May
8
HEALTH AND WEALTH; The shopping list
Filed Under Eating Healthy, Money | Leave a Comment
This week, we’ve been talking about saving money while getting healthier. We covered a very simple alternative yesterday, walking or biking instead of driving. Today, we’re going to get a bit more complex and talk about your food shopping habits.
The Problem
If you’re like me, you go food shopping for one of two reasons. Most of the time, you run out of something crucial, like laundry detergent, so you go to the supermarket to pick up that item. The rest of the time, you go food shopping because you notice that your fridge is empty and your cabinets contain nothing but dust. So you decide to go to the supermarket and restock on food. Either way, you get to the supermarket, you load up on the items you need but you also pick up other items you don’t really need. You pick up that extra bag of peanuts because it looked good. You add a bit of cheese to your cart because you remembered how much you like pepper jack. Eventually, you get to the checkout with a cart full of goods, telling yourself “well, this should keep me fed for a month!” Two weeks later, you’re back at the supermarket.
So what are you doing wrong? What’s going on here that’s affecting both your thighs and your wallet?
First, supermarkets are designed to make us buy more. There are a variety of ways they do this. For example, the put the necessities like bread way in the back. That way you need to walk past all the other isles just to get to them giving the supermarket plenty of opportunity to entice you into extra shopping. They also put cheap impulse items at convenient locations like the checkout or the end of the isle. That way you walk by, spot what looks like a good deal and pick it up. So there’s your first mistake, you’re buying items you don’t need.
Second, you’re buying items you won’t use before they spoil. I tend to do this with fruit and cheeses. They all look so enticing so I buy a lot, telling myself that I’ll eat them all before they spoil. That never happens. I always end up throwing spoiled things away because I forgot to eat them.
Third, you’re buying too many snacks and unhealthy items. Again, the supermarket knows what it’s doing. It designs things so you buy them and the easiest things to sell on impulse are snacks and other unhealthy additions to your diet. That’s why all those candy bars are there at the checkout. Because they know you’re going to spend a few minutes standing there and what better time to sell you on some chocolate?
Finally, you’re simply buying too much. When you go into the supermarket planning to restock the kitchen, you usually end up with a lot more food than you need. I know that I do this on a regular basis. I always justify it by telling myself that this food will last a long time. Instead of buying for two weeks, I just bought for four, and that’s good, right? I saved money by buying in bulk. Well, not exactly.
Those of you who shop at places like Costco, pay attention to this part. When you buy large quantities of food, you tend to eat large quantities. So if you buy four weeks worth of food, you’ll probably eat them in two to three weeks. Why do we do this? Well, because that’s how our brains work. We see a lot of food and assume we should eat it now. It’s just instinct going back to the days when we didn’t have so much food available. Our bodies tell us to gorge now while this time of plenty lasts so when the famine comes, we’re prepared. Of course, the famine never comes because we just go back to the supermarket to buy more food.
The Solution
So how do we fix this?
Simple, shop weekly, come up a with a shopping plan, schedule a limited amount of time, bring limited carrying capacity and research.
Shop Weekly - Ideally, you shop on a daily basis, always picking up what you need for that day. However, that’s pretty unrealistic. No one has the time to go shopping every day, at least no one I know and certainly not me. What I’ve found instead to be the best shopping interval, is one week. One week is enough time to know what you need in advance. It’s enough time to plan for, but not too much so you end up with huge quantities of food. It’s also a good interval for vegetables and fruit to allow you to eat them before the spoil.
Shopping plan - This is a must. Do NOT enter the supermarket without a shopping plan. Note that I say plan and not list. A list is just that, a list of stuff to buy. A plan is more detailed. A plan is what you make when you really think about what you’re going to eat. Take a look and your next week’s schedule. Are you going to be home a lot? Are you going out a lot? How often will you be eating at home? How many meals should you plan for? Based on this, come up with a plan for how much food you’ll need. Come up with the ingredients for that food if you plan on making it yourself. Now that’s a plan. When you get to the supermarket, STICK TO YOUR PLAN! It doesn’t matter how good that sale looks or how cheap that box of cereal is, stick to the plan! Buy what you need, not what the supermarket wants you to buy.
Schedule your shopping time - Know when you’re going shopping and know when you have to leave. You want to schedule a limited amount of time for your food shopping. This reduces the chance of you buying stuff that’s not on your plan. When you know you have to be somewhere soon, you tend to stick to your plan. You’ll be in and out of the supermarket quickly and efficiently.
