"I don't have the money to be healthy..."

Jemmuno

Love your post! Completely agree! Also, not to mention how much is it going to cost in doctor bills and medications once the unhelathy lifestyle catches up to you? Definitely more than $50 a month!

chivalryder

I'm actually finding that eating healthy is actually possibly less expensive than eating non-healthy. I think this has more to do with the fact that I eat less in every meal/day than when I ate crap.

As for the gym: I don't get where people get the notion that they require a gym to workout. I haven't stepped in a gym in 6 years, yet I seem to be doing alright (aside from 3 of those years, after I injured myself).

jazee11

Yes, it also goes the same with the "I don't have the time" to.... workout or cook healthy meals, or pack a healthy lunch, or eat a healthy breakfast. You are worth the investment of time as well as money when it comes your health as well.

lilmissymoo90

Or when they post that complaint to somplace like FB using their mobile device. So, you can't afford to eat healthy but you've got that data plan? WOOT!

I find that if something is that important you'll make the time/find the money to do it. There is almost always someplace that you can skim money from (lowering cable/internet/phone package, skip a few movies a month, etc).

not always .. i disagree with this ... i have a contract phone which i cant wait to get rid of at the time i got it my partner had a job which he doesnt atm. i cant afford a gym membership i dont have a tv package and dont eat out infact dont even have a fridge atm as it decided to pack in when we moved last week as all those extra pennys are being saved for a fridge. saying this i dont agree with the excuse as ive started walking working out at home and im intending to go swimming even if its only once a week.

tvanhooser

I used to make those "I can't afford to...." excuses and it's true. I literally do not have any discretionary funds for gym or swim center memberships, exercise classes and diet "programs." I do not have Starbucks everyday --or really at all. We VERY rarely go out to eat. Every bit that comes in goes to pay rent & utilities, put gas in the car and keep us all fed and clothed. There is no extra...I am SO NOT kidding. BUT, that being said....when I realized that the only way I was ever going to be out of pain, I stopped with the excuses and realized....hey, sure I can't pay someone to do this for me or with me, but HELLO SELF -- do you still have two feet that work? Ummm, yeah, of course. Then you CAN do something. Stop telling yourself you can't do anything just because you can't do what you want. You can walk --if nothing else, you can walk and you don't need any fancy clothes or equipment or memberships to do it. Here's your shoes, there's a sidewalk...now just get out there and do it and I don't want to hear your excuses! Since then I have gotten my bike repaired which is another no cost exercise I CAN do in spite of my knee problems; and discovered some tolerable low-impact fitness videos on YouTube that have shown me that there's alot more I CAN do than I thought --and none of it costs me a penny. So if anyone thinks they can't do anything because of money, open your mind to other possibilities than the ones you can't afford. You might be surprised to find what you CAN do when you put your mind to it. As far as not being able to afford to eat healthy....that's easy.....you eat now, right? I mean none of us would be in the position we are of needing to lose weight if we just didn't eat, so no point in denying it. It's just a matter of spending your food budget on HEALTHY food options instead of junk food and processed foods. You don't have to shop at trendy and spendy organic food markets to start making healthy choices. Just swap whole wheat bread for white or refined wheat; try whole wheat pasta, fresh veg instead of canned, 1% milk instead of 2% or whole. Look for labels that say "light" or "low-fat" or "fat free" or "reduced sodium" or "low sodium." Alot of brands have the healthier versions next to the regular ones at pretty much the same price so "too expensive" is not an excuse. Get unsalted butter instead of salted. Stop adding salt to every recipe and find other spices and herbs to flavor your food. There are alot of ideas out there about what is healthy, but if you struggle with healthy eating, starting with a few simple changes like this can make a huge difference in putting you on the road to weight loss and a healthier you. It has for me. I don't pretend to know everything there is to know but I do know from experience that it really is a lot simpler than we like to tell ourselves it is when we just want to justify not doing what we know we really should be doing and divorce ourselves from the guilt of it.

ChristineS_51

I am always surprised when people say that. You have to buy food anyway, just don't buy processed crap, soda drinks, fast food etc. Eating healthy is not expensive. You don't have to buy organic etc. You don't have to join a gym / buy fancy gym clothes.

Being healthy means less trips to the doctors / medication etc.

The only thing I have found is that having lost 50 lb (23.1 kgs) is that I have to buy new clothes, but even that I am doing at charity shops - what a buzz - four new shirts for $12!!

It is just another excuse, and when and if people are ready then they will do it.

