Slim for Life (25 page)

Americans pride themselves on being mavericks, but this attitude hasn’t truly served us well. Researchers expect that 75 percent of Americans will be obese by 2030, and cancer and heart disease are on the rise, so we clearly as a nation need to come up with something that will help. Granted, our problems won’t all go away if we simply ask for help. But working together on them will surely help minimize them. We are social creatures who work best in groups where we
cooperate and collaborate with each other and appreciate each other’s unique knowledge and strengths. We
all
need help from time to time. Those of us who reap the spoils are those who feel worthy and secure enough to ask for it.

If you’re stressed about finding a job, ask your social circle to put feelers out to help you network. If you’re struggling with your diet and/or fitness regimen and are not getting the results you want, ask someone who is knowledgeable in those areas, or who has lost weight themselves, for information and advice that might point
you in the right direction. If you’re intimidated by the thought of going to the gym, ask your significant other or best friend to go with you, so you don’t feel so uncomfortable.

A little help goes a long way. People may not always be able to accommodate you, but if you don’t ask, you don’t get. Even if you get what you need from your support network only half the time, it can make an enormous difference in helping you live the slim and narrow.

People often use a lack of
money as an excuse to not get healthy, blaming
budgetary restrictions for their expanding waistlines. I would argue that buying cheap food now will cost you a fortune in health care costs down the road (truly, as I mentioned previously, medical issues are the number-one cause of bankruptcy in our country), but I’m not insensitive to the immediate issue of affordability. Here are some tips you can follow to fatten your bank account while slimming your physique. Note: I’m not assigning these tips points, as they don’t directly affect your slim. The one exception is “Be fitness frugal,” which affects your ability to exercise
and
to be cost-effective. You don’t need to clip coupons to be slim, but if budget restraints are an obstacle for you, this section is your go- to for overcoming them.

I always tell you to buy fresh, but there’s one exception to this rule: you can purchase fruits and veggies that are
flash frozen. Not only
will it be more cost effective, but the frozen versions may actually have more nutrients (because they’re frozen before their nutrients have a chance to oxidize). Remember, fruits and veggies age like we do, and the longer they ripen, the more vitamins and minerals they lose.

Buy grains, beans, nuts, spices, and cereals from bulk bins. Many supermarkets have them, and it will save you money because you won’t be paying the food companies’ packaging costs. (It’s also good for the environment.) Some of the best bin bargains are grains and legumes. A recent study compared bins to major store brands and found that long-grain brown rice was a dollar cheaper per pound in bulk than in a package. Lentils were 80 cents cheaper in the bin. Bulk black beans cost 99 cents per pound, while the packaged version cost $2.19. Oatmeal’s a bin bargain at 69 cents per pound, compared to $2.92 if you opt for a name brand. Plus, you can buy as much or as little as you want, because you control the exact quantity purchased.

Stores like Costco can offer their products at a discount because they purchase and sell in bulk. The only issue is that perishable foods might go to waste if you aren’t planning on eating 20 chicken breasts or 5 pounds of apples. The solution is simple: freeze proteins, then defrost them when you’re ready to eat them. For fruits and veggies, try splitting them with a friend. Literally split the cost and the product, so you’ll get the amount you need with no waste and at a discount.

Don’t be sucked in by expensive marketing campaigns for name brands. Generic and store-brand products are cheaper than their
name-brand equivalents and are usually of similar quality. This is because you aren’t paying the profit margin of a third party (the name-brand company).

Clip coupons. In the past, coupons for organics and healthier foods were hard to come by, but that’s changing. Now that many big-box stores like Safeway and Walmart are starting their own organic food lines, coupons are more readily available. Here’s a great website dedicated to saving you money when shopping organic:
www.organicgrocerydeals.com
. You can go to the website for your favorite products. More often than not it offers discount codes and coupons you can print out and take to the market with you.

Because farmer’s markets involve minimal if any costs for transport, packaging, and advertising, because the food is direct from farm to table, you automatically pay less. Organic food at the farmer’s market may be more expensive than nonorganics at a traditional supermarket, but it will still be cheaper than buying organics at a supermarket.

This is an obvious one. You can produce up to 100 pounds of food a year in a six-foot-square raised bed in your backyard. I know because we do it at my house. The food you raise is all natural and nearly free. While this might seem daunting, it really isn’t that hard. Here are a few websites to get you started:

For those of you who are going to bitch at me about the weather where you live, you can always jar and can your crops for the off seasons.

Healthy, slimming foods are often cheaper online because you’re not paying for a market’s expensive storefront. The GreenPeople directory from the Organic Consumer Association (
www.organicconsumers.org/purelink.html
) is a good place to begin your online search for affordable foods. And be sure to check out the list of cybermarkets offering organic products in your area at
www.organickitchen.com
. By the way, it doesn’t have to be an organic grocer. Even Amazon now allows you to do your marketing online for a cheaper price.

Studies show that we tend to spend and even buy less when we pay for our goods (in particular junk food) with cash. A study out of Cornell University, published in the
Journal of Consumer Research,
found that both the cash and credit card groups spent about the same amount on “healthy” staples like oatmeal, fat-free yogurt, and the like. But the cash group spent 42 percent more on junk food when they used a credit card. Cut up those credit cards, baby! Or if that’s too drastic, try this trick—I used it when I was younger: I froze my credit cards in a bowl of water. This way when there was an emergency and I actually needed them, they were there, but it tremendously reduced my ability to overspend and impulse-buy because I paid with my hard-earned dollars.

