Category: Food and FinanceMy free weight loss program is still working and I’m gaining a lot more than losing weight.
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Am I a Scrooge for bringing up weight loss on Christmas Day????? I hope you don’t think so. In fact, I hope you consider this a gift.
If you struggle with weight loss, it’s in the back of your mind right now. You think about it when you belly up to the turkey bar or dessert tray. I know it’s true because that’s what I go through.
Well I want you to enjoy today and the rest of the holiday season without worrying about food what-so-ever.
I stumbled on a free weight loss program a few weeks ago that’s really working. I know that even though it’s the holiday season, you can actually lose weight and enjoy it – starting right now.
I’m here to tell you that I’ve lost weight over the last several weeks and I’m confident that I’ll continue doing so. The key to my plan is to keep it very simple.
I’m pretty confident that I’ve found a very good system that I’ll be able to stick with going forward too – and that’s the most important part of it. I’d like to share my experience with you. My goal is to help you achieve a similar goal without you spending lots of time or money in the process.
OK….so like I said this is a very simple plan. It has three steps:
Step 1 – The Food.
No baked goods.
No sweets.
That’s it.
So I cut out bread and all other baked goods. I also cut out goodies. To you, this might seem like a no-brainer but this simple approach was what I needed.
I can’t go on a diet where I have to think about it all the time. In fact, I needed something I didn’t have to think about at all. I eat whenever I want to and I eat whatever I want – as long as it’s not a baked good or a goodie.
Please don’t tell me this is just a low-carb diet. If you do, then I’ll look for low-carb goodies and baked goods because I love to eat eat eat them all day long. If I open that door I’ll be in trouble in a snap. Before you know it, I’ll be down at the Dunkin’ Donuts chasing my blues away with a Bear Claw with a cinnamon bun chaser. In my particular case, I have to stop eating these things for good – one day at a time.
This was tough at first – but several weeks into this plan, I can tell you that it’s no big deal. For the first time in years, I’m actually optimistic that this is a plan I’ll stick with.
Disclaimer – I do allow myself a cup of hot chocolate. I just love chocolate and can’t see myself living without it forever. For me, it’s safer to drink it than eat it. If you’re like me, you might look for some kind of safe way to indulge. I’ve heard about diet cookies and that might be an alternative but I’ve never tried them so I can’t say.
STEP 2 – Be accountable when I blow it.
I have a buddy who is also trying to lose a few pounds. We text each other when we make a mistake – even a small one. I have written many times how important it is to have an accountability partner – at least for me.
By telling him when I’ve fallen off the wagon – which hasn’t been too often – it forces me to get back on the wagon rather than give up. I’m doing this one day at a time. I don’t care if I blew yesterday, today is all that counts.
STEP 3 – Exercise
I don’t know about you but I actually love to exercise so this isn’t tough at all. I do some cardio and weight training 4 times a week. I haven’t really changed anything in that area of my life.
So there you have it.
If you are tying to lose weight, find your own plan. I think the second are third steps are critical but you can come up with your own food plan. I personally needed something extremely simple and easy. This fits the bill so far.
I promise to keep you up to date with my progress in this area.
What have you done to successfully lose weight? Do you think that elements of this plan would work for you?
On to the weekend links:
This week, David at MoneyUnder30.com is awarded the Pilgrim Pick of the Pack Award for his fine piece on why recession are a good thing. He’s got moxy……and certainly worth the read.
On to the other picks of the week:
Let it breathe – a great post on being patient. Cash Money Life.
How to regift – a favorite topic around the Pilgrim Palace. Moolanomy.
10 quick eco-friendly things you can do right now. Bargaineering.
Show someone you love them without buying them a gift.
Wishing you a terrific holiday…..
Neal
Shut your eyes for a minute and imagine you longer struggle with food or money. You love your body and you don’t ever worry about your financial situation.
Pretty cool….huh?
Now come back.
If you’re like me, you struggle at times with (either or both) food and money. And if you’re like me, you’re sick of it.
I am. I’m really sick of wasting time dealing with food. (Fortunately, I feel pretty secure on my financial path at the moment even though I’m not at the Bill Gates level.)
But I can’t think of a single person I know who feels at peace with both their body and their balance sheet.
It occurred to me that both issues are really tied together.