Limited carrying capacity - This tip isn’t going to work for everyone but it works for me, so I’ll mention it. Yesterday I talked about walking or biking to the supermarket. This is a great way to limit your buying. Again, you’re unlikely to deviate from your plan when you can’t carry a lot. How likely are you to add that extra bag of chips when you have to walk home carrying it? Plus you get a nice workout from the walk or ride.
Research - Last but not least, look at what you’re buying and make the right choice. For example, I like fajitas. They’re one of my favorite ways to make a healthy lunch. Take a fajita, pile some veggies, maybe a bit of cheese or hummus, and you have a great meal. When I go to the supermarket, I have my choice of fajitas. I can pick the ones that are easily available, right there on the end isle. They’re on sale so they must be good, right? Well, if I do a little research, I can find the low fat fajitas that are 90 calories instead of 190 calories, and they’re the same price. Remember, the supermarket sets up its displays to get you to buy what the supermarket wants, not what you want. So do your research.
Those ingredient and calorie boxes on the food are there for a reason. Read them as you shop. Look for items with a low amount of calories and a low amount of fat. Make sure you’re not consuming too much salt. Don’t buy the cereal with 10 times more sugar in it even if it does have a pretty box.
Remember, make a shopping plan, set a limited amount of time, have a limited carrying capacity and STICK TO YOUR PLAN! Don’t let the supermarket set your shopping schedule.
I’m going to include a link to one of my favorite blogs, The Simple Dollar. They have an excellent post on what to do and not to do at the supermarket if you’re concerned with money. Just keep in mind that your health and your wallet are connected. Be a smart shopper and improve your fitness while you save money.
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May
7
HEALTH AND WEALTH; save your money while improving your health
Filed Under Exercise, Money, Time Management, Work Out | Leave a Comment
This week’s topic is ways to improve your health while also improving your finances.
Health and Wealth
Most people think of health as something only wealthy people are concerned with. After all, when you’re poor, do you really have time to worry about getting fit? Are you really concerned with a proper diet when you’re worried about where your next meal is coming from? Plus getting fit is so expensive. With gym memberships, personal trainers, exercise equipment, organic foods and vitamin supplements, folks don’t think they can afford to be healthy. That’s where this week’s topic comes in. We’re going to discuss ways to be healthy AND save money.
A Healthy Commute
The first and most important money saving and health oriented change you can make is your transportation. With the price of gas rising, we spend quite a bit of money on our commute. Why not save this money while getting a good workout by changing to walking or biking?
My commute to my old office was around four miles. Driving there in my car meant about .4 gallons a day. Doesn’t sound like much, but let’s do a little bit of math. .4 gallons a day at California prices of $3.40 a gallon works out to around $1.36 a day. That’s a $1.36 I’m paying to be less healthy.
Does that make sense? I was actually paying money to be less healthy. And that doesn’t even include the price of maintenance on the car. Instead, I could have bought a cheap mountain bike. They cost around $200 new and you can buy them used for around $50 to $100. So my payback period would have been 2 to 4 months. Plus I would have been getting a good workout every morning of those months. Commute time would have gone from 10 minutes in a car, to 20 minutes on a bike and I’d have saved a bit of time by not having to look for a parking spot.
Walking, Oldest and Best Exercise
That’s just one example of how alternative transportation methods can save you money and improve your fitness. Here’s another, walking. The simplest and best exercise ever created. Walking isn’t just for fitness. Thousands of years of history consist of little more than people walking to get from place to place. Guess what, your feet are just as good for transportation now as they were then.
This weekend I had a few errands to run. I needed to go to the bank and then pick up some duct tape at the local hardware store. Driving would have taken about 5 to 10 minutes each way. Walking took about 20 minutes each way. Again, I did lose a bit of time, but I saved money. I didn’t spend on gas, I didn’t put any more miles on my car and I got a decent workout.
Walking for about 40 minutes total at an easy pace meant an expenditure of about 200 calories. It’s not much but it makes a difference. Plus the constant motion and movement of walking is a great way to boost your metabolism. I try to walk to my errands as much as I can, but I also try to walk to lunches or dinners when possible. A brisk walk after a meal is perfect to avoid that food coma, plus knowing you have to walk home will help you prevent overeating.
Bonus Effect!
And here’s another little way in which this can help you save money. When I walk or bike, I make it impossible for me to make those bad purchase decisions that always end up costing me money. On the way to the hardware store I stopped by a local electronics store. I’m usually tempted to buy a few things while I’m there but that day I didn’t because I knew I would have to carry them back. Same for the hardware store. Rather than buy that new tool box I didn’t really need, I stuck to the duct tape I did need because my carrying capacity is limited.
