Working Out
Many companies are starting to encourage their employees to improve their health. First they restricted smoking in the office and now many are focusing on the overweight crowd. Where I work, I’m excited to say that I’m going to get paid to lose weight! Bonus!
While it’s only a few hundred dollars, it’s perfect for me because I wanted to lose weight anyway. The thought process by employers is that a healthy employee is a more productive employee! They are more productive because they are sick less and think better when they are in shape! I know that this is true in my particular case!
So since I’m now getting paid to lose weight, I decided to create a diet and exercise journal that I will post every Friday. After a shopping run for the needed foods for my diet and a quick design of the journal spreadsheet, next Friday, I’ll post my results.
Okay, One Problem!
When people go on a diet or start to workout, they usually spend more than if they weren’t on a diet. For example, both Weight Watchers and a gym memberships add to the cost of getting healthy. My goal during this process is not only to lose weight, but also to spend less money than I would if I weren’t trying to lose weight!
An alternative goal of mine is to make money off of this diet/exercise process by spending less on food. This is another way that I will indirectly get paid to lose weight. I expect that I’ll save more money by spending less on food than what my company will pay me if I meet my weight loss goal.
My Process
Basically it’s a simple routine! I’m going to eat food like eggs, brocolli, beans, oatmeal and other cheap but healthy foods. As for working out, I’m going to start out with just situps, pushups, and a leg exercise.
My Current Weight
As of today, I’m 5′ 10″ and I weight 247 lbs.
I think it should be pretty interesting seeing my progress on the amount I save in food expenses vs my regular spending.
-MR
Good luck MR! It’s pretty great [and an added bonus] that your company is paying you to lose weight…I’ve never heard of this before.
Thanks, it’s a company policy for everybody, so I’m not really being singled out.
Wow that’s great. Money would certainly be a motivator for me as well. I’d like to lose about 20 pounds, but 10 would make me pretty happy.
I’m shooting for 40 lbs, that would put in in running condition! I forgot to mention that I’m going to try to accomplish it by September 2011.
Way to go, MR. Keep us updated, it will likely motivate others to follow.
Thanks, I’ll try to detail out as much as possible.
Oh my gosh, we have quite similar posts today. It must be ‘health day’ today. Too bad I am too sick to move.
Good luck in your quest MR. Nothing like some cash for motivation!
Lol, at least you titled your post differently!
It’ll be interesting to compare our journals.
Good luck!
If you come across any fun cheap/healthy recipes, please be sure to share!
I hope I come across a few cheap recipes too!
I’m going to start out very cheap with just the basics (hard boiled eggs, nuked brocolli, etc…)
Good luck! 🙂
Thanks, It’ll be interesting.
What a great incentive!
I’d add that if you’re going to eat oatmeal, add some dried fruit like cranberries to it to make it tastier. I love oatmeal with cranberries and brown sugar. If you’re trying to avoid sugar, I’ve heard that Agave is a natural sweetener that you can use, but it still has some extra calories.
Also, I don’t know if you use mayo, but I’ve found an alternative that is less than half the calories, Smart Balance. It tastes good and is much healthier for you if you are going to be supplementing your lunches with sandwiches.
Good luck and I look forward to your updates!
Great tips Little House!
I’m going to start out with instant oatmeal, but I will eventually get bored of that and your tip will come in very handy 🙂
What does the company do for the people who do not need to lose weight? I lost 35 lbs. over thirty years ago. Small changes worked for me. Good luck.
Yeah, good point. I don’t know but I guess try for athletes levels?
Still it’s a good thing, for both the “out of shape” employees and the company.
i still think employees who are in good health should be rewarded. i mean why not – they consume less of the benefit package, and therefore the company pays less on their behalf (especially if partly of fully self insured). it is often the 20% who consume 80% of the services . . .
I guess the idea is to improve people that aren’t as healthy as the rest. Just because someone is out of shape doesn’t mean that they don’t provide value to the company…
I know plenty of thin people that are as dumb as a box of rocks, and people heavier than I am that are brilliant.
I’m in college, so for me its more about staying fit. Heaving lifting is what I’ve been doing for years. In college and high school you always want to be the kid saying i bench 900lbs(slight hyperbole). However, I was watching Sportscenter the other day and the 48 yr old Herschel Walker was on tv discussing his mma career. He insists that his workout consists of hundreds of pushups and sit ups a day. Just stick to the basics.
That is great advice!
I use to lift, so I know where you are coming from. Now as a day, the basic will work for me. However, still have a bench, so one I lose enough weight to where I think I’m healthy enough, I’ll start lifting again.
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LOL, that’s awesome, I wish the company I work for would offer something similar, it would be a great motivator! We can all blog about saving money but at the end of the day, health is the most important thing in life…
For me, it’s not a lot of money, but it’s the it did break the last straw of resistance that I had in my head.
I’ve been trying to motivate myself since last year…
I know personally I function much better when I’m in close to perfect shape (and health).
Best of luck, and watch the carbs.
Thanks, I’m definitely starting out on a low carb diet, just to jump start the process.
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That’s a damn good bonus man! Once you lose it, how long do you have to keep it off for?
Its cool that your office cares about its employees! Any side bets going on in the office?
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Wow, that sounds really fun and challenging. I wish we have something like that in our office. I gained weight over the holidays. I’d like to lose about 10 lbs. and I think the money would be an extra motivator.
Great!
Getting money to loose. a lot of employees will be interested to know the plans in details.
Its a great idea, besides the bonus and loosing wait and be able to perform better, there is a very important benefit that will be for you.
If you are healthy, your cost on your insurance will be less compared to if you are not healthy.
Remember obesity is a disease, its a reward on its own to get rid off it.