"I don't have the money to be healthy..."
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I decided about 6 weeks ago that I waste about $200.00 per month on NOTHING... I have no idea where it goes. Right now it goes to a visit to personal trainer. I realized taking this journey is not something I can do alone. I need a professional. Funnily enough I very rarely use any of the equipment in the gym during our sessions. He has me do calisthenics and several ab and core exercises. Not everyone is willing to make the sacrifices, but where there is a will there is definitely a way. I am happier and more accountable and that's mostly to # 1 ME!0
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I find that I spend less eating "clean" as I can with fruits, veggies, beans, etc. When I go to the supermarket and buy packaged processed foods I spend soooo much more. Oatmeal is super cheap per serving, and filling. A box of whole wheat pasta and a bunch of broccoli (in my area) could be about $3 to feed 3-4 people. Most soups are also healthy and inexpensive.0
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Anyone can do squats with a pair of WIC soup cans in your hands as weights. No gym needed.0
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I agree that this is a ridiculous statement. Of course people have the basic means to be healthy. At least they should have.
However...
McDonalds in Australia has just announced their "Loose Change menu" - you can buy a Double Cheeseburger (440 calories with a whooping 23 grams of fat - 11gms saturated) for just $2. $2!! I know that people can choose other foods, but a $2 cheeseburger to someone without much money is enticing. Making a salad for one at home with a variety of vegetables IS comparatively expensive. Obestity statistics confirm that obestity hits poorer people hardest.
And remember that if people are poor, and eat junk they are likely to have grown up in a similar circumstance. We know that exercise habits and good eating are hugely wrapped up in psychology - eating obsessions, bingeing, cravings. Imagine that for someone with little cash and a lifetime of poor habits?
I think that "I can't afford to be healthy" can really mean "I really don't know how".0 -
I also have made the excuse that "I don't have the money to be healthy" before but for me it comes down to choices. I have made the choice to buy healthier and eat healthier. Didn't have the time or money for the gym, bought an elliptical. No time was my excuse not to exercise. Before I could afford the elliptical, a local park with a man-made lake made a beautiful and FREE exercise place for me. My living room is perfect for lots of other exercising too. I have to say while I do buy healthy foods, it is very expensive here where I am in Canada. My community has one farmer's market once a week and it is not cheaper (I still like to go there as the fresh veggies are fabulous).
Although people may be strapped for cash from time to time, or a lot of the time....there are times where even those on limited budgets "treat themselves" to a meal at a restaurant, a movie, a slurpee, etc etc...Why not "treat yourselves" to an extra bag of veggies, or an extra package of chicken or some fruit...We all make our choices...they may not be choices you want to make but it is still a choice.0 -
I think that "I can't afford to be healthy" can really mean "I really don't know how".
^^^This for sure^^^0 -
I gotta say, there actually was a time in my life when I literally couldn't afford to be healthy when it came to food. I'm a university student and a couple years ago I was living on my own, all my savings were gone, and I was working 2 jobs on top of a really heavy course load just to stay afloat. I didn't have cable, I had the bare minimum phone plan (didn't have a landline so I needed my cellphone), I bought all my stuff second hand, and I got the cheapest internet plan I could find since I needed it for my school work. I don't know about other areas or countries, but where I live fresh produce and lean proteins are pretty dang expensive. It costs me $5 to buy 2 romaine lettuce hearts. There were literally months at a time that I lived off free food from school (there's often some sort of event on campus that has free hot dogs or pizza) and 40 cent boxes of no name mac and cheese I found at the grocery store. I even went to the food bank a few times, which supplied me with more refined carbs like white pasta and rice.
