Eating healthy costs too much!! Right?? That’s the most common excuse I hear about why people can’t stick to the nutrition plan. They just can’t afford to buy all that “healthy food”. After all, a bag of chips IS cheaper than a container of blueberries. There’s no denying that! And a value meal at McDonalds is cheaper than grilled chicken with steamed veggies from a restaurant.
However, I think there is a lot more to the story of eating healthy than just how much we spend on any one item. It’s a total picture. And I’ve found that the TRUE COST of healthy eating is actually less …. MUCH LESS, than the normal American fast-food culture.
Before I started eating right, I ate fast food or out for lunch 2-3 times per week. My husband ate out 5 days a week for lunch. That usually cost us $8-$15 a day ( I live in California and eating out is expensive!). Even if I didn't live in California I am sure that would cost on average at least $6 a day. How many times do you eat out a week? My husband also stopped at the local coffee shop at least 3 times a week for a coffee at about $3 a stop. Add to that the late night ice cream, chips and dip, the cookies for munching between meals, and of course our big family nights out at the restaurant, with meal and tip always racking up $100 or more for a family of 4. I was blowing a TON of money each month on my typical American diet.
Making the change to eat healthy and really be smart about my nutrition wasn’t easy. I resisted it in the beginning. And the easiest thing to do would have been to make excuses for why I couldn’t do it (whether it be money, time, family, etc.). But I wasn’t going to go down the “excuse” road — I’d done that before and it never led to my goals. I was going to commit to clean eating and buying foods that I know my body really needs — not junk food to fill me up with empty calories.
And how does my budget look now that I’ve been eating healthy for over a year?? I take my lunch. My husband makes NO stops at the coffee shop that cost me over $90 a month. We eat dinner at home, with healthy cooking. I don’t munch on cookies and candy between meals. And there’s no more late night ice cream. So yes, blueberries cost more. Shakeology costs more. Lean meat costs more per pound than ground beef. But overall, I am saving a lot of money if I look at the big picture. And the healthy foods I put in my body satisfy it, keep it feeling full and well-fueled, and stop the impulse eating and boredom eating that used to plague me (and my pocketbook).(My kids do get treats but they are being taught the Importance of Healthy Living.)
And then, of course, there is a much bigger cost that I haven’t even touched on yet — the cost of being overweight and in bad health! Americans spend billions and billions per year on preventable diseases because we, as a culture, have let ourselves go. This is the real tragedy in all of this.
Even if I spent more on healthy food (which I don’t believe is the case), isn’t my health worth it? How much work do overweight, sick people miss? How much productivity is lost from preventable sicknesses? How much productivity is lost by simply being too overweight, out-of-shape, and tired to give a full day’s work? And how much do we spend on diabetes meds, high blood pressure meds, etc. etc.? The list goes on.
And that’s just touching on productivity (which translates into dollars). What about our ability to enjoy life? Obesity and it’s effect on our energy and health can completely devastate our ability to enjoy the simple pleasures of life — going on a bike ride, hiking, fitting in a roller-coaster seat, etc., etc.
There is a HUGE cost to obesity — more than we realize when we pick McDonalds over our sack lunch. Child Obesity is on the Rise, I will NOT let my kids be one of those statistics! Will YOU?
Think about the big picture the next time you hear the excuse, “I can’t afford to eat healthy.” Then respond, “How can you afford not to!?!?”
Yvette Arguello
760-224-2534
Emerald Beachbody Coach
www.facebook.com/yvettema1
www.mrsbeachfit.tripleresource.com
www.beachbodycoach.com/mrsbeachfit
www.teambeachbody.com/mrsbeachfit
www.shakeology.com/mrsbeachfit
And a favor that I ask:
1) Remember that the way I benefit from being your coach is that I earn a commission from any Beachbody products that you purchase, as long as you buy them through my site, www.beachbodycoach.com/mrsbeachfit, or by logging into your www.teambeachbody.com account to do your shopping (If you buy from the plain beachbody site I get no credit). It helps with the amount of time I spend answering all your questions and helping you out. Thank you! I really appreciate it!
Keep bringing it and inspiring others to do the same gang!!
No comments:
Post a Comment