The Digerati Life

You don’t need to break the bank to lose weight and get into shape!

I just love before and after pictures:

Who wouldn’t want to get healthier, lose the extra pounds and feel better? After all, our health is our most important asset and these days, health care costs are among those things that are rising faster than inflation! Get a load of this study that proclaims that the average U.S. family will be paying 7.6% more in health care thanks to rising prescription drug prices (among other things):

The cost of medical services, including premiums, will increase by $1,109, from $14,500 in 2007 to $15,609 in 2008 for an average family of four enrolled in an employer-sponsored PPO.

The study also found that the cost of pharmacy services is expected to increase by 10.6% to $2,302, compared with single-digit increases for physician services, inpatient and outpatient care.

Employers are expected to pass on more of the cost to their employees. Employers will shift around 10.5% more of the cost to workers through higher premiums and out-of-pocket costs, such as deductibles, copayments and coinsurance. Of the total $15,609 cost, employers will pay $9,442, while employees will spend $3,492 on premiums and $2,675 in out-of-pocket costs. In 2008, employers will pay roughly 60% of medical costs, while employees will pay 40%.

Not to mention that the high cost of poor health is the leading cause of bankruptcy in this country!

With so much money spent on health, the best way to counteract this assault on our budgets is to preserve our health and well-being as much as possible.

That is, we should be investing in our health.

I’m currently going through my own weight loss program this summer to get rid of the extra pounds I’ve accumulated over the last half decade. I’m hoping that I’ll be able to cut down on my gradually increasing medical and insurance bills by becoming more fit. Here is my share of tips on the subject:

Spend Less on a Simpler Life

First things first: take the stress out of your life. We’re a workaholic nation where vacations are not as popular as they are in other countries . We love chasing the Joneses and aspiring to fulfill the American Dream. All this results in our physical and mental exhaustion, and growing complexities in our lives, all for the greater glory of material wealth.

If your life is full to the brim and you are no longer able to stop and smell the roses, then you’re doing a number on your health. One of the first steps to better health is by gaining better control over your life by simplifying it. Doing so should bring down your stress levels and take some pressure off your system. Would you consider:

• Downsizing your life like some people have?
• Downsizing your home to deal with less expenditures and maintenance?
• Or just decluttering your surroundings?

Spend Less on Food With Better Eating Habits

I’m investing more on my health by turning to higher quality food. Some of the food my family consumes these days is arguably pricier than what we used to have in the past. This is in part because I’ve recently discovered that I am gluten sensitive. This means that most grains are now eliminated from my diet, causing me to have to shop at more health conscious (or gluten free) grocery stores. Such specialty stores generally tend to be more expensive. But I’m counteracting the expense by adopting these money saving tips that should also cut down on my calories!

#1 Don’t buy diet pills or diet drinks.

Well, you can… but you shouldn’t have to — they’re but a quick and temporary solution. Here’s a piece on why you shouldn’t depend on them to lose the weight:

• Diet pills can be very expensive. I’ve seen several commercials promoting diet pills that cost $149 a month. If you have a lot of weight to lose, this can really add up. For example, if you have 100 pounds to lose and lose 10 pounds each month, you’ll spend $1490, plus shipping.
• The results you receive from diet pills are short term. Once you stop taking those diet pills you will gain the weight back.
• People depend on diet pills, rather than learning new techniques. If you learn to exercise and eat healthier, you’ll lose weight safely.

#2 Don’t buy what you won’t eat.

Seems simple enough advice, but it’s harder to follow than you think. Though food wastage is unavoidable to some degree, there is room here for improvement. How much improvement? Well check out the numbers reported in this MSNBC video.

We waste 96 billion pounds of food in a year which comes to one pound of food everyday for every American.

Some tips to help manage our food budget:

• Sometimes we buy much more food than we need, thinking that by buying in volume, we’ll save money. But that’s not always the case. You’ll need to check the per unit value of what you’re buying to ensure that you are saving money on a purchase.
• Don’t buy stuff just because it’s on sale. Many foods are perishable and you may be tempted to buy items because they’re discounted. Then you’ll want to consume them to avoid the waste, but that could add inches to your midline!
• Use a leftover calendar.

Check this site called Wasted Food for more tips on avoiding food waste.

#3 Eat your heaviest meal in the morning and your lightest at night.

I have a friend who does it backwards — eats his heaviest meals at night, even skipping meals during the day. And he doesn’t look like the healthiest bloke on the block either. To improve your metabolism and keep the weight off, it’s best to “front load” your meals by taking most of your calories earlier in the day.

#4 Eat smaller portions.

It’s actually better for your body to consume smaller quantities of food, more frequently throughout the day. There may be some adjustments you’ll go through in the beginning but it should get easier over time as your body gets used to the new schedule. It may also not be as practical to do this when you have a job that doesn’t allow you this sort of flexibility. Still, you may be able to control your portions better if you select higher quality foods that are rich in fiber and if you balance each meal with all the major food groups represented. Doing so will aid your digestion and fill you up better.

#5 Chew slowly and carefully.

Slow chewing will allow you to stop eating sooner. Your body will get a chance to register the “full” signal as you’re eating, and will do so on less bites if you slow down your eating. Less food eaten equates to less food needed, and perhaps a smaller bite out of your budget?

#6 Control your appetite with more physical activity.

Exercising gets your juices flowing and helps speed up your metabolism. Interestingly, studies suggest that exercise may increase your appetite at first since you are burning more calories. But over time, your body will respond to regular physical activity by decreasing your appetite for up to several hours after the activity.

#7 Dilute your fruit juices.

I’ve always found fruit juices to be overly sweet so I’ve gotten into the habit of diluting my drinks. Doing so has helped us cut down on juice purchases because we make them last longer. Plus we’re doing ourselves a favor by ingesting less sugar! This could be a useful trick if you can’t avoid the soda.

#8 Drink more water.

Many times, we think we’re hungry when we’re not. We’re actually dehydrated. It’s been said that we’d be able to curb our appetite by drinking more water. Although we’re told to drink 8 full glasses of water daily, the amount we actually should be drinking depends on our specific circumstances.

You can get more accurate information on the recommended amount of water you need to consume daily by trying out this cool hydration calculator.

#9 Avoid or control the consumption of processed and junk food.

Trim the fat from your pantry and your food budget! I’m referring to those sources of empty calories that your body doesn’t really need. This is actually tough advice for me to follow as I’ve always been a junk food addict. I’ve continually waged a war against my sweet tooth and my cravings for the munchies. I read somewhere that though this is partly genetic, it can also be a sign of imbalances in one’s system, which should be remedied by — you guessed it — better diet and improved physical activity.

Spend Less on Affordable Exercise

Who says we can’t lose weight or become healthier without the help of professional trainers or gym memberships? A lot of people find the extra motivation by signing up for classes, whether it be for dancing, weight training, yoga, tae-kwon-do or other forms of sport. And why not? Exercise can certainly be much more enjoyable in the company of others.

However, I’m one of those people who would rather do the requisite physical activity in the comfort and privacy of my home, where I’m also happy not to spend a dime. The only thing I’ve invested in is my trusty stationary bike, which I’ve had over a decade and which functions as good as new despite the heavy use it gets .

What’s nice about exercise is that most activities are pretty affordable. But what makes it “expensive” for a lot of people is the time commitment it generally takes, lest we forget that “time is money”. But then again, maybe we should also remind ourselves of the saying that “health is wealth”!

 
Image Credit: Women’s Health