The Battle of the Bulge, and the Battle of the Budget

Chocolate-covered lard!!? So funny! (And apparently your cravings are just like mine!)

I do agree there’s a strong link between self-control over your spending and self-control over what you put in your mouth. For both, the longer you practice the self-control, the easier it is to achieve your goals.

I agree with your nutritionist about not going to to extremes with food, and I’d extend that advice to money as well.

Regarding your diet, if you deprive yourself of “bad-for-you-but-oh-so-good-tasting” food too quickly and for too long, you run the risk of rebounding at such a rate that you could end up gaining weight by eating too much to make up for that deprivation. I believe the professionals call this the “yo-yo diet”.

I think the same thing would apply to financial diets. If you deprive yourself of spending as shock therapy, I think you’ll yo-yo back and shock yourself by how much you spend to make up for that initial lack of spending.

Change takes patience. It takes self control. While you might see results quicker through an immediate fasting, which can elevate your self esteem, those changes won’t be long-lasting, and I think you’d just be setting yourself up for future disappointment.

I think you are on the wrong track. I’m actually kind of surprised to read this here. It’s Get (Rich/Fit) *Slowly*, right? In personal finance and in fitness, focusing too much on achieving short term results and expressing such disappointment after such a short period of time (and by the way, 3 pounds in three weeks is good) are red flags that someone has not got their head all the way into the process yet and might still be learning how to make sustainable changes in their lives.

Focus on forming good, sustainable habits (the process) and use your results only as feedback that you are on the right track, and you will do much better (financially and physically) over the long term. By next summer you won’t even have to worry – you’ll already be where you want to be.

I’m surprised to see that you didn’t even mention the importance of another parallel: budgeting! Just like with your money, an important part of dieting is to determine how many calories you should consume in order to achieve your goals (be they loss, maintenance, or even gaining) and then allocating them so that you are consuming appropriate amounts of protein, fruits and veggies, carbs, and even fats. And of course, tracking after the fact so that you know how you “spent” your calories can really help you to see what your problem areas are.

The majority of people I see on a daily basis provide enough motivation for me to continue eating healthy and staying fit. I’ll not let myself end up like overweight America.

My goals? Pay off my debts with this office job and then go live cheaply somewhere and run ultras!

Actually, I think it is a good idea for some personality types to do some “extreme” dieting at first to see results and get motivated to continue. Yes, your body will feel deprived. Well guess what…dieting is all about deprivation – you are eating less than your body requires to stay at the current weight, and therefore your body will need to go into the fat stores to take what it needs.

There are some people who can just chug along at a diet at a slow and steady rate and eventually, years down the road, will lose all the weight and be happy. But I suspect those types of people are few and far between (and likely would not have gotten fat in the first place). The rest of us need the motivation of seeing actual weight loss to keep up the discomfort of losing weight. Once patterns are established and you are in a “zone” of excercising and better eating habits, you can ease off and start losing weight more gradually.

I think just as with finances, you have to find something that works for you. If this extreme approach is what motivates you to continue your weight loss journey, then do it. Is it the healthiest thing to do? No, but then again, being fat isn’t healthy either. Get it done, get the weight off, and then never go there again.

As far as weight loss not being fast enough, a pound a week is not really “slow”. Think of it this way: at that rate, in one year you could lose 52 pounds. Not instant gratification, but it adds up in the end! I lost 20 pounds between January and May, when I reached my goal weight. I lost at about the rate of 1 pound per week. Now I have permanently changed my eating habits and the weight is staying off. I think if it takes a little longer to lose the weight, you are probably less likely to gain it all back immediately, since in your head you won’t be saying, “I can just lose it all again!”.
It is much like saving money. I read a financial advice book once (can’t remember what it was though….) where the author talked about giving a seminar on saving money. She told the people to save whatever they could, even if it was only $5 per month. One woman responded, “but at that rate, after a whole year I’d only have $60!” and the author responded, “And how much will you have after a year if you save nothing?”
I thought that was an excellent point…works for money and weight loss!

