Category Archives: Health

5 ways budgeting and weight management are alike

This post was originally published on September 22, 2008.

One of my first posts was about how I lost weight using basic budgeting skills. Now that I’m working to get healthier, I wanted to revisit the topic. Only this time I’m talking about why constant monitoring and reassessment are crucial to staying physically and financially fit.

Here are some tips I’ve found helpful when managing my weight and my budget:

1. Be realistic.

Sometimes it’s necessary to go on a strict budget to pay down massive debt. You may have to cut all discretionary spending for a little while to overcome a major financial hurdle. However, if you try to maintain that level of restriction for too long, it’s harder to stay on track and meet your own high expectations.

Your best bet is to find a comfortable balance between necessary bills, discretionary spending, and saving. Maintaining a reasonable budget requires constant monitoring, but it shouldn’t be incredibly difficult or make you feel deprived.

2. Frequently monitor your progress to catch yourself before you veer too far off track.

Once you find a comfortable budget, it’s crucial that you measure your progress regularly. Without careful planning and monitoring, you could easily throw your entire monthly budget off track with one weekend of bad decisions. Imagine how bad it could get if you just stopped monitoring your spending for months at a time.

Just as you check your budget frequently to make sure you’re not overspending, you must weigh yourself regularly. A slight increase in weight could alert you to a problem in your diet and activity before you veer off track to an unmanageable degree.

3. The longer you avoid the problem, the harder it is to resolve.

It’s much easier to pay off your credit card balance every month than it is to pay down several thousand dollars of debt that’s accrued over months or years. It’s also a lot harder to lose weight when the pounds have packed on over time. Overcoming a 1-pound weight gain usually just involves watching what you eat closely for a few days. It’s a lot harder to get back on track if you wait until you’re 40 pounds overweight.

4. Constantly adjust according to your changing needs.

When it comes to budgeting, everybody knows that you can’t continue spending the same after a major pay cut. When your income decreases, your spending must decrease, too. Likewise, when you welcome a new baby, your discretionary spending is probably going to take a hit to accommodate for diapers and formula.

You must find the same balance between activity and calorie intake for weight management. I first started struggling to maintain my weight after my job changed two years ago. In retail, I was on my feet 8 hours a day running around the store, moving heavy objects, and constantly moving. I didn’t watch my diet as closely as I should have, but the constant activity made it easy to keep extra weight off. Now that I’m sitting at a desk all day instead of moving, I need to seek out more activity outside of my job and become mindful of what I eat to avoid weight gain.

5. Sticking to it and making the right choices are the hardest parts.

Everyone knows that the easiest way to stay ahead of the game financially is to spend less than you make. We also know that the best way to maintain a healthy weight is to burn more calories than you consume. It all sounds so easy when you break it down into those simple equations, doesn’t it? The truth it, it’s not that easy.

The part that’s left out of that equation is the constant struggle every day to make the right choices and stick to your commitment. After all, if it was as easy as it sounds, nobody would struggle with their weight or their finances.

The best thing that weight control and budget management have in common? They’re both totally worth the struggle.

Photo by nataliejohnson

Setting boundaries to maintain my sanity

With everything that’s happening right now, I’ve been more than a little overwhelmed. I’ve been thinking of ways to cut down on stress and make time for the things that relax me.

The line between work, home, and work-at-home has become too blurry. Chores around the house are being neglected, and I feel like I’m constantly “on the lock.” I’ve decided to set some boundaries for the next couple months to keep me focused and give me time to chill out.

No laptop in bed.

One of the things I miss most when life gets hectic is reading fiction. When I’m stressed, nothing is more relaxing than forgetting about my to-do and immersing myself in a book. Stress also leads to insomnia for me, especially when I’m working right up until I try to sleep. Reading before bed calms me and takes my mind off the stress in the moments before I sleep.

Solution: I’ve banned myself from bringing my laptop to bed with me. For the past week, I’ve been forcing myself to read instead of work or plan, and it’s definitely helping me sleep better and relax a little in the evening. It also gives me an opportunity to spend time with my husband without our laptops between us.

Set time limits.

Since I work full time throughout the week, I do the bulk of my personal planning and projects on the weekends. Since the weekends are my only chance to relax, working too much on Saturday and Sunday cuts back on my “me” time. I feel like I spend all morning working and the afternoons are eaten up by errands and household chores.

Solution: Weekend days are now “work days” with the same limits. I work 8:30 to 5:30 on the weekdays, so why should I be on the clock non-stop on Saturday and Sunday? I’ll spend weekend mornings planning, writing and working until 2 p.m. From 2 to 5:30 p.m., I’ll get household chores done, but the weekend evenings are mine to relax, exercise, and spend time with Tony.

