by Laurie Kaiser

Created on: May 12, 2009   Last Updated: May 19, 2009

I don't know about you, but this recession has been really good for me. While I might be in less-than-great shape fiscally, the recession is whipping me into shape physically.

I'm guessing that, by the end of the recession, I'll have lost the 20 pounds my doctor has been nagging me about for the last 10 years, and I'll fit into those size 8s that have been languishing in the back of my closet. Vintage clothing is in, so I won't have to spend a dime to update my wardrobe.

The leaner, meaner me is attributable to eating at home rather than in restaurants and to increased physical labor associated with trying to save money. You don't burn many calories sitting in front of a PC all day. And eating out is considered a major cause of obesity in the U.S., according to the federal Food and Drug Administration. Restaurant portions are about double the size of those we should be eating, according to dietitians.

Eating in saves both money and calories. Before the recession, the average American spent roughly $1,000 annually on restaurant meals. That's per person. My annual grocery bill for a family of three is about $1,200. And that's just part of the story. Those restaurant meals pack a truckload of calories. A standard homemade tuna salad sandwich contains about 340 calories; a tuna salad sandwich made in a restaurant typically contains about double that. So while eating at home isn't helping the restaurant business, I'm doing my part to combat the obesity epidemic.

A bonus, my culinary skills have improved beyond heat and serve. Last night, for example, I served homemade beef stew with home-baked cornbread. Two cups of stew and a piece of cornbread contain about 600 calories. Approximate cost per serving: $3.

One of the goals of eating at home should be to eat healthier. To this end, we've expanded the vegetable garden. The benefits include saving money on store-bought produce and getting more exercise tilling, raking and hoeing. Gardening burns between 200 and 300 calories per hour. And consider all the fresh, pesticide-free vegetables we'll harvest for the price of a few seed packets. For obvious reasons, I've also given up salon manicures, which saves me $40 a month.

Now that I've joined the ranks of the unemployed/underemployed, I'm in charge of the housecleaning, a job previously shared with my husband. An hour-and-a-half of housecleaning burns a whopping 850 calories. All this exercise means that I can cut back on Pilates classes, which cost $250 every eight weeks.

And it only gets better. I'll be in fine shape for our summer vacation. Because we're seeking an inexpensive outing this year, we're planning to revisit the rustic tent camping of our youth. Compare the $12 per night cost of a prime waterfront campsite to the cost of a hotel room. The activitieshiking, swimming and bicyclingexpend nothing but calories. The economic recession has been good for physical, as well as fiscal, fitness.

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