Health and Money | Squirrelers

How much would you pay to lose 10 pounds (about 4.5 kilograms)?

This question has come to my mind, as I am trying get in better shape. I’m noticing that what was once easy – getting back in shape and losing weight quickly while keeping it off – is a bit harder as I knock on the doorstep of 40 years old.

We all know that there aren’t any shortcuts to getting in shape. You need to eat well, and you need to exercise. It doesn’t require extreme behavior, such as eating zero restaurant meals for 12 months, or exercising 2 hours a day, 7 days a week for months on end. It does, however, require a certain level of persistent effort and discipline over a given period of time to make a lasting impact. Losing 10 pounds

That persistent effort and discipline I just mentioned would probably mean behavioral changes, if someone is trying to get in shape. After all, it’s likely that some less than optimal behaviors contributed to getting out of shape in the first place, right?

Those behavior changes aren’t always simple to undertake. There can be inertia and resistance to change. We may like our existing behaviors, even though we know we could make better choices.

That’s where my question comes in. Taking all of this into consideration: How much would you pay to lose 10 pounds?

I’m not talking about losing it over time. Rather, I’m talking about purely hypothetical scenario where you could – presto! – instantly get into get into better shape.Lose the 10 pounds, and get all the associated positive effects that the exercise would have provided to you: more energy, improved cardiovascular endurance, improved muscle strength, etc.

This type of deal doesn’t exist. But if it did, how much would you pay right now to make that happen? Keep in mind: once you pay, you get the benefits instantly.

Once you have answered that question, please consider this follow-up question: If you found out that you were going to instantly gain 10 pounds – the reverse of the previous example – how much would you pay to avoid that? In this case, keep in mind that if you didn’t pay, you would instantly and unavoidably gain weight and get out of shape.

Do your answers to the two questions differ?

It’s interesting to think about this in the context of how important our health is to us, and how we would trade money for better health. To me, it’s a way of demonstrating how ultimately, no matter how much money we accumulate, it loses some value if we don’t have the other important things in life – such as our health.

Do you ever skip breakfast?

If so, congratulations! You’re eating the ultimate frugal breakfast: a breakfast of nothing!

Of course, while that might be a nice frugal victory, we all know that we shouldn’t skip breakfast. It’s very often described as the most important meal of the day. When you eat breakfast, you’re literally breaking the “fast” that took place while you were sleeping. You consumed no nutrients since the prior day, so your body needs to be nourished to get a new day started on the right foot.

It has been shown that people who skip breakfast, and make up for it later in the day, tend to consume more food later when they eat. Additionally, when hungry, they tend to be more likely to eat higher-calorie, less-nutritious food as well. Furthermore, without breakfast, we just don’t have the right energy in the morning to optimize our health and attitude as we get the day going.

Ok, so we know that we must eat breakfast. But how can we do it cheaply, and nutritiously?

For me, the choice is oatmeal. Now, I have to say that I never grew up eating oatmeal. I ate more of the processed, sugary cereals that line supermarket shelves than I probably should have. Let’s chalk that up to the ways of the 1970’s and 1980’s (I just can’t blame my Mom and Dad!).

These days, however, it’s almost like a habit to start the day with oatmeal. While I occasionally have a homemade, nutritious smoothie, it’s oatmeal that’s usually for breakfast.

Why oatmeal? Well, besides tasting good (at least to many of us), oatmeal has the following 3 big benefits:

1) Helps you lose weight by controlling cravings

2) Helps reduce LDL cholesterol

3) Is good for diabetics, as it slows the digestion of starch

4) Provides a good source of protein, fiber, and nutrients

And here’s the part that’s exciting to the frugally-oriented: it’s very inexpensive.

I recently bought a canister of quick oats, in a non-name brand version, and paid $0.99 for 16 ounces. This comes out to about 11 servings of 1/2 dry cup of oats, which represents exactly how much I have in the morning.

Basic math tells me that I paid $0.09 for my morning serving of oatmeal. That’s it. Nine cents!

Now, I do like to doctor up the oatmeal a bit, and supercharge it with additional nutrients. I usually, depending on the day, add one, two, or all three of the following:

1/2 tbsp flaxseed – cost $0.04
3 strawberries – cost $0.40
1 banana – cost $0.20
Sprinkle of cinnamon – cost $0.01

The total cost of this breakfast ranges from $0.09 for the basic version to $0.74 for the fully-loaded version.

It’s been a great way to start the day for me, as I’m getting nutrition and doing it at a reasonable cost – without too much prep time.

What about you? Do you have any breakfast favorites that are both quick and relatively nutritious, that would appeal to the frugally-oriented among us?

This article was included in Festival of Frugality #233 at Learn Save Invest

How Much Would You Pay to Lose 10 Pounds?

A Frugal Breakfast that’s Good for You