This is a guest post from Robert Brokamp of The Motley Fool. Robert is a Certified Financial Planner and the adviser for The Motley Fool’s Rule Your Retirement service. He contributes one new article to Get Rich Slowly every two weeks.
Summer’s here, so I’ve been working on my bikini body. But I’m not getting very far. I’ve lost about three pounds over the past three weeks. If you saw me, you may not think that I’m overweight, but that’s only because you haven’t seen me naked (yet). The truth is, as the temperatures became warmer, I pulled my shorts out of storage, and about half of them didn’t fit.
.jpg "Losing weight and losing debt can both be frustrating experiences.")
So I’ve been cutting back on the bad carbs and processed foods, and every night my wife and I try to do the DVD exercise program P90X (though it’s often more like P45OUCH). We also get in a couple of runs each week, and I occasionally ride my bike to work. This past weekend, several fellow Fools and I traversed the via ferrata in the mountains of West Virginia, which was exhilarating and exhausting. (Here’s a video made by my colleague, “Shaky Buck”; I’m the guy in the light-blue shirt.)
But after three weeks of a better diet and much more exercise, I still have lost just three pounds, and have yet to re-add a pair of shorts back into the rotation. I figure I have to lose at least another 10 more, preferably another 20.
You may be wondering why I’m telling you, the money-minded GRS audience, about my jiggly parts. Well, I think money management and blubber management have a lot in common. They both rely on smart consumption and good habits that, frankly, aren’t a lot of fun. The effects — both good and bad — aren’t noticed immediately, which makes the bad habits seem not so bad, and the good habits not so instantly rewarding.
I’m no expert, but I bet eating and spending affect the same areas of the brain. (Neuroscientists call it the “You’re all mine and no one else can have you” area…I think.) And I think both can induce temporary insanity. It’s almost like a haze, when that primitive, reptilian part of your brain takes over, telling your more evolved, rational brain to just shut up and enjoy what’s comin’. Soon afterward, your frontal lobe awakens from its stupor, and you say to yourself, “Why the heck did I eat/buy that? What was I thinking?”
There’s also the link between eating too much and spending too much on food. However, that link isn’t always so strong. Eating better can actually cost more. If you’d like, we can discuss it over lunch at Whole Foods. You’ll see what I mean.
Fasting for thin and profit
The question I put to you today, gentle reader, is whether it might make sense occasionally to engage in some extreme fiscal or physical fitness in order to see bigger results sooner, which could serve as encouragement to keep going.
I tried this once before with my diet, cutting out everything except vegetables and lean proteins. That included no more caffeine or any kind of sugar. After a few days, I didn’t feel so great — kinda like I had the flu. I mentioned this to a nutritionist, and she said, “Your body isn’t made to tolerate such extreme changes. It is revolting.” (To which I replied, “Many women find my body revolting.”) So I added back coffee and cereal to my diet, which eventually led to bread and pasta, which eventually led to chocolate milk and ice cream, and, ultimately, chocolate-covered lard. The slippery slope is greased with Hershey syrup.
But now I wonder — after giving in a bit this weekend and consuming some not-so-healthy foods, partially out of discouragement — if a radical change wouldn’t be the better strategy, at least for a while. Wouldn’t I see more results by severely limiting the calories and increasing the exercise, which would inspire me to keep going and stick with it?
The financial equivalent would be a spending diet; over a month (or two or — gasp! — three), only spend money on the necessities. No new clothes, no dining out, maybe even suspend the cable service. All books, movies, and periodicals come from the library, or not at all. Perhaps even institute a rule that if you must buy something, you must also sell something of roughly equivalent value on Craigslist or eBay.
Just as you use a scale to keep tabs on your weight, you’d have to monitor the benefits of your spending diet. If you’re in debt, the freed-up cash flow would go to paying it down. Otherwise, it could go into a savings account or retirement account (though if it’s invested in something other than cash, you’ll have to separate the effects of your additional saving from the effects of gyrating markets). The determination and sense of accomplishment could compound along with the savings, and you might just learn that you can get along just fine with some of those expenses you thought were important.
Maybe you’ll save so much money that you can eat whatever junk you want, knowing that your billions can eventually be used to pay MIT scientists to create bionic replacement body parts for you. Sorta like these guys.
