You're right, weight can't always be lost by reducing food intake and increasing exercise. It would be self-defeating to make a wager like this unless you knew that this formula would work for you.
But if your excess weight IS due to eating too much and exercising too little, I think this would be a terrific way to lose. Competition is a great motivator.
I'm sorry to read that you were robbed in Costa Rica. I was there last summer (including a visit to Jaco) and had no problems. I love the place. Unfortunately, you can get robbed anyplace... even in paradise.
I think its weird to bet on weight loss- something so out of one's control.
They frequently have wagers like this at work and contests for "The Biggest Loser." Given that so many medications and such have side effects of weight gain (almost all anti depressants), does it make more sense to be adherant to a medication regime or pick up a few bucks?
The adage of less food, more exercise might not always work- and then the person who may have actually had to work the hardest at weight loss, doesn't win.
Bus service only exists in our city of 200,000 because of massive federal subsidies.
Even so, the routes are very limited.
It is a great option if you are lucky enough to live and work on the same bus route, but usually that means you must work at a school or hospital (i.e., work is in an area zoned residential)
If not, you must ride all the way downtown to change to another bus.
A 10-15 minute direct trip via car then becomes a 45 minutes to 1 hour bus trip - not the greatest option for commuters (especially since buses stop running at 5:30 pm)
I just came across a few old ties the other day. I put them in my car trunk in case I need something extra for tieing anything shut or down. They also are good for tieing heavy plants (tomatoes) to stakes.
My office wagers on weight loss every so often. Our rules: Everyone throws in $20 to start, and we weigh in once a week. Gaining a pound will cost you a dollar. At the end of a set period of time, whoever has lost the most wins all the money. Generally lots of fun, motivating and every looses at least a couple of pounds.
I wagered $50 with a guy at work over who could lose the most % weight.
I could not stand the idea of losing my money. I ran and ran and ran. I ran on my treadmill mile after mile, looking at the same set of books on my bookshelf. In the end victory was mine and so was the apple pie that we changed the bet to in the last week, because we didn't want to cost each other the money. I ended up losing close to 20 pounds and that is a lot for a person of my stature.
Can you say conflict of interest? Wagering money that benefits someone with close access to your food? If I were your husband, I would sabotage for the sheer kick I would get out of getting caught!
There is another possibility - keep the tough guzzler for when it's really needed, get a solar array and convert a small commuter car to electric.
I've always planned for high energy costs, so I've always lived in the city. We use one gallon of gas a week commuting, and only because it's at odd times without transit.
Consider whether the country feeling is dependent on having many acres or one, on being very very far away from it all or simply on not having it intrude. Every town has pockets that are more country than city, some more than others, and some more affordably than others. Where I live now, a major Midwestern city, it's possible to find a few acres backing up to forested parkland within ten minutes of the city center - not exorbitantly priced, and in a good job market, too. If these areas get built up, you can cash out and move back to the country.
There are a few farmer's markets where I live (Memphis, TN), but they are so lousy compared to the ones in other parts of the country. At one of the ones here, you can find stickered Washington apples in May and bananas (not so local or fresh). The other is more local, but has very little produce at all... lots of baked goods and crafts. Sometimes its more like a flea market than a farmer's market. I would shop there every week if there was actually local food available for purchase! I have lived here for a year and I am still shocked about how hard it is to find local produce... no CSAs available, either, although that is usually the best deal for the money, if you can be flexible enough to cook with what's in the box.
An interesting point! It made me think about something I just read, James Arthur Ray’s newest book, Harmonic Wealth. I have to share this concept he has that I think makes so much sense: LIVING FROM THE OUTCOME (Page 322). James says that most people live toward the outcome, meaning you are living like you don’t have it yet. He says you should shift your thinking so that you are LIVING FROM THE OUTCOME and thus sending out the energy to the world that you already have it. Think, feel, and act like you’ve already made it and the universe will say “Your wish is my command.”
For me, that meant acting like I was more valuable as an individual – acting like a $500 a day earner instead of a $150 a day earner (no more reality TV marathons!) and acting like a thin and fit woman instead of a slightly overweight and sometimes lazy woman (goodbye Ranch Doritos!). Honestly, in the two weeks since I put down the book, things have started changing. And I think it really comes down to that one concept.