Longer Commutes
Walking and biking are two excellent exercises that can be used as a means of transportation. For short errands or short commutes, they’re great ways of saving money. If you have a longer commute, you may want to consider walking or biking down to your local public transportation. Most public transportation systems allow bikes and you’ll find that your commute is a lot less hectic and a lot more productive when you’re not in your car. You have time to read, work or just get a bit of extra sleep. All that while getting some good exercise AND saving money.
Summary
This week, try some alternative transportation. Besides walking and biking, there’s skateboarding, roller blades and even those little razor scooters you see everywhere. Don’t think of them as a slower commute that wastes you time. Think of them as a time saver that lets you get to work while you exercise and saves you money as a bonus.
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May
6
Weekend Roundup - Links a’plenty!
Filed Under Weekend Roundup | 1 Comment
Sorry for the late post today, was busy walking a horse!
Here’s some interesting reading:
Article - From Men’s Health, a story about how to get your significant other to workout with you. Note that this article is from a man’s perspective, but it applies just as well to women who want their partner to workout with them.
Article - From the daily mail, an interesting article about how eating soup is good for you. This is just basic food common sense. Load up on foods high in nutrients but low in calories and you’re going to do well.
Article - From About.com, an article about staying healthy at work. Very similar to my topic from last week.
Article - And from WebMD, an article about the Zone diet. This is another one of those fad diets that you’re probably heard of. The article concludes that like all diets, it’s no substitute to just eating healthy and being more active.
Talk to you tomorrow when we begin our series on how financial and physical health go hand in hand.
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May
4
United We Stand: How to motivate your friends and loved ones to improve their health
Filed Under Eating Healthy, Exercise, Motivation, Work Out | 2 Comments
We’ve been talking about getting help from those around you. We’ve discussed communicating your goals to your family, your friends and your loved ones. We also talked about the ups and downs of diet and workout partners. However, what happens when you’re looking to help instead of get help? How do you communicate to those around you that you want them to improve their health?
Why Help Others?
First, let’s talk about why you would want to do such a thing. For many of us who are working on getting healthier, we see improvements in our lives and we want to share them with those around us. We want them to have the same great feelings we do when we’re done with a workout, or when we finally achieve that goal of running a marathon. It doesn’t matter if you just started working out or if you’ve been doing it for years, you’ll find yourself wanting to share your successes with others.
Another reason might be worrying about your friends and family. I remember how out of shape I was and I worry when I see my friends going through what I did. I don’t want to lose them and I don’t want them to suffer through poor health. I want them to improve their life in the same way I did so I can enjoy their company for many years to come. So you’re in the same situation as me, and you want to help and you have some good reasons for it. Still, there are a few things to keep in mind.
What Not To Do
It’s important to note that not all lifestyles fit all people. I’m a vegetarian. I do it for health and environmental reasons. I really wish everyone around me would do the same but I know that’s not realistic. That lifestyle just doesn’t fit everyone. I also love to work out and I would love to exercise with my fiance, but with our busy lifestyles, different work schedules and her back injury, that’s just not going to happen. The same is true of you and your loved ones. Not everything that works for you will work for them. So if you expect them to copy your lifestyle in every way, you’re going to be repeatedly disappointed.
Also, never preach. Never tell anyone that they’re doing something wrong. You’re not going to win that argument. You can have all the proof you want but you still want convince anyone by telling them their way is wrong. Even worse, you’re going to make them dislike you. There’s nothing worse than the self righteous health nut preaching to those around him or her how their ways are bad.
What To Do
Lead by example - Your friends and family notice the little changes. They’ll see your health improving and they’ll wonder how you’re doing it. Show them how you’re enjoying your new fitness. Tell them how much fun you had dancing or hiking. Don’t complain about the workout, instead, mention how you love that feeling afterwards of having accomplished something tough. Get them to motivate themselves.
Offer advice when appropriate - When someone eventually talks to you about fitness and how you’ve managed to changes your life, offer some friendly advice. Don’t talk about revolutionary changes to their lifestyle. Remember what it was like when you yourself were starting out. Big changes are daunting and radical life overhauls can seem impossible. Offer small tips, little things they can do to start improving.
Participate - Don’t just tell someone to go to the gym, go with them. Show them around. Work out with them at least a few times until they get used to it. Go hiking with them rather than just telling them about the trails. Don’t be afraid of trying new things. If they tell you they’ve always wanted to try Salsa dancing, go with them even if you don’t know the Salsa from the waltz. It can be really nice to have someone else with you when you’re trying something new and maybe you’ll learn something new yourself.