OK, maybe a financial fast won’t make you as wealthy as Warren Buffett or Bill Gates (though Buffett’s license plate used to read “THRIFTY”). And, as far as I know, their body parts are still organic. But I do think it’s funny that two of the richest people in the world are eating at a diner. On one hand, you’d think they have the money and the smarts to eat healthier. On the other hand, just looking at the picture makes me want to run salivating to Steak ‘n Shake.
As for severely restricting eating or spending, obviously, it can go too far (as demonstrated, in my opinion, by this person — make sure you check out the last day of her third consecutive 40-day fast). That’s one of the risks. Another: You can’t stick with the extreme changes, and you feel even more like a failure.
Clearly, I’m not quite sure how I feel about all this. But I’m sure that you, being the smart GRS reader that you are, will add your thoughts in the comments below. I certainly hope you do. In the meantime, I’ll be right here, shopping online for a bikini that is more flattering for my figure.
J.D.’s note: Oh my word. I have so much to say on this subject, and I don’t know where to begin. As you all know, I’ve dubbed 2010 the Year of Fitness. My sole goal is to lose 50 pounds, and so far I’m on target. There are absolutely parallels between fitness and finance, but there are many differences, too. I’d write more about this now, but I’ve got to go ride my bike to the gym…
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I don’t think the nutritionist gave you very good advice. There’s some fascinating information about weight loss, how it’s tied into your liver, and how dropping weight fast makes you feel sick because you have more toxins being released from the fat that’s being burned off/processed by the liver.
If you feel like you have the flu during the detox phase, drink a ton of fluids, and by the end of about 3 or 4 days it’ll be over with.
Cutting out caffeine… man that is the worst. That took about 5 days before the headaches went away. People have reported the magnesium supplement helps with that.
Hopefully you’re incorporating healthy fats in with the fruits and vegetables, because that can definitely shock the body if you aren’t getting sufficient omegas.
Finally, to sympathize, I also have been working out 2x a day for most days, for about 3 weeks. I haven’t lost a pound either, but someone actually noticed the other day that it at least LOOKED like I was losing weight. I can’t give up on the process! We can’t give up on the process… something has to change at some point.
Regarding the finances, we seem to be doing about the same. Trading out eating fast food regularly, for fruit and vegetables and eggs and chicken seems to have been close to equal. (Now it’s those vitamin supplements and protein shakes that can kill your budget!)
Happy workouts!
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The are many similarities between acheiving & maintaining physical & financial wellness. I’ve struggled with both in my life. My personal experince is that a healthy financial balance has been easier & much more successful than the physical aspects.
The one absolute rule is that everyone is different & you have to discover what works for YOU. What makes it even trickier is that the rules change as you age & so, you’re constantly having to adapt & discover new methods to deal with those changes. Good luck!
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I grew up in excess when there wasn’t any money to be excessive with. My parents ate out whenever they wanted, be it a nice sit down dinner or fast food. My father also spent money whenever he wanted regardless of whether the bills were getting paid or not.
As an adult, I revolted against both. My husband and I enjoy a nice dinner our about once a month. We only eat fast food when absolutely necessary, like a PCS trip across country (he’ll only eat so many PB&J’s) for health and monetary reasons. Usually one good cross-country trip allows me to indulge in a burger (In ‘N Out was fabulous but I couldn’t eat it everyday).
Also for diet modification, I cut out the 4 C’s about six years ago to avoid falling into my parents unhealthy traps (and larger wastelines). COLA, COOKIES, CHIPS AND CANDY. I make it a rule to never buy these items, but if I get to enjoy them when I’m at other events I do so guilt free because it’s not my constant. Saves money and my health!
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It really comes down to priorities and discipline (as opposed to willpower, which is something other people have and you don’t). I have a friend whose eating habits are on par with her spending habits. She does both to deal with stress and boredom, so she spends money she should be saving and her weight goes up and down with her moods. I have discipline in both areas because being financially secure and being healthy are both important priorities in my life. I don’t crash diet in either area and it works for me. Slow and steady wins the race.