Check out the Harmonic Wealth site and link to the book: harmonicwealth.com/read
- A James Ray Fan
Because I have respiratory issues and allergies, I find it hard to live without air conditioning. We didn't have it when I was a kid and I used to GASP for a breath of air, especially when it was humid. How about standing in front of an open refrigerator, trying to breath? Well, with the economy in the tank, my husband unemployed and energy costs through the roof, we are trying to cut down on AC use. It's not comfortable, but we are trying to get use to our current climate ( economical and temeperature! ) My electric bill last summer was over $800, just for August ( we live in New Jersey. ) This will NOT be the case this year!
I totally got scammed this way out of college and then wised up!! I had answered an ad for a 'marketing specialist.' when i got to the non-branded blank office, where the receptionist answered the phone- "Advertising!", there were notes of thanks framed on the wall, but when i asked if we did work in-house or at the clients, they looked at me funny. Next I found myself driving the 'manager' and two other candidates to Allentown to go door-to-door to sell coupons for cheaper phone service. As soon as we got back the manager told us we had to take a test to see what we learned. Me and the girls told her to piss off. Later I saw them at a job faire, and told anyone walking by that they were just misleading door-to-door scammers. Fine, if that's what you want to do, but it was not legitimate marketing work. Good post!
The Canadian government is the first to declare BPA a toxic poison. If you live in Canada you can take all your old bottles back to the store and have them replaced with non BPA bottles for free, Advent included. You can no longer purchase any bottles in Canada with BPA. While everyone is focused on bottles don't forget that soother that your baby is probably sucking on 12 hours a day is loaded with BPA, try and find a natural rubber alternative.
Many of those vague ads are from really crappy employers who need a constant stream of employees. Others are from headhunters who are just trying to bulk up their resume files. Others are from scam artists of various kinds.
I saw a book once called How to Steal a Job, that gave me a whole new perspective on the range of possible scams.
I would not, by the way, recommend the book, although it's kind of interesting to look at--it's full of illegal and unethical things that might help you land a job--but some of the ideas make a certain amount of sense, just before they run completely off the rails.
For example: Imagine that you want a job doing a particular kind of work, but you don't know what companies out there you might work for. You could do a bunch of research, but there may be an easier way to get the same kind of info: Take out a help-wanted ad, advertising for exactly the sort of job you'd like. If you're very clear that you're only interested in experienced applicants, a fraction of the people who answer your ad will be people whose employers and former employers are places that you might want to work--useful information. The book then suggests that you rent some office space and actually interview some of these people, pretending that you might hire them, but actually trying to get the inside scoop on the places where they work now. (And then, as I say, goes completely off the rails, suggesting that you actually pretend to offer one of them a job--so that they'll quit, thereby opening up a position at the place where you want to get hired.)
I doubt if many of those vague ads and interviews in anonymous offices are that sort of scam, but it's yet another reason to avoid them.
It's amazed me to see how many people just refuse to consider it even if there is nothing to loose. But I guess that's the nature of us - human.. Change is something we don't want to do. I admitted that I was the same before. I tried couponing a few years back and thought it was a waste of time. Little did I know that it's not the system but it's me who doesn't have enough information on the system.
I am not the greeniest person in my block but we do try to living in the green way anyway possible. I shopped at CVS and participate in the CVS program. There is no rule to tell force you to buy everything and anything. I picked and chose the deals that work for me. I only buy items that I know I will use or can donate. Even in living in green, do you buy organic toothpast, using organic toothbrush (does it even exist), using organic shampoo? These are items that I work it into my shopping. I still shop locally for organic milk and food items. So before you shoot it down, maybe check out your local CVS and see what they have in stocks. You might be surprised.
On the flip side, it's ok if you don't want to do it. I wouldn't want to compete with all CVS-ers for the items I want. :)
great article! I'm inspired. I love the thought of raising my own chickens one day!
There are a few more things we can afford not to buy anymore that weren't found in the article:
Herbs!! Grow your own herbs! My basil grows like a weed every year! Herbs are incredibly easy to grow and they are VERY expensive at the grocery store.
Food storage containers!! I have approx. 20 cottage cheese tubs in my cabinets that I use to store leftovers to chopped fresh veggies. It's a great way to save money and reduce your waste output of your household. So save your margarine tubs, large yogurt tubs, sour cream tubs, coffee cans, etc!!
I once had a company offer me a job after just a short phone interview that pretty much only established I could use Photoshop. I was supposed to go there (out of town) to do an in-person interview but the staffing guy called me back and said they just wanted to offer me a job without the interview and they wanted an answer soon.
