Impulse Buying (Weight Loss Related)

I am an impulsive shopper, I buy things that seem interesting at the moment without any thought. If I leave the store without purchasing said items I am upset for the rest of the day and make it my one and only mission to get back to the store and purchase the item. Then guess what, the item gets lost, I use it four or five times and determine I don't want it or the next day it goes on sale for way cheaper than what I paid for it.

Now, you are probably wondering what does shopping have to do with weight loss (more importantly what does it have to do with this weight loss blog)? For me, it has a lot to do with it. Just as I purchase things on an impulse, I do the same with weight loss products and new trends.

Recently it has been brought to my attention (by a family member) that if you take a Raspberry Ketone pill and Green Coffee Bean Extract it will act as an appetite suppressant. The catch to this (at least what my family member was doing) was that you have to drink the green coffee bean solution (she did a green coffee drink, but they do make pills) and take the pill 20 minutes before eating your meal. The main reason why I couldn't do this: when I am hungry, I am hungry; I don't have 20 minutes to wait. I would rather have my meal (a healthy meal of course) planned out ahead of time and ready to consume when I am ready to eat. When I went to GNC yesterday I asked the employee about this new trend; her response "It's a fad diet, once you stop the pounds come back on." That isn't really a surprise and luckily I saved myself from this impulsive purchase.

The second impulsive purchase (weight loss related) I almost made was protein powder. This truly is on the rise, "Have a protein shake after working out" is all that I have been hearing lately. You can mix the protein powder with anything that you are drinking (I have even heard of people mixing it in yogurt) to get your desired protein shake. In the GNC store I was given a sample of chocolate protein powder (there are numerous variations of these powders) which was mixed with water and let me tell you, it takes just like someone mixed Nesquik chocolate powder with water, shook it and poured it in a cup. It wasn't horrible but it could have been better with milk (that is what the employee at GNC recommended). Now I am not sure if there is a catch to this one, but what I do know (and it took me hours of looking at various stores for the "right" powder) is that I don't have the patience to mix up a drink after every workout, especially since I was looking for something "filling" in place of random (often unnecessary) meals. Since I don't have the patience to do that, I saw no need in wasting my money on something I would use once or twice and then kick to the curb.

The third impulsive purchase that I am known for making comes in the form of fitness DVDs. For one, fitness DVDs are not one size fits all. Therefore, the only way to know if the DVD will work for you is to purchase it and find out. Looking back at all of the fitness workouts I have purchased (on DVD and VHS -- remember those, it was such a long time ago) I have found out that the ones I enjoy the most are the ones that are disguised as something else. What do I mean by that? Zumba for instance; when Zumba was first introduced, it may not have been targeted at weight loss, but it does work for weight loss. Zumba is the dance craze that has stormed the nation and it gets you up and moving without making you think you are working out. Games on the WII are another non-workout themed item that is actually great for working out. Grab some friends and play a few games (bowling, baseball, etc.) and before you know it you are burning calories.

One thing that is weight loss related that I don't mind purchasing on impulse; workout attire!! I love purchasing new clothes to work out in because it gives me an additional reason to get out and moving around. After all, how can you tell people where to get awesome workout clothes from if they don't see you? My favorites come from Old Navy and JCP.

Looking back, I have made so many impulsive weight loss related purchases that could have saved me money if I had just taken the time to do adequate research and wait it out. For one, I am thankful that I didn't make two unnecessary (and impulsive) purchases this weekend and I hope to keep that mindset as I move forward on that journey. After all, I have to be ready to buy a new wardrobe once I reach my goal weight; after all, good things come to those who wait.