Losing weight and saving money

I recently went to buy a new pair of jeans and realised that I needed a bigger size – what a shock!

Sure, I have a list of good excuses for my weight gain (recent pregnancy, family and work limiting my time to attend fitness classes, a long British winter, the stress induced by a new job), but at the end of the day they are just that – excuses.

The reality looks different and the main culprit is cheese snacking and sloppy eating and fitness habits. I am a cheese addict. And in recent months I have snacked more than I should have.

Besides we have a family beach holiday in a few weeks, and I want to be able to wear that beautiful bikini again.

The problem I have with putting on weight is threefold:

1. I actually don’t like what I see in the mirror now. Despite never coming close to looking like a model, I don’t feel those belly and hips reflect me. They have to go.
2. I have a closet and chest of drawers full of clothes I like – and I refuse to buy a similar amount of clothes in a different size. That is money spent badly. Admittedly my wardrobe is small (there is a picture of it in this post)  and I share my chest of drawers with my husband (we use 3 drawers each), but nonetheless I need to be able to fit normally into all the clothes I already have.
3. Being overweight for a prolonged period of time can result in health problems – no thanks!

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So here is my plan to lose weight and save money.

I have been following it for the last 3 weeks and I have already lost 3 pounds:

1. Stop snacking cheese! I used to come home and have a few bits of cheese while playing with my daughter before cooking and taking her to bed. Now I am mindful to avoid this snacking and it turns out I don’t miss it. And guess what, I wasn’t snacking because I was hungry, I just fancies some distraction in the form of cheese.
2. Eat slightly smaller portions of food, especially at lunch, by using smaller plates and bigger forks (this stuff is backed up by research). I used to have a salmon bagel for lunch, now I have a soup. Fewer calories, same feeling of fullness, cheaper lunch.
3. Drop the mid-morning snack. In hindsight I think it was just a habit rather than actual hunger. I replaced it with a large glass of water or two which fills me up equally while it doesn’t make me feel deprived. And I save a little money.
4. Eat chocolate and crisps only in the evenings and only twice a week, normally at the weekend. This means you still get to eat them – you are not depriving yourself – but you limit your intake. And your spend less.
5. Do the same with drinks. I have wine or beer or G&T twice a week – and oh do I enjoy them then! If I go out for drinks mid-week, I then have a day less of drinking at the weekend.
6. Buy less of what you shouldn’t eat. Not only will you save money, it will prevent impulse eating because you will not have snacks at home in the first place.
7. Think of all of your clothes you could wear again, including that bikini you love!
8. Cycle more now that days are longer and the weather is nicer.

Just like personal finance, weight loss is a mental habit. Follow a few basic rules and you’ll find you are losing weight without trying too hard.

It does help to have a goal. I have two goals: fit in that bikini again, and not buy new clothes in a bigger size that (hopefully) won’t fit in a few months time.

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