This was a pretty big red flag to me--they didn't tell me anything about what I would be doing, the company's website didn't list job opportunities, and I would have to move. They basically waved around a higher salary and relocation assistance in my face. I didn't take the job because the whole thing seemed strange and I knew I would be bored out of my mind if all my job required was Photoshop.
My lesson from this is that if it seems too good to be true, it most likely is. If they want to hire you without meeting you in-person, that doesn't really show they take pride in hiring the best and brightest.
This comes back to the fact that the rich mentality needs to be grown first. A rich mentality is really a way of being responsible and also being able to control impulses that could easily ruin your goal of living of the interest.
I would very much agree that very few people would ever be able to live of the interest because they are childish with money and can't control their emotional impulses. Having more free time to do things would in most cases equal buying more.
I have a lot of time myself (and cash), but I do have that emotional dicipline that is required. Even if you live of your interest you are stil forced to budget. The "budget" part seems to fall away as a concept when people win the lottery. Bad thing, bad thing.
Also, if you live of the interest and you want something that cost a whole lot more than your budget allows. Then do what every smart millionaire would have done: make a deal happen. Think in new ways. Think "business deal".
For example: I am looking at a house with 8 hectare of land and 2000 cubicmeter of leaf wood. But I don't have the required purchase amount on hand and I would like to buy this one cash (no loans). What to do? Well, I have been pro-active and contacted several wood companies and asked for quotes for the leaf trees.
If the sell-of of the trees doesn't cover it, then I will find someone who wants to rent the land from me. I will set all these things up beforehand and then I will move in and buy the house and the land.
No loan, no cash out of my pocket (money I don't have), but a nice house and big land as a result. And the sea view is not something to scuff at either. Nice in the morning when waking up:).
If you are smart, you can have more than you believe. But it requires a certain degree of brain first and a will to be diciplined with what you have.
I barely understood a word of this post.
DivaJean,
You're right, weight can't always be lost by reducing food intake and increasing exercise. It would be self-defeating to make a wager like this unless you knew that this formula would work for you.
But if your excess weight IS due to eating too much and exercising too little, I think this would be a terrific way to lose. Competition is a great motivator.
The proper phrase is Pura Vida!
I'm sorry to read that you were robbed in Costa Rica. I was there last summer (including a visit to Jaco) and had no problems. I love the place. Unfortunately, you can get robbed anyplace... even in paradise.
I hope the rest of your trip went much better.
Pura Vida!
I think its weird to bet on weight loss- something so out of one's control.
They frequently have wagers like this at work and contests for "The Biggest Loser." Given that so many medications and such have side effects of weight gain (almost all anti depressants), does it make more sense to be adherant to a medication regime or pick up a few bucks?
The adage of less food, more exercise might not always work- and then the person who may have actually had to work the hardest at weight loss, doesn't win.
I am SO opposed to this type of thing!!
Bus service only exists in our city of 200,000 because of massive federal subsidies.
Even so, the routes are very limited.
It is a great option if you are lucky enough to live and work on the same bus route, but usually that means you must work at a school or hospital (i.e., work is in an area zoned residential)
If not, you must ride all the way downtown to change to another bus.
A 10-15 minute direct trip via car then becomes a 45 minutes to 1 hour bus trip - not the greatest option for commuters (especially since buses stop running at 5:30 pm)
I just came across a few old ties the other day. I put them in my car trunk in case I need something extra for tieing anything shut or down. They also are good for tieing heavy plants (tomatoes) to stakes.
My office wagers on weight loss every so often. Our rules: Everyone throws in $20 to start, and we weigh in once a week. Gaining a pound will cost you a dollar. At the end of a set period of time, whoever has lost the most wins all the money. Generally lots of fun, motivating and every looses at least a couple of pounds.
I wagered $50 with a guy at work over who could lose the most % weight.
I could not stand the idea of losing my money. I ran and ran and ran. I ran on my treadmill mile after mile, looking at the same set of books on my bookshelf. In the end victory was mine and so was the apple pie that we changed the bet to in the last week, because we didn't want to cost each other the money. I ended up losing close to 20 pounds and that is a lot for a person of my stature.
Can you say conflict of interest? Wagering money that benefits someone with close access to your food? If I were your husband, I would sabotage for the sheer kick I would get out of getting caught!
Is there any major company without a this-company-sucks website?