AmiC0717

Love this. When I started losing weight in May, I walked. That's free. I walked and whined about walking and whined some more but I kept trying. Then I started riding the old bike in the garage. Loved it! Better than walking for me anyways. But I kept up with both of them. Then I started digging around and found out that my insurance company reimburses me the cost of my Y membership as long as I go 4 times a month. Yep turns out they pay for my family to go to the Y. How could I not go?

ChristineS_51

I used to make those "I can't afford to...." excuses and it's true. I literally do not have any discretionary funds for gym or swim center memberships, exercise classes and diet "programs." I do not have Starbucks everyday --or really at all. We VERY rarely go out to eat. Every bit that comes in goes to pay rent & utilities, put gas in the car and keep us all fed and clothed. There is no extra...I am SO NOT kidding. BUT, that being said....when I realized that the only way I was ever going to be out of pain, I stopped with the excuses and realized....hey, sure I can't pay someone to do this for me or with me, but HELLO SELF -- do you still have two feet that work? Ummm, yeah, of course. Then you CAN do something. Stop telling yourself you can't do anything just because you can't do what you want. You can walk --if nothing else, you can walk and you don't need any fancy clothes or equipment or memberships to do it. Here's your shoes, there's a sidewalk...now just get out there and do it and I don't want to hear your excuses! Since then I have gotten my bike repaired which is another no cost exercise I CAN do in spite of my knee problems; and discovered some tolerable low-impact fitness videos on YouTube that have shown me that there's alot more I CAN do than I thought --and none of it costs me a penny. So if anyone thinks they can't do anything because of money, open your mind to other possibilities than the ones you can't afford. You might be surprised to find what you CAN do when you put your mind to it. As far as not being able to afford to eat healthy....that's easy.....you eat now, right? I mean none of us would be in the position we are of needing to lose weight if we just didn't eat, so no point in denying it. It's just a matter of spending your food budget on HEALTHY food options instead of junk food and processed foods. You don't have to shop at trendy and spendy organic food markets to start making healthy choices. Just swap whole wheat bread for white or refined wheat; try whole wheat pasta, fresh veg instead of canned, 1% milk instead of 2% or whole. Look for labels that say "light" or "low-fat" or "fat free" or "reduced sodium" or "low sodium." Alot of brands have the healthier versions next to the regular ones at pretty much the same price so "too expensive" is not an excuse. Get unsalted butter instead of salted. Stop adding salt to every recipe and find other spices and herbs to flavor your food. There are alot of ideas out there about what is healthy, but if you struggle with healthy eating, starting with a few simple changes like this can make a huge difference in putting you on the road to weight loss and a healthier you. It has for me. I don't pretend to know everything there is to know but I do know from experience that it really is a lot simpler than we like to tell ourselves it is when we just want to justify not doing what we know we really should be doing and divorce ourselves from the guilt of it.

Well said!! :flowerforyou: great ideas

Topsking2010

If you have a job there is no excuse to be healthy. Some people workout at home and still are fit!!

Eat at home more to keep your expenses down!!!

soymilkcoffee

I was just having this discussion last week with a few friends. They were saying that it is much more expensive to eat healthy foods. They compared a $1 liter of soda to, say, a head of broccoli. Well yeah, those cheap bags of chips and soda may be cheaper, but are you really going to live off of that stuff? It is much cheaper to buy fruits, veggies and chicken in bulk than to buy fast food or processed junk. Just need to do some math.

AmiC0717

Oh what is costing me now? Having to replace clothes because my sorry butt dropped 3 sizes. Yep I went from a 3x to about an XL in most things. Eating better can be more expensive but my blood pressure is completely normal, my breathing is normal no more asthma issues and my knees and feet don't hurt nearly so much. I try to cook at home so I can do it cheaper and not buy processed foods but somtimes I do buy Lean Cuisines etc. when they are on sale - for convenience sake only. We have a few farmers markets nearby and I grew my own tomatos this year. There are ways to do this! Be strong!

njmp

Veggie's just AREN'T expensive. If you take a half an hour out of your day to cook instead of buying premade CRAP you save money and calories.
Even those healthy dinners. Tiny portions, full of sodium. I can make something 15x better than that with about 20 minutes worth of effort.