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I lost 10 pounds in 4 weeks (a few years ago…) by keeping track of my calorie intake. I was bad…I ate good stuff and fast food and cake and veggies…but I only ate 1750 calories a day and lost weight. If my BFS Weight Loss Support group idea actually gets rolling around July 5th as planned, I’ll be calorie counting again since exercise is all well and good, but I have way more control over food than I have motivation to get my butt outside…
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I also find the connection really interesting, and quite logical when you think about it.
In many cases, extreme behavior backfires, and the person goes on a spending or eating binge. Other times, people have a lot of success with fasting – no spending for a month, say, or water-only for a couple of days – as a kind of system-reboot allowing them to be super-aware of what they actually NEED as opposed to want, and how what they do makes them feel later. Very strong parallel.
For me, pay yourself first seems to work in both situations. I put money in savings & pay my bills, and buy something ridiculous now and then. I eat my veggies, protein, and fats, and save the cake for special occasions. In both situations, I make sure to eat/spend on things I enjoy, but only after making sure the savings/nutrition bases are covered. I also allow myself a completely ridiculous splurge from time to time. It seems to work.
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Hi J.D.
The extreme dieting thing is not so good for your body because besides the mental push your body will start compensating storing more fat and the like. So when you start easing the foods you have cut out back into your diet your body will store even more fat than before. My wife and I have tried the spending diet thing from January until about April one year and it went great, however, like food dieting once it was over our new habits crept back in. Damn that slippery slope, still the spending diet was very rewarding.
Love the blog
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This may have already been mentioned, but by cutting too many calories out of your diet, your body goes into “starvation mode”.
Your metabolism lowers because your body doesn’t think it will be getting more food therefor making whatever calories you eat next, that much harder to burn.
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Losing weight and saving money are based on the same principles of balance: burn more than you eat and spend less than you earn. Because I like to eat a lot, I know I have to burn a lot of calories, so I do long-distance running. It keeps things in balance. Same with saving. If you splurge in one area, reduce in another so you come out even or slightly ahead.
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One to two pounds lost per week is the way it’s supposed to work. Unrealistic expectations are one of the factors in weight loss failure.
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My nutritionist regularly reminds me that quick and steep weight-loss is very dangerous.
First, it is not a natural weight loss method. The optimal weight-loss is .5-1 pounds per week. After a couple weeks, your weight will plateau while it adjusts to its new normal. Then weight-loss recommences – usually suddenly and when you’re starting to get discouraged! You follow this method of weight-loss and plateau until you’ve reached your ideal weight – which is more about how you feel in your body than a specific number.
She says that studies have shown that if you lose weight quickly you’re likely to gain it all back and then some – mostly bc your body hasn’t had a chance to claim the new weight as its own, as well as not learning good eating habits that support what your body needs.
Weight loss is a fascinating undertaking. I’ve lost 50 pounds and its taken 3 years. I’ve simultaneously changed my money habits, gotten sober and started a new career. It’s about the process, not the destination.
She also says maintenance is even harder than losing it – which is certainly true in my case. Don’t i deserve to eat sweets now that I’m thin? nope – unless its a special occasion.
Good Habits. Patience. Self-awareness.
Food. Money. Relationships. Career.
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Agree, lots of parallels between fiscal fitness and physical fitness. I like to use a combination of mostly healthy regular habits but also use periods of intensity for both money and body. If I’m trying to lose weight I will work out 5 days out of 7 and skip dinner Tues and Thurs, this is intense for me. And if I’m trying to get my spending under control I do a work week or a weekend fast, no spending for two days (the weekend) or five days (the week) which often jump starts me towards a savings goal.
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Thanks for the wonderful post! I’ve been struggling with keeping my weight where I want it to be. I’m 5’3″ and I weigh 116 pounds yet I’d like to weigh 110 like I used to. I am obsessed with a flat tummy just like some people are obsessed with a 6-month emergency fund! Any unnecessary inch freaks me out. To each his own.
Anyway I had hit a plateau and hanging out with friends who don’t exercise is like hanging out with friends who spend too much. I now see why I haven’t been achieving my goals. Time to get back to my extreme ways. They work well until I reach my target and then stabilize.
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There is tons of information on Intermittent Fasting (24 or 48-hour blocks of not eating a couple of times a week), not just for weight loss, but as a way of life. A lot of people swear by it. I think it can be healthy as long as you are not bingeing (sp?) between fasts.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intermittent_fasting
I tried it a couple of times, but after about 10 hours I get to cranky level 11, and I would rather be pudgy, happy and have friends than be thin, angry & lonely.