There is another possibility - keep the tough guzzler for when it's really needed, get a solar array and convert a small commuter car to electric.
I've always planned for high energy costs, so I've always lived in the city. We use one gallon of gas a week commuting, and only because it's at odd times without transit.
Consider whether the country feeling is dependent on having many acres or one, on being very very far away from it all or simply on not having it intrude. Every town has pockets that are more country than city, some more than others, and some more affordably than others. Where I live now, a major Midwestern city, it's possible to find a few acres backing up to forested parkland within ten minutes of the city center - not exorbitantly priced, and in a good job market, too. If these areas get built up, you can cash out and move back to the country.
Just a thought.
Oobleck comes from a Dr. Seus story that involves a kingdom being destroyed due to Oobleck's stickyness :-)
There are a few farmer's markets where I live (Memphis, TN), but they are so lousy compared to the ones in other parts of the country. At one of the ones here, you can find stickered Washington apples in May and bananas (not so local or fresh). The other is more local, but has very little produce at all... lots of baked goods and crafts. Sometimes its more like a flea market than a farmer's market. I would shop there every week if there was actually local food available for purchase! I have lived here for a year and I am still shocked about how hard it is to find local produce... no CSAs available, either, although that is usually the best deal for the money, if you can be flexible enough to cook with what's in the box.
An interesting point! It made me think about something I just read, James Arthur Ray’s newest book, Harmonic Wealth. I have to share this concept he has that I think makes so much sense: LIVING FROM THE OUTCOME (Page 322). James says that most people live toward the outcome, meaning you are living like you don’t have it yet. He says you should shift your thinking so that you are LIVING FROM THE OUTCOME and thus sending out the energy to the world that you already have it. Think, feel, and act like you’ve already made it and the universe will say “Your wish is my command.”
For me, that meant acting like I was more valuable as an individual – acting like a $500 a day earner instead of a $150 a day earner (no more reality TV marathons!) and acting like a thin and fit woman instead of a slightly overweight and sometimes lazy woman (goodbye Ranch Doritos!). Honestly, in the two weeks since I put down the book, things have started changing. And I think it really comes down to that one concept.
Check out the Harmonic Wealth site and link to the book: harmonicwealth.com/read
- A James Ray Fan
Sure, just show up for the interview.
Because I have respiratory issues and allergies, I find it hard to live without air conditioning. We didn't have it when I was a kid and I used to GASP for a breath of air, especially when it was humid. How about standing in front of an open refrigerator, trying to breath? Well, with the economy in the tank, my husband unemployed and energy costs through the roof, we are trying to cut down on AC use. It's not comfortable, but we are trying to get use to our current climate ( economical and temeperature! ) My electric bill last summer was over $800, just for August ( we live in New Jersey. ) This will NOT be the case this year!
I totally got scammed this way out of college and then wised up!! I had answered an ad for a 'marketing specialist.' when i got to the non-branded blank office, where the receptionist answered the phone- "Advertising!", there were notes of thanks framed on the wall, but when i asked if we did work in-house or at the clients, they looked at me funny. Next I found myself driving the 'manager' and two other candidates to Allentown to go door-to-door to sell coupons for cheaper phone service. As soon as we got back the manager told us we had to take a test to see what we learned. Me and the girls told her to piss off. Later I saw them at a job faire, and told anyone walking by that they were just misleading door-to-door scammers. Fine, if that's what you want to do, but it was not legitimate marketing work. Good post!
The Canadian government is the first to declare BPA a toxic poison. If you live in Canada you can take all your old bottles back to the store and have them replaced with non BPA bottles for free, Advent included. You can no longer purchase any bottles in Canada with BPA. While everyone is focused on bottles don't forget that soother that your baby is probably sucking on 12 hours a day is loaded with BPA, try and find a natural rubber alternative.
Many of those vague ads are from really crappy employers who need a constant stream of employees. Others are from headhunters who are just trying to bulk up their resume files. Others are from scam artists of various kinds.
I saw a book once called How to Steal a Job, that gave me a whole new perspective on the range of possible scams.
I would not, by the way, recommend the book, although it's kind of interesting to look at--it's full of illegal and unethical things that might help you land a job--but some of the ideas make a certain amount of sense, just before they run completely off the rails.
