Money In The Bank

Saturday I was watching some TV with my roommates (and Andrew) when the show Made came on. The premise is simple. High school students write in and tell what they want to be made into, like "I want to be made into a soccer player", "I want to be made into a model", "I want to be made into a cheerleader"... etc. I think that they pick the ones that have the least likely chance of achieving their goals. So, these people are given coaches and enrolled in programs and "made" into their dream in five weeks. This episode was about a very socially awkward and slightly overweight girl that wanted to be made into a pageant queen. While she was with all of her trainers I thought, wow, I should get a personal trainer. Then, after some serious thought I realized: 1. I don't have the money and 2. Why have a trainer when I have access to everything that can make me healthy without one. Before the show ended Andrew and I were out the door in our running clothes. Our work out was free.

There was an article online that I read about the money we spend on losing weight and in that article they came up with the same conclusion I did. Eat healthy portions of good foods (lots of fruits and vegetables) and exercise more. That's it! And we are doing it... Well, I'm trying to do it. So, here are a few points of interest from the article I was reading.

• The holiday season is right around the corner, and while scientists have disputed the popular belief that most of us gain between five and ten pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day, there's no denying that some heavy eating is ahead.
• In 2004, Americans spent an estimated $46 billion on diet products and self-help books.
  But much of that money is wasted. In fact, a government review found that two-thirds of U.S. dieters regained all the weight they had lost within a year, and 97% had gained it all back within five years. Besides, following these regimes is significantly more expensive than the tried-and-true technique of eating less and exercising more.
• Does it really cost more to eat healthily? It doesn't have to, according to Dr. Pamela Peeke, a Pew Foundation scholar in nutrition and metabolism, "as long as you keep it simple."
• According to Ernst Schaefer, a professor at Tufts University, "The fundamental misconception about diets is that most people are looking for a magic bullet." He--and many other nutritionists--claim that the most effective way of losing weight is to restrict caloric intake, and the most effective way to maintain the loss is through regular exercise. Marian Nestle, professor of nutrition at New York University, agrees. "Eat less, move more," she suggests.