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Free Weight Loss Program that Finally Works

by Neal Frankle, CFP ®, The article represents the author's opinion. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure for more info.

My free weight loss program is still working. Besides losing weight, I’m actually reaping other benefits too.

What was the plan?

I don’t eat anything before 9 A.M. I don’t eat lunch before 1 P.M. And I don’t eat anything after 6 P.M.

The results:

Down six pounds over the last 30 days. Not miraculous for most people. But I’ve been trying to shed some weight for the last several years with no luck. This is the first time I’ve made any progress, so I’m happy.

Of course the story doesn’t end there. I’ve learned a lot over the last month, and I believe the lessons are directly applicable to personal finance:

1. Don’t expect perfection.

My food plan also called for no sweets or bread. I realized that these two delicacies were the landmines that kept blowing up in my (fat) face…that’s why I cut them out. It made sense to quarantine these items, but it was unreasonable to expect I could go cold turkey. I couldn’t.

How is this applicable in the financial world?

Let’s say you don’t know how to stop spending money and it’s gone on for years. Is it reasonable to expect that you’ll be able to stop that behavior all by yourself overnight? Maybe if you’re sedated. Otherwise, expect challenges.

You just might fall back into old patterns. Don’t take that as a sign of failure. It’s just a sign of your humanity. Get back on your spending plan as soon as possible if you fall off the wagon.

2. Be willing to adapt.

I quickly realized that it was too difficult to swear off certain foods forever or to adhere to my “time diet” 100% of the time. I amended the plan and gave myself a relief valve. I allow myself to enjoy a little slack. Whew…

How would you apply this to personal finance?

Let’s go back to overspending. Of course you should take decisive action and cut spending. But leave yourself a certain amount every week to spend however you want. Throw it down the toilet if you want. Whatever floats your boat.

This way, you won’t feel deprived and you’ll stick to your plan. Another great way to adapt and change your behavior is to start using a budgeting tracking program like You Need A Budget.

3. Demand daily success.

Once I adapted my plan to something I could really live with, I was able to stick with it. Sure, the plan became less demanding, and that meant the results would take longer to see. But I stuck with the watered-down version rather than dumping the plan altogether. As I stuck to my plan, I strung successes together. Sweet-akimbo!

Use this same tactic in your financial life. What can you do to have a success today? Is it writing down what your expenses are? Should you pay down your mortgage? Investigate. What can you do today to put a feather in your cap?

4. Notice the other benefits you weren’t expecting.

Once I stopped spending money on Ding-Dongs and Sugar Twists, I noticed that I was saving money and losing a little weight. Also, since I was losing weight, I gained a lot of time. I didn’t have to work out so much. That’s very nice of course. But the real payoff was that I felt hopeful in a very new and powerful way. I felt encouraged.

I believe that simply having faith, hope and a positive outlook, coupled with action that has positive results, is key. This combination will help you stay on the path to success – with your diet and with your dollars.

I can’t predict how much weight I’ll lose over the next month, but I do feel hopeful and I do promise to check in with you.

What successes have you racked up in one area and applied towards some other issue you face? Do you believe that you should “adjust” your food or financial plan over time? Is it a smart thing to do or simply a cop-out? What’s been your experience? Do you think that gaining ground in one area of your life could even help someone fix a marriage?

 

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Comments

  1. Lucy brooks says

    February 14, 2010 at 1:18 AM

    I’ve tried various low-carb, low-calorie, and low-fat diets for the past couple of years. Although the Atkins diet is very popular,

    it made me feel somewhat unhealthy.

    The diet plan I’m on right now is the Medifast Diet. The caloric intake is roughly 800-1000 calories. However, it doesn’t make my

    body feel weak. It is a bit of a pricey diet, but there are plenty of coupons available on the

    internet.http://www.swoopup.com/stores/deals/Medifast-Diet .You should never pay full price.

    My advice is just choose a diet plan which your body reacts positively to. No one knows your body better than you do!

    Reply
  2. Neal@Wealth Pilgrim says

    February 12, 2010 at 2:42 PM

    So far so good. Thanks Ryan….It seems like a lifestyle change so far…

    Reply
  3. Ryan @ Planting Dollars says

    February 12, 2010 at 11:06 AM

    6 pounds in a month is a pretty darn good pace, and healthy at the same time.