The great thing is by eating a little less at each meal you’ll lose weight and save money a benefit for your waistline and your checkbook balance.

I’ve never been one to make drastic changes in any area of my life since they often don’t take root. Making small changes here and there are more beneficial and easier to keep doing.

Keeping your weight steady is just like money management. After a while of staying on top of it you develop the skills to be able to manage it without really thinking about it.

I have found that the more I implement real food and excercise in my diet the less I have to worry about gaining weight. I switched to butter from margarine, whole raw milk from skim store bought, we eat only pastured meat, veggies from the garden, etc etc. Mr Chiots and I both slimmed down (I lost about 10 lbs he lost about the same). I can now eat pretty much whatever I want and I no longer have cravings for snacks in between meals. It’s amazing how our bodies really crave to be healthy, we’ve just screwed them all up with all the processed “food”.

The problem with dieting is the same problem as restricting your budget for a set amount of time. It will only cause temporary change.

Your body is constantly responding to the food you take in, so any change to your diet should always be one that you can commit to permanently because you enjoy it. Instead of saying “I’ll eat less junk and more veggies for three months,” it’s healthier to say “I’m going to make sure I get all six servings of veggies every day. Then I’ll drink more water. After that, I’ll subtract foods with high fructose corn syrup.” Integrate better habits, one at a time, at a pace you can sustain. It’s all about slowly adding healthy habits and slowly subtracting the unhealthy ones. We live in a country where everyone wants to see instant results. “Get rich quick! Lose ten pounds in ten days!” But instant results aren’t lasting results, and that goes as much for your wallet as it does for your waistline.

Someone should start a sister blog…”Get Fit Slowly”

Even though the basics are definitely lifestyle changes (eat well, exercise regularly) every individual is different with different health needs. So while you may think your way is best (which is just may be for YOU)not everyone can follow the same plan. The important thing is to just keep trying. The same with debt reduction or wealth building: spend well and save regularly.

One lb per week weight loss is the perfect rate!

You can push it so it is more, but, as with fiscal fitness, sometimes when you restrict yourself too much you make things more difficult for yourself and make it more likely you will revert in a severe fashion.

I appreciate the attempt at comparison, but as was pointed out by the nutritionist, there are health concerns regarding crash-dieting that simply don’t exist when you’re talking about finances.

But budgeting and “budget fasting” is so, so much easier for me than diet and exercise. I’m naturally thrifty, I’m not naturally fit.

And dammit I want a cheeseburger, RIGHT NOW!

Both from personal experience and from seeing others, I do not know a single example of somebody who did an extreme diet (finacially or food) and was able to succeed on a long-term basis. Which is unfortunately to me, because I am an amazing extremist–I have no problem fasting for a set period.

The problem with this philosphy, however, is that it is against a basic law: for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. So I fast, I lose a nice amount of weight, I get the reaction I want, so I “deserve” to treat myself. And then my body, which was starving on a basic level, reacts by storing all the food as pure fat for the next “drought.” Likewise, finacially, I do the same thing. By being too extreme, I will feel like I deserve to reward myself afterwards by buying something much more expensive than simply that movie ticket I may have used as a reward.

The problem is both financially and weight-wise, exercising extreme views does not teach one daily self-control. Instead, you are looking for instant results, which is why many of us spend too much from the get-go: we want instant gratification, right now.

I think the solution is to change the goal–our goal should not be to lose weight or to pay off debt. Do not focus on the end result. Focus on the method: the budget. For a diet, plan your meals and log everything you eat (i.e., a diet budget). The same financially: budget everything and log all expenditures. Rarely is the “splurge” listed on the budget. And that may be part of the mistake–put a little splurge on that budget here and there.

My wife is a dietitian. I’m a financial planner.

You won’t believe how many times, we come across the same exact behavior issues. I never thought, financial planning and food would overlap so much, but it does.

There are a zillion parallels between money and dieting. However, some people who are good with money can NOT lose weight, and vice versa.

