ok 31 £145k in debt and overweight need to change

lauzt1987

Just wanted to say MRE, stick with the gym. I joined pure gym in Glasgow a few months ago and it really is excellent. So worth the money and I feel so much better within myself because of going. It does wonders for your confidence.

dark^knight

Also, take care in what you eat as well. The saying 'you are what you eat' is very true.

The combination of good 'healthy' food and exercise is what you need.

NeverAgain_2

Excellent advice from FireWyrm to take your exercise where you can as part of your daily round.

Using the stairs, walking to the next bus stop, or taking a short diversion on purpose are all things that work if you do them regularly.

You have an exercise bike, so try to use it for something other than hanging clothes on.

Little and often is again the key.

I try to do 10 minutes a day - it's only three tracks on the iPod.

As regards diet, have you tried shopping online?

I find I'm less tempted to buy naughty but nice food that way.

If Asda don't deliver it, it doesn't get in my house, and I don't eat it.

MRE_2

Thanks again for all replies, very much appreciated

expensive weekend putting everything in spreadsheet now

spent £80 in charity event, and fair bit on booze

someone told me today you can link quidco/topcashback to your cc/debit card and get cashback on high st is this true?

might try quitting smoking at xmas as have 2 weeks off means wont snap at my boss and lose my job - i know the reasons to stop just lacking motivation - thing is all my friends smoke

I do shop online for food as well, I use Waitrose as stuff is good and prices dont seem too different than Tesco, Asda

used to shop at asda but they started doing this thing of charging my card then charging again when they deliver and not releasing money so closed my account

tried 1 month shopping at farmfoods to see what food was like, not good

Spagbol how do you spend under £100 a month, will see if I can plan it out so I only spend this a month.

I tend not to eat any ready meals or constituted chicken/meat etc, just meant and vegetables and then pasta or rice.

I like the idea of stir fry - although dont know well would keep over few days as cooking just for me.

I dont have a car so cant do any serious shopping or go to the cheaper non metro/lidls and aldis.

My flatmate shops at morrisons - their stuff is ok apart from meat
might join him and get meat from butcher

will look for spending diary for the blackberry thanks antonia

oh and thanks vintage girl x

foxgloves

Interesting thread. I'm convinced that overspending & overeating are linked. Not in everyone's case, obviously, but partner & I have always been very overweight & have also always overspent what we earn. We spent the last couple of years paying off debt & were finally debt-free in May this year. We decided to try & drop a bit of weight this year, so started a healthy eating plan in January, as we've done many times before & always failed to stick to it. However, this time, we've lost quite a lot of weight.......me 50lbs & husband 46lbs. We haven't found it that difficult, either, amazingly. We are not interested in going to gyms, but we do like walking & gardening so have just tried to be generally more active. We have found that the same things which put us in debt for so many years i.e Failure to plan & poor impulse control, are exactly the same 2 things which needed addressing to get our weight under control. Just as budgetary planning halted our debt in its tracks & turned our debt situation around, so healthy meal planning has done the same with our weight. We are both finding that the skills needed to tackle debt/overspending are very much the same as those needed to tackle a weight problem successfully. I'm sure some psychology professor should do a study of this........Anyway, from our point of view, we will be continuing with our new-found budgeting skills in 2012 & aiming to lose 2 or 3 more stones each. Best of luck to you with your goals.

tallyhoh

I used to smoke, I tried everything going to stop but in the end just refused to have another cigarette. I missed it for a week. Glad I did now when I smell it on peoples clothes & breath (smells like doggy doo's on breath).

Edit: I smoked for 30 years.

MRE_2

Thanks again - foxglove think you may have a point although from watching all these spendaholics programs there seems to be always underlying issues to overspending ie filling void, rather than just impulse control, good luck with money saving and weight loss

tallyhoh will start on my xmas break will let you know how I get on. Hope to have same reaction rather than watching people like a hungry puppy.

tallyhoh

MRE wrote: »

Thanks again - foxglove think you may have a point although from watching all these spendaholics programs there seems to be always underlying issues to overspending ie filling void, rather than just impulse control, good luck with money saving and weight loss

tallyhoh will start on my xmas break will let you know how I get on. Hope to have same reaction rather than watching people like a hungry puppy.

Keep away from alcohol if you try to quit ciggies, its lethal.:D

SpagBol

Shopping cheaply is easiest in Lidl and you can only pay by cash or debit card so it requires a bit more thought about what I buy. If you are adventurous and imagine you are on holiday the own brand stuff is excellent, surprisingly so, especially the frozen and "treat" stuff. Special mention goes to their version of snickers bars, the frozen garlic bread and the packets of filled pasta tortellini type stuff (65p a pack!!) Breakfast is weetabix with honey or toast, lunch is crudites and ham or chicken or beans/ravioli on toast and dinner is spag bol, chilli, sausages, lots of jackets, omelettes. I always get the stuff going out of date and freeze, overcook portions and freeze and if in Tesco etc buy economy everything (juice, pasta, rice, frozen peas, pizzas for kids etc). My kids like juice that has been watered down with warm water from the kettle, nice warm drink, better on the teeth and half the price! Economy crisps etc are surprisingly good.

I keep meaning to go on the oldstyle board but haven't made it there yet to save even more! I did spend £100 this week before top ups but I did have a couple of presents and enough meat for ten days to two weeks so hope I can do a £50 or less shop next week so average will be about £80 per week with top ups (milk, bread, hummus (!) foil that unexpectedly ran out etc)

Good luck!