I’m making myself and my family a priority.

I think we all have a tendency to put what we can on the back burner when time is limited. That means that the things and people we love most often get the shaft. I’m definitely guilty of this. If I’m busy, my work out is the first thing I cut. After that, I’m likely to sacrifice time with my husband if I’ve got a lot going on. But why should the things that are most important to me take a backseat?

Solution: The things that are most important to me are non-negotiable. I’m limiting “overtime” when it comes to personal projects. During the times that I’ve allotted to myself and my family, taking me time and being with my husband are the only things on my to-do list.

Have you set boundaries for your sanity? What would your rules be?

Photo by redvers

Slow & steady

Yesterday, I started week 6 of the Couch to 5K running program. I have to be honest: it’s still really hard. I don’t love running. In fact, I hate it more days than not. I’m bored and tired and every second feels like an eternity. But I set a goal, and I’m making progress.

Even though I started off in decent shape (I’d been working out regularly for over a year), running is a whole different ball game. On my first run two months ago, running for two minutes straight almost killed me. Monday night I was supposed to run 20 minutes straight, but I only made it 13 minutes before I had to slow down and catch my breath.

When I left the gym, I was beating myself up a little. I’ve been training for 8 weeks now (two of which I spent out of the gym because I was sick and then recovering from oral surgery). I want to be able to keep up with the program.

Then I reminded myself of how far I’ve come. Though I’m not advancing in the program quite as quickly as I’d like, I’ve increased my running time from 1 and a half minutes to 13 minutes. I’m running faster and longer. I’m finally losing weight again (only five pounds, but at least the scale is moving).

Most importantly, my training has made me more aware of what I’m putting into my body. My diet has been mostly healthy for the past five years, but I have a tendency to eat too much of the healthy foods we cook. Watching the calorie tracker on the treadmill as I push my way through my run has made me aware of how hard it is to burn off that extra serving of pasta.

It’s also a lot easier for me to resist the occasional temptation. When my entire office went out for Mexican food on Tuesday, I stayed at my desk and ate my Lean Cuisine. As much as I love unlimited chips and salsa, it’s not worth derailing my hard work.

I don’t know if it’s the 5K training or the extra push from the knowledge that I have to wear a bathing suit on our cruise in 2 weeks, but running has helped me accomplish my main objective: increasing my motivation.

In about 6 weeks, I’ll be running my first 5K. If I continue to train this hard, I should be able to run the whole race without stopping. Here’s hoping I can reach my goal.

Photo by cdm

Finding a luxurious (but frugal) splurge

A couple weeks ago, I stumbled on an amazing deal for a luxury that I wouldn’t normally pay for. A representative for an upscale spa in my city came into my office and left pamphlets for a promotion. The spa was offering four complete services in separate visits — a facial, massage, manicure, and haircut and style — for just $50 total.

Before I signed up for the promotion, I called the spa to get the details and make sure it wasn’t a scam. Sure enough, the promotion was a way to sign on new clients, and the services were pretty much full services. The only real difference was that the massage was 30 minutes, but the normal full-price massage is 60 minutes.

Now, I probably don’t have to tell you, but this deal is pretty amazing. For half the normal price of any one of those services, I was receiving all four in separate appointments. With all the stress of the move coming up, Tony convinced me to go ahead and treat myself. It’s unlikely I’ll ever have an opportunity to treat myself to spa services like this again at this price, so why not? I usually pay $35 for a haircut alone (it’s one of my few splurges a few times a year), so I’m paying an extra $15 plus gratuities for three extra services.

On Friday, I had my first massage, and I have to say, I definitely recommend it. It was relaxing, and the masseuse taught me some stretching techniques tailored to my specific muscle problems to help me fend off the neck and shoulder pay I’d been feeling at the end of my workouts.

Spa services are usually anything but frugal. It’s not uncommon for an upscale spa to charge $50-$100 for any one of the services included in my promotion.

It’s possible you can find a similar deal at a spa near you. Call around and see what kind of promotions local spas are offering new clients. In this economic climate, luxury service providers are taking a hit like everyone else. That’s why they’re likely to offer great deals to encourage people to try their services and hopefully return.

If you’re lucky enough to find a great discount, just make sure you give your provider a generous tip. They’re offering discounts because they’re facing tough economic times, so make sure you can afford to compensate them accordingly if you decide to take advantage of their discounts.

Photo by wanhoff

Pixar & pain killers

I made it through the surgery just fine, and as all of you predicted it wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought it would be. I can’t thank you enough for sharing your experiences with me. The scariest part was not knowing what I was getting myself into, so your encouragement and advice helped calm my nerves more than I can even express.

