Thoughts from the Happy Fat Guy

Don’t tell anyone, but I have a secret. I’m going to share it with you, but only because you all have been so supportive of me. This may come as a shock, but I think the economy may be taking a hit. If your house is anything like ours, you may have already noticed the changes affecting your family. But there is hope. Invest in fast food chains because as hard as things are getting, there never seems to be a shortage of cars at these businesses. I am beginning to think that fast food may be the cockroaches of the economic recession we are in. As everything falls down around us in an economic meltdown, there are still new happy meal toys for all.

So what does this have to do with weight loss? One of my common statements pre-op was, “how expensive it is to eat healthy.” Whenever I began to diet and try eating healthier, it always seemed that our grocery bill went up. This surgery has helped me realize that I was only half right. Yes, if you begin to watch what you eat, your grocery bill will go up. But as you spend more at the grocery store, you will notice something strange. You will actually have more money in your pocket. How does this work, you may ask?

If I asked you how much you spend at a grocery store in a month, you could probably give me a pretty close estimate. But, let me ask you a more difficult question. How much do you spend a month on food not bought in a grocery store? This includes the coffee stop in the morning, the vending machines throughout the day at work, the restaurants, and yes, all of the fast food. I guarantee that you have no real concept of how much of your money goes to these types of expenses.

I would like to challenge each of you to do something. For the next two weeks, keep track of every cent you spend on these items. Every trip to the drive-thru. Every soda and bag of chips bought out of a machine. Every half-caf double mocha chino espresso with foam and cream. Every drink at a bar. Anything you buy to eat or drink that didn’t come from a grocery store or your own house. I promise you that you will be shocked at the results. My family and I did this about two years ago as we made some drastic changes to our financial life. The results shocked even me. On average, at least $400 to $500 of our monthly income was going to eating out and vending crap.

Do we spend more at the grocery store since my surgery? Yes, we absolutely do. Consider this though, since my surgery five months ago, I have spent less than $20 at work. I have not ordered lunch once and the only thing I have bought out of a vending machine has been skim milk. I used to go through at least $50 a month just at work. Will you still see my family in the drive-thru lane? Yes you will. But it’s once a week instead of almost every day. What used to be a $500 a month expense is now about $100. As money becomes tighter, trust me when I tell you that this is an area where you can make your dollar stretch.

If you are brave enough, I would like to invite you to take the two-week challenge. Write it all down, every penny spent. And then, send my your number through the feedback mechanism on this blog (at the bottom of this post). You don't have to leave your name so rest assured that your name along with your number won't be posted for all to see. This newfound accountability is the first step in long-standing change. Next time, I will share even more money-saving advantages of my post-surgical life.