Yeah....they are. But they're worth it. $3.99/lb for orange peppers is expensive. I paid $4.18 for 5 apples the other day. I on average spend at least $50 a week on fruit and veg for me and BF. I have the money to do it, I buy the specialty stuff and stuff that's not in season when I want it, but yeah, it is expensive.
I used to be a residential counsellor for young teenagers, and one of them challenged me to find any dinner per serving that cost less than a bag of perogies divided by four people. I couldn't. I doesn't mean I agree that the easy option is better, but I concede that it can b e less expensive
Anyways...with all that said...cheers to veggies!

amyoliver85

I think that people who say those things are misinformed. A healthy meal from the grocery store costs approximately 40-50% LESS than a fast food meal. I have never had a gym membership. I saved my leftover change (I kid you not) and then bought a used treadmill with that change for $45.45 (after I bought 2 new batteries for the display console). I bought a bicycle at a secondhand bike shop for less than $100. I buy free weights as I get stronger. The cost is minimal to buy those if you don't buy them all at once.

Plus, medical costs associated with being unhealthy are a lot scarier than the costs of a couple sets of free weights. I should know. I would love to show any person who makes up an excuse like that what a bill looks like for a person going through treatments for Lupus. It's A LOT cheaper to lift 5 lb weights for 15 minutes 3 times a week than it is to cough up $7,500 for a treatment AFTER the insurance pays. So I do what I'm told and I thank god for my LESS THAN $200 in exercise equipment.

:-D :-D :-D

amoffatt

I can't afford food so therefore I dont eat so in return I lose weight...:laugh:

Just kidding. For real, we can all afford to eat healthy, it is just an excuse some of us may use, guilty here. I have less than $400 a month to spend on a family of 4 and there are ways it can be done.

sonjarogers72

That is really a great post!! Funny how you cant afford a bag of boneless chicken breasts, but that value meal cost just as much- and it can be meals for a week!!!

firstsip

Veggie's just AREN'T expensive. If you take a half an hour out of your day to cook instead of buying premade CRAP you save money and calories.
Even those healthy dinners. Tiny portions, full of sodium. I can make something 15x better than that with about 20 minutes worth of effort.

Yeah....they are. But they're worth it. $3.99/lb for orange peppers is expensive. I paid $4.18 for 5 apples the other day. I on average spend at least $50 a week on fruit and veg for me and BF. I have the money to do it, I buy the specialty stuff and stuff that's not in season when I want it, but yeah, it is expensive.
I used to be a residential counsellor for young teenagers, and one of them challenged me to find any dinner per serving that cost less than a bag of perogies divided by four people. I couldn't. I doesn't mean I agree that the easy option is better, but I concede that it can b e less expensive
Anyways...with all that said...cheers to veggies!

I think either statement isn't entirely fair. Depending on where you are, produce can or can't be expensive. However, buying in season is generally a pretty static price across the board. I live in the upper Midwest of the US, where not only were we hit incredibly hard by the drought, but we generally only produce blueberries, corn, cherries, apples, and beets locally. However, there are tons and tons of ethnic markets and farmers markets--all of which are far cheaper than grocery stores. I swear by these types of stores. Don't be afraid to go where you can't read the signs--produce is produce.

amyoliver85

njmp, do you happen to have a hispanic population where you live? If you do, they probably have a grocery store targeted specific at them. Shop there for fruits and veggies and not at the regular grocery store. Mainstream stores mark up prices like the wazoo but population-targeted grocery stores rarely do this. I buy oranges at my local Hispanic supermarket at 7 lbs for 99-cents. I am NOT lying. I buy avocados 5 for $1. Peppers, strawberries, squash, apples, you name it, it's CHEAPER there.

I appreciate that these stores do not price gouge and I am pleased to be a patron.

desiv2

A girl came up to me and asked me if I lost weight, I said, "Yeah, I have." Then she said that she really wishes she could do what I have. I told her she could, to sign up on this website, and to eat healthier... before I could tell her more about exactly HOW TO DO WHAT SHE WISHES FOR SO MUCH! She interrupts me and says, "Oh, I'm too busy and I don't have the money right now."

Excuse me!? I am busy and broke, and guess what? I gave a lot up to change my life, my friends probably hate me because I stopped going out weekly to spend money on drinks, food, and worthless items at target and gordmans. Anyone can find the time and money to do something for their health, and honestly if some people don't-- then they wont have much time or money because they will be six feet under.

MissAshFit1989

Load of crap, really do you NEED a gym to workout? No. So get off the couch and go for a walk, do some sit-ups, squats, dips in your home or at a park. I don't have a gym membership because I get frustrated with people hogging machines or leaving their sweat on things. As for food, I used to spend $30-40 a week on lunches.....bad food. Now I spend $25 tops and it's all good healthy, yummy and filling food.

RobynMWilson

If they don't have the money to be healthy then I suppose they have it for their diabetes, blood pressure and cholesterol meds then right? And their arthritis meds? IF they're lucky enough to have medical insurance and even then the copays are getting higher and higher...