Reduce Your Health Insurance Quotes by Loosing Weight the Right Way
For the 2/3’s of the people in the US who are either overweight or obese you will either pay more for health insurance or not be able to get health insurance because of your weight, at least until 2014. Like it or not, these people have a much greater chance of getting sick than the 1/3 of the population who are not overweight and the actual average medical expenses are 3 times greater than the people with healthy weight.
If you are in this group, when you get an online quote for health insurance expect the actual rate that you end up with to be at least 50% more than what you are looking at on the screen. That is about $3000 more a year for the typical family of 4 with a high deductible HSA type plan and about $6000 more if you opt for a plan with copays and low deductibles.
So, loosing the weight will pay off in real terms right away – if you can do it.
Now I am not a nutritionist, physician, etc. I am someone who did not get the right genes and have to fight my weight every day. So, I can empathize with those of you who look at your skinny friends who eat everything in site and don’t gain a pound while you eat what you consider to be modest portions and never loose weight.
But I have closely known many of the people who claim that its genes and I know the truth. If you are obese it is extremely likely that you:
- Eat more than you think
- Don’t exercise or exercise very infrequently
- If you do exercise, it gives you an excuse to have a quarter pounder, milk shake, gator aid, french fries, etc
- When you diet, you start some form of a food program that is essentially starving you – a program you could never actually live the rest of your life on. So, you loose some weight, go back to your old habits and gain it all back – and then some…
- Your Diet – And I do not mean diet in the “fad diet” sense. I mean what it is that you eat now, and what it is that you will eat for the rest of your life. The plain truth is you need a healthy eating program that you can stick with – forever! Now this does not mean giving up cake, cookies, chips, fries shakes, etc for the rest of your life, but it does mean that you will be cutting way back on them and when you do have some of these foods, that you make up for it with a bit more exercise or less food the next day.
- Exercise – First let me say how much I cringe every time I hear some expert on TV tell us that we need to have 90 minutes of exercise every day to do us any good. That is just false and I sincerely believe that people hear this and think – what is the point. The fact is 20 minutes of exercise three times a week is better than no exercise at all. Now that certainly is not optimal, but I understand that many of you have busy lives, kids, two jobs, etc and you just don’t have 90 minutes a day to devote to an exercise regimen.
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- Cut out Sugared Drinks – Seriously, just eliminate soda, athletic drinks, sugared waters, etc. Replace them with water (that is best) and diet soda.
- Limit the Amount of Fruit Juice You Drink – At least there is nutrition, and start cutting it with water. After a week you won’t know the difference and you will find that full strength juices are too sweet. Really.
- Cut out potato chips and french fries – Sure at a party, have a couple, but don’t buy them just to have around the house anymore and don’t get fries when you eat fast food.
- Don’t Supersize – Yea its a deal, but its a deal that will kill you. And try to choose the grilled chicken with no mayo instead of the burger. I ask for one of their barbecue sauce packets used for the chicken nuggets – saves a lot of bad fats.
- Don’t buy ice cream, cakes, cookies just to have around the house – these are treats, and when you don’t always have them at home, you won’t miss them. Then when you get them its a treat, not a normal part of your everyday meals.
- Switch from white break/pasta to whole grain break and pasta – First its actually more flavorful and delicious, second its way better for you.
- Sensible Portions – Start learning a few things about calories and get your calorie intake to a healthy level.
- Walk on a Routine – Pick a time of day and days of the week and go for a brisk walk. Drive the route you are going and try to build up to 3 miles. When you feel like it, switch from a walk to a run.
- Lift Some Weights – I don’t mean Mr Universe – just get some dumbells and do some basic weight lifting.