Is it really cheaper to diet?

This week, I was thinking about the costs that are related to dieting. One of the reasons I hear people give for not following a diet is that it is too expensive. I think I have used that excuse a time or two in the past. Until I was ready to lose weight and really focus on getting it off I found all the excuses out there not to follow a healthy eating plan, and believe me whatever excuse has been given, I have used it.

So, is it really more expensive to eat healthy? Here is what I have figured out, yes, you do have to put a little money into eating healthy. Fresh fruits and vegetables are usually affordable if you like what is in season. However, I am a picky eater so I have to spend a little more for what I want. It seems that the food industry makes it so easy for us to be overweight. It costs lees to buy junk food. When eating at restaurants you usually can save money buying the value meals and if you try and purchase a healthy meal you have to separate out and pay individual costs on these items. If you are like me then you need a diet group of some sort to help out with keep you accountable. While I have found that TOPS is the cheapest way to go, there is still a cost factor involved in this. You have to pay a fee to join and then you need to renew your membership every year. There are monthly fees to pay and there are fees to pay if you gain weight or don't do some of the other established rules that the chapter has set up. While these costs are minimal they are still adding up. There are other weight loss groups to join but they cost more money than TOPS. Then there is the exercise factor. If you are serious about losing weight then you look into buying gym equipment or joining a gym. The initial cost to this is expensive. Yes, there are things you can do the don't cost money like walking, but even if you have to go somewhere to walk because of weather conditions or living environment you are still driving to get there. This may sound like it costs alot to do this, but think about the cost if you are not dieting.

Here is a perfect example. I ordered a shirt and jacket from my job with my job's logo on the clothes. While I personally thought the cost was a little high for me, I went ahead and did it because I really wanted them. The order form said to add $2 for any size over XL. No problem, I usually have to pay more for clothes so I added the money to my total. Well it came to my attention that I had not paid enough money that I had to pay $2 per size over XL. Wow, I am paying more money for this stuff. It got me thinking as to how much I was paying for not being healthy and being overweight. Obviously, there is the cost of clothes, it does make sense because they are using more material to make it so it should cost more. Now, I am thinking about the food. Before I started dieting, I could eat a large pizza in one setting. I could do this two to three times a week. When I would buy potato chips I would eat the whole bag in one setting. I could go through a 12 pack of soda in a day's time and sometimes I did. But now because of portion control, I buy a 24 pack of water for $3.99 (that is a deal in itself) but this will last me about three or four days. If I buy a bag of Baked Lay's it may cost me like $4.29 for a bag but it will last me a week or more. I don't buy large pizzas anymore, even when I am binging, I will buy 7 inch or if I am feeling really "piggy" 13 inch, but that is happening less and less.

Then there is the health costs, bring unhealthy and overweight will cause me to go to the doctor's more often, the medicines will be more forthcoming and hospital visits are much more common. While I am shedding this unwanted weight, I am still going to the doctor's more than I would like but I am starting to get healthier (or at least I hope I am), the doctor's visits I hope will come less often as I become "less" of a woman.

This week's weigh in went rather well, I lost 4 1/2 pounds. That puts my total to 45 1/4 pounds. Less than 5 pounds to go to hit the big 50.

So until next time I hope to lose nothing but weight (4 3/4 would be nice) and gain nothing but knowledge.