As someone who is always struggling with eating, I recently read “Intuitive Eating” to get off the diet train. It’s really interesting. I can’t say it works — I haven’t implemented it fully, but the main thesis is this (from memory; don’t have book in front of me):

1) Many people (like me) are always in a diet mentality. This is good food, this is bad food. I ate too much. Today I ate much better. I’m not going to eat as much today. But now I’m really hungry and I’m overeating. Etc.

2) Most people can’t live this way; they diet, but the deprivation causes splurges & binges.

3) To break the cycle, really believe and internalize that diets don’t work.

4) Go through your “trouble” foods, and eat them. But not in front of the TV. Sit with them, and TASTE them. Slowly. (I found myself with a milkshake — something I hadn’t had in YEARS). (I can’t imagine how you would do this with money…buy things you never allow yourself to buy???)

5) Learn your hunger signals (again, I can’t parallel this to money). Don’t let yourself get too hungry. When eating, eat slow and consciously, and stop when you are full.

6) Gradually move to healthier eating, but pay close attention to eating WHAT you feel like eating, when you feel like eating it. “Bad” foods are OK. If you always know you can have them, you don’t tend to hoard or binge on them.

There is a lot more to it than the above, but essentially, the authors say that over a long period you will normalize your relationship with food, dismantle the power bad foods have over you, and lose weight. They don’t guarantee skinniness — maybe you’re already where you should be — but most of their clients have lost at least some weight this way.

The concept is totally intriguing for me. I am halfway doing it, but too scared of gaining weight to go full-hog. The reviews on Amazon.com are interesting.

I had totally been able to relate dieting to money management until I read this book, and this one kind of blew the two apart for me.

28) RJ, if that is the case, then how come it’s harder to control my weight vs controlling my spending?

I see the parallels, but it seems much easier to not spend. Eating is something that has to be done at least 3 times/day, so maybe it’s just an opportunity thing.

Maybe the amount of bad choices I make is about the same, it’s just that the # of times/week I eat is a lot more than the # of times/week I pull out my wallet.

Exercise, like finances, is very much about ‘what works for you’. For me, crash diets (and budgeting) doesn’t work at all – it’s always followed by a binge. For others, it might be just the impetus they need to shift into a positive habit long-term.

Some comments on P90x, though: I’m a personal trainer and part-time model, and recently started dabbling in some of the workouts from that program… holy crap! That stuff is just as intense as the disclaimers make it sound. It is NOT a good program for a relatively sedentary person to start using right away.
Instead, try something like this: raise your heart rate for 4-5 30 minute intervals every week (weight training and interval cardio is more effective for losing weight than constant pace exercise (like jogging)) doing something that you LIKE to do.
Read the nutrition labels of ALL the food you eat – knowing is half the battle! The ‘big wins’ with dieting are simple – cut out french fries or ice cream, for example. Most other stuff, even ‘bad foods’, can be had in moderation. I don’t agree with cutting all carbs, but try to replace white bread with 100% whole wheat, get whole wheat/organic pasta, etc., and don’t eat too much of it.

Personal fitness, like managing finances, is a journey, not a destination. If you don’t enjoy the trip, you’ll stop traveling.

JD, can you use this photo?

http://dcist.com/2010/06/taking_a_bite_out_of_the_strasburge.php

Enjoy.

There are a lot of parallels between budgeting and dieting, but I’ve always been good at tracking my spending and sticking to a budget, and never good at counting calories (or carbs or fat or whatever the diet du jour is restricting) or sticking to a diet. Maybe I use up all my willpower on money.

