I am now only one year away from the big Four-0, which means that it is probably time to start taking my health seriously. I’ve got three kids who need me to be there for them long term, and I am determined to keep my weight under control so that I can stick around on this planet for as possible.

A few weeks ago, I got a full health screening to assess my current fitness and to make sure that I didn’t have any major health issues. My screening was mostly clean, but did show elevated cholesterol numbers and some indications of decreasing kidney function. My little brother had some major kidney issues a couple of years ago and ended up needing a transplant, so the kidney news was especially concerning.

Now that I am doubling-down on Healthy living, I am across a variety of financial decisions in this area. Of course, I am not alone in this quest to get healthy. There is a booming diet/fitness industry in today’s America and there is no shortage of companies trying to sell me the next hot diet-plan or the coolest new exercise technology. I certainly understand the appeal of some of these items, because I want this so bad and think that they could help me stay on track. But how can I navigate this slippery slope?

Healthy Eating

This doesn’t mean that we have to shop at Whole Foods or only purchase grass-fed steaks. That simply doesn’t (and won’t) fit into our budget. Instead, we just need to meal-plan and make lots of food when we cook. If we have healthy leftovers to eat, chances are good that we won’t resort to eating junk food.

The same goes for the appeal of eating-out at restaurants or stopping at gas stations for a quick snack. If there are healthy alternatives available and I have my lunches mapped out ahead of time– the likelihood of a “slip-up” can be minimized.

Staying Active

I recently had a friend try and convince me to join him in a half-marathon that he is running later this year. This is something that I have always wanted to try, but have never really had the motivation that it takes to start a serious training regimen and build-up the endurance. But in my newfound quest for health– I am seriously considering his offer.  Of course, the running world has a whole sub-community of its own and from shoes to the new fitness watches out there (that look pretty awesome), there are plenty of ways to spend Money here. Even the cost of signing up for runs is not insignificant.

There is also the cost of a gym membership, which we have talked about on this site. If you really want to build muscle, having ready access to a gym can be a key component. In an ideal world, I am also swimming laps as part of my training, and if a gym includes access to a pool. that can make the expense worthwhile. But always keep in mind that gyms make most of their money from people who purchase memberships and don’t actually use them. If you do make the commitment, make sure you actually carve time out in your schedule to work out.

Tracking Progress

The times that I have been most successful at losing weight, have been when I was totally geeking out on metrics. This includes logging everything that I eat in a tracking application like MyFitnessPal (which is totally free). It can be incredibly enlightening to see how many calories there really are in a handful of potato chips or a fast food sandwich. These apps are only useful, however, if you are truthful with yourself. You need to log everything– even when you have a “bad day”.  If you combine this with regular weigh-ins, it is easy to see what type of eating is keeping you from losing weight.

Justifying the Cost

There is an old adage that spending money can be an incredible motivator. If you give somebody something for free, they are actually far less likely to actually use it. That’s why it can be so effective to actually go ahead and spend the money to register for a run in the future. Once you have it paid for and have it on your calendar, you are much more likely to make the commitment to prepare appropriately.

The same can also be true for devices and gym memberships. I recently purchased a waterproof mp3 player to use during swimming. Now that this money has been spent, I certainly want to make sure that I get some value out of the money that has been invested. I am now scheduling regular swim sessions on the calendar, which is a big part of my fitness plan. By the way, these devices are awesome and make swimming laps much more entertaining.

All said, I don’t think it is a bad thing to invest money in getting healthy. Judging from the amount of money people spend on alcohol and fast-food, plenty of people are investing heavily in being unhealthy. The important thing is that you start small and start taking steps towards a healthy lifestyle. You don’t need to buy fancy shoes or equipment, or even purchase a gym membership, in order to start getting healthy. Just start by taking a daily walk, cleaning up your diet, and going from there.