1. We struggle with eating too much and spending too much.
2. We worry about looking fat and we worry about looking like a poor slob.
3. Should I starve myself? Should I go on a spending fast?
Food and finance are interconnected in other ways too. If I eat too much I’m going to have to spend more time and money at the gym trying to work off that double brownie chaser I ordered after the triple decker Rueben sandwich.. I’ll have to buy bigger clothes, I’ll have higher health and insurance costs and it will limit other areas of my life like travel.
The time has come to declare war on worrying about food and money. That worry has robbed us of too much of our lives and we’re taking it all back starting today.
I’m convinced that we can find solutions in the food court that also solve our financial woes. Here are a few ideas that came to me:
1. Eat slowly. Don’t put food in your mouth while you’re chewing. You’ll end up eating too much when you aren’t even hungry.
Money lesson: Take it easy.
Example. I rarely buy clothes because I don’t like shopping. When I do go looking for threads, I sometimes buy too many garments and do so too quickly. I just want to get it over with and make sure I won’t need to do it again for awhile. But the outcome is usually no good. I have to return half the clothes I buy once my wife sees what ridiculous choices I’ve made.
So, like the wisdom of not putting food in your mouth while you are chewing, it makes no sense to spend money ravenously. Slow d – o – w – n.
2. Sometimes, you’re just thirsty when you think you’re hungry. Again, if you make this mistake, you’ll eat too much. Try a glass of water before the buffalo wings.
Money lesson: Are you confusing the need to consume with some other need? Are you shopping when all you really need is to get some exercise to get rid of your energy? Do you make risky investments because you need some excitement?
Exercise. Go talk to some friends. Play a friendly game of cards. Take the dog on a walk. You may find your energy shift and save a bundle at the same time.
3. You can’t be full all the time. You’ll survive being hungry. It will pass.
Money lesson: It stinks, but we just have to do without sometimes. Sure we want to go to Paris, buy a new car, take that new pair of shoes home. We can’t always do that. It’s OK to be a little sad about having to say no to yourself. You’ll survive. Don’t expect to be in financial bliss 24/7. It ain’t the way the world works.
4, We can’t live on junk food alone. You might hate broccoli, but it loves you. If you eat what you want when you want you will end up an unhealthy person.
Money Lesson: It’s similar to the idea above. If you want to be financially healthy, you have to be willing to do things you may not want to do. Track your budget. Cut spending. Get out of debt. Invest for the future. You may enjoy doing this things but even if you don’t you must do these things if you want a solid financial future. Now drop and give me 20!
5. What works for others, may not work for you. Just because someone else found a plan that worked, it may not work for you.
Money Lesson: Be open to ideas. Take direction. Learn. Study. But understand that it’s much more important to have a plan you understand and stick to (with spending, debt and investing) than it is to have the perfect plan. In fact, there isn’t one. Once you find something that works for you……go for it.
6. You don’t need to have the body of Angelina or Brad to love yourself. I might work out like a banshee and eat like a bird. If I end up looking more like George Castanza than George Clooney, do I have to be miserable? No.
Money Lesson: Do the best you can and accept the things you can’t change. As you know, I’m a big believer in taking decisive action, getting out of your comfort zone, taking direction and then doing it.
You might do all these things, do your very best, and still not end up on the Forbes Richest People list next year. That doesn’t matter at all. Forget about it. You aren’t in a race here. You have a responsibility to yourself and your family. Do your very best and let the result go.
7. Just because you eat a Ding Dong doesn’t mean you are one.
Money Lesson: Nobody is perfect. If you blow your financial plan, just get back on the horse and try better next time. Try to find out what went wrong and take massive action to make sure it doesn’t repeat itself. Do you need a financial accountability partner? Do you need a new budget tracking plan? Do you need to start monthly family meetings?
Whatever it is, don’t dwell on past mistakes. Instead, spend that energy towards finding solutions for the future and forgive yourself.
Do you think that food and money are similar in the challenges they pose? How have you applied a solution to one to solve the other problem?
Several years ago, I had two root canal procedures done.
Two weeks ago, they failed.
I’m not 100% sure of what a “failed root canal” means but I can tell you with absolute certainty, it ain’t fun.
You can learn a lot about money by observing how you deal with food.
I got very clear on this idea when I woke up on Sunday morning - the day after July 4th. I had a food hangover.
I’m not proud of this. I don’t enjoy writing about it. But it’s true.
You may have felt the same thing on Sunday and if so…….let’s see if we can work together to help each other do better and leverage the lessons:
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