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My biggest problem with the correlation between money and diet is that usually the cheaper the food the worse it is for you! So in a effort to save money I buy things that may be worse for me.
I know fresh fruits and vegetable aren’t that expensive at places like Sprouts, but I won’t buy organic vegetables they are at least 50% more.
If you go out to eat, anything healthy is going to cost a lot more and this is why America is sooo fat. We aren’t starving when we can buy a whopper for a $1 but we have large health issues.
I’m somewhat lucky (I guess) that I physically cant eat most things (fried, spicy, dairy, oily foods) that would make me fat due to a stomach condition (Crohn’s) , yet I am still gaining weight due to bad choices. I love sweets especially cinnamon rolls! And even non sweets I tend to over eat, I’ll go through half a package of Trader Joes honey wheat pretzels, or eat a full pack of strawberries at a time. (although more rarely now).
I’m not a nutritionist but from what I understand if you eat a lot (especially bad foods) and don’t exercise enough, you gain weight.
But this article got me thinking, what if I thought of buying food with respect to the Nutritional information and type of food instead of dollar.
Thus that $1 would not be cheep in this new way of thinking but would be extremely expensive.
Where as a $8 chicken salad without cheese or dressing(I’m wired I don’t use salad dressing) at a restaurant would be nearly one of the cheapest things on the menu.
And just like spending its ok to buy high price items now and then, but not everyday and you need to save for them!
The biggest problem with the method is determining the cost (nutritional info) of some food.
Think if I start with the foods I normally eat and look at what the prices are I’ll be better informed to make smart choices.
One last note, the other problem is measuring most nutritional info is by serving size which I find usually ridiculously small (who eats a half cup of cereal and doesn’t just fill the bowl?). So that the other part I really need to be careful of.
-Jacob
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Great post!! So topical, it being swimsuit season and all. A coworker and I started savings accounts for our fitness goals (to be used on new clothes/other fun stuff when we reach our goals) and we set up a system of rules for adding money into the account. We each have different “saving rules” but they’re pretty similar, for example if I work out 4 days a week I add $10 into the account, if I’m craving not so good food like pizza from Amici’s and manage to NOT order any, I’ll put whatever money it would cost to eat out into my Fit & Fabulous account. There are several more rules…they make finances fun!
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The secret to losing weight?—eat less at meals. And don’t snack between meals or eat dessert.
Other than that, uou can eat whatever you want–just eat less of it.
Go for that baked potato with all the fixings, just only eat 1/2 of it. Go ahead and get a steak–just make sure it’s only a 5 oz filet. Go ahead and order that pasta–just be sure to save 1/2 for another meal later.
Works for me!
If I get to eat potato and steak for dinner, I don’t mind skipping the dessert and snacks earlier in the day. Skipping snacks for salad? Doesn’t work.
The biggest problem for people in the US is portion size–everyone eats about twice as much as they need.
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3 pounds in 3 weeks is actually a good rate. Experts recommend losing NO MORE than 1 – 2 pounds a week.
Keeping that slow reduces stress on the body, makes your new lifestyle easier to stick to ( less hunger ) and makes it more likely you will be firm instead of flabby at your new weight ( the faster you lose the greater the chance you will burn up more muscle ).
Lastly, a mountain of research over decades has shown that the slower you take it off, the better the odds are of you keeping it off.
A pound a week is fast, 52 lbs a year.
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50 pounds in a year is probably unrealistic. Fitness health and financial wealth share a lot of the same traits when trying to build them each, unfortunately goal setting is something that is VERY tricky in the world of fitness/health.
A goal like “Running a half marathon this year” is really good. A goal like “I want to loose X pounds by mm/dd/yy” is a poor goal. Health is not solely measured in weight and setting aggresive goals surrounding weight can be dangerous and stupid (As there are dangerous and stupid ways to get those “quick wins”…i.e. Atkins diet).
Health and fitness are more about making slow SUSTAINABLE changes to your lifestyle. Like putting $5 a day into a cookie jar, slowly removing the biggest offenders to your health is the best method forward. Sooner or later thoes changes become natural. They are part of your lifestyle and you don’t have to think about it anymore. Give it enough time and your previous habits will actual gross you out (Take it from a one-time Twinkie lover!).
