Losing weight is like saving money…bloody challenging, especially when there are so many tempting things to buy.

When it comes to weight loss the basics of it are simple…You need to be in a calorie deficit. In other words, you must use more energy (calories) than you put in to your body (eat and drink).

However instead of thinking about it in calories I want you to imagine your body is your bank account and instead of calories we have money.

Our bodies will use a set amount of energy (money) each day to keep the body functioning, it will then require extra energy for things such as digestion of food and exercise. Imagine you are getting paid an allowance each day to spend on food and drink.

The amount of money we require/get given depends on a few things such as age, weight (lean muscle), gender and activity level. The more active we are and the more lean muscle our bodies have will lead to us requiring more energy per day (being given a bigger £ allowance). When you have lower muscle mass and low levels of activity you will require less energy each day meaning you would get a smaller £ allowance.

Let’s say for example you need 2000 calories a day, convert that to £20 that you now have to spend on food and drink each day.

Every food and drink has a price (calories):

1 apple = £1.00 (100 Kcal)

1 chicken breast = £2.50 (250 Kcal)

2 slices of bread = £1.60 (160 Kcal)

1 sweet potato (200g) = £1.70 (170 Kcal)

1 glass of wine (150ml) = £1.25 (125 Kcal)

For us to lose weight we must have money left over / saved up over time. Weight gain occurs when we simply spend more than we have got, see weight gain as debt.

The problem for most people when it comes to losing weight is they do not budget their daily allowance and are often careless spenders with many of the tasty foods we crave that are high in sugar and high in fat being more (energy) expensive.

I pose a question to you…If you never looked at how much you get paid or how much money you are spending each month, if you didn’t look at your bank balance for months on end, what state do you think it would be in? Would you be confident you had money in the bank or would it possibly show you’re overdrawn and in debt?

To effectively lose weight you need to know your bank balance, how much you can spend each day and also how much you are actually spending. In other words, work out how many calories you need and keep a track of your food and drink intake using a food diary or MyFitnessPal.

Of course you can lose weight without doing this however it takes more thought and consideration in to how you spend your money and also a bit of guess work on your behalf.

There are 2 ways of getting rich, or in this case 2 ways of saving more money (energy).

1. Spend Less

2. Earn more

Spending Less

Spending less means eat less calorific foods. Eating foods that are nutritious, healthy, filling and low cost (calories) are ideal when it comes to weight loss. The more of these foods we eat the less we spend (calories) and the more we have saved up each day.

Earn More

The 2 best ways of “earning more” money (needing more calories each day) are by being more active, the more we use our muscles and get our heart rates up the more energy our body needs meaning we get more money to spend.

Another really easy way of earning more is by eating protein rich foods.

Protein, carbohydrates and fats use a certain amount of energy to breakdown, digest and process in the body.

20-30% of calories from protein, 5-15% of carbohydrates and 0-5% of fats are used by the body to break it down and utilise it.

The way I remember this is by seeing it as a discount. So for every 100 calories of protein you eat you will receive a 25% discount.

For every 100 calories of carbohydrates you consume you get a 10% discount

And for every 100 calories of fat you eat you will get a 3% discount.

Example:

2000 calories consumed

Protein = 800 calories (200 calorie discount)

Carbohydrates = 600 calories (60 calorie discount)

Fats = 600 calories (18 calorie discount)

Total Discount saved = 278 calorie discount (£2.78 SAVED per day)

How to lose weight like you are saving money recap

1. Know your daily £ allowance

2. Track how much £ you spend each day on food and drink

3. Ensure you spend less than you earn

4. Earn more by exercising more

5. Get discount on foods high in protein