I definitely don't recommend that lifestyle to anyone! I would never have chosen to live that way if I had the option. I got very sick, not to mention very fat haha. I'm pretty sure lack of sleep and tons of stress contributed to it too, but diet was definitely a huge part of it. I eventually had to say enough is enough, and move back in with my mom so I could afford to eat better and not die of malnutrition. Now if I was super money savvy and really committed to healthy living at the time I might have saved up for a vegetable or two every once in awhile, but never to the point where I could have actually lived a healthy lifestyle. During that time I was just trying to survive basically. Things are definitely different now though! I make room in my budget and schedule to take better care of myself now, and never get that unhealthy again. However, its definitely a lot easier when I'm not worrying about whether I can afford rent this month.0 -
I think that "I can't afford to be healthy" can really mean "I really don't know how".
You hit the nail on the head with that one. It comes down to being taught how to eat healthy. I mean, if you've never learned to cook veggies or prepare a healthy meal of sorts, you likely will revert back to what you know.0 -
You do not need to have a lot of ingredients to be heathly and cook delicious meals.
This site has fantastic ideas http://thestonesoup.com/blog/ Meals often with 5 ingredients or less!!!
Its about getting EDUCATED!!!
Finding solutions that work for you and your circumstances!!!!0 -
I wanted to address something I see a lot in real life and here on MFP, especially with women.
So often women write their plea for help and it's noted with "But I don't have money for the gym" or "I don't have money to buy healthy foods".
Before those words leave your mouth or your fingers the next time, tell me....what IS your health worth? What is the exact dollar amount that you are willing to pay per month or per year in order to improve your life and possibly be around longer for your loved ones?
Before those words leave your mouth or fingers again, take a real hard look at your budget and what you spend your extra money on. Maybe even track ALL your non-essentials for a month. How many times are you eating out a month?? How many mochas at Starbucks? How many packs of gum did you grab while checking out at the store? How many times did you find some really great deal on a shirt on clearance at Target so you spent the extra $10 on that trip? The reality is that MOST of us here with computers and internet live a life that probably has an extra $50 a month (or more) that we typically spend on non-essential things.
I'm not judging. And I'm not saying everyone needs a gym membership in order to be successful. What I'm saying is this....you probably ARE worth a $50 a month investment in getting healthy and staying healthy. If that's a couple of boxes of protein bars instead of pop-tarts or a gym membership or a set of work out DVDs or whatever. You're worth it. You probably have it. It's just about shifting priorities. And I think it's ok to make yourself a priority every now and again.
It is just as expensive to buy unhealthy food as it is healthy if not more so a lot of pre packaged junk is majorly expensive. And eating out is outragious. Honestly my hubby and I have spent less since we have been eating better. You don't have to go to the gym to work out. Run outside or do arobics. OR HELL LOOK ON YOUTUBE! this is just an excuse0 -
Lost 50lbs FREEEEEEEE!0
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I'm absolutely poor and get by. I'm just finding the healthiest things I can... which is hard where I live, but I'll eventually become independent and won't have a reason to give an excuse to eat healthier. Money can buy you more variety of course, but it isn't that hard to do some research and find out what you can do.0
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You are very right! Nice post! It's making it part of your lifestyle and a priority!
Most gyms are fairly affordable. Alos the home workout option and there are many websites that you can get free workouts. I am very conscious of my spending and purchase alot of foods at Aldis.
Also if you are spending some time at the gym or home workouts you will probably spend less. I workout after work 4 days a week. I don't go out to eat or go shopping or elsewhere!
I teach 2 classes a week and get my gym member ship for free!0 -
I was just thinking that! I made chicken breasts with brown rice and mixed vegetables for dinner tonight. I put the leftovers in containers so I can bring them to work for lunch. It was enough for two dinners and three lunches, and we spent about $7-8. My boyfriend eats a LOT, so I'd say it was actually closer to three dinners and three lunches.A big pack of chicken breasts and a couple bags of frozen vegetables will go a lot further and be a lot healthier than anything off the Dollar Menu.
The chicken breasts were on sale at Meijer. The brown rice was the store brand. The mixed veggies were frozen and on sale for 50 cents per bag.0 -
Great post and replies here... and good points.
We can all go outside and walk. We can all use our own body weight at home for strength training. Those are free.
And I think it was Lorina Lynn who mentioned how easy and cheap it is to buy frozen chicken breasts and bags of frozen veggies. Easy & cheap.
If you really want it, you will do it...0 -
There is almost no muscle you can't work with a yoga mat and exercise bands, No gym necessary.
It's not hard to learn. Information is readily available.
I spend $40 on groceries every week and have for many years. I eat almost all my meals at home. I get everything I need. I miss no food groups. However.... I eat almost no processed, pre -prepared, pre-cut, or convenience sized anything. Cut your own salads. Compare prices per pound on foods. Baby carrots? 3 or 4 times the price of bunch carrots. Cheese strings? are way more per pound than blocks of cheese. That type of thing goes a long way to making your money go further. $10 of my $40 goes to fresh fruits and vegetables. I buy nothing except milk to drink. You don't get the food value from juice, or whatever. I DO NOT buy bottled water. It takes a little learning. But it's not Rocket Science. This money is only food nothing else grocery store sells. It won't work for teen aged boys, or people who work physically. But it will suffice a relatively active adult.0 -
THANK-YOU! i just declined a friends request to join zumba fitness tonight! .... i told her that i cant afford it! .... after reading this post i AM going to join and i guess take out pizza can just kiss my *kitten*!
the husband might miss it but my rear end sure wont!0 -
I used to say that when I really just wasn't emotionally ready to tackle my health yet. Granted, I was very strapped for cash and my time was limited, but I still definitely could have improved my habits. There are only so many things that we are capable of doing at once, though. Once I finished school and began my career, I threw myself into this fitness and healthy eating thing. I'm really enjoying it, and it's MUCH easier this time around, because I have the necessary energy and time. It's easy to say that I wish I would have started calorie counting sooner, but I just wasn't ready.
People have to come around to self-improvement organically. I get so frustrated when people assume that everyone's primary goal is to be a super model! Ha. (I know that's not what you're suggesting though!) Health and being super skinny/hot/whatever just isn't everyone's #1 priority, and we can't assume that everyone is equally concerned. (Same thing goes for make up, tanning, fashion, and whatever else. Maybe if we had 36 hour days!)
To those people who wrote those kinds of "pleas for help", give yourself some time. If you're spending too much energy just making yourself feel guilty about making less healthy decisions, you are only making the situation worse. Stress = weight! It's a viscous cycle, but everyone deserves their own love; whether that means setting your calorie goals aside for a day, or working out on a more regular basis.
^^THIS. You took the words right out of my mouth... head?0 -
I have yet another idea to contribute... menu planning. This will save you a good deal of money. Sit down once a week, write out the days of the week, and assign a meal to each. Look through your fridge and pantry to see what you have that could be made into meals. Make a grocery list for what you don't have. Chances are, it will be shorter than you think.
If you're not sure what to cook or need to add recipes to your arsenal, pick up some McCormick Inspirations spice kits. It's all the spices you need to make the dish and a recipe card. I've made the quesadilla casserole (healthified, of course) a couple of times, and I'm about to make the chicken tikka masala again. Also want to cook a couple more of them to freeze for emergencies.0 -
Ironically, I found that giving myself a really tight budget was the very thing that kick-started me into a healthy lifestyle.
Knowing I only have a small fixed amount to spend on food ensures I look for good, nutritious food. If I have a weekly food budget of, say, £10, then I am not going to use up £2 on a bag of Doritos, when that same £2 can buy a bag of carrots, a bag of onions, and a cabbage.
Walking 4 miles to work saves me the bus fare money, and also makes me fitter. Actually, the money I save per month on bus fare is the same as the monthly payment for my gym.
I have a very low income, but I actually give myself a budget so that I live below my means. If I had a lot of money, I imagine I'd be a lot less healthy - much easier to indulge, and be lazy, when you can easily afford it!0
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