One of my favorite financial phrases is: It only takes a 50% loss to wipe out a 100% gain. This is very true for fitness as well. One bad week can wipe out a month of hard work and habit building.
Unfortunately, money and health can seem like they go in opposite directions. It does cost money to eat well, but, down the road, it costs you even MORE money to not eat well.
Americans, of all 1st world countries, spend the least on their groceries and the most on their healthcare. These are painfully related.
So…make slow changes to your LIFESTYLE. Remove caloric drinks. Don’t eat mayo. Buy less sweets. Buy more veggies. Walk for 15min after each meal. Remove all sodas (including diet sodas, they are worse than you think). Stop buying sweets. Eat less meat. Stop thinking you need fries/chips with every meal. Eat wheat bread/pasta. Use more olive oil. Cut back on dairy. Eat your kale!! Understand calories (no need to count each one, just pay attention. Ken Griffey has a nice quote about making a great catch and stealing a run from the opponents is just like getting a homerun yourself. Not eating a piece of cake is like walking 2 miles….sort of).
Just like getting rich slowly you can’t make all these changes at once. First understand what’s coming in and what’s coming out (Calories consumed vs. calories burned). Then take a look at your “budget” and go for the low hanging fruit. The easy cuts that make the biggest differences (Soda, ice cream, fast food, Mayo…). After you’ve stabilized, make another cut.
It’s very easy if you have patience.
= )
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There is a general belief that eating well costs more, but unless you’re a hyper-coupon user and get all of your weekly groceries for $10, I don’t think that’s true.
Sure, if you just replace conventionally-grown meats and veggies with organic, it’s going to cost more.
But if you replace meats with beans (and buy dry beans instead of canned), you’re spending a lot less.
If you buy a head of lettuce and a few loose carrots instead of a bag of pre-cut salad, you’re spending less. If you make your own salad dressing to go on it, you’re spending less *and* you know what’s in your dressing.
If you create the majority of your meals instead of taking a can or box and adding water, you’re spending less.
If you drink water from your sink instead of anything else that you can buy, you’re spending less. (Or if you brew your own coffee/tea.)
And if you use everything you buy, you will spend less.
What I now think of as the “cross over” period of time — the time between eating whatever you want and eating well — might cost more. But if you take all (or most) of the convenience foods out and replace them with whole foods, you’ll spend less.
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I happen to be one of those people (at the moment) that can eat whatever they want and not gain a pound.
You made a mistake by cutting out all of the bad food in your diet at once.
You should just take one item out of your diet per week so your body adjusts. Start with your least favorite and work up to the unhealthier foods you love. You can leave in some of the unhealthy food because it is OK in moderation.
Diet snowball?
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First of all – Brokamp is hilarious.
Secondly – food is an enormous chunk of my budget (I don’t spend much on anything else and I have no debt, but it still makes me feel silly that I do this). I’d like to lose 20 lbs too and I think cutting back on food is a good idea, since I clearly eat just a bit too much. I heard on the Nutrition Diva podcast that it’s actually bad to eat often (every 2-3 hours, which doesn’t improve metabolism but merely keeps your blood sugar up) – so that’s a money and calorie saver (and short fasts aren’t bad for you either). But I also take the Blood Type Diet seriously, and as an O it’s hard to refuse those delicious wheat treats and glorious cheeses. I know my body functions better when I stick to it though – and that means NOT replacing meat with beans at every turn. Yes, it’s expensive to eat well, especially if you’re not gifted at cooking, but if I eat LESS of the good stuff then hopefully I can save calories and money at the same time
LOL #71 Diet snowball!
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Caroline (#73) wrote: Brokamp is hilarious.
Yes. Yes, he is. I look forward to Tuesday afternoons because I know the new Brokamp piece will arrive in my inbox, and it’ll be good to lighten my mood. Writing humor is hard, but Robert manages to do it well. He’s a funny guy.
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I can’t agree more with this line:
“They both rely on smart consumption and good habits that, frankly, aren’t a lot of fun.”
