Deal Details:

Click photo to enlarge

Old Fashioned Ways of Maintaining Weight Without Going Broke!

Posted: January 21st, 2016

It's January and once again social media seems to be flooded with friends or family selling the latest exercise program or daily shake. Encouraging people to spend their hard working money on a product they believe in.

The more selling posts I see the more concerned I get. Are they really interested in helping you or are they more interested in making money?

Now....don't get me wrong, I completely agree that health & fitness is very important in our lives. But....What happened to the old fashion ways of being healthy, you know the ways without going broke?

The Truth? People are just too busy to do things the old fashion way. They are working longer hours to keep up with all the new luxuries in life and running children from one activity to another. Some people don't have time to make a home cooked meal and sit with their family at the kitchen table every night. Most people are more interested in looking for a quick fix, something on the go that will work with their busy life.

Marketers pay close attention to lifestyle changes people make. The problem, most quick fix food items are completely over processed! They are full of ingredients you can't pronounce or made with genetically modified organisms (GMOs) that our bodies do not recognize.

It's sad but marketers won't ever promote real, unprocessed food to people. Food that actually helps with healthy weight loss and that can help keep it off. Why? Think about it.....If they promoted such foods they wouldn't have repeat customers which means less money in their pocket!


Think old fashion ways to maintain a healthy weight and save money:

My Grandparents lived well into their 90's and they were not overweight at all. They didn't eat processed foods instead they raised their family on homemade meals and other goodies from scratch. They both took a multi-vitamin each day and they consumed fresh fruits and vegetables in season or food that was canned/jarred/frozen from the garden the summer before. The only time they went out to dinner was for a special occasion or birthday. Every meal was simply made at home.

For fitness, my grandparents rode a stationary bike and walked the mall during the winter months. In the spring and summer they walked around town, at parks or at outdoor festivals.

We live a similar lifestyle in our house, like my grandparents. I make homemade meals and other goodies. We purchase fresh fruits and vegetables when they are in season. Last year we joined a local CSA Farm for vegetables. It was such a great experience for my family!

Here are a few other ways we maintain our weight and save money:


1. Drink Water: Water helps clear toxins from the body and it prevents hunger from sneaking in! We have a water filtration system in our house. So we just fill up our reusable bottles and go!

2. Be Active & Keep Moving: I have never paid for a gym membership or fitness program in my life! I'm sure they are great for some but I don't need to join one yet because I am constantly moving!

Almost everyday, the kids and I also have what we call "Random Dancing" moments. This usually happens when I'm in the kitchen cooking. The songs are so catchy, they just make you want to get up & dance!

As most of you know I'm busy mom. I'm constantly running up & down the stairs doing housework. That alone is a workout in itself! I even getting a little exercise when I run my daily errands. I have a bigger SUV so I tend to park farther away, which makes me walk more of a distance to the door. Last year I purchased a Resistance Band Set and the Total Gym on QVC.com so I can do some strength training at home. I won't lie, I have literally fallen in love with the resistance bands! They are great to throw in your bag if you are going out of town!

The only time I ever have a chance to actually sit, is when I work on MV Parent at night when the kids go to bed!

3. Smaller Portions: Eating is all about portion control. I never load my plate during meals, I only take a small portion (a fist size or so) of what is offered. Then, I eat until I'm full not stuffed!

4. Stop Buying & Eating Processed Foods: I grew up on homemade from scratch meals so that's what I make for my family. I make dinner every night with a menu that includes chicken, potatoes or rice, and a vegetable. I also make a fresh salad and serve some kind of fruit with the meal. If we go out to dinner, I follow the same type of meal. I usually choose Grilled Chicken or my favorite Chicken Francaise. I then choose a plain baked potato instead of fries and grab a salad for appetizer. Portion size at restaurants are huge so I always take half of my meal home. The leftovers always make a perfect lunch the next day. Click Here for some of my recipes!

5. Snacks/Dessert: My favorite type of meal....I'm only kidding, I know it's not a meal! I love cookies, cake, dark chocolate you name it! But everything goes back to that wonderful phrase "Portion Control".

As far as sweets, I do not purchase processed cookies or boxed cake mixes. If I want either I have to get in the kitchen and make them from scratch. Again, after they are made, it's about portion control. I know from experience that I will feel like crap if I eat too many cookies. So I usually only eat one or two cookies a day!

6. Sleep & Avoid Late Night Eating: With all the running around I do during the day with the kids and trying to keep up with all the housework, I am completely beat by 9 pm. I'm usually tucked in bed by 11 pm so I can get a full 8 hours of sleep. Anything less and my body is all out of whack.

I do not eat past 9 pm. Eating past 9 pm means that the snack will just sit in your stomach and it will mess up your digestion, making it tough to fall asleep.


So if money is tight try these simple old fashion ways to maintain a healthy weight so you don't break your budget.