J.D.,

Perfect is the enemy of good. Remember that? I’ve run the gamut from being 250lb at 12% bodyfat to 185lb at 15% to everything in between.The one thing that you have to realize, even if you do make drastic changes, is that your body will respond slowly. Recent research, I do not have time to dig the abstracts back up, has suggested that eating 2-3 times per day was just as effective for losing fat as eating 5-6 times per day, as long as one holds protein constant. It’s also much easier to maintain eating only 2-3 times per day because you are having larger, more satisfying meals and preparation time is not nearly as long. I have done this with exactly the same results as when I used to eat 6-7 times per day. As long as calories are held constant, the body really does not need to be stuffed constantly with small meals. The whole “raising your metabolism” theory by eating 5-6 meals per day is largely overstated. At most, you are talking about an additional 100 calories per day, depending on your size and resting metabolic rate, but in reality, the likelihood of falling off the bandwagon because of the increased preparation time and the likelihood of eating far more calories with 5-6 meals per day means less weight lost in the long run. I recently helped my father lose 35lb in 2.5 months. He rides his bike 15-30 miles every other day, eats a small breakfast (3-4 eggs with piece of ezekial bread), grilled chicken sandwich for lunch, and a small dinner with lean protein. He doesn’t count calories or obsess over numbers. He’s also 65. You can do this, just remember to eat healthy 80-90% of the time and do not let a slip up throw you off track.

I think the Flylady way is the way to go with both. Babysteps!!!!

Meaning, don’t make a huge drastic change to either your diet/exercise or your spending/budget habits. Make one change at a time and build over time. It keeps you from burning out. I am building my habits slowly on both of these and I know every day things are getting better.

For losing weight I strongly recommend the book “the philosopher’s diet.” It’s a good diet book for thinkers and it also talks a little about how you should perceive and engage in life.

Weight management is what it is, management. Moderation is key to effective management and it’s also a virtue.

The youtube link was disturbing. No one try that at home! That was very unhealthy.

I lost 70 pounds and have kept it off for years.

Your best bet is to make small changes that you can stick with, and stick with them.

The difference between food and money is that from the time we are very small, we are rewarded and bribed with food, so it has a VERY strong emotional connection. (How many kids who can’t WALK are given cookies? How many kids are given a piece of candy to be quiet? How many kids are rewarded with dessert for eating their dinner?)

Instead of haphazardly cutting things out of your diet, make a few changes. What I’d recommend to start with:

• all HFCS. It is implicated in weight gain even with the same caloric intake. This will require reading labels on EVERYTHING — I’ve found it in places I wouldn’t expect. (I’ve found that generic brand cereals are less likely than their brand name counterparts to include HFCS.)

• artificial sweeteners. They are typically much sweeter than plain ol’ sugar, so when you do consume something that uses real sugar, you eat a lot more of it to get the same satisfaction.

• increase your servings of veggies. Leafy greens, carrots, tomatoes, etc.

• replace your refined flours with whole wheat. Labels are tricky on whole wheats — they’re allowed to say “whole wheat” as long as it’s 50% (I believe). Look for “100% whole wheat” or read the label and look for whole grains.

• get rid of all the tempting food in your house. Throw it away. It’s not wasting food if it’s not really food.

Get enough sleep (but not too much). Not enough (and too much) sleep wacks out your hormones. Hormones regulate hunger and satiety.

I have blogged about many of the above topics, as helping people to live healthy lives is a passion of mine (that I am slowing turning into a career as well). Feel free to contact me with questions.

I would agree that Robert shouldn’t obsess about the numbers. P90X sounds a little extreme. 3 lbs in 3 wks is acceptable. My advice as a trainer is that clients should focus on functionality.

Can you walk/run/go up stairs faster/longer without getting breathless? Can you do more push-ups, more leg lifts, more crunches per minute? That kind of thing.

Most fitness professionals agree that most people can’t exercise enough to lose weight through exercise alone. Nutrition plays an indispensable part, especially when you are just starting out and are unfit. As you get more fit, your exercise potential rises and you can burn more calories per workout – but your body will also get more efficient.

In re nutrition, everyone’s views are different and there really is no professional consensus. Some trainers think low carb plus energy drinks (hello! all carbs!) is the way to go. Others think vegetarian plus protein powder is the way to go.

I happen to think natural food as the basis of every meal or snack is the way to go, with calorie awareness, portion control, protein at every meal, and no beverages that come in plastic or metal packaging.

Just eliminating packaged beverages can jump-start weight loss because they are generally nutrition-free and calorie-dense. Or else composed entirely of manmade chemicals that our bodies are not equipped to process.

Packaged beverages are also expensive, so there’s your budgetary tie-in.