Today I thought about the meaning of Opportunity Cost and how it relates to me living a healthier life. Now for all of you folks with your business degrees please forgive my comparison. This is my world and it can be a little strange sometimes. According to Wikipedia-Opportunity Cost is the value of the next-best choice available to someone who has picked between several mutually exclusive choices. The opportunity cost of the decision is what you had to give up to get what you want. I made the choice and the sacrifice to live a happy and healthier life. The following are the top 3 best choices for me to reach my goal:
Cost of designing a health plan: Having a monthly plan defines who I am and my direction. I gave up a life of living out of control which contributed to my poor eating habits.
Cost of going to the gym: Going to the gym helps strengthens and build my muscles. By focusing on these areas of my body it helps me reduce my weight. I gave up the freedom to say 'no' to the gym which caused me to gain weight and look like crap in my clothes.
Cost of not binging: By changing my binging behavior it helps me enjoy all foods without feeling guilty after eating them. I gave up the behavior of overeating because it was time to stop the out of control eating habits.
It is very important for me to remember that an opportunity can cost. Not living a healthier life will lead me back down the road of guilt, sorrow and distractions. For me that is a road that must stay close. It is very important for me to review my health plan everyday because it reminds me of the cost of living healthier.
Question of the day: What would be the cost of going back to your old ways of living? Has it been worth the cost?
Thank you all for responding to my questions. Your comments help me see how others feel about their journey. I don't feel like I am the only one going through this. It really helps!
I recently helped my son study for an Economics final and clearly remember the concept of Opportunity cost.
ReplyDeleteI've never really struggled with weight issues but that was luck more than anything. Before I had children I didn't think about what I put in my mouth. If I was still doing this today, it might be a very different story. After my first child was born leading a healthy life became so much more important to me. I would never go back to those habits.
It has definitely been worth the cost. 100 percent!!
ReplyDeleteIf I went back to that way of life, I don't know what I would do. I'm not willing to give up the energy and general good feeling I have every day.
Hmm, would I want to go back to being a fat, tired, depressed smoker? Wearing clothes that rarely fit, never look good? Being invisible, ignored? OK, I did have to give up bingeing, dieting, lazy days of no exercise, and living an unplanned spontaneous life, esp. with regard to eating.
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