The cost of losing 30 pounds

Hi everyone.

I came across this article this morning and found it very interesting, particularly because I'm trying to lose 30 pounds.  http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Savingan dDebt/ConsumerActionGuide/WhatDoesItCostToDro p30Pounds.aspx

I didn't realize the cost of some of these diet plans out there like Nutrisystem and Weight Watchers.  What people will pay is outrageous, although I can't say I wouldn't do it myself... several people (myself probably included) just come to a point where they would do anything to lose that weight as quickly and as easily as possible.

However, being the poor lawschool student that I am right now, these expensive plans aren't really an option, which is why I LOVE CC!  Just out of curiosity though, has anyone out there tried any of these plans?  If so, did any success come from them? Do you find that CC works just as well, or better?

Thanks for any input! :)

I have two friends who did a diet where they deliver all of your meals and snacks to your door every day and lost 8-20 lbs each - in a relatively short amount of time - post-baby weight. But it costs $40-50 a day! They lost weight quite quickly though and complained about being hungry a lot at first, so I am trying to be supportive and non-judgmental but I have doubts it will stay off forever and that it was healthy. However it's the zone plan so I do think they learned how to eat smaller portions and regulate their blood sugar levels for sure. I know they both feel better now and are happy. HOWEVER, I lost 30 lbs using CC+ and it was fabulously free (isn't CC+ the best!?), however I won't lie and say it cost nothing as healthy food is actually expensive. However, it certainly wasn't $30-$50 a day!!! And it probably was less than I spent on take-out every night. Plus I have KEPT IT OFF and feel so healthy and confident in my weight now! Yay CC!!!

What a rip off. People are so stupid.

Money would be better spent on a personal trainer, a good pair of running shoes, gym membership, a healthy recipe book, or exercise clothing.

Original Post by ser25:

Money would be better spent on a personal trainer, a good pair of running shoes, gym membership, a healthy recipe book, or exercise clothing.

 I was going to say that.

I spent money on great running shoes and a second hand treadmill from Craigslist.  I've lost 30+ pounds and I can still sell the treadmill if I'm ever sick of it.

Ser25 - you're right on the money (no pun intended).  I actually spend less as I'm trying to lose weight.  I don't eat out and I spend less on food all together.

If your problem is lack of time, rather than lack of money, then some of these programs can be okay.  I tried one of the meal delivery things for a month.  Some of the food was actually pretty tasty, but a lot of it was very processed (and from a plan that prided itself on being less processed than the big plans like Nutrisystem).  By the end of the month I just felt like I was eating plastic all the time.  Also, I lost a little bit of weight in that month, but not much.  I would say these programs are useful only to people who have so little time or access to food preparation spaces as to be unable to cook their own food.  Arguably, if you're making the choice between a meal plan and eating take-out at your desk every single meal, and you're not good at portion control or choosing wisely from menus, then the meal plan would be a good idea.  If you're just heating up the Jenny Craig dinner at home in your own kitchen though, it's a stupid waste of money. 

I love love love CC!! It is free AND helped me lose almost 15 lbs! .9 away from my goal weight.  The support and information you get here is amazing.

Original Post by chub2lose:

I love love love CC!! It is free AND helped me lose almost 15 lbs! .9 away from my goal weight.  The support and information you get here is amazing.

I absolutely agree with that statement, people here are very supportive and it has helped me TREMENDOUSLY to keep working hard at it.

And, I agree with what a lot of others have said- health food may be more expensive, but when you do cut out going out to eat a lot, drinking a lot, etc you actually save MORE money!

