Is the Economy Making you Fat?

Have you noticed how healthy food items on menus

at restaurants and fast food chains can be

double or triple the amount of the greasy, fatty foods?

Just the other day my husband and I were out to eat at a small hole in the wall restaurant in our hometown and a hamburger combo meal was only $3.99! What a deal if you want to add an extra 600 calories to your goal meal of 400 calories. As I sat there and weighted my options, my eyes were stuck on the price of a chicken sandwich, $6.99… no drink or fries, just the sandwich. What’s up with that?

Healthy items are always going to be pricier, so how do we compensate? I suggest portion control and customizing your order. For example, get the $3.99 hamburger but skip the mayo, cheese, and creamy sauces. I ask for lettuce wrap instead of a bun, and opt out on the fries and soda. A la Carte is always a cheaper option. It might be a $1.00 more to make it a combo but think of those extra calories you are downing… and you save money. You can do what I do and steal a few French fries from my husband when he isn’t looking (not the healthiest option, but one or two won’t hurt).

Saving money can also mean only eating half your meal and saving the rest for dinner or lunch the next day at work. If you are still hungry after half your meal, wait till you get home and grab an apple or cup of milk.

As for exercise, skip the $400.00 gym pass and cardio machines.

Find things to do outside. Get creative! Use canned foods or water bottles as weights. I love going to the park and using benches for stair steppers or the monkey bars for pull-ups. Go for a run through the park or get a friend to play a game of tennis with you. There are so many things to do besides buying into America’s multi-billion dollar weight loss industry.

What money-saving fitness tips do you have?

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Tagged as: Calories, Cheap, Economy, Food, Health