How I Lost 20 pounds

    I write this post to because I've had some folks ask me just how I did this, so I thought I'd share with everyone.

    This seems like it might not be related to personal finance, but it is.

    The changes I made that led to weight loss were all about saving money, not losing weight.

    I bring my lunch to work daily.
    I spend about $30 a week on groceries -- that includes lunch, dinner, snacks and household items. A cheap (and probably bad-for-you) lunch you buy might be $5 a day. At the end of the week, that's $25 that didn't cover breakfast, dinner or snacks.
    Luckily, I don't get sick of eating the same thing 3 or 4 days in a row. I usually cook a casserole or something I can just heat up and eat at work the next day.
    I don't bother with sandwiches because the ingredients are expensive and they don't last long.

    I eat less meat.
    Meat is expensive. But beans are cheap. So, I swapped out beans for meat in a number of casseroles and chili dishes I made. I also made more vegetarian dishes to take to work. So, when I ate meat it was only at dinner, which saved me money. Even better, beans are loaded with protein and fiber with no fat or cholesterol, so they're much better for your heart.

    I split restaurant meals in half.
    Once upon a time, I'd drink three or four big tumblers of soda along with a whole entree and a dessert.
    Now I skip the dessert and drink water to save money. I also eat half the entree and save the other half for lunch the next day to make dinner do double-duty. I save at least $8 a meal that way and also may have save myself 1,000 calories.

    I stretch ingredients.
    I love to bake because I love desserts. To make some of the basic ingredients last longer, I made tiny cuts were I could. Mostly, I cut back on sugar in most recipes. Instead of 1 cup, I'd use 2/3 or 1/2. The sugar lasted much longer but I also eliminated a bunch of calories from the dessert without sacrificing taste.
    I also use "homemade" buttermilk or self-rising flour instead of buying the more expensive versions at the store. For proportions, click here.
    I also use applesauce instead of oil in some recipes (it doesn't work in everything) which eliminates fat and winds up being cheaper. I also use an applesauce concoction in place of eggs in some cookies (1 egg = 1/4 cup applesauce mixed with 1/2 teaspoon of baking power. You've gotta try it!).

 I stretch meals.
    Rice, cous cous, bulghur wheat are all relatively cheap ways to make a dish last longer. Get the brown and whole wheat variety which are more filling.

 I chop meat.
    It's really easy to eat an entire chicken breast in one sitting. But if you cut it up and spread it over rice, cous cous or pasta with vegetables or slice it into salads or fajitas, then a single breast might last three platefuls. You eat less meat so it lasts longer and you don't get as much cholesterol, calories or fat.

 I drink water.
    Juice and soda are expensive and loaded with sugar. I learned to eat most of my meals with no drink at all. Although I quite enjoy Coke Zero. I also  buy the V8 Splashes because they have less sugar than most other juice drinks. Less sugar, less calories.

 I cut back on ready-made desserts.
    I used to have those break-away cookies and ice cream for dessert every night. Those cookies ain't cheap. So I stopped buying them except when they are on sale. I stopped buying all other packaged desserts period. That forced me to stand in the kitchen and make something if I wanted it that bad. It saved me money and probably accounts for half the weight I lost.

    I took the stairs at work instead of the elevator.
    This has nothing to do with money, but I think it helped! I did this because of my concerns about cardiovascular health. I sit at a desk most of the work day, so I figured every little bit of movement helped.

 

    That's it, just a bunch of small changes. Nothing major, no diets, nothing hard.

    DH

Comments

[Marshall Middle]

Nice work! While training for a marathon I lost 10lbs

[Constance]

Thanks for sharing.