How to save money on weight loss support tools

Dr. B exists to make healthcare accessible and affordable while providing the same care and support you’d expect of your favorite family doctor. With Shed It—a holistic prescription weight loss program by Dr. B—we offer affordable GLP-1 medications and science-backed support tools to help you shed pounds + negative habits so you can meet your best self.

But we get that committing to upgraded food and fitness habits makes it easy to drop hard-earned cash on cooking appliances, Instagram-ready ingredients and luxe fitness subscriptions.

There’s nothing wrong with having fun as you develop healthier behaviors! But money stress negatively impacts the mental health of around 40% of American adults right now. And we don’t think that better health should come with the side effect of threatening your emergency fund.

So read on to learn how to set a savings goal while you bulk up on fitness, nutrition and mental health support tools.

1. Dig into your insurance offerings

If you’re losing weight to prevent or treat a medical condition, your health insurance plan may cover at least a portion of the costs for related diet and exercise services.

If you take glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonist medications like Tirzepatide (Mounjaro® and Zepbound®) or Semaglutide (Ozempic® and Wegovy®), you probably have a condition that qualifies related fitness + nutrition costs as medically necessary. Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), your insurer may be required to cover some form of nutritional counseling for that condition.

Otherwise, many health insurers offer wellness programs packed with financial incentives. They may offer discounts for meal delivery services, fitness trackers, exercise apps, gym memberships and therapy sessions. Or you may be able to get a specific dollar amount reimbursed yearly for general wellness costs. Check your coverage for details.

2. Put your HSA/FSA to work.

Health Savings Accounts (HSA) and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) let you set aside pretax income to pay for medical expenses. If you’re losing weight to prevent or treat a medical condition, related fitness costs can become HSA/FSA-eligible medical expenses, too!

But gym memberships, fitness classes, trackers and workout equipment don’t automatically qualify. To file those receipts for HSA/FSA reimbursement, you need a Letter of Medical Necessity from a licensed provider detailing how exercise relates to your condition.

Patients enrolled in Shed It can request a free Letter of Medical Necessity for fitness expenses during their first consultation. (The letter is included in the Shed It monthly fee. If you’re already enrolled in Shed It and chose this option, your letter is available under Documents at your patient dashboard.)

Otherwise, to find out if you can get a Letter of Medical Necessity online, take our $15 fitness consultation. A provider in your state will review your information and, if you qualify, email the letter to your inbox within a few hours. You can file it with receipts made on or after the letter’s date for an entire year!

3. Build strength, build savings

Prescription weight loss medications are only prescribed with healthy meal modification and exercise because damage to bone density, balance and other muscle problems can occur otherwise.

To encourage safe and effective weight management, Shed It offers a Prove You Move™ exercise discount! To participate, just pledge in your monthly online medical consultation that you’ll exercise at least three times a week. The Dr. B team will then check in weekly via text. At the end of the month, we’ll tally your success rates and knock up to $50 off your monthly program price!

4. Work it at work

If your job offers an Employee Assistance Program (EAP), it’s time to dig into the details.

EAPs are wellness benefits plans. Unlike insurance plans, which usually include copays and deductible fees, EAPs usually offer members a set number of entirely free therapy sessions.

Your employer may also offer a workplace wellness program that can include on-site fitness centers, free or low-cost gym memberships and fitness classes, or discounts to local health food stores. They may even offer financial incentives or schedule flexibility if you commit to the program. Check with your HR department for details.

5. Find free(ish) therapy

Changing habits to better your health takes a lot of commitment. If working through the challenges with a therapist can help, a few strategies can keep costs low.

Many insurance plans will cover a set amount of yearly sessions with an in-network licensed therapist—just check your copay or deductible contributions before booking your first session. If you see an out-of-network therapist, ask them for paperwork you can file with your insurance company for reimbursement.

Your employer may also offer a separate mental health or wellness benefits plan that includes therapy sessions. So check with their HR department for details.

Local colleges and universities with psychology or counseling programs may offer free therapy sessions with their (supervised) students. This is an excellent option for those who want to experience the newest therapeutic approaches.

Community centers and places of worship are also excellent places to find counseling or target support.

6. Simplify your kitchen

Eating well doesn’t require expensive ingredients or hours in the kitchen. Instead of loading up on organics at your favorite chain market, try nearby farm stands or farmer’s markets. Stock up on frozen vegetables—picked and then flash-frozen, they’re packed with nutrients and super fresh. Buy ingredients you love in bulk: rice, oatmeal, lentils, nuts and nut butter can stay fresh for months if stored correctly.

If cooking is not something you want to add to your to-do list right now, meal delivery services offer affordable and healthy menus with enough options to keep things delicious!

7. Get outside

Many of us forget that many exercise options exist outside our front door—if we live where it’s safe to do so.

If the idea of walking, running, biking or hiking does not immediately spark joy, try to layer fun into the pre-scheduled time. Make it the only time you listen to a specific playlist, audiobook or podcast. Use the time to catch up with friends over the phone (wearing headphones to stay safe). Or do the opposite and stay unplugged, enjoying the sensation of focusing on your thoughts, surroundings and senses.

To add strength training to your outdoor routine, check if your local parks include fitness zones. On top of varying jungle gym-like bar structures, they may even offer resistance machines like you’d find at indoor gyms. And in fairer months, keep tabs on free outdoor fitness classes run by town-sponsored organizations.

Shifting small habits can make a difference, too. If you take public transportation, walk a few stops where you’d typically ride. If you drive, park your car further from the entrance to your workplace, school or shopping centers. Take stairs instead of elevators.

8. Mind the app

Many free apps can help you stay focused on your nutrition, fitness and mental health goals. And you may not be aware of some tools available on your smartwatch or phone!

Here are a few possibilities to consider:

• Your phone’s health app: Many smartphones include a health app where you can track your steps, observe your heart rate and get a feel for your sleep habits. You can start simply by utilizing the app to track and get more steps in daily. Or sync it to your fitness tracker or other tracking information so that you can monitor your trends over time and adjust your goals as needed.
• An alarm clock: Alarms can be a simple but effective way to remind yourself to move throughout the day. Many fitness trackers offer an optional alert so that you complete a certain number of steps per hour. Or, set an alarm on your phone with a motivating reminder to get up and moving.
• All Trails: The free version of this beloved app lets you find a nearby trail to walk, run, hike or bike. You can narrow your search to find a path that’s dog-friendly, by water, or with wildflowers blossoming nearby. Pay $35.99 per year, and you can download offline maps, get live condition warnings, get warned if you make a wrong turn, alert friends to your location and more.
• Map My Walk: This top-reviewed app helps users plan a safe walking route with basic logistics in urban or suburban settings.
• Happify: This free app offers science-backed games, journal reflection prompts and quizzes to help reframe negative thought patterns. It’s like a very subtle form of therapy that’s also fun!

*Mounjaro®, Zepbound®, Ozempic® and Wegovy® are registered trademarks of their respective owners. Our use of these names is for informational purposes only and does not imply any affiliation, endorsement or approval by the trademark holders.

Sources:

Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America. (2024). TIAA Institute report finds ties between financial stress and mental health.