There is a huge misconception when it comes to healthy eating or loosing weight and saving money. Many people think eating healthy is expensive and they use this as a reason to either continue eating unhealthy or not eating enough . This article will talk about five ways to save money on your fitness journey.
In January 2019, I weight about 160 pounds. Since I worked out often and ate healthy for the most part, I knew that my weight was mostly muscle and I was very happy with were I was. But I needed to save some money this year and as I wrote my budget plan, I realized that I had been spending way too much money on my food expenses so I decided to make some cuts on how much I wanted to spending on food. After adjusting my diet to fit my budget, not only did I lose 15 pounds, but I also saved $2000 in 8 months.
I have listed five tips on how to save money while loosing weight below .
1. Cut all unnecessary snacking and drinks.
Sources report that the snack industry in the US and all around the world is booming. Specifically, the healthy snack market is higher than it has ever been before and the snack business is projected to be worth about $32.88 billion by 2025. Although this may look positive to fitness promoters like us and good in terms of business, it should mean something different to consumers.
What does it actually mean?
This information shows that more and more people are interested in eating healthy and choosing healthier options which is good but the real question here is that are these "healthy snacks" actually healthy and are they helping people with their weight loss/ healthy eating goals? I read an article from CDC that reported a 39.8% prevalence of obesity and about 93.3 million US adults affected in 2015-2016. Furthermore, the article reported an estimate of $147 billion on annual medical cost due to obesity in the United States.
I was blown away and confused when I read this article. The question that came to my mind first was, how can the " healthy snack/ eating" reports show a growth in people purchasing more healthy meals/ snacks but the obesity trends continue to rise?
I hypothesized that maybe " healthy snacks" are not keeping us healthy and because I needed to save money, I will try to make some cuts in my diet and see if my hypothesis was correct. To my surprise, I was not too far from the truth. We are over eating and this is partly because of the "healthy snacks".
If you want to lose weight and save money, reduce on your snacking. Snacks like protein bars, granola bars, nuts, even some fruits can be expensive and high in calories. Although they may be healthier options, they still can be packed with sugar and additives that you do not need and produce more harm to the body. Focus on eating three to five meals a day and instead of choosing these expensive snacks, go for cheaper options like carrots, banana's, oranges, celery, rice cakes, etc. Visit a grocery stores and look for snacks that are on sale. Always look for naturally grown snacks with no additives and if you are eating in a restaurant, ask for water instead of a soda, or sweet drinks.
2. Look for cheaper alternatives that give you the same nutritious benefits:
There are many food options that provide similar health benefits but some foods might be more expensive that others. One reason why food prices goes up is because of the season when the food or fruits are available. Location can contribute to food prices as well. Looking for foods that are in season will save you money because they are in abundance and stores usually sell them for cheap.
3. Be discipline and take on the responsibility for your fitness journey.
When most people decide to hop on the fitness trail, they instantly want to call or look for a personal trainer . As much as I support personal training, I understand that sometimes it can be costly and because of this, many people end up not finishing the program.
Some things that you might want to do is contact a fitness coach or consultant instead of a trainer. A Fitness consultant/coach charges less and gives you the information that you need in order to begin and continue your journey. A fitness coach will take your fitness history, analyze your strengths, weaknesses, your environment, goals and deliver a workout/meal plan that is specifically targeted to you. A good coach follows up with his/her client and even works out with the client at least once a month.
I believe that the best way to really get the best out of this fitness journey is having the information you need and self motivating yourself to get to your goal. Self motivation is great because not only will you build a relationship with yourself but working out will become a second nature and you will also be able to apply the mental strength that you have attained to other areas of your life.
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4. Go Outside
During the summers, I hardly go to the gym because I like to enjoy the warmth and air outside. Working out outside can help you save money rather than spending it on gym fees. I used to tell my clients that fitness is everywhere. What I meant is that you can workout literally any where, all you need is 30 minutes. Let's say you visited the beach or traveled to a new location during the summer and you are not close to a gym, what do you do? Go out side, go for a run, pick a jump rope and some dumbbells, find a track and field, a hill or go hiking.
5. Cook at home.
This is probably the most important and biggest way to save money. Cooking at home not only allows you to be in control of what you put in your food but helps you cook a great amount of food that can last you for days and help you save a whole lot of money.
Please leave comments below, suggestions and ways that you save money on food. Also, we would love to connect/ collaborate with you so do not hesitate to send us a message if you would like to collaborate with us.
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