Vacations.  Aren’t they great?

No work. Time with family. Lots of play and rest. Usually some really good food.

A well earned reward after a lot of hard work.

But, they never come cheap.

You have to get to where you’re going one way or another.  You have to pay for lodging, and food, and excursions, and maybe a rental car.  Things can add up pretty quickly.

I’ve approached the expense of vacations in two different ways.

The first is, unfortunately, all too common: the old credit card. Plane tickets? Credit card. Going out to eat every meal? Credit card. Adventures in your vacation spot? Credit card. Rental car with “Yes, I’ll take the upgrade!”? Credit card.

Man, was I living large.

The second approach I’ve taken is the “save before you spend” approach.  You know, the super boring one.  A few hundred dollars one month.  A few more the next.  Keep it up until you have enough for your vacation.

Two very different approaches toward the same goal.

Both approaches have their pros and cons.  Let’s look (briefly) at each.

CREDIT CARD

Pros:

-I was able to go on vacation sooner than if I had saved for it.

-I was able to do “bigger” because I wasn’t limited to what I had saved.

CONS:

-I spent more than I should have

-That interest rate adds up.  I paid a lot more in the long run, and wound up way behind financially.

SAVING

PROS:

-I didn’t over spend.

-I valued my vacation more because I felt like I had really earned it.

-No interest rate to worry about.

CONS:

-I had to wait longer to go on vacation

“Hey man, thanks for the lesson on saving for vacations, But what does any of this have to do with my health?”

I’m SO glad you asked, because it has everything to do with you health.

You see, when people try to lose weight, they often take the credit card approach.

They get there fast.  (extreme tactics and approaches)

They spend too much.  (lose weight too fast)

And they wind up paying more in the long run.  (unsustainable weight loss usually leads to gaining all of your weight, plus some, back)

It’s great and feels good in the moment, but more often than not, it leaves people worse off than they were before.

A BETTER WAY

You probably already see where this is going, but let’s go there together, shall we?

The alternative to “credit card fat loss” is saving for it.

A little bit here.  A little bit there.

-Eat a few more vegetables.

-Eat one more fruit a day.

-Cook healthy dinners centered around lean protein and veggies.

-Start going for a walk in the morning.

The possibilities are endless, but what matters is that you start putting something in the bank.

Month after month, these small changes add up.  And, not only will you have earned your fat loss, but you will have the tools to keep it.  (For more of my thoughts on this, watch this video.)

I know that “quick” is attractive. I get it.  But quick almost always means a higher cost, and often no lasting reward.

So, please, be patient with your weight loss.

You deserve it.