Around where I live there is a $10 a month gym membership and most people that join that gym think because they belong to a gym, they are going to get fit, but the fact of the matter is that one must develop the HABITS to go regularly to see any results. Many people that go to this low budget fail to do just that and end up wasting $10 a month and simply let it go because it’s just $10 a month they figure they’ll get back into the gym.
Likewise with personal finance, it doesn’t matter how much you invest into your retirement when you’re in your early 20′s, just start the habit early.
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3 pounds in 3 weeks = 52 pounds in one year. Take it slow, the results will come. You do not want to do this quickly. You want to learn a better lifestyle and maintain the weight loss. The National Weight Control Registry http://www.nwcr.ws/ has studied long term weight losers-significant weight loss over long periods of time. Here is what they say: 1) Expect failure but keep trying 2) don’t deny yourself 3) weigh yourself often (daily even) 3) exercise an hour a day 4) add bits of activity into your daily routine 5) eat a high carb low fat diet 6) average 5 meals a day. The quick fast you’re contemplating doesn’t equate into long term weight loss success.
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JD, where are you at with your fitness goal anyways?
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One thing that opened my eyes was reading Zen to Done by Leo Babauta. It has a lot of information on positive “habit forming”, which has helped me lose weight.
The premise of it: Most people get a wave of enthusiasm, and soon after fall flat on their faces, and eventually run out of steam, and revert to old (bad) habits.
A much better approach is to make small steps towards your goal. So, instead of going all out, replace one snack a day with a healthier option over a period of time. After a month it becomes ‘habit’ and you won’t crave for it anymore. Then ‘cut’ the next bad thing out of your diet, and so forth.
It doesn’t mold so well when everyone wants a magical pill and “instant gratification”, but it is the only way of making sustainable change – which is the “Get Rich Slowly” way:
The same principles apply to spending.
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I’ve lost lots of weight over the years, however, when I saw that eating less had significant financial benefits, it motivated me even more…
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Okay, so here is what worked for me re: weight.
I’ve always been in good shape and exercise moderately but after I had a surgery two years ago I gained 20 pounds that I could not get rid of no matter how much I exercised. (I’m 46, female)
My magic trick? So simple.
I had the facilities department at work raise my desk (with one of those fancy raise-lower gadget buttons) so I stand probably 5 hours or so of the workday (when I’m not in meetings).
Now here is the heresy and yet it works for me: I eat one meal a day, dinner. And a healthy dinner.
I don’t eat breakfast and I don’t eat lunch and I don’t feel hunger.
The first week i did and then IT WENT AWAY.
I dropped 20 pounds in 8 weeks and have kept it off.
Weird. I’m not recommending it. I’m just saying what worked for me.
And the funny thing, I heard that Dr. Dean Edell also eats one meal a day. So maybe it’s a body type or something. FWIW.
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I find that doing something extreme doesn’t work for me, financially or food-wise. I just end up being miserable, snapping and ending up in a worse position than if I had done things slowly…
So no, that doesn’t motivate me at all. But different people work differently, I guess. As for me, I feel both finances and weight are about making lasting changes and then forgetting about it, and the rest ensues.
I’ve been on extreme diets before, and the payoffs are better, but still not worth the sacrifices, I feel. Getting a treat once in a while has a payoff almost as big, while also making me feel better rather than worse.
I can see how a “purge” could help people start, though. Just not my thing!
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As far as fitness is concerned, I think what you’re lacking is a real plan. You “try” to do the exercise program, you do “a couple” of runs and “occasionally” ride your bike to work. That, to me, sounds like the equivalent of not really tracking any kind of spending and “trying to save money” but there is nothing left at the end of the month. Basically, you WANT to lose weight but you’re not really sure HOW to lose weight.
What you need to do is apply the same kind of structure to your fitness plan as your financial plan; track what you eat, write down your workouts, critically review periodically and make changes if it’s not working for you. And even when you do all that, it’s not going to happen overnight. Three pounds in three weeks is not really terrible. If you lose too much weight, you might just be using up muscle tissue instead of fat. Saving money takes time, so does losing weight. Don’t rush it. “Get rich quick”-schemes don’t work, nor does “get fit quick” schemes. Sure, you might lose a few pounds more (and save extra) but the bottom line is that if it isn’t built on a proper foundation of good habits, odds are you will gain back those pounds after the extreme diet. You also risk losing muscle mass if going too extreme. You want to lose fat, not muscle.