Encourage - If someone takes your advice, make sure to keep encouraging them. Tell them how well they’re doing. Share with them some of the hard times you had when you were starting out. Be proud of their accomplishments and compliment them on what they’ve achieved. A little positive reinforcement goes a long way when you’re starting out.
Offer alternatives - If you see them try and fail, offer new ways or new options. Again, what works for you may not work for them. So find new ways of doing things and suggest them as an alternative. Maybe they don’t like jogging as a form of cardio even though you do. That’s fine. Suggest something else and then try it with them. Remember, the point is to get them to help themselves, not to get them to imitate you.
Above all, remember that these are your friends and loved ones. You want them to change their way because you care about them, not because your way is right. Make sure you communicate that and listen when they respond.
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May
3
United we stand; the workout partner
Filed Under Motivation, Work Out | Leave a Comment
This week, we’ve been talking about involving other people as you change your life towards more healthy goals. Today’s topic is going to be the workout partner.
You see them at the gym or on the road every day. Two people lifting weights together, running together or biking together. If you go there at the same time each day, you’ll probably see the same two people working out together. These are workout partners, people who exercise together. If you’re just starting out, you may be wondering if a workout partner is a good thing to have. Well, like a diet partner, there are good and bad things.
Advantages
- Responsibility - Having a workout partner makes it more difficult to miss a workout. You feel responsible to show up every day and on time because someone else is counting on you. This means you’re less likely to delay or cancel a workout.
Motivation - Working out with someone else might also motivate you to work harder, especially if they are at or above your level. Seeing a friend run faster might motivate you to do the same, just to keep up. - Safety - Working out with someone else is safer. If you’re lifting weights you’ll have someone there to spot you. If you’re biking, you’ll have someone else there to watch for cars and help out with that flat tire. Regardless of the activity, a partner makes a workout safer.
- Proper Form - A workout partner can help you with your form. While most gym’s have mirrors, it’s still hard to see if you’re making a mistake as you’re exercising. A workout partner can help you with that by spotting bad form or improperly executed exercises.
- Research - A workout partner can help you find information on new exercises, location or equipment.
Disadvantages
- Inflexible - Since your workout schedule now belongs to more than just you, it becomes less flexible. You can’t move workouts around if you need to work and you can reschedule easily if family is visiting.
- Discouraging - In some ways, a workout partner can reduce your motivation. If their fitness level is much higher than yours, you might feel discouraged and despair of ever improving. Embarrassment at not keeping up might prevent you from working out. Alternatively, if your workout partner is at a level much lower than yours, you might be tempted to slack instead of trying hard to improve your own fitness.
Recommendation
I think a workout partner is a good thing to have. However, you need to be careful about finding the right one. If possible, look for someone at about the same fitness level as you, especially if you’re going to be doing outdoor activities like jogging or biking. If you’re going to work out at a gym then fitness level is not as important since weights are easily adjusted. In this case, make sure both you and your partner understand each other’s fitness levels. If you’re more fit, be careful to remain encouraging. You’ll find that it’s very satisfying to help someone improve and become more fit.
Also make sure your scheduling needs are the same. Once you set a workout schedule, you need to stick to it. So be sure both partners are ok with the schedule on a long term basis. This is a problem I ran into recently. My workout partner and I came up with a schedule, but it turned out to be unworkable long term.
As always, communication is key. Make sure you and your partner understand each other’s goals. These goals may be different but still compatible, but it’s important that you both understand what you’re trying to get out of your workout.
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May
2
United we stand; the diet partner
Filed Under Eating Healthy, Motivation | Leave a Comment
We’ve been talking about getting the other people in your life involved with your plan to get healthier. We covered general communication, now we’re going to get more specific. Should you get someone actively involved in your eating plan? First, let’s stop thinking about this as a diet partner. When you say diet partner to most people they tend to think of a temporary thing. Some short term plan that you’re going to succeed at and then stop. That’s the worst way to think about all this.
You are not trying some temporary diet here, you’re making a permanent change to your life. You’re not going to stop in two months, or in a year, or in two year. You’re going to keep going because when you stop, you’ll just go back to where you were. That’s the problem with most diets, they’re temporary solutions to long term problems. So before thinking about a partner, make sure you understand the commitment here. That said, getting a partner could be a short term solution that helps you through the gradual changes until you get to where you want to be.
Benefits of a Partner
- Research - A partner can help you find new ways to change your diet. They can come up with new suggestions for healthy meals that you might never have thought of. They can find new restaurants or recipes that you don’t have time to look for. Essentially, they’re one more person doing the research on what to eat and when to eat it.
- Motivation - A partner can help you remain motivated. You might both be committed to changing your lives, but everyone has weak moments. A partner will help you through those.
