Just before starting Dr. Garcia's program, I, of course, inquired about the cost of the program. I was able to find out in a phone call that there was a price for the initial visit, which included blood work, EKG, weight, body fat measurements, the injections, first month of the Calcium, weekly supply of medication, etc...the works. I also found out that after that, there was a weekly visit fee which included weigh in, assessment and the injection and appetite suppressants. Let me just say, it's not inexpensive, dollar wise.
When I told my parents about the program, after I started it, I brought the booklet that I received during my first visit. I suggested to my father that maybe he should skip the first page. The first page outlined the costs of the program. Well, being a dad...he didn't skip that page. He went right to it. He looked at me and said, you do realize that it's really more than just the weekly costs, right? I agreed with him.
Some of you might be wondering now, so, are there hidden costs that I don't know about? Well, not 'hidden' so much. Things I didn't really think about until he mentioned it...even though I told him "I know". One of those things were the fact that frankly it costs more money to eat healthy. Essentially, and I think I've said this before, I shop the perimiter of the grocery store. For the most part, even on maintenance, I don't eat pre-packaged foods. I shop the meat, seafood, produce and dairy departments. Sadly, it's much more expensive to eat healthy.
Upon deciding to write about the true costs of a program, I did a little research. What I found is that there is a mixture of people who say that eating healthy does not cost more because you buy less of more expensive food. I guess I understand that to a point. Between drinking the water, eating fruits and vegetables, I eat less than I did when I wasn't doing all that. However, the food I buy is definitely more expensive. I guess the jury is still out. I'd love your opinions, please share a comment.
One big issue I had during the process was clothing. I didn't really think I'd drop as many sizes as I did. I bought what I thought was a 'goal' pair of jeans, in the beginning of the journey. I wore them twice, then they were too big. I went through a lot of clothes, quickly. It didn't dawn on me until it was almost too late, that consignment shopping might have been the better way to go. I do, now, however, take the clothes that no longer fit (and there was a TON of them) to the consignment store to re-sell. It's a great way to make some extra cash on things that are virtually brand new. It seemed I had a small window of opportunity for most articles of clothing and some I missed all together and brought to the consignment store with tags still attached. That's annoying!!
All of that being said, the benefits are priceless. The increase in my self-esteem, my outlook on life, my need for less medication, the pure joy of living my life in a healthier, happier environment....there's no way you can put a price on the feeling of being in better control of your life.
“He who has health, has hope. And he who has hope, has everything.”
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