Also, the same way you use asset allocation for your investments, I believe you should use a similar approach to fitness. You wouldn’t put all your money in one asset class right? In a similar manner, you need to diversify your workout. You could say that where your financial investments can roughly be divided into stocks and bonds, your workouts should be divided into cardio and strength training. Adding muscle mass is beneficial because muscle tissue burns more calories than fat tissue. What you need to do is find a balance between cardio and weight training and build that on a foundation of healthy eating habits the same way you need a balance between investments, savings and budgeting.
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Slow and steady wins the race. I hated the pace it took to build our savings. I hate the thought it could take me 70 weeks to get off the weight. Then I remember- it took us 30 years of putting off to get started on the finances and five to recover.
It took 10 years to put on the weight, so eighteen months is not so bad.
@Kelly- LOVE the four C’s. Not denying them- but not indulging them. Don’t miss the groggy feeling in the morning.
My small sister never eats past 7 pm- started that as well!
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Reading all the comments brought a smile to my face. It never fails – whenever the topic of weight loss comes up, you get all the self-proclaimed weight-loss experts coming out of the woodwork with their crazy schemes and advice. “Eat 6-7 small meals!” “Just eat 1 meal a day!” “Cut the carbs and only eat fat!” “Cut the fat and only eat protein!” “Become a vegetarian!” “Don’t eat anything on Mondays, unless your blood type is A-positive!”
It really is similar to personal finance. People have crazy suggestions for that, too. “Consolidate your debt!” “Join an Network Marketing company!” “Bounce your debt from one 0%-interest card to the next!” But at the end of the day, in both cases, it really does just boil down to the one simple truth:
Eat less than you burn.
Spend less than you earn.
Everything else is just noise, just tactics to trick yourself into following those simple rules.
Eating a bunch of small meals works because you never feel hungry, so you rarely overeat. Your net calorie intake goes down.
Eating one big meal a day works, because the average male needs around 2,200 calories per day, and if you’re only eating one meal a day, it’s virtually physically impossible to consume more than that many calories in one meal, so overall, you’re eating fewer calories. Your stomach is only so big.
Not eating after 7 works, because where before you might eat exactly the same throughout the day, plus a snack at night, now you’re cutting out that snack (but keeping the rest of your meals the same), so your net calorie intake goes down.
Eating vegetarian works because plants are less calorie-dense than meat, plus they fill you up faster. So you’re consuming fewer calories.
I could go on, but the bottom line is that for every single diet “gimmick” proposed by people here, it really just boils down to consuming fewer calories. There’s nothing magical about 7:00 PM or Nutrasweet or organic pasta – it all comes down to reducing your calorie intake. You don’t even have to exercise. If you just keep your activity level the same, and just reduce your calorie intake (using any of the “tricks” described in all the posts above this one), you will lose weight. It really is as simple as that.
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I just read “The China Study”. Borrowed from a friend of course, to save money. =) I’ve radically changed my diet (although I never have much caffeine) and feel BETTER! I enjoyed that book so much my friend gave me a bag full of books to look through. So, I’m reading Gillian McKeith’s stuff. One thing she recommends (weight loss is just one benefit) is Klamath Lake, Oregon Wild Blue-Green Algae Superfood. It doesn’t taste too bad! It was in the “spirulina” section of my local health food store…
If budgeting food and money are so similar how can I be so good at money and so bad at food?!
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The key for me is to get away from the idea that a financial “diet” means deprivation. This isn’t so. Love the idea of not purchasing unnecessaries for a few months – why not? There are many fun & free things to do with my time than shop!
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I definitely need to start paying more attention to what I eat the way I do my budget. If I always know how much is coming in or coming out (of my budget) shouldn’t I pay attention to what I am putting into my body as well?
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I highly recommend the paleodiet. Since late January I’ve dropped 45lbs, from 263 down to currently 218 (I’m a tall guy). Without any increase in activity levels I was able to shed this weight and I absolutely do not restrict my caloric intake, in fact it’s probably the same. Energy levels way up, concentration level is sky high, seasonal allergies have all dropped away.