- Support - It’s hard to be the only person in the room being healthy. If you have friends with unhealthy habits, it can be difficult to change your life while spending time with them. A partner helps you see that you’re not alone. You’re not the only one in the room not eating the chips and salsa.
Downsides to Partners
- Different Preferences - It’s hard to find healthy food, especially when two people have different preferences. It’s bad enough trying to find that one dish on the menu that isn’t full of fat, but what if you can’t even decide on a restaurant?
- Drag Factor - What happens if your partner is having problems? Are they going to drag you down with them? Do you have to spend every day trying to motivate them? Eventually, you’ll end up unmotivated yourself.
- Disagreements - Health is not an exact science. Different people have a different idea of what is or isn’t healthy. What happens when you disagree on what to eat?
Recommendation
Overall, I believe having someone helping you out is a plus. The benefits of a good partner do outweigh the disadvantages. You’ll find yourself more motivated and better informed if you’re not working alone. The key is finding the right partner. Communication is your best tool here. Find someone in your life who you spend a lot of time with. They’re the ideal partner. Then explain to them exactly what it is that you’re trying to accomplish. Talk about your goals and what you expect to change about your life. Make sure they have similar goals. Don’t try to convince someone to change against their will, that’s the worst way to find help. Above all, keep communicating.
Ideally, your diet partner is going to be your wife, husband, fiance or someone else who is close to you. They’re the ones who eat most meals with you and so are best suited to help you change your eating habits. If that’s not possible, find a close friend, a family member or a coworker. The more time you spend with this person, the better. If even that’s not possible, go online. There are multiple discussion groups and forums where you’ll find people in the exact same situation as you. They’re looking to change and trying to find people to talk to.
If you know of a good online group or forum to discuss eating habits or healthy diets, please post them in the comments.
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May
1
Our topic this week is communication. Specifically, we’re discussing how to talk to those around you about your health plans. Yesterday we spoke about the importance of including your partner in your health plans. Today, we’re going to talk about family.
Research
In many ways, family is just as important as your partner. They’re the social framework that many of us use to shape our lives. Family is also where we picked up a lot of our habits and preferences. This information is already reason enough to include your family in your health plans.
Families know you. They’ve known you since you were a baby. They know where you got that scar on your knee, why you fear clowns and when you first started liking candied popcorn. They know what kind of food you ate when you were little and they also remember when you first started gaining weight. In short, your family knows your whole history, from birth to present day.
This history is incredibly important when you’re starting to change your life. It can give you ideas about things you once liked and might like again. For example, my family reminded me of the long hiking trips we used to take when I was a child. That’s why I tried hiking again and found out that I loved it. Family can also tell you when you picked up or changed specific habits. This is key to changing those habits.
Most important of all, family can tell you about specific medical issues that might run in your family. Does your family have a history of high blood pressure? Are there genetic conditions that your parents might have passed down to you? These are all important things to know. Once you find out, make sure you talk to a doctor. I am not a medical professional and neither is your family (well, unless there’s a doctor in your family). Make sure you take this information to your doctor, explain to them that you’re trying to become healthier and see if there’s anything you should keep an eye on. In my own case, the doctor said I should pay special attention to wearing sunscreen, since my family has a history of skin problems.
Motivation
Like your partner, your family can be an important source of motivation. They’ve probably noticed how you struggle physically and they might remember when things weren’t always like this. They’ll be overjoyed to see you taking better care of yourself because they love you and wish you the best.
Make sure to explain to your family why you’re making certain changes. Unfortunately, you might have picked up some of your bad habits from your family. So there might be some hurt feelings if you don’t communicate well. When I was growing up, my mother used to cook traditional eastern European food. It was very meat and potato heavy. Over the past few years, as I’ve tried to eat healthier, I’ve switched to different sorts of food. I made sure to explain to her why I was doing this. I told her that I still liked her food but I just needed to watch what I eat a bit more. Rather than be hurt, she surprised me by enthusiastically embracing this new side of me. She now makes vegetarian dishes for me when I come visit and she always has something healthy in the fridge for me to snack on. She understands what I’m trying to do and she’s become one of my strongest supporters.
Preaching
One thing to avoid, and this applies to family, friends and loved ones. Don’t preach. Just because you’re changing your life doesn’t mean everyone else is ready to do the same. What works for you might not work for others. Don’t try to convince your family to make the same changes you’re making. You can lead by example, you can offer help and you can even offer advice, but there’s a fine line between helping someone and pushing them. Avoid crossing that line. It will keep your personal life from getting unhealthy.
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