I’m swollen and sore, but I’m content because I’m all cuddled up with a very concerned Howie, and Tony has canceled classes today to take care of me. A Pixar movie marathon and lots of pain meds are the only thing on my agenda.

Happy Friday to all of you, and eat something delicious tonight for me! It’s nothing but applesauce and ice cream for me for the next couple days. :)

How I saved $5 by reading a label

This week I came down with a cold. The same week I’m getting my wisdom teeth out, of course. I’ve already contacted my oral surgeon, and he says the mild congestion I’m suffering won’t affect my surgery tomorrow. Whew. I didn’t want to put it off another week.

But that’s not the point of the this post. I want to quickly tell you about my trip to CVS last night.

When I’m sick, the most effective medication for me is a blend of ibuprofen and decongestant. I don’t know why, but ibuprofen seems to work better for me than acetaminophen.

I stopped at CVS on my way home from work to pick some up. I’m used to paying high prices for even generic versions of this cold medicine. The cost was $10 for 24 pills.

I started checking alternatives to see if I could find something similar for less money. I looked at a box of generic Sudafed, which cost only $5 for 24 pills. When I compared the ingredients, I realized that the only difference between the generic Sudafed and the generic Advil Cold and Sinus was that the Advil included a dose of ibuprofen. The generic Sudafed had the same exact decongestant in the same amount (30mg of pseudoephedrine).

All this time I’ve been paying double for the generic Advil Cold and Sinus when I could have just picked up generic Sudafed and supplemented it with a dose of ibuprofen, which I always have on hand at home. This morning I took a dose of the decongestant along with a dose of ibuprofen, and it’s just as effective.

The lesson? Next time you’re browsing medications, be sure to compare ingredients and think about what you have on hand at home. Otherwise you could end up paying twice as much to buy something that’s already in your medicine cabinet.

Photo by zingersb

Note to self: Never Google “wisdom teeth death”

Tomorrow, an oral surgeon will be ripping my wisdom teeth from my skull.

I’ve been putting this off for over five years, and my fear of surgery is now bordering on pathological. I know I’m being a wuss, but I’ve never had any kind of surgery. I’ve never been sedated in my life. And since I’m a textbook type-A control freak, the idea of being knocked out for an hour while someone drills into my head with power tools is just a little terrifying. It’s not the pain that scares me. It almost seems more appealing to stay awake for the surgery. Almost.

Last Thursday I went in for a consultation. I ended up waiting in the scary little room staring at the x-rays that had doomed me for 45 minutes. I could hear the oral surgeon loudly consulting with the man in the next room. Apparently, he was about 100 years old with a 215/95 blood pressure. They canceled his surgery and called an ambulance because the doctor was convinced he was about to suffer a stroke. I hope he’s okay, and it seems they caught his symptoms early enough that they would be able to treat him, but seriously? Why did I have to end up in the room next to the guy who left the office in an ambulance? I could just picture myself being carted away in a speeding ambulance due to my rare but life-threatening complications.

When the doctor finally came in to talk to me, he spent 20 minutes telling me about risks and possible complications and explaining stitches in my gums and dry sockets and nerve damage. I couldn’t help but think this whole wisdom teeth removal thing was just a bad idea. Those teeth aren’t hurting anything. They’ve been there for years. The only reason I’m removing the things is because my dentist has been telling me to do it for five years.

But this is the responsible thing to do. We don’t know if we’ll continue our dental coverage when we move since we’ll be paying so much for health insurance already, so we’re trying to get any potential problems out of the way now. I’d be lying if I didn’t admit I had some serious doubts when I saw my estimated bill, though. Let’s just say, I can think of a million other things I’d rather do with my weekend and my money than have teeth ripped from my skull.

When I got home, I broke my number one rule when it comes to medical care: I Googled my condition. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from Google searching any symptom or medical condition, it’s that Google only gives you one prognosis: IMMINENT DEATH.

Sniffles? You’re suffering a rare strain of the flu that will kill you. Headaches? Rush to an emergency room immediately before that aneurism kills you. Mosquito bite? YOU HAVE WEST NILE VIRUS, AND YOU ARE GOING TO DIE.

So I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised when I found this.

All of this is to say, I won’t be around this weekend as I recover, and I might not get back to regular posting until Tuesday or Wednesday. I want to try to get some writing done this weekend, but I have no idea how out of it I’ll be. Wish me luck and strength to stop being a wimp.

Learning to jump right back on the wagon

This post originally ran on January 22, 2009. A year later, I’m still struggling to stay motivated, especially after temporary setbacks. Besides, I think we can all use a little encouragement as the novelty of New Year’s resolutions fades.

These days, I’m thinking as much about fitness as I am about finance. I’m still working on losing weight and living healthier, and I’m constantly fighting my vices — with overeating and overspending.

With the novelty and motivation of New Year’s resolutions wearing off, you may find yourself slipping up, too.

One thing I’ve learned is that it doesn’t matter how often you fall off the wagon. Everyone lapses. The real test for success is how quickly you rebound.

It seems that too often one little mistake can snowball into a catastrophe. In a moment of weakness you eat a donut or splurge on an expensive pair of shoes. Suddenly you’re thinking, “Well, my diet/budget is blown for today. I might as well make it count.”

That kind of logic led me to gain more weight and rack up more credit card debt in college than I care to admit.

This time I’m trying something new — forgiving myself and starting over. Not tomorrow or next week or after the weekend, but right now, right after I realize I’ve made a mistake.

After overeating or overspending, I used to bargain with myself. If I ate too many pieces of pizza on Friday night, then the weekend was shot, so I might as well wait until Monday to start over. In college, I used the same bargaining process when it came to my finances. “Starting next month I’m not going to use my credit card anymore,” or “After this weekend, no more eating out.”

The truth is, one mistake never really derails anyone. The real catastrophe comes from the self defeat that follows that one mistake. If you decide to give up for the rest of the day, week, or month, then you only make a bad situation worse. Your one mistake becomes a major derailment.

When you give up, even temporarily, after every little mistake, you find yourself feeling defeated a lot of the time.

Next time you find yourself straying from any goal, don’t put your efforts on hold. Don’t wait to start over. Do it right away.

Once you’ve eaten the donut or spent too much money, there’s nothing you can do to take it back. Don’t dwell on it and let one mistake derail you. Instead, wipe the slate clean, and move on.

A rock and a hard place

It’s time for us to deal with the part of moving that I’m dreading most: health insurance.

We were uninsured for a year after we moved to North Carolina. I was working part time in retail, Tony was a student, and we were trying to get by on a tiny income. In hindsight, I realize how stupid it was for us to forego coverage, especially since we later learned that we could have afforded high deductible catastrophic coverage. It’s not ideal, but it’s better than nothing.

Now as we look ahead at a lot of unknowns, we have to figure out what we’ll do next. Being uninsured isn’t an option for us right now. We’re grown-ups now, which means we accept that health insurance is a must.

Tony is currently covered by a private policy. His coverage is fairly comprehensive, and includes co-pays for office visits and 100% coverage for preventative care. He hasn’t made a single claim in two years, which is a good thing (knock on wood), but makes me wonder if he may be overinsured just a bit.

We’re considering downgrading his coverage to a mid-grade deductible with 100% coverage for preventative care, 100% coverage after the deductible is met, but no coverage before the deductible. If he needs to go to the doctor for a sinus infection or other minor problem, we’ll pay 100% of the cost up to the deductible. But if something more serious happens, he’ll be covered.

As for me, I’m worried that I’ll be denied private coverage due to my history with anxiety and depression. I also don’t want to deal with the stress of shopping for private insurance as we’re moving and job searching and dealing with a million other stressful situations. Tony is already covered, but getting him signed up for a private policy was a nightmare. Five months and several physicals and questionnaires after he applied, he was finally covered.

I have absolutely no desire to go through that, especially considering my history of mild anxiety and depression. I don’t know that I could stomach being denied coverage for my “condition.” How am I a bigger risk because I decided to seek treatment? I would think that my commitment to staying healthy and happy would make me a lower risk. In my opinion, it’s discriminatory and wrong. But I digress.

My other option is to continue receiving the same health care I currently receive though my employer with COBRA. I’m happy with my insurance, and it includes a $500 HRA provided by my employer (I would continue to receive that benefit). But it costs double what I’d pay for (somewhat) comparable private coverage.

There are just so many questions with private coverage, though. Will they approve me? How long will it take before I’m covered? And how high will my premium be considering my history? The online quotes I’ve received don’t ask about pre-existing conditions, which makes me think that even if they do cover me despite my history of anxiety, I’ll still have a higher premium.

Because of all these factors, we’ve made the decision to continue my coverage through COBRA and decrease Tony’s coverage a bit to ensure that he has a relatively low deductible, but also a lower premium. As long as his deductible is lower than what we have in savings, he’ll be completely covered.

Honestly, I was hoping this wouldn’t be an issue. I know I don’t normally get into this sort of thing here, but I was hoping real health care reform would pass before May, and at the very least, it would be illegal for health companies to deny me based on my minor anxiety issues. But unfortunately, we’re not counting on that happening now.

This hasn’t been a fun decision to make, but we recognize that our health is a priority, so we’ll just have to deal with the high cost of insurance right now. Here’s hoping it’s temporary.

Photo by bryanchan