I highly recommend Ray Audette’s “NeanderThin” if you can find it or the more contemporary spins on that book “The Primal Blueprint” “The Paleo Diet”, etc.
Basically, the diet advocates that you eat more in the fashion of our earliest ancestors in a hunter/gatherer sense. Obviously it’s not for everyone, but it’s been fantastic for me.
The one issue is that food costs shoot up as you’re eating essentially all whole foods and lots of meat. If you’re serious about weightloss and have the discipline to stick with it, I can’t say enough good things about it.
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I’m confused by the comments. I thought the author was asking about occasional (i.e. short term) extremes as a sort of morale boost. If that is the case, at least food and exercise way, this sort of thing works.
Let me explain. First of all, there is a lot of research on interval training being very effective. For example, you sprint like a lion is chasing you for two minutes, then jog for 4, repeat. On the food front, research into Alternate Day Fasting has also been very promising. You eat like normal one day, then fast completely or somewhat the next.
For someone currently fighting with finances, adapting this sort of philosophy to finances appeals to me. From what I see in his post, the author is not asking about the opinion of drastic changes for the long term. I haven’t seen much on spending diets but what I have seen usually deals with 30 days or even less. People then get used to it and choose to continue.
Sierra’s post today, to me, shows how this can be beneficial. Her family’s extreme restriction on water for a short term basis helped her become aware of areas of long term improvement in her daily life.
I don’t see anything wrong with making a drastic change for the short term. Maybe start with two weeks and see how that goes. Personally, I’m considering a spending diet in the month of July. Not everyone is wired the same. We have to keep that in mind. Some people need occasional bursts or reminders to help keep them on-track. We’re not talking giant pay-offs here just small signs that yes this can be accomplished and no it’s not going to take eternity.
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I quite agree. Eating to excess; spending to excess, drinking booze to excess – all of these things are signs of addiction.
If you’ve got to be addicted, be addicted to sound health and sound financial choices.
As to P90X, I know I’d never make it into 2 minutes without pain, so I do my daily walks and lighter exercises, and have never gained a pound in my 68 years. P90X is like going on a binge; there’s going to be pain, and it’s not as effective as regular exercise that isn’t going to potentially inflict injury
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Ditch the P90X and start lifting heavy weights with High Intensity Interval Training three times a week.
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To answer your general question. Yes, extreme measures tend to beat out less intensive methods because you quickly develop a base you can build on. Conversely, if you slowly build your base, it’ll take much longer.
Think of compounding returns. Most of the actual returns happen close to the ending. If you by direct effort rather than compounding returns can cover the initial stages, you will save many years of saving small amounts in a slow and steady manner.
Hence extreme sacrifice (sacrifice meaning giving something up for a better position) typically have very large payouts.
This is something that few people realize or at least something few are willing to accept.
In terms of direct exercise, you have to realize that the body has limits. Average people (office workers) have weak tendons and those can be wrecked fairly quickly (within a couple of weeks) by going hardcore on an exercise program. Once the base is in order (which takes about a year), going full force is much more effective than taking things nice and easy.
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Well as someone who has lost over 100 lbs and kept it off for several years …
Extreme methods don’t work long term, not for weight loss and not for budgeting. The only thing that works is changing your ENTIRE MINDSET whether about money, food, exercise, whatever.
Going on a ridiculous fast might cause you to lose weight, but when you return to your old ways, you’ll gain it right back.
Going on a ridiculous budget might cause you to save money, but when you return to your old ways, you’ll wind up in the same place you were before.
Weight loss is about calories in vs calories out. Period. The end. You can manipulate those calories any way you want: Remove carbs and you’re still removing calories. Add in exercise and you’re still burning calories. Eliminate processed food and you’re removing calories. Bottom line is eat less than you burn. Anyone who says differently is trying to sell you something – or seriously delusional.
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Kristi, I’m going to go ahead and second the recommendations of the people who recommended the Galaxy Tab 2. With your carrier and your requirements, that’s the best option for you, IMO- the 7 inch, 8 GB for Verizon is squarely in the $300.00 mark from Best Buy, and you can get a keyboard dock to go with it from another retailer (e-bay or amazon would be good bets to see the designs of what is out there and pick what you’d like best). Install Libreoffice or a similar app for the functionality to read Microsoft Office stuff like .docx.
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