Being able to eat healthy on a budget is no small task, but being able to cobble together a weight lifting diet on a budget is another feat entirely. I’ve blogged previously about the high cost of healthy eating, so it’s no surprise that it’s hard to get a weight lifting diet on a budget. However, after more than a year of being an intensely “fit person”, I think I’ve got a handle on the challenge.

The problem with bad food is that it’s usually very cheap

… but that’s only because the hidden health costs don’t strike until later. 

Diabetes and obesity aren’t worth shaving 20% off your grocery bill. I’m horrified whenever I read articles about people annihilating their debt in record time by living on ramen. That isn’t an accomplishment, that’s a dangerous gamble of your health to pay a little less in interest. Please, take care of yourself! I don’t want to harp on people for their bad nutrition, but if you’re unhappy with your weight, find yourself feeling tired, sluggish, unproductive, and prone to illness, it’s probably your diet. Which is terrible, but at the same time it’s a very easy fix!

If you’re doing any kind of regular exercise, particularly an intensive program like weight-lifting, you need to eat for it.

I lift weights 4 to 5 times per week and have been diligently for nearly a year. In the summer I also mixed in a few 5km runs every week on top of my weight-lifting but once school started again I just couldn’t fit all the exercise into my schedule. Now that I’m working full-time and completing my last 2 MBA classes at night, I’m even more crunched for time, but thankfully there’s a gym very close to my work so I still get exercise in even during my busiest weeks.

I like to life heavy. Which means  no “Barbie barbells” here 😉 The program I’ve been following since January 1 is the 12 Week Program from FitAffinity. I got it on sale on Boxing Day as part of a set with their Abs and Lower Body programs. They are AWESOME but they go on sale all the time, so if the program you’re interested is at full-price now just keep your eye on it and it should be available at a discount soon!

But back to your weight-lifting diet on a budget. The key to getting the right nutrition when lifting heavy is getting enough protein — but protein is hella expensive! This Bodybuilding.com calculator will give you a rough estimate of how much protein you need based on your body weight.

Below are my weekly and monthly grocery lists. At first glance you might be surprised at the price tag: $300 per month per person on food. The online personal finance community is as bad at nutrition as they are good at managing their money. Many brag about monthly grocery bills of less than $200, which is not so much a budgeting feat as it is purchasing malnutrition at a hefty pricetag. After all, if you’re going to treat your body like crap, you could just starve it for free. But you’re not going to do that! You’re going to eat healthy on a budget!

Weight Lifting Diet On A Budget

Weekly Grocery List ($56 per week)

• At least 8 servings of: broccoli, asparagus, brussels sprouts, zucchini, peppers, tomatoes ($10)
• At least 4-6 servings of: bananas, blueberries, apples, avocado ($6)
• 1-3 (8-10 servings) of sweet potatoes ($4)
• 8 chicken breasts ($20)
• 1-2 servings fish or lean ground beef ($10)
• 1 dozen eggs ($4)
• 1 box Rice Thins crackers or other snack ($2)

Monthly Grocery List ($77 per month)

• Quaker quick oats ($10)
• Chickpeas ($2) and/or Black beans ($2)
• Vega All-In-One Nutritional shake ($40)
• Optimum Nutrition protein powder ($25)

Total Expected Spend: $56/week x 4 weeks + $77/month =

$301 per month

So not cheap, but not bank account annihilating expensive either. Out of this you should be able to make six meals per day each week.

Weight Lifting Diet On A Budget – Meals

• Breakfast – 1 scoop chocolate Vega One + 1/2 banana + 1/4 cup of oats OR protein pancakes + fruit OR eggs + veg
• Snack – crackers + hard boiled egg OR piece of fruit OR 1/2 avocado
• Lunch – 40z chicken breast + 3/4 cup sweet potato + 3/4 cup green veg
• Snack – protein shake OR crackers + hard boiled egg
• Dinner – 40z chicken breast + 3/4 cup sweet potato + 3/4 cup green veg
• Snack – crackers + hard boiled egg OR piece of fruit OR 1/2 avocado

Sources of savings in this weightlifting diet on a budget:

The Vega all-in-one shake negates the need to consume additional supplements. Because the shake contains leafy greens, Omega 3s, and a whole whack of vitamins, it reduces both your grocery AND pharmacy bill. Besides, apparently supplements don’t contain what they promise. Before I started taking Vega I was spending ~$40/mo on supplements and vitamins. I axed both when I started taking Vega, and still feel great. Additionally, Vega is vegan so it doesn’t contain dairy like most protein powders. Even if this is not a dietary concern, anyone who’s ever left their protein shaker bottle overnight knows the next morning isn’t pretty. Well, with Vega you’re not left clearing sour milk sludge out of your favorite water bottle. If that’s not a win, I don’t know what is. You can buy Vega online here (Canada) and here (USA) and get free shipping, or in practically any health food store and some high end grocery stores.

Protein powder will let you meet your protein requirements without buying more expensive foods like chicken and fish. I like Optimum Nutrition (I haven’t tried any other brands), but I find it is too expensive to order online, whereas it’s always on sale at my local health food store. I used to be weirded out by protein powder and refused to have it, but I found I had a really hard time getting enough protein (especially while keeping costs down!) so I finally just gave in.

Skipping alcohol, dairy, and junk food is REALLY good for your budget. One of the perks of eating super healthy is you’re getting enough of everything you need, so you don’t feel hungry all the time. Gone are the days of mindless munching! And telling people you can’t drink much because you’re sticking to a strict workout regime is an easy out of spending $100 at the bar. Dairy is only really the enemy if you talk to my personal trainer, but otherwise it’s not super bad for you — but it is bad for you wallet. Cheese, milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, etc. are usually higher in price, so finding a way to axe them from your diet will save you a few bucks.

And that’s the best you can do! In my opinion, there’s no better investment than your health — so a $300/mo grocery budget + gym membership + workout program is one of the best ways to spend your money. Because few things will give you such a great return on your investment! Not only will exercise improve your health, it will make you more productive at work AND happier! If you’re going to shell out your hard earned money for anything, it can’t go anywhere better than towards your health.