For example: Imagine that you want a job doing a particular kind of work, but you don't know what companies out there you might work for. You could do a bunch of research, but there may be an easier way to get the same kind of info: Take out a help-wanted ad, advertising for exactly the sort of job you'd like. If you're very clear that you're only interested in experienced applicants, a fraction of the people who answer your ad will be people whose employers and former employers are places that you might want to work--useful information. The book then suggests that you rent some office space and actually interview some of these people, pretending that you might hire them, but actually trying to get the inside scoop on the places where they work now. (And then, as I say, goes completely off the rails, suggesting that you actually pretend to offer one of them a job--so that they'll quit, thereby opening up a position at the place where you want to get hired.)
I doubt if many of those vague ads and interviews in anonymous offices are that sort of scam, but it's yet another reason to avoid them.
should I stop drinking Splenda? i was just diagnosted and this is all new to me
It's amazed me to see how many people just refuse to consider it even if there is nothing to loose. But I guess that's the nature of us - human.. Change is something we don't want to do. I admitted that I was the same before. I tried couponing a few years back and thought it was a waste of time. Little did I know that it's not the system but it's me who doesn't have enough information on the system.
I am not the greeniest person in my block but we do try to living in the green way anyway possible. I shopped at CVS and participate in the CVS program. There is no rule to tell force you to buy everything and anything. I picked and chose the deals that work for me. I only buy items that I know I will use or can donate. Even in living in green, do you buy organic toothpast, using organic toothbrush (does it even exist), using organic shampoo? These are items that I work it into my shopping. I still shop locally for organic milk and food items. So before you shoot it down, maybe check out your local CVS and see what they have in stocks. You might be surprised.
On the flip side, it's ok if you don't want to do it. I wouldn't want to compete with all CVS-ers for the items I want. :)
great article! I'm inspired. I love the thought of raising my own chickens one day!
There are a few more things we can afford not to buy anymore that weren't found in the article:
Herbs!! Grow your own herbs! My basil grows like a weed every year! Herbs are incredibly easy to grow and they are VERY expensive at the grocery store.
Food storage containers!! I have approx. 20 cottage cheese tubs in my cabinets that I use to store leftovers to chopped fresh veggies. It's a great way to save money and reduce your waste output of your household. So save your margarine tubs, large yogurt tubs, sour cream tubs, coffee cans, etc!!
I once had a company offer me a job after just a short phone interview that pretty much only established I could use Photoshop. I was supposed to go there (out of town) to do an in-person interview but the staffing guy called me back and said they just wanted to offer me a job without the interview and they wanted an answer soon.
This was a pretty big red flag to me--they didn't tell me anything about what I would be doing, the company's website didn't list job opportunities, and I would have to move. They basically waved around a higher salary and relocation assistance in my face. I didn't take the job because the whole thing seemed strange and I knew I would be bored out of my mind if all my job required was Photoshop.
My lesson from this is that if it seems too good to be true, it most likely is. If they want to hire you without meeting you in-person, that doesn't really show they take pride in hiring the best and brightest.
P.S.: I looked up MLM and it means "multi-level marketing".
This comes back to the fact that the rich mentality needs to be grown first. A rich mentality is really a way of being responsible and also being able to control impulses that could easily ruin your goal of living of the interest.
I would very much agree that very few people would ever be able to live of the interest because they are childish with money and can't control their emotional impulses. Having more free time to do things would in most cases equal buying more.
I have a lot of time myself (and cash), but I do have that emotional dicipline that is required. Even if you live of your interest you are stil forced to budget. The "budget" part seems to fall away as a concept when people win the lottery. Bad thing, bad thing.
Also, if you live of the interest and you want something that cost a whole lot more than your budget allows. Then do what every smart millionaire would have done: make a deal happen. Think in new ways. Think "business deal".
For example: I am looking at a house with 8 hectare of land and 2000 cubicmeter of leaf wood. But I don't have the required purchase amount on hand and I would like to buy this one cash (no loans). What to do? Well, I have been pro-active and contacted several wood companies and asked for quotes for the leaf trees.
If the sell-of of the trees doesn't cover it, then I will find someone who wants to rent the land from me. I will set all these things up beforehand and then I will move in and buy the house and the land.
No loan, no cash out of my pocket (money I don't have), but a nice house and big land as a result. And the sea view is not something to scuff at either. Nice in the morning when waking up:).
If you are smart, you can have more than you believe. But it requires a certain degree of brain first and a will to be diciplined with what you have.
Remember "A Boy Named Sue"?