When you buy a share in a CSA, you pay a portion of a local farm’s operating expenses. In return, you receive a weekly box of fresh fruit and vegetables, at a cost of about $300 to $500 for a 24-to-26-week growing season. Many CSAs accept monthly payments, and you may be able to buy a half-share if a full one is too costly. Some folks save even more money by actually helping out on the farm every now and then. To find a CSA near you, check the websites of government and nonprofit organizations such as the Alternative Farming Systems Information Center (
afsic.nal.usda.gov
); Food Routes (
www.foodroutes.org
); and Local Harvest (
www.localharvest.org
).

A
food cooperative is a member-owned business that provides groceries and other products to its members at a discount. Most of the products are organic and come from local family farms. All you do is sign up and pay some dues. Co-op members who volunteer to work may get additional discounts on any products they buy. To find a co-op near you, check out the food co-op directory on the website of the online magazine
Cooperative Grocer
(
www.cooperativegrocer.coop/coops
). If there’s no co-op in your area and you’ve got the time and desire to do so, you can start your own. Cooperative Grocer Network (
www.cgin.coop
) has a brochure to show you how.

Buying club members purchase food and other slimming products in bulk and then split the stash—and you can get as much as 30 to 40 percent off retail this way. Ask a co-op near you about starting a buying club with your friends and neighbors. Or ask a local natural food store where they get their goods, then contact the distributor directly.

There are many resources and places for buying healthy food. See how they compare pricewise. For example, in some areas, organic milk at Trader Joe’s is nearly $2 cheaper than similar organic milk sold at Whole Foods. Our organic baby food is $15 cheaper at Ralph’s than at our local organic grocery store. Do your homework before you shop, and see who offers the best deals.

I’m willing to bet you buy
at least
$20 worth of crap a week that you don’t need, which you can and should rechannel into healthy, slimming food. It’s time to evaluate your weekly spending habits and kick the nonessentials to the curb. For example:

1. How much are you spending on gossip rags and magazines weekly? These are like three to five bucks a pop. Read this stuff online. It’s free.

2. How many times do you hit the coffee shop every week? Beverages cost anywhere from $2 to $5 each there. If you spend $2.75 on a cup of joe every day, it will cost you $715 a year. That’s $14 a week that could go toward healthier food. Make your coffee at home or work. Save the cash for something that will contribute to your new slim lifestyle.

3. Remember my “
Beverage Basics
” discussion in Chapter 1, on healthy liquid consumption? Stop wasting money on bottled water, juices, and sodas. These are nonessentials, and adding insult to injury, most of them make you fat.

4. Don’t be lazy.
Walk or bike wherever you’re going. This will save you money on fuel, public transport, and even parking. The average car owner actually spends a thousand dollars on parking a year. At
the very least, self-park and walk to your destination from there. And the extra mileage you log walking only furthers your slim aspirations.

5. Nonbank ATM fees can really add up. It can cost $2 to $4.50 to withdraw as little as $20. Once a week go to your bank and withdraw the amount you need to get you through, so your bank account won’t get hammered left and right with unnecessary fees.

I could really go on and on with this information, but ultimately the onus is going to fall on you to take a good hard look at where you financially hemorrhage cash. Stop the bleeding, and proactively redirect some of it toward your health. As I’ve told you, sickness and obesity are expensive. Slim people use far fewer medications, if any. They require medical attention far less often, other than routine check-ups. They don’t get debilitating, life-threatening, bankrupting sicknesses like heart disease or cancer nearly as often as those who are obese.

Scoop up used DVDs or fitness equipment for a steal.
Amazon.com
is a great resource for these products.

I touched on this in Chapter 5 with the “
Ask for feedback
” tip, but it has a slightly different meaning here. The goal now is to save
money. Buying one session with a trainer can go a long way to that end. Investing in the expertise one time saves you from wasting money elsewhere on fitness products you don’t need.

I discussed exercising in
Chapter 2
. Not only is using your own body weight convenient and healthy—it’s
free
! See
Chapter 2
for tips on bodyweight exercises that you can do to get a killer
workout at no cost. Plus, you can always get outside and go hiking, run up some stairs, or pound the pavement for a jog.

I love my kids more than anyone and anything on the planet, but let’s face facts: staying slim with young kids in your life can be difficult. The following are tips and tricks I’ve had to put into practice since my son and daughter came into my life.

If you have kids, exercise with them. If they’re little, put them in a jogging stroller and go for a run, toss them in a sidecar and go for a bike ride, or pop them into a baby carrier and go for a hike. I’ve even put my daughter on my paddleboard (in a life vest, of course) and gone paddleboarding. Your kids will love spending this time together, you’re setting a positive example for them early on, and you’re getting your burn in.

Ever chased a toddler around in a game of tag or hide and seek? Ever hit the playground with them? It’ll wear you out and burn some calories. If your kids are a bit older, play games with them.
Shoot hoops, play catch, ride bikes, go Rollerblading. You know I believe in playtime for you—now make it a family affair. They’ll have a blast, and you’ll be amazed at how much stress and steam you’ll let off while you’re getting your workout in.