    Congrats on your early success and hope that it’s a lifestyle change more than a “diet.”

    Reply
  4. Penny Copperwyre says

    January 31, 2010 at 2:59 PM

    Our budget is really coming together for us, all because of my husband’s brillant suggestion of including “fun money” for me. I had never included it for me, even though we had budgeted fun money for him. Upon his insistence, we have budgeted fun money for me. Having that bit of money that I have given myself permission to spend has made all the difference in my outlook.

    A few years ago, I lost forty pounds or so. My diet? Stay below 1400-1600 calories a day. That was it. I could have 1400 calories worth of M&Ms if I wanted to. Would I feel like crap? Heck yeah, but I COULD eat them and that made all the difference.

    Reply
    • Neal@Wealth Pilgrim says

      January 31, 2010 at 8:36 PM

      Penny,

      I’m with you. I love that diet – and budget plan.

      I think a lot of folks rebel at budgets and diets simply because they don’t like to give up their freedom.

      When you incorporate freedom and success in the plan, how can it possibly fail?

      Pass the M&M’s please…

      Reply
    • K says

      February 26, 2010 at 8:47 PM

      Penny – I agree, this totally works!!! Because you know your limit is X calories/day, you find yourself cutting the donut in half, and not missing the other half, b/c you got your treat. You feel like you’re cheating the system. Crazy, huh?!

      Reply
  5. karyn says

    January 31, 2010 at 1:46 PM

    For people looking for a specific program, there’s one called the No S Diet. I think it’s no sugar, no snacks, and no seconds except on Saturdays, Sundays, and special days. A similar idea to Neal’s. And keep up the good work Neal – six pounds sounds great and sounds like a more sustainable weight loss!

    Reply
  6. Don of Phoenix says

    January 30, 2010 at 11:45 AM

    No bread, no sweats. I like, “don’t eat anything that’s not colored.”

    Remember, “dark” chocolate is colored, and good for you in other ways.

    Enjoy!

    Reply
    • neal@wealthpilgrim says

      January 30, 2010 at 6:34 PM

      Hey Don. I like….I like….but I only allow myself to hit that chocolate on Fridays. It’s working so far.

      Reply
  7. Neal@Wealth Pilgrim says

    January 29, 2010 at 11:42 AM

    It’s pretty much as I described …..

    No bread.
    No sweets.

    That’s the entire plan. I suggest considering what it is that keeps you from achieving your goals. What one thing or change would have the most impact. Implement ONE change and get some results. Then, build on it.

    Reply

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Who is Neal Frankle

Neal Frankle

I'm a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional with more than 25 years of experience. I feel very blessed and hope to share my personal financial experience and professional wisdom with readers of WealthPilgrim.
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Retirement financial education for people age 55+ seeking to retire well and for those retired seeking to enjoy a better retirement.  We discuss retirement planning, retirement investments, taxes in retirement, retirement spending, IRA and 401k distributions and we will personally answer questions that you pose in the video comments.

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Retirement financial education for people age 55+ seeking to retire well and for those retired seeking to enjoy a better retirement.  We discuss retirement planning, retirement investments, taxes in retirement, retirement spending, IRA and 401k distributions and we will personally answer questions that you pose in the video comments.

While so much financial information is about preparing for retirement, what about managing your finances in your retirement years? That's exactly what we cover at Retirement Crusaders.

Neal Frankle is a retired registered investment adviser. Larry Klein is a retired financial advisor and retired CPA. They have 70 years of financial advising experience to share so that you have your best retirement years.

Retirement financial education for people age 55+ seeking to retire well and for those retired seeking to enjoy a better retirement. We discuss retirement planning, retirement investments, taxes in retirement, retirement spending, IRA and 401k distributions and we will personally answer questions that you pose in the video comments.

While so much financial information is about preparing for retirement, what about managing your finances in your retirement years? That's exactly what we cover at Retirement Crusaders.

Neal Frankle is a retired registered investment adviser. Larry Klein is a retired financial advisor and retired CPA. They have 70 years of financial advising experience to share so that you have your best retirement years.

YouTube Video UCoU0buhwVplzXrsyf342nOg

Retirement Crusaders

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