose weight on a budget. I have found in the past that Weight Watchers really works for me, so that is what I'm doing again this time. It's relatively inexpensive...about $16-20/month if you are signing up for the online program. But, there's a cost there. One thing I love about the new Weight Watchers is that most fruits and veggies have 0 points (meaning they don't count against your total for the day), so I have been buying a LOT more fruits and veggies in an effort to fill up on healthy things so I'm not so hungry all the time. And as we all know, fruits and veggies are NOT cheap. I try to pick things up on sale and/or at places like ALDI where they are slightly cheaper, but a cart full of produce definitely costs more than a cart full of proccessed foods.
My next piece of the puzzle is working out. Of course, if I were a runner I would be all set. I'd slap a pair of tennis shoes on and work out for free. However, I'm sadly not a runner...my body just isn't made to do it as everytime I try to take it up I end up with joint pain and knee problems and the bottom line is I just hate doing it. So, I need an alternative. My favorite workout is Jazzercise and I'm happy to say that I found a great deal on Dealbug this week where I could get 4 months of Jazzercise for just $79 total. No sign up fee...so that makes it about $20/month. Woo! These kinds of deals come up on daily deal sites pretty often, so if you are interested in joining a gym or getting some training, keep an eye out!
I was trying to think of other ways to save money on losing weight or living healthy and here is what I came up with:
- Rent workout DVDs from the library or buy them and work out at home. Even if you are buying them, at $10 for a DVD that you can use unlimited times, you are definitely able to work out cheaper than joining a gym. You can also record workout programs on your DVR and play them back when you have time to work out.
- Grow your own veggies...I wish I had a green thumb and some room for a garden because I think this would be a great way to save money and have healthy foods at your table each night. If you are like me and can't grow anything to save your life, a weekly trip to the farmers market could yeild cheaper produce that is locally grown.
- If you want a good way to track what you are eating for free, try www.sparkpeople.com. It has calorie counters and food journals and support forums...a lot of what you get at WW, but completely free! (The drawback is that it's not as user friendly as WW, which is why I choose to pay for WW online).
- Take up a sport that you enjoy...if running is your thing, you are so lucky! But if not, there are plenty of things you can do to workout without a large cost. Walking, tennis, basketball, swimming...even just playing tag with your kids in the backyard!
So, what other tips do you all have for living healthy on a budget? I would love to hear other suggestions! I've kind of resigned myself to a higher grocery bill, but I think it's a small price to pay for eating healthier.