Shrinking Debt, Shrinking Waist?
April 9, 2008 by financegirl
So far, my debt-reduction efforts have been leading to weight gain, not weight loss. After all, sitting in front of a computer for hours and not buying salads because they’re more expensive than burgers does not a thin person make.
I weighed myself on Monday and I’m at my highest weight ever - 143 pounds. Yeah, “boo hoo, tall girl!” - but I am seriously unhealthy.
Much like a person in debt, I possess the outward appearance of success - relatively thin, little beer belly carefully hidden by my empire-waist top, skinny arms and legs - but pinch me, and you’ll see that it’s all flab. Not to mention that I’m inflexible, haven’t tried to run a mile since high school and get sore from bowling.
Like getting out of debt, I figure that the first step to losing weight (beyond recognizing there’s a problem) is to stop digging (or expanding, as the case may be). This means that for the first time in my life, I’ve got to stop eating whatever I want. No more “get fat now, plan on getting skinny again later.” No more quarter pounder meals from McDonald’s. No more drinking regular Coke.
Just like a trust fund baby that’s suddenly been cut off from the ‘rents, I’ve got to come to terms with my slowing metabolism.
Step 1: Consume 1,616 calories or less per day to be on pace to lose 1 pound per week…
(This post was included in the Carnival of Debt Reduction, hosted at No Debt Plan.)
Photo Credit: Day 103 (Curves!) by verymissberry, used under Creative Commons licensing
i’ve gone the other way and have been losing weight with my debt, but i’ll tell you my dirty secret - it’s not because i’m eating differently or trying really hard to lose weight or anything… it’s because i learned that i get a $20 refund from my health insurance for my gym fees if i actually go 8 times a month! so i signed up, and now i’m going like 4-5 times a week, all in the pursuit of $20 i already pay up (my gym’s ridiculously cheap in the grand scheme of things), and i crack myself up every time i lose a pound, because it’s just so silly. oh well, whatever it takes! i’ve got a few pounds of flab off (i’m built like you - i look like i’ve got my figure all together, but people are like, “wait, whaaa??” if they actually see my little dough-girl belly), and i set up the $20 monthly to go directly into my ING acct. whee!
Watch the “diet” Coke. Aspertane is one nasty additive that could cause MS and worse.
I wish I got a discount for being healthy!
Ed - Does Coke Zero have aspertane? Because I drink like 5-6 per day. I’d like to stop eventually, but it’s the only way I can not drink regular Coke (which would equate to, oh, 840 calories).
I have the same problem. When I watch what I eat (and remain my lazy self, therefore I do not cook at home) the healthiest options are always the most expensive ones! This makes me (yes, MAKES me) drive over to Taco Bell or any place with a dollar menu and I end up over eating a bunch of junk food. [sigh] I’ve been getting slightly better over time, but I still need to work at it.
I love the weight/debt analogies…so true!
ldub….lucky you! It may seem silly, but at least it gets you to the gym!! I wish my health insurance did that…I opted out of a gym membership because I couldn’t justify the expense when all I do is jog on the track. I can do that at home!
yeah, i don’t drink alcohol or smoke cigarettes, and i really don’t like talking on cell phones (no, i’m not a luddite), so i feel like my cancer quota gets evened out by my diet coke drinking! i figure something’s gotta kill me… but yeah, diet coke does have aspartame, which may or may not be the death of you. i also use fluoridated toothpaste… i live on the edge!
While it is true unhealthy foods usually cost a little extra than salads, you can still eat realtivley healthy by preparing your own meals.
Yes, that’s what we’re trying to do. For dinner, we’re cooking healthy recipes from Kraftfoods.com, and I’m bring leftovers or a sandwich for lunch. One of my new rules is that if I eat fast food, I have to order a salad. That should also keep me from going out to eat too often!
I’m running into the problem that paying for a gym membership is foreign to me. I just recently came off active-duty with the Army and was used to have 4+ gyms available to us, all for free, on post on top of being required to be at physical training at 630 AM 5 days a week. So in my drive to not add to my expenses, I find myself exercising barely 1/5 as much as I did before.
I know what you mean, Mike. I used to go to the student rec center in college because it was on campus and you had to pay the fee whether you used it or not.
I can’t bring myself to pay for a gym membership. Maybe if it was a great deal and right next to my home or work. I’d probably only walk/run on the track too, QL girl, but I’m such a baby when it’s cold outside! Maybe paying for a gym membership would motivate me to do it and keep me warm. I don’t think I’ll be joining a gym anytime soon though.
i read about someone who had something like a self-imposed couch-potato tax wherein they made themselves put in $1 or $3 or somesuch every time they skipped a workout… i guess, though, you’d have to be prepared to give it away to a charity or something to make it a real motivator, though… otherwise, being lazy would actually be the same as snowflaking! no motivation there…
Hmm, like a sin tax. I don’t think that would work for me - I’d have to pay myself for working out.
I have found the same thing. I am stuck behind my laptop working all hours of he day and night and do not have time ti plan healthy meals or do much exercise. It is also much easier to snack when you are at home.
This article made me think of so many young people, in their early twenties, that I know that are in debt. Problem is, it is usually much cheaper, faster, and easier to get food that is unhealthy, so it makes sense that those in debt might have a problem with weight.
Amanda <3