Do you feel bad spending extra money on healthy food?

In this post, I'm going to explain why some of us might feel bad spending extra money on healthy food but seem to have no problem spending a lot on crappy food. And then I'm going to introduce a simple mind set that can help us a lot going forward. Sound good?

Good! Let's get to it...

Confession time.

I love ice cream. I love cookies. I love hamburgers and fries.

I'm not saying it's not fun to eat unhealthy. Because it is.

What I'm saying is that it's way MORE fun to eat healthfully and to exercise.

Said in another way, I've never felt better from eating junk food than I have from eating healthy food.

I ALWAYS feel better when I eat better. (I know you do too.)

Ready for the reason why we're sometimes willing to pay top dollar for junk food but feel bad when it comes to healthy food?

When we're in the middle of an intense craving, and we feel compelled to eat, we don't think twice about the price.

$6 for a pint of ice cream? "I'll take two!"

$4 a cookie? "Here ya go!" And we'll even say, "Thanks!"

Gotta drive 5 miles away for that certain type of pizza you like? Vroom, vroom!

We do this because we're thinking irrationally. We're thinking with our short term self.

And when we go to the supermarket on a satisfied stomach (because MBT-ers don't go to a supermarket hungry, right? Right!) we're rational and thinking long term.

$6 for berries? "What are they nuts?!?!?" we think.

$8 for clementines?! "That's just insane!"

It goes on and on.

We feel bad about paying good money for good food but don't think twice about paying good money for bad food.

Here's a real quick lesson on why we buy:

We buy things because of the way they make us FEEL. People don't drive fancy cars because they get them from point A to B faster. People don't buy nice watches because they tell time better.

No. They buy the fancy car because of the way it makes them feel. They buy the fancy watch for the same reason.

Here's the best part about buying healthy food for ourselves ------> We feel better too!

I feel so much better investing in healthier food rather than spending on junk food.

This is the crucial switch:

EXPENSE VS. INVESTMENT

Want ice cream? The ice cream COSTS $6.

Want berries but feel bad because your rational mind is telling you they're too pricey? The berries are an INVESTMENT of $6.

See the difference?

We feel even better eating it and 100x better AFTER eating it.

So let's not feel bad about spending a few extra bucks on ourselves food wise.

The best part?

A cost is lost money. An investment pays us back over and over again. (At least a good one, does.) With our food choices, we GET to feel awesome during, afterward, and of course, we get to work towards our health and fitness...

Which, to me, is the BEST investment we can ever make. (Am I biased? Sure! But even if I didn't do what I do, I'd think it was.) I mean, without our health and fitness does anything else really even matter? It's truly the best investment we can make. We can't enjoy everything we work hard for if we're not healthy and fit. And we certainly can't enjoy it if we're dead! :)

In short: YOU ARE worth it! WE are worth it!

And besides, if you want to get all rational, I can list countless studies that prove how investing in our health and fitness now is far cheaper than the

alternative. But I will spare you and share these two quotes:

"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."

"It's better to pay the supermarket than the doctor."

Let's make it a great week! And if you're going out to eat, don't feel bad spending a few extra bucks on the healthier food! We never, ever, regret our healthy choices.

Successful people invest in themselves, and they don't feel bad about it because they know they're an appreciating asset.

-Adam