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When it comes to exercise, going to a gym CAN cost a lot. There are other options, though. Most areas have at least one YMCA, if not multiple. And the YMCA offers a Guardian program based on how much you make, family size, etc. And taking into account that some people can't even afford the little bit that they would have to pay for a YMCA membership, but at the same time, some of those people would still go to McDonalds or Burger King at least once or twice a week, if not more, and that adds up. If they were to budget themselves and not spend that money on fast food, they could put that money towards going to the Y.
That doesn't include everyone, but for those that do fit that situation.
When it comes to exercise, going to a gym CAN cost a lot. There are other options, though. Most areas have at least one YMCA, if not multiple. And the YMCA offers a Guardian program based on how much you make, family size, etc. And taking into account that some people can't even afford the little bit that they would have to pay for a YMCA membership, but at the same time, some of those people would still go to McDonalds or Burger King at least once or twice a week, if not more, and that adds up. If they were to budget themselves and not spend that money on fast food, they could put that money towards going to the Y.
That doesn't include everyone, but for those that do fit that situation.
Or they could just go to the library and learn about isometrics and martial arts and skip the gym all together because the ran to the library.
I have dealt with this for years. People have told me to my face that they "hate me" because I am thin and make most of my food from scratch. Yet they rush out at lunchtime every day to pick up a bag of McDonald's crap because it's only "99 cents". Then I hear the complaints, accentuated with false giggling, that they hate being overweight and how it's so hard to lose weight.
Ya get what ya pay for! And I know I pay a lot less per month for food than most people do.
When it comes to exercise, going to a gym CAN cost a lot. There are other options, though. Most areas have at least one YMCA, if not multiple. And the YMCA offers a Guardian program based on how much you make, family size, etc. And taking into account that some people can't even afford the little bit that they would have to pay for a YMCA membership, but at the same time, some of those people would still go to McDonalds or Burger King at least once or twice a week, if not more, and that adds up. If they were to budget themselves and not spend that money on fast food, they could put that money towards going to the Y.
That doesn't include everyone, but for those that do fit that situation.
Walking or running is free. Riding a bike is almost free (after you buy the bike). "Going to the gym" as a requisite for weight loss is an American misnomer.
Oprah is a compulsive over eater. Her issues go way deeper than just eating the right foods. She has admitted this herself in the past that it's not "about the food", so she knows she has a problem.
Being wealthy can't fix everything.
True, Oprah needs a good shrink. As in NOT Dr. Phil. But she has the money to afford all the shrinks in the world too, and she's still overweight.
I feel for her and all overweight people in this country. All the women in my family are morbidly obese, as was I until my late 30's. I finally got tired of it and found what works for me. I think that's the key. Finding what works for YOU. If I listened to the weight watchers people or nutritionists I would still be fat. I know this, because I did listen to them the first 30-some years of my life, and thought I had to do it their way. And I stayed morbidly obese. Most of them would be appalled at my method. But I'm thin and have maintained my weight for about 7 - 8 years now.
I am low income and don't have a whole lot of money for food, but I'm sure I spend more than most people in my situation. I don't have cable TV, or a new car, or lots of other things in order that I can afford $50 a week (for one person) for food. I don't think I could do it for any less than that.
Go back a hundred years and there were far fewer obese people and way far fewer 'gyms.' Just working outside, running, pushups, biking, etc...that's some good exercise.
This is what happened to us. When we were in CA we were both working full-time. Every now and then I would have the time to cut coupons and such. Otherwise, we'd run into the supermarket, check their paper, mark off some stuff and race through the store and buy what we marked off, what we needed (whether on sale or not) and what we saw on sale in the aisles. Period. Rewind, when I was single and there was only one paycheck and sometimes no paycheck. Coupons, coupons, coupons. Ate cereal and milk for dinner many, many nights. Boiled potatoes and boiled eggs with butter and lemon pepper on other nights. Hey, it met 2 of 4 of the food groups.
Fast forward to present, within two months of moving to TN, my husband put on 20 lbs! My mother-in-law cooked on a fairly regular basis when we stayed with them. Usually, some sort of roasted/baked meat (usually Ham or Beef), canned green beans w/boiled potatoes and corn bread and some kind of cake. His health declined, blood pressure went up, headaches, IBS and he walks 2x as much as we did in CA (because you HAVE to have a car there - one block in CA is like 5 blocks elsewhere). My mother in law makes good money and so does my father in law BUT they come from a time when money was real scarce and were raised by Great Depression parents so to them, this is 'living'. However, to this day, sometimes they will revert back and just sit down at the table, take a jar of peanut butter and eat it with a spoon - that's dinner. Spam and crackers that's another meal or sardines and crackers thats another meal or just a bowl of beans. That's how they are. Both have high blood pressure, hypoglycemia, arthritis, thyroid problems, high cholesterol and mother-in-law is a bit overweight.
In the past, whenever I had to go to a food pantry (aka food bank) they give you lots of carbs (rice, spaghetti, bread, crackers, cake, cookies) and sauces, juices, eggs and canned vegetables. If you got a fresh fruit, fine. If you got real meat, you hit the jackpot. Its to 'supplement', not to actually be the sole source of food - even though that usually isn't the option for many people.
So if someone ate like any of the above regularly, you could actually become fat and malnourished at the same time. Working and educated, unemployed and educated, working and semi-educated or not working and feeling pretty stupid. It took years for me to lose weight and learn how to count my duckets so that what I bought made a difference in my health and also tasted good. I found that when I didn't eat right it was usually when I was working sometimes two jobs, eating drive-through or fast food, fast pace, no sleep, high stress but I had health insurance and was always at the doctor for cream, pills and drops. When I was jobless I ate a little more healthy because I had no health insurance and couldn't afford to go to the doctor (food vs. health ins.) with those probs and what not and I also had the time to actually look through the papers, cut the coupons, plan ahead, comparison shop, etc., and ate less. By the way, food has changed. We noticed that since we've moved. Sometimes fruit has no taste, the vegetables taste odd and the meat, depending on what's available and where you are geographically, maybe a little interesting too.
I have no answers, just my experiences.
Last edited by justhere; 12-20-2008 at 11:54 PM..
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But she has the money to afford all the shrinks in the world too, and she's still overweight. 
