Too Poor to Be Fat

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JRMcCaghren
JRMcCaghren Posts: 114
in Health and Weight Loss
I've been trying to get my mom on a diet. Today I was asking her why there aren't more fruits and veggies around the house (a fresh peach or plum is way better than a cookie imo). She said "we can't afford plums when they're $2 a pound." After this I began thinking of the hidden costs of being overweight. Not the big stuff (e.g. heart surgery, diabetes), but the little things we don't generally think about. Here are some of the things that my weight is actually costing me:

I have to buy shoes fairly regular, because the soles wear out.
I have two chairs in my apartment. Both of them are in bad shape because of the weight they have to support.
The pad my desk chair sets on is broken, and needs replaced badly.
Doesn't apply to everyone, but when I'm not on track I eat fast food a lot, and that can get very pricey.

What is your list? What are some things that being overweight was/is costing you?

Maybe fresh fruit isn't so expensive after all.
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Replies

  • lthomas42
    lthomas42 Posts: 73 Member
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    Having to buy clothes every time I gain more weight! Especially pants and skirts, as I gain most of my weight in my thighs. I usually buy maybe 1 or 2 new pairs of pants or a skirt every year as old ones wear out, but this year I've bought about 8 pairs of pants to keep up with my increasing weight. No more of that for me, thanks!
  • Cathy92
    Cathy92 Posts: 312 Member
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    I don't agree with your mom if she's trying to say that 'junk' food is cheaper than healthy food. When I buy fresh fruits and veggies, I leave the grocery store with a lot more bags than if I buy chips, ice cream and baked goods...also, 'fast' food like burgers and fries isn't as cheap as home cooking.
  • nikisab120
    nikisab120 Posts: 15
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    I agree with you. Whenever I get off track, I eat a lot of fast food too which I think is more expensive than getting your weekly foods at the grocery store. It helps to look at the sale ads to see what fresh foods are on sale that week and that will save you money.
  • Cathy92
    Cathy92 Posts: 312 Member
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    also, I work in a store that sells plus size clothes...they cost more than the exact same item in 'regular' ladies clothing.
  • janesmith1
    janesmith1 Posts: 1,511 Member
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    Clothes for fat people look awful. Clothes for fat women are just horrific bags. While some fat women wear nice looking clothes they're tailored for them - ie, Oprah, Kirstie Alley. Clothes are just sh** in larger sizes.
  • cheetahcub2010
    cheetahcub2010 Posts: 62 Member
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    When I was at my heaviest I wore out my 3 favorite pairs of jeans, Haven't replaced them yet, but they're $50+ a pair.
  • StacySkinny
    StacySkinny Posts: 984 Member
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    It costs me a lot in jeans. My thighs rub so the insides of my jeans wear out faster than the rest and then they are useless. :( But I figure that's probably going to happen when I'm quite a bit smaller too. You have to be pretty tiny for your thighs not to touch. lol

    Hmmm I'm trying to think of other ways it costs me but I really can't.


    And yeah, I feel your mom's pain - eating healthier is pretty expensive NOW but I'm sure it saves TONS of money in the long run. :) Junk food is super cheap but it costs so much in the end. IMO people can't afford NOT to eat healthier.
  • IvoryParchment
    IvoryParchment Posts: 651 Member
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    Plums aren't in season. The cost of fresh fruits and vegetables is inversely proportional to how good they are. Look for what's cheap now.

    And look for the bulk fruit and vegetable stores or coops. You can get a large bag of vegetables for the same price as a single package at a grocery store. You might get someone in line with you to agree to split up your purchases if two heads of lettuce is too much.
  • sarscott
    sarscott Posts: 189 Member
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    Its more expensive to buy the big sizes
    then add on the shipping costs for those stores you can only get plus sizes through the mail
    I go through jeans like crazy because I wear the inner thighs out fast
    Depending on how overweight you're talking, plane tickets can be super expensive
  • agthorn
    agthorn Posts: 1,844 Member
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    Plums aren't in season. The cost of fresh fruits and vegetables is inversely proportional to how good they are. Look for what's cheap now.
    Definitely this. Apples, oranges, pears are all in season and cheap at the moment. Buy the plums in early summer.
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
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    I know this isn't what you're asking but come on, surely cookies cost $2 a pound as well.
  • it_be_asin
    it_be_asin Posts: 562 Member
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    Plums at $2 a pound doesn't sound expensive to me, that's how expensive they would be in the middle of their season in Australia when they are in plentiful supply. However, everything is so gosh darn expensive in Australia.... mumble grumble serum I can get on the internet for less than $50 is $135 from the beautician's down the road...
  • katiepie111
    katiepie111 Posts: 83 Member
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    everything costs more to me when im bingeing/not eating healthy. always trying to make sure there is junk food in the house, not budgeting properly, not living properly. the price of a gym membership and healthy food (it actually costs me less buying healthy food) is priceless to me.
  • auntie_missy
    auntie_missy Posts: 113 Member
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    While I do think it's more expensive to eat healthier, I also know that when I was eating poorly, I always managed to find money for another soda or some Arby's. Now that I don't eat that stuff, I always manage to find money for greek yogurt and fresh veggies, you know? It's about prioritizing. And you're right, there are things that are more expensive when you're fat - look at clothes. Many stores charge an extra dollar or two for plus size clothes.
  • hipsgalore
    hipsgalore Posts: 204 Member
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    LOL I am rolling @ janesmith1
  • lmelangley
    lmelangley Posts: 1,039 Member
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    One of the reasons I started this was because I kept watching my siblings getting sicker and sicker over time - and consequently needing more and more medication. Neither has a good prescription plan on their health insurance. I decided I needed to do something or all my money would be going to co-pays and deductibles.
  • BrewerGeorge
    BrewerGeorge Posts: 397 Member
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    Let's be honest: fast food can be an incredibly cheap way to get calories - that's one of the problems!

    You can get 600 Cal from McD for $2 + tax. (McDouble and small fry) I have a few recent immigrants working for me and they've both said that they lived on McD when they first came to this country with very little money. Sure, you can do better with rice and beans, but start adding significant vegetables and fruit and you'll get above $4/day pretty quick.
  • sarahstolberg
    sarahstolberg Posts: 22 Member
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    I just went to Aldi and got food for DH and I for about 10 days for $90. And I would say half of my cart was fresh produce, dairy, and meat. I did get some canned foods that were cheaper than the fresh (what's out of season right now), but I try to get the low-sodium ones when I do that. I can feed both of us for about $10/day - I think that's pretty good!

    When I saw your title, I thought it meant you were too poor to buy junk food :) If you know where to get the low-priced staples, you can easily eat a healthy, varied diet for much less than eating junk food. For the cost of a package of cookies I can buy the staples to make the cookies (and bread, and several other meals and desserts).
  • StacySkinny
    StacySkinny Posts: 984 Member
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    Let's be honest: fast food can be an incredibly cheap way to get calories - that's one of the problems!

    You can get 600 Cal from McD for $2 + tax. (McDouble and small fry) I have a few recent immigrants working for me and they've both said that they lived on McD when they first came to this country with very little money. Sure, you can do better with rice and beans, but start adding significant vegetables and fruit and you'll get above $4/day pretty quick.

    Exactly. You can get a burger for one dollar at McDonald's but once you factor in the price of the meat, bun, condiments, cooking and prep time, etc, you can't even make it that cheap at home. It's ridiculous. That's why the poorest people in our country are also usually the fattest. Sad but true.
  • jenny95662
    jenny95662 Posts: 997 Member
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    yea we just bought a mattress a year a go last one we had when i was thinner lasted us 5 yrs till we had water damage from our neighbors house fire. It was in great condition now the one we bought a year ago is all sunken in and uncomfortable but just on my side. On my husbands side is in perfect condition like it was when we got it cause he is a skinny little thing lol Its embarrassing i broke my bed basically from being so heavy. Had to buy new shoes just yesterday thanks to my heel killing where before i did not have to spend 100 on shoes now i do. So much to make me want to lose this weight not to mention i have high blood pressure and metabolic syndrome so i am on meds for those and that costs plus the constant blood work and doc appts ahhhh its a lot of money when you add it up

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