I always like hearing success stories from other CC'ers, there's no better motivation to keep myself going than to see what this site has done for others. :)

Let's see, I've lost 180lb so far using CC's logging and other tools and I've spent:

$110 Polar F10 heart monitor on ebay when the Mio just wasn't cutting it anymore
$30 Reebok running shoes to act as a spare pair in case the main pair get wet or muddy.
$55  Nike running shoes to replace the Asics when they wore out
$100 Asic running shoes
$40 Mio Shape strapless heart rate monitor
$1500 Bowflex unit --this was a luxury which was also a goal present to myself. It's still being used 1 year and a half later, so maybe not such a huge waste of money.
$20 Omron HJ112 pedometer
$20 2 pair of Crocs sandals (no kidding my first walking "shoes" They worked pretty well, they just wore out quickly)
$150 exercise clothing (shorts, sports bras, shirts) accumulated over time. And not counting replacements due to size adjustments. So I've spent the $150 probably 3 times now for $450 all together. But that is over a year and a half. And mostly it was $50 or so at a time.

The food I think was a wash. I mainly eat produce which isn't that expensive compared to processed food and I eat a lot more dried beans, lentils, and whole grains which are actually pretty cheap when purchased from bulk sections of stores. I also don't eat at restaurants nearly as often as  I used to. Meats are about the same as what I was eating before so no real change there. I don't eat much in the way of chips or cookies anymore so that's a savings, too.

So, my 180 lb has cost me:

$2325 so far which is $12.91 a lb!!! Now over half of that was the Bowflex which could be sold. And it doesn't include all the new clothes for work I've had to buy, but that would be the same with any weight loss method.

And then there are the gains, for instance, my clothing now fits into a lot less space making flying easier and  cheaper as well as making my closet and bureau more accomodating. My health has improved, which has increased my quality and likely duration of life. My clothing choices have expanded which means it's cheaper for me to acquire new clothing. My employability has increased making it likelier I can get a new job if necessary.

Those weight loss programs only work long term for a relatively small number of people, because you are drastically changing your eating habits.

you are much better off to see how you do eat now and make adjustments here and there that will last a life time rather than a few short months

 

$2325 so far which is $12.91 a lb!!!

Which totals out to be $387.30 in order for you to lose 30lbs, which was the number of pounds to lose the article was focusing on. It's still cheaper than a vast majority of those using those other weight loss plans, with only one or two being cheaper than CC.

However, you're not considering that there are users like me, who haven't bought expensive exercise equipment (can't afford to), or a heart rate monitor, or different shoes for running, etc, etc. I am continuing my normal spending habits, and have yet to really add additional exercise to my plan (work keeps me lightly active, and my average caloric intake of 1700 calories a day keeps me satisfied), but even once I do, it'll be in the way of things like Dance Dance Revolution and walks around the neighborhood with my husband. =) He has a set of weights at home I could utilize for basic strength-training.

So for me, in order to lose 30lbs using CC, the cost is really only factoring in the cost of clothing--which I've spent only 30 dollars on so far, because I have a vast wardrobe from different points of my life--so I'm only really focused on buying clothing when I desperately need them (all my shirts have holes in them, it seems like), as I have plenty of pairs of pants I am slowly inching my way back into.

So in reality, your case is an extreme one. However, CC does not require that you BUY those things, either, in order to lose weight. The service is absolutely free, and anything additional you decide to utilize in order to help you on your journey, is just that, additional. You didn't have to buy the Bowflex, you did not have to buy the heart rate monitor, etc, in order to participate in CC's service. And many people DO go without those things. =) Gym memberships also don't count as costs derived from CC, because it's up to the individual whether or not they will purchase a gym membership. CC does not require it.

Original Post by c5mosley85:

  Just out of curiosity though, has anyone out there tried any of these plans?  If so, did any success come from them? Do you find that CC works just as well, or better?

Thanks for any input! :)

I did Weight Watchers Online for about 6 months for a total of $90.  It helped me lose 10 pounds but after awhile I wasn't sticking to the plan.  I was on the POINTS system and I was allowed to eat 24 points per day and I could earn extra points to eat if I exercised on that day.  Then there was the 35 extra points you could eat all in one day or split over the week to add to you daily total of points.   Looking at food in terms of points isn't as dependable as using calorie count.  I find counting calories a more successful and accurate tool for myself.  I have learned much more on this site than WW online site.

 

better to lose money for free and spend